The World Cup semifinals arrive with two giants and two fetching dreamers ... RAYYAN, Qatar — Hardly anybody remembers much of anything about the first of the ...
“Quite honestly, I could not imagine that I would come so far, that I would be the head coach of Croatia, that I would be leading Croatia in semifinals and final,” he said. Regragui, the 47-year-old former Morocco defender raised in Paris, had to remind of a curious reality: Hey, he had been on the job for somewhat shy of a while. Croatia’s Luka Modric was in the position of having to explain what some found unacceptable given the continents involved and the results of 2018, so he went back to the pregame news conference of Nov. Just getting going then, he told of having midrange plans and long-range plans, including winning the Africa Cup of Nations. “I’ve said many times before, and I shall repeat: Everyone in life has a right to make dreams,” he said Monday. [2-1 win over England in a 2018 semifinal](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/soccer-insider/wp/2018/07/11/england-vs-croatia-2018-world-cup-semifinal/?itid=lk_inline_manual_26) stands as No. “The Croatian team four years ago made the dream a reality for the other smaller countries,” Dalic said, “and we gave those teams the justification to have their dreams.” He said Friday’s [quarterfinal win on penalty kicks against Brazil](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/12/09/brazil-eliminated-world-cup/?itid=lk_inline_manual_26) stands as No. Against the mastery of Lionel Messi so familiar to the world since forever and the majesty of Kylian Mbappé growing more familiar by the day, here go two who dared to dream — maybe even kindred spirits. This opener of [Group F play](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/10/25/group-f-world-cup/?itid=lk_inline_manual_2) happened on a cloudless midday with some mild chatter about heat — which sounds odd by now, the tolerable heat long since yielding to light-sweater air and cool Arabian nights. “African teams need to be aware that we are elite teams,” Morocco Manager Walid Regragui said. 23](https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2022/11/16/world-cup-schedule/?itid=sf_sports_soccer_top-table_p001_f004&itid=lk_inline_manual_2), seemingly about 10 years ago.
Although Morocco was not the favourite of this quarter final, it surpassed all expectations after beating Portugal…even with Cristiano Rinaldo.
The Moroccans finished the match with 10 against 11 after the expulsion of Walid Cheddira (90th + 2). Tired but heroic, forced to make eight minutes of extra effort after the end of regulation time, the Moroccans could still count on Bounou who came to confirm that he is indeed one of the best goalkeepers of this competition, who stopped an attempt by Ronaldo (90th + 1). Yassine Bounou had saved his team from a Joao Felix header (4th), and the Atletico Madrid striker missed the target (30th, 38th). When Romain Saïss, the Moroccan defender and captain, was forced to give up his place (56th), the task became even more complicated. However, Morocco became the first African team to cross this level, after dominating Portugal (1-0) thanks to a goal by Youssef En-Nesyri at the end of the first half. This was the goal scored in the 41st minute by Youssef En-Nesyri, the Sevilla striker, well positioned to take advantage of a misunderstanding between Diego Costa, the Portuguese goalkeeper, and Ruben Dias to head the ball into the net.
Croatia reached the semifinals for the second time in four years after a nerve-shredding penalty shootout against Brazil that left the pre-tournament ...
They showed total commitment to the cause and were cheered on by a stadium of fans willing them on to make history. A side able to defend as a unit, but with a fearsome attack. The never-say-die spirit of the Croatians, coupled with the excellence of veteran midfielder Luka Modric and defender Dejan Lovren, saw a fine defensive display and shows that a side that has taken many ties in knockout stages of recent major tournaments to extra time, does not know how to give up.
In 21 editions of the World Cup over 92 years featuring 79 nations, there have been only eight winners and only 13 have made it to the final; Spain were the ...
They've got injuries as well and tough games but it's been one of the great stories of the tournament." That player who plays off and serves the rest of the team. "They have a spirit here with their fans, a nastiness and there's a feeling that they have it in them. The best players like Mbappe and Messi, they love subservient players around them to serve their needs. They've kept four clean sheets so far at this tournament, with the last two sides to record five in a single edition going on to lift the trophy (Spain 2010, Italy 2006). This is the third World Cup meeting between Argentina and Croatia, and first in the knockout stages. It had been only Turkey's second appearance in the World Cup and they have not been back since. I knew they would concede chances defensively and I thought they were so rash thinking of Dayot Upamecano, Theo Hernandez and Aurélien Tchouaméni in the penalty incident. In the 21 editions of the World Cup over 92 years featuring 79 nations, there have still been only eight winners and only 13 have made it to the final. "I thought they made some really poor decisions in the defensive third. Argentina are looking to reach the World Cup final for the sixth time, a figure bettered only by Germany (8). It was in 1994 though that the apple cart really looked to have been overturned.
Argentina vs. Croatia, France vs. Morocco matches to be held in this stage - Anadolu Agency.
[Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Croatia match in Qatar's Al Daayen. France lifted the World Cup twice; in 1998 when they were hosts and in 2018 in Russia. Vatreni came third in the 1998 World Cup and it will be Croatia's third semifinal in the Qatar 2022. The South American powerhouse were the World Cup runners-up in 1930, 1990 and 2014. The semifinal stage in the 2022 FIFA World Cup will kick off Tuesday with the Argentina vs.
After a pair of thrilling quarter-final matches on Friday, Argentina is set to square off with Croatia on one side of the bracket. Will Lionel Messi continue ...
Olivier Giroud is inevitable and will get on the end of a cross to open the floodgates. With the prospect of the world being treated to Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe facing off in a World Cup final wouldn’t be kinda hilarious if we got Croatia vs. This is a team that made it to the World Cup finals last time, won their qualifying group during this cycle, have lost just once in all of 2022, were publicly disrespected by Canada of all teams and somehow don’t seem to be the favorites no matter who they play. Morocco has played exceptionally throughout this World Cup and has shown what is possible if you play to your strengths. In a lot of ways, he IS the sport due to what he’s done in the game. This is a country with less than 4 million people but a roster that is made up almost entirely of players from the best leagues in the world. Their style of play reflects their passion, and it’s matched by the support of their traveling fans as well as locals. Both teams had to go through a penalty shootout to reach this point, but Croatia clearly has the edge in that aspect. I think Croatia fights hard in this one, but Argentina moves on to the final. Will Les Bleus get back to the World Cup Finals, or will Morocco crash the party, continuing their dream story in Qatar? Argentina on the other hand just feels like the team to beat. Will Lionel Messi continue his trek towards his “impossible dream?” Or will Croatia get back to the World Cup Final after their run in 2018?
The best part about the 2022 World Cup semifinals is that every potential outcome from this point on is a good one. Let's use the France-Morocco game as our ...
[good friend](https://twitter.com/KMbappe/status/1600187182802534400), and one of the only players in the world fast enough to keep up with him. That could leave even more of an opportunity for Hakimi and Mbappé to get matched up in the open field, the World Cup’s own Flash vs. [never more than 12](https://www.vulture.com/article/andor-season-1-episode-9-recap.html) guards between them and the goal. According to match reports, he and Mbappé [have topped out at the same speed](https://the18.com/en/futbol-noticias/copa-del-mundo-2022/fastest-players-world-cup-ranking) in this tournament.) What does Mbappé think of the challenge? The Netherlands scored two goals in the final 10 minutes plus added time of their quarterfinal to send the game to extra time, even though Argentina won on penalties. All of them but one—its 2018 World Cup Final loss to France—finished tied at the end of regulation. Whichever final we get, the paths to it appear broadly similar: a favorite—two of the favorites for the entire tournament, in fact—matched up against an impressive and indomitable underdog. Portugal, Spain, even Croatia couldn’t find the Moroccan net in this tournament (The two semifinalists drew 0–0 in their first group stage game). Nobody has beaten them in extra time at the World Cup In this tournament, Croatia went down to Japan and scored 12 minutes later. If Morocco upsets France, we end up with possibly the biggest underdog victory in the history of the World Cup. This will be true whether it plays another potential first-time winner in Croatia or has to deny Lionel Messi on the doorstep for the second time in his career.
The World Cup semifinals are set for Tuesday and Wednesday. See odds, expert picks and storylines for each game.
[Noussair Mazraoui](https://theathletic.com/football/player/noussair-mazraoui-N0O0yBol0O5V2Af2/) and center-back [Nayef Aguerd](https://theathletic.com/football/player/nayef-aguerd-U3KpCSq4ag8okKTd/) missed the Portugal match, but Morocco’s defense still held strong. [Kylian Mbappe](https://theathletic.com/football/player/kylian-mbappe-vqEQPtKAKLluodtc/) was quiet against England, but the French attack has plenty more options. Morocco has already taken out the Iberian Peninsula at this World Cup. Montiel has made only one start, but Acuña has started every match since starting on the bench in the opener. Croatia has come from behind in regular time to win in penalty shootouts in both knockout matches eventually. Messi has led the way with four goals and two assists. They’ve taken different paths to get this far, but both are coming off penalty shootouts in the quarterfinals. ET/7 p.m. Kickoff time: Tuesday 2 p.m. How much will that match play in the minds of the players? So far, Messi has delivered, but Argentina faces an experienced and irrepressible Croatia side in a semifinal on Tuesday. On Wednesday, Morocco will look to continue its miracle run at this World Cup by upsetting France and advancing to the final.
Start times and TV and streaming options for the World Cup semifinal matches, featuring Argentina vs. Croatia and France vs. Morocco.
