France

France Is Now the 2018 World Cup Favorite

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With only four teams left in the 2018 World Cup, France is now the clear favorite to win the tournament. From the goalkeeper to the center forward, France has the most talented squad in the tournament, and several scuffles against Uruguay in the quarterfinals likely strengthened team unity and resolve.

Kylian Mbappe is easily France’s best play. The 19-year-old forward can beat anyone off the dribble with speed or skill, and he can score with either foot. Against Argentina in the first round of the knockout rounds, Mbappe not only scored two goals, but he also made unstoppable runs behind the defense for his teammates to simply chip the ball to him on the run. On two occasions, his teammates hit him 50 yard passes in the air that he softly brought down only to get hacked by Argentina. This ability to blow past defenders and instantly control passes out of the air made him impossible to defend without fouling. The French forward is also excellent 1v1 in tight spaces from a standstill, and this combined with his passing makes him the best player left in the tournament and arguably the best player for the entire tournament.

France also boasts a world-class midfield anchored by N’Golo Kante as the defensive midfielder who is widely regarded as the best in the world at that position, and the midfield also includes Paul Pogba and either Corentin Tolisso or Blaise Matuidi. Pogba is something of a hybrid midfielder as he is center midfielder with a playmaker and Number 10 skillset. Pogba is next to impossible to push off the ball, and his individual skill level with the ball is world-class. Matuidi has been a very consistent performer for France who always provides non-stop running and defending for France, but his technical skill is a level below Tolisso’s. Tolisso is smoother technically and uses both feet whereas Matuidi is primarily left-footed. Nevertheless, Matuidi always performs, and he does occasionally score. Deschamps might have a difficult decision picking between the two.

France’s defense is also world-class. The two French center backs, Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti, both start for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, and how many national teams can say that their two center backs start for those two clubs? The fullbacks or outside backs for France have been excellent despite being considered the back-ups by most people. Djibril Sidibe and Benjamin Mendy were supposed to be the starters, but Benjamin Pavard and Lucas Hernandez have been excellent. One starts for Stuttgart and one starts for Atletico de Madrid, so neither were unknowns playing for small clubs.

France is the second best talent producer in the world after Brazil, so it’s no surprise that France has a stacked squad again who are performing well in the World Cup. France had deep runs in 1998, 2006, and 2014, so France often perform well in the tournament.

This World Cup is France’s to lose, and not winning the 2018 World Cup at this point would have to be viewed as a choke or at least a failure. The tournament is cleared of all the killer shark teams like Germany, Spain, Argentina, and Brazil, so France should win.

France’s Best Lineup for the 2018 World Cup

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Didier Deschamps has selected a deep and talented roster for the 2018 World Cup, albeit with several big snubs including Karim Benzema, Kurt Zouma, and Kingsley Coman. Nevertheless, France will have a great starting lineup at the World Cup with Kylian Mbappe being France’s best player.

Alphönse Areola has made a strong argument to be the starting goalkeeper for France with his excellent season with Paris Saint-Germain where he showed his ability to make big saves, but Deschamps will likely be starting Hugo Lloris in goal as he has been the goalkeeper for France for years without ever giving France a reason to drop him.

Djibril Sidibe is France’s best right back option, and the Monaco right back is an attacking threat down the right sideline. Benjamin Mendy is France’s best left back option, and the Manchester City outside back can actually play either right back or left back.

France’s center backs are one of the team’s strong points with Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti being the clear starters. Zouma was a snub from the roster, but Umtiti is one of the two starting center backs for Barcelona. Varane is a level above Umtiti in terms of skill, defending, and speed, but Umtiti is still  arguably a world-class defender. The midfield and attack is where the real lineup battles are.

N’Golo Kante will start for France as the team’s defensive midfielder anchoring the midfield, but the real question is who will start with Paul Pogba further up in the midfield? Corentin Tolisso is a starting center midfielder for Bayern Munich, and he’s likely a better player than Blaise Matuidi. But, if France starts Kante and Pogba then perhaps starting Thomas Lemar as more of an attacking midfielder is a more aggressive option for France. A midfield of Kante, Pogba, and Lemar balances defending with playmaking and attacking skill. Pogba is something of an anomaly as all great players are. He’s a center midfielder with the attacking skill and creativity of a forward. Pogba is an excellent 1v1 dribbler, playmaker, and scorer, but he doesn’t need to really be the attacking midfielder on paper to be effective and show all his skill.

The French attack is slightly handicapped by the omission of Benzema from the squad as Olivier Giroud is a slower less skilled and less direct forward, but Giroud is a good center forward with plenty of talent. Mbappé is the real attacking threat for France, and Deschamps will likely start him on the left wing with Antoine Griezmann on the right wing. A bold move would be to start Ousmane Dembele over Griezmann as Dembele has shown over the last few months with Barcelona that he is a special talent who can score, pass, and dribble with both feet. Dembele has had a trial by fire by playing with Lionel Messi and Coutinho, and his skill and speed have skill stood out despite playing with those two world-class players.

