DOHA — If there was even the minutest positive to take from another quarter-final exit for England, it came in the form of avoiding a potential humiliation against giant-slayers Morocco.
We all know how it would have gone. The prospect of facing an African side, ranked 22 in the world, in the last four would have got the country dreaming about a second successive major tournament final before the semi had even taken place.
“It’s coming home” would be the answer to every vox pop interview in the street. “Sweet Caroline” would be blaring out of car stereos up and down the land. The only ones who would not have been counting their chickens would be anyone who has seen Morocco play at this World Cup.
This is no miracle, it’s a movement – an African one with a tinge of Arab flavour. Morocco have their system. They play the same way, against every team, and execute a well thought-out game plan every time.
One shock win can be passed off as a freak, but knocking Belgium out in the group stage, containing Spain in the last 16 before deservedly sending Portugal crashing out in the quarter-final on Saturday, leaving Cristiano Ronaldo in tears, is anything but a fluke.
“We have a clear game plan, everyone has to work,” coach Walid Regragui said. “Hakim [Ziyech] and [Sofiane] Boufal haven’t run as much in their lives as they did tonight.
“We are the team that everyone loves in this World Cup because we are showing the world you can succeed even if you don’t have as much talent and money.
“We have made our people, our continent and so many people around the world proud, when you watch Rocky you want to support Rocky Balboa and we are the Rocky of the World Cup.”
More on Morocco Football
Regragui was labelled “avocado head” by experts back home upon his appointment in August, as they considered him uninspiring, but he has remained ripe from day one, with that most solid of cores fundamental to his side becoming Africa and the Arab world’s first-ever World Cup semi-finalists.
Morocco came into Saturday’s clash having averaged just 34 per cent possession in matches at the World Cup, ranking 31st out of 32 teams in Qatar.
Such a stat would suggest they are always on the back foot. But the truth is, they are happy to cede possession and hit teams on the counter, to devastating effect. Their tactical plan is right out of Jose Mourinho’s playbook.
Against Portugal, who again started with Ronaldo on the bench, they had even less of the ball – 27 per cent. From so little of the play, they had the same number of shots on target as Portugal and could easily have added to their solitary goal from numerous big chances created.
The personnel fit the system perfectly. Goalscoring hero Youssef En-Nesyri is the ideal target man for the roaming Ziyech to play in and around, while the direct Boufal’s game suits playing on the break to a tee.
It is all about the collective, one breathing unit that defends as one. Even without key defenders against Portugal due to injury, they kept their fourth clean sheet from five games at the World Cup on Saturday.
An own goal against Canada is the only time Morocco have conceded since Regragui took over – a run of eight games.
Having garnered the support of the entire Arab world, one united behind them partly thanks to what Arabs feel is undue scrutiny on Middle Eastern countries like Qatar from the West, Morocco are simply thriving.
“We defended really well, not only today but the whole tournament,” Sofyan Amrabat said. “How we play, how we defend, our fighting spirit. The individual did not make the difference but the team did.”
Such togetherness, roared on by a home-ground backing, makes them a much more imposing proposition than they first appear.
France have the talent to end the Arabian dream, and will be overwhelming favourites to reach the final. But so were Belgium, Spain and Portugal.
Morocco’s euphoric players slumped to their knees in exhaustion as much as elation on Saturday. They looked spent and there is a chance that three of their first-choice back four could be missing against France.
But their biggest strength – that spirit to keep the African-Arabian dream alive – will take some breaking as the underdog continues to punch above its weight.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/A8Dks0U
Post a Comment