France coach was quietly confident before his side took the pitch against Uruguay. In the lead up to the match, Deschamps refused to make a prediction on the outcome, but it was ostensible that he believed in his troops, and they sure proved him right with a convincing victory against a much heralded Uruguay that knocked Cristiano Ronaldo out of the tournament.
Uruguay's Fernando Muslera was at fault for France's safety marker, letting a Antoine Griezmann floater pass right through him. Most in attendance saw Muslera veer his side, when he ought to have confidently handled the ball with two hands, this after Raphael Varane had already scored the go-ahead goal off a splendid header.
With the game seemingly out of reach, Uruguay players began to tussle with their French opponents. A full-scale melee erupted when Uruguayan winger Cristian Rodríguez skinned French striker Kylian Mbappé. Rodríguez thereby took offence to Mbappé overselling an injury. Referee Néstor Pitana also saw to it, that Mbappé be punished for simulation. "Flopping" incidents such as this have put the World Cup under negative light, with Neymar turning into the sport's popular scapegoat. Rest assured, Mbappé to call upon the blind eye of an official.
France will face the winner of Belgium/Brazil next Tuesday.