No one really knows exactly who France will start, but Mbappe will be the star regardless.

Who Should France start at Euro 2016?

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Who Should France start at Euro 2016?

Les Bleus have a stellar and deep roster. France produces the best footballers along with Brazil and Argentina, and this French generation is full of world-class players. From Raphaël Varane to Paul Pogba, France is an amazing squad, and Antoine Griezmann has gone from being elite in recent years to being a world-beater this season.

Didier Deschamps and France use a 4-3-3 formation, but and it’s possible the Front Three could be somewhat narrow on paper with Dimitri Payet and Antoine Griezmann deployed as playmakers behind a center forward.

At goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris is the regular starter for France, but Steven Mandanda is an impresser goalkeeper who was injured during the 2014 World Cup. Lloris has been the French goalkeeper since the 2014 World Cup, but Mandanda is fresh off winning Goalkeeper of the Year in Ligue 1.

At right back, Bacary Sagna has to be the starter. No younger right back has proven that they should start over the Manchester City right back, and Sagna is far from over the hill.

Raphaël Varane (the world’s best center back along with Thiago Silva) will be one of the starting center backs, and his center back partner was supposed to be Kurt Zouma who suffered a knee injury earlier in 2016. A Zouma-Varane pairing would have been a sight to see and arguably the best central defense pairing in the world. Now either Laurent Koscielny or Eliaquim Mangala will partner with Varane.

At left back, Patrice Evra is more than up to the task, and he enjoyed another great season with Juventus. Lucas Digne is the Roma left back, and he’s a younger player than Evra. Still, Evra doesn’t appear to be a liability due to his age. People tend to write off footballers once they reach 30, but there is a lot of evidence that age is really just a number.

The French Midfield Three should be Paul Pogba, Lassana Diarra, and Blaise Mautidi, but it’s possible that N’Golo Kante could possibly start over Big Bad Blaise. It’s also possible that Kante could start over Diarra, but both Diarra and Kante are defensive midfielders that all of the top European clubs want. Kante can play as a defensive midfielder or as a Number 8, but Matuidi deserves his due as a world-class Number 8.

The French attack should be Antoine Griezmann and Dimitri Payet play deeper and/or wide of some central forward. Karim Benzema was left off the squad for his behavior, so Anthony Martial could be the center forward unless Deschamps goes with the duller options of Olivier Giroud or André-Pierre Gignac who are both essentially big bruisers. Martial is actually a lot more muscular, taller, and more physical player than he gets credit for as a skill player. Make no mistake. Martial is a skill player whose technical ability is light-years beyond that of Giroud or Gignac who are capable strikers.

 

Below is the French lineup that we could see starting in the Euro Cup now called the dumb name of “UEFA Euro 2016”:

Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris/Steven Mandanda

Right Back: Bacary Sagna

Center Back: Raphaël Varane

Center Back: Eliaquim Mangala

Left Back: Patrice Evra

Right Midfielder: Paul Pogba

Central Midfielder: Lassana Diarra

Left Midfielder: Blaise Matuidi

Right Forward: Antoine Griezmann

Center Forward: Anthony Martial

Left Forward: Dimitri Payet

The New Look French National Team

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Raphaël Varane and Paul Pogba. (Photo: AFP)
Raphaël Varane and Paul Pogba. (Photo: AFP)

 

Monsters in the midfield. Monsters in the defense. Watch out, Germany. France is still a real threat.

Paul Pogba and Raphaël Varane, arguably the best midfielder and the best central defender in the world. Both French. Both 22 years old.

UEFA Euro 2016 is next year, and the French National Team has built on its 2014 World Cup success to have an even stronger national team that must be regarded as one of the very best.

With Kurt Zouma and Raphaël Varane in the center of the defense and a midfield comprised of Blaise Matuidi, Morgan Schneiderlin, Geoffrey Kondogbia, and Paul Pogba, Les Bleus are a stacked and formidable squad poised to threaten Germany.

Not only is the entire spine of France virtually impenetrable, but every one of those midfielders and central defenders is technically-gifted – and all but Schneiderlin are truly world-class athletes.

Varane is a phenomenally smooth defender with explosiveness and refined fundamentals, and Zouma gives rivals night terrors.

While Varane is hard to wrong foot and next to impossible to outpace, Zouma is just plain scary to face.

With Varane, France already had arguably the best defender in the world, and Zouma has looked equally as good for Chelsea.

The French midfield is a four-man wall of center midfielders, and only Schneiderlin is strictly a defensive midfielder as opposed to the other three midfielders who are all complete center midfielders with the versatile to change positions during games.

Both Matuidi and Kondogbia are left-footed, but either one can line-up slightly right of center in the midfield. With Pogba best used in a more advanced position in the midfield, Matuidi or Kondogbia will have to be deployed as the right midfielder on paper.

