FIFA‘s director of refereeing, Pierluigi Collina, has defended Salvadoran official Ivan Barton following criticism from outgoing France coach Didier Deschamps. Deschamps questioned the referee’s capability after France’s 2-0 defeat to Spain in a World Cup semifinal match in Arlington, Texas.
Deschamps’ post-match comments were carefully worded, stating, “If I say anything, I’ll look like a sore loser because we lost.” He then posed the question: “is the referee up to the task of officiating a semifinal?” He specifically mentioned a penalty decision and indicated there were other issues, clarifying he had nothing against the referee personally but urged others to consider the question.
Collina, a former World Cup final referee, responded directly to Deschamps’ query. When asked if the referee was capable, Collina affirmed, “Yes, absolutely. Our referees are world class.”
Controversial Penalty Decision
The primary point of contention revolved around a penalty awarded to Spain in the first half. Referee Barton judged Lucas Digne‘s challenge on Lamine Yamal to be a foul inside the box. Mikel Oyarzabal successfully converted the penalty, giving Spain the lead. Pedro Porro later secured Spain’s win in the second half.
This is not the first instance where Collina has had to defend officials during the tournament. He previously supported a referee after a controversial match where Egypt lost to Argentina in the Round of 16. In that instance, Egypt’s coach Hossam Hassan had accused FIFA of favoring the defending champions.
France will now participate in the third-place play-off on Saturday in Miami. They will face the loser of the semifinal match between Argentina and England. This outcome is a significant disappointment for France, who were considered one of the pre-tournament favorites.
Mbappe’s Assessment of the Defeat
France captain Kylian Mbappe openly criticized his team’s tactical and technical performance following their 2-0 FIFA World Cup semi-final defeat to Spain. This loss ended France’s aspiration for a third consecutive final appearance. Mbappe stated that his team “fell well short” of the necessary standards for a World Cup semi-final.
Mbappe highlighted specific tactical and technical shortcomings, including a lack of communication in the press and being outnumbered in midfield. He noted that Spain secured their spot in the final with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal, via a penalty, and Pedro Porro, as they effectively controlled possession and dictated the game’s tempo.
The captain took responsibility for the collective disappointment, acknowledging France’s inability to execute their intended game plan. Spain’s disciplined performance at AT&T Stadium marked their second time reaching a World Cup final. This result also means that a World Cup final since 2018 will not feature France.
Reflecting on the match, Mbappe observed that France struggled both tactically and technically against a Spanish side that dominated the midfield through Rodri and Fabian Ruiz. He pointed out the numerical disadvantage in midfield, stating, “We were three against two in midfield, and against Spain, that’s hard.”
Mbappe further explained that Fabian and Rodri had ample time to control play due to a lack of communication in France’s pressing strategy. He believed France should have implemented a man-to-man press to force Spain’s players to move more. France, despite entering the contest with a strong record of six consecutive wins and 16 goals in the tournament, failed to impose their game.
The initial plan for France was to press high and disrupt Spain’s build-up, but this strategy did not materialize during the match. Mbappe commented, “We didn’t play the game we wanted, technically, tactically. When you don’t do what you have to do in a World Cup semifinal, you don’t win.”
Execution and Responsibility
The Real Madrid forward also expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s execution in possession. He noted that careless play prevented France from capitalizing on the limited opportunities they created. “We were too sloppy technically. We could not hurt them when we could have,” he stated.
Spain took the lead in the 22nd minute after Lamine Yamal earned a penalty, which Mikel Oyarzabal calmly converted. Didier Deschamps’ challenges increased when defender William Saliba had to leave the field due to injury before halftime. In an attempt to rally the team, the France coach introduced Manu Kone, Desire Doue, and Rayan Cherki after the break.
However, Spain extended their lead shortly after the hour mark when Pedro Porro exchanged passes with Dani Olmo before scoring past Mike Maignan. France created some threats through Aurelien Tchouameni and Mbappe, but Spain’s defense remained strong, achieving its sixth clean sheet in seven matches during the tournament. Mbappe, who had eight goals before the semi-final, could not add to his tally and remains level with Argentina captain Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
As captain, Mbappe accepted responsibility for the team’s defeat, calling it a collective disappointment. He concluded, “As the captain, I have to take all the responsibility, and I have no problem with that. We wanted to go to the final. We didn’t go.” France will now face the loser of the second semi-final between Argentina and England in Saturday’s third-place playoff, while Spain advances to pursue their second FIFA World Cup title.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