[Argentina](https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2022-12-09/argentina-defeats-netherlands-world-cup-2022) and [Croatia](https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2022-12-09/croatia-knocks-out-brazil-4-2-in-penalty-shootout-neymar), the last two World Cup runners-up, open the semifinals Tuesday. The South Americans last played in the semifinals eight years ago in Brazil, eliminating the Netherlands on penalty kicks after playing to a scoreless draw. Argentina came to Qatar riding a 36-game unbeaten streak, then lost to Saudi Arabia in its opener. This time it has beaten Japan and Brazil on penalties to get back to the semifinals, leaving it unbeaten in five World Cup games that have gone to extra time, winning four of those in penalty-kick shootouts. In Russia, Croatia advanced through the first two rounds of the knockout stage on penalty kicks, then won its semifinal in extra time to reach the final unbeaten. 1 Brazil, the heavy tournament favorites, home in the quarterfinals.
Morocco made history on Saturday as the first African team to reach a World Cup semifinal, defeating Portugal 1-0 to continue its sparkling run in Qatar,
Instead, it said Morocco got the breakthrough three minutes before halftime, “as Yahia Attiyat-Allah floated the ball perfectly into the box and En-Nesyri rose highest, far above goalkeeper Diogo Costa and Rúben Dias, to head it into the net.” “The Atlas Lions have become one of the stories of the tournament, holding fellow semifinalist Croatia to a draw in the group stage, and defeating Belgium, Spain and now Portugal on their way to a semifinal.” “Defeat for Portugal marked the end of what is likely to be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last World Cup, as even he could not make a dent in the Morocco defense and was left in tears walking down the tunnel after the final whistle.”
The World Cup semi-finals are upon us; Argentina vs Croatia and France vs Morocco; Sky Sports tipster Jones Knows hunts out some betting angles for the two ...
With this deadly French attack taken to find a way through, it's likely that the game-state is going to require Morocco to play with much more attacking intent as their tournament is on the line. There are flaws in their shape without the ball that will provide opportunities for Morocco to exploit. Clean sheets are common though with 13 teams keeping the gates closed from that sample size, working at a very appealing 65 per cent strike rate. In five matches at this World Cup, Argentina have allowed just 22 shots on their goal to a total expected goals against figure of 1.83. They simply don't possess the pace or attacking intent to truly trouble a team with such amazing defensive numbers like Argentina carry. Somehow though Argentina have conceded five goals - two of those coming against Saudi Arabia, which is quickly becoming one of the most freakish results in World Cup history.
France defender Raphael Varane says the title holders will not 'fall into the trap' of overconfidence in Morocco match.
“Is the phone ringing? [They also beat Belgium](/sports/2022/11/27/morocco-30) and [drew with Croatia](/sports/liveblog/2022/11/23/live-morocco-vs-croatia-world-cup-2022) during the group phase and have conceded just a single goal, from an own goal, in their five matches so far in the tournament. Enrique was sacked by Spain after the Morocco defeat. “I was surprised by [Ounahi]. I was very surprised. “We have enough experience in the team to not fall into that trap,” Varane, one of the survivors of France’s victorious 2018 World Cup campaign, said when asked about overconfidence ahead of the Morocco match.
THE FINAL WEEK, with four sides left loitering in glory's antechamber. Which two of Croatia, Argentina, Morocco or France will meet in Sunday's final, ...
But can they dethrone the reigning champions and pull off one of the greatest shocks in World Cup history? His only major error in the quarter-final was to bring on Leandro Paredes to close out the game, the equivalent of asking an arsonist to quench a fire. His switch to a back three against the Netherlands was the correct move, and the introduction of Angel Di Maria in extra-time provided thrust to almost win the game before needing penalties. The Al Bayt is the strange, tent-shaped stadium built 30 miles into the desert, and has seen some of the most antiseptic atmospheres of the tournament thus far. Moroccan fans are piling into Qatar, with Morocco’s national airline laying on an extra 30 flights to Doha ahead of the game. Argentine journalists wildly celebrated Brazil’s exit in the hours before their own quarter-final epic against the Netherlands, but Croatia are nightmare opponents in many ways.
Gvardiol has certainly been a key reason for Croatia getting this far — they've scored just six goals in their five games, four coming against Canada in one ...
Messi has scored in all but one of their five games to get to this point; and only a shock result against Saudi Arabia to start things off has seen Argentina score less than two goals overall They beat Australian and the Netherlands (on penalties) to get here. Gvardiol has certainly been a key reason for Croatia getting this far — they’ve scored just six goals in their five games, four coming against Canada in one match; and they needed penalties to advance in each of the previous two rounds. It feels like we just began this thing, and now we’re almost done!
In Vincennes, a town located east of Paris, France, Wednesday's (Dec. 14) world Cup semi-final has created a dilemma. Supporters who have roots in both ...
Our two countries, the 2 countries we dearly love, we can't choose, in fact, we are for France and Morocco. The Kingdom is now two wins away from dwarfing that and could become Africa's first World Cup champion. "We would never have imagined it.