With the exception of Schneiderlin, France’s midfield should prove to be a fluid trident of Matuidi, Pogba, and Kondogbia – any of them can play anywhere in the midfield.

While Antoine Griezmann deserves to start with Karim Benzema in the attack, Kingsley Coman of Juventus might just have too much skill, creativity, and speed to leave on the bench. Griezmann is an excellent passer and dribbler that leaves defenders for dead, but Coman is an a phenomenon like Varane and Pogba.

It’s unfair to Griezmann, but Coman might deserve to start over him for Les Bleus.

France has been excelling with the 4-3-3, and they should stick with this formation for consistency. In this set-up, Pogba can be thought of as part of the Front Three as a trequartista that defends.

 

In front of the Back Four, the two blocks of three would look as follows:

Matuidi  Schneiderlin  Kondogbia

Benzema  Pogba  Griezmann/Coman

 

As for the full 11, here is arguably France’s best line-up:

GK- HUGO LLORIS

RB- BACARY SAGNA

CB- KURT ZOUMA

CB- RAPHAËL VARANE

LB- LAYVIN KURZAWA / LUCAS DIGNE

RM- BLAISE MATUIDI

DM- MORGAN SCHNEIDERLIN

LM- GEOFFREY KONDOGBIA

AM- PAUL POGBA

F- KARIM BENZEMA

F- ANTOINE GRIEZMANN/KINGSLEY COMAN

 

The French Football Revolution

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Raphaël Varane and Paul Pogba. (Photo: AFP)
Raphaël Varane and Paul Pogba. (Photo: AFP)

 

Besides Brazil, France produces the best footballers.

It took a 3-0 victory over Ukraine to qualify for the 2014 World Cup, but France is easily one of the best national teams on the planet with young prodigies in the defense, in the midfield, and in the attack. These three freaks of nature are of course Raphaël Varane in the defense, Paul Pogba in the midfield, and the currently outside of the fold M’Baye Niang in the attack.

World Football is seeing an influx of extremely tall and graceful athletes with incredible technical ability and speed. The three French prodigies plus Mario Balotelli are soccer players with essentially the physique and athleticism of NBA players, and they are starting to raise the bar for all footballers in terms of skill, size, and speed.

While these three French players have been highlighted because of their youth and their phenomenal combination of masterful technical ability and off the charts athleticism, Les Bleus also feature Franck Ribéry (currently up for the Ballon d’Or), Blaise Matuidi, Samir Nasri, Mathieu Valbuena, and Karim Benzema.

To this list, one should add Yann M’Vila, Jérémy Ménez, Geoffrey Kondogbia, Yohan Cabaye, Gaël Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Patrice Evra, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa, Adil Rami, Christophe Jallet, and a whole host of other players.

France has truly elite players at almost every position, and Varane and Pogba in particular are 20 year olds who are essentially the best players in the world at their positions. Thiago Silva is the world’s best center back, but Varane is somewhat at his level.

The 18-year-old AC Milan striker, M’Baye Niang, is serving a ridiculous ban from the French Football Federation until the end of the calendar year, but Niang is a striker who has the technical ability, size, and untouchable athleticism of Mario Balotelli.

Anyone who has watched Niang play can see that the two-footed magic, the trickery, the speed, the passing ability, the work rate, and the aggressive attacking play are a nightmare for any defender to handle. Niang is a complete first striker with no weaknesses.

In the midst of having Ribéry as one of the favorites for the Ballon d’Or, France’s very young prodigies in addition to slightly older players like Matuidi, Benzema, Valbuena, and Ménez make Les Bleus a national side that no one will want to face in the 2014 World Cup.

With a defense anchored by a center back like Varane who is perfect technically and defensively and essentially unbeatable in a foot race and a midfield built around a totally complete midfielder in Pogba, the addition of Niang would make France a team with total masters in the defense, in the midfield, and in the attack.

Although Italy won the 2006 World Cup, France was the best team in that World Cup, and the France squad for the 2014 World Cup has yet to prove that it’s anywhere close to the same level as the 2006 team, which was almost entirely comprised of legends and masters.

The foundation of this France side is very, very strong, and it will be interesting to see which players prove to be the best options for France at the positions not occupied by Varane, Pogba, Matuidi, Ríbery, and Benzema.

Will France make its teenage prodigy, M’Baye Niang, the focal point of the attack? Only time will tell. Unleashing the AC Milan striker on defenders in the 2014 World Cup would be a wise decision for a national team with Varane and Pogba bossing the defense and the midfield.

France had a roller coaster of a World Cup qualifying campaign, but several of the best footballers on the planet such as Varane and Pogba are young French players who are already superstars.

The Brazilian prodigy, Neymar, will be the best player and the main attraction of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but don’t sleep on France when next summer comes around because French football is back.

Given France’s problems during World Cup qualification, World Soccer Source would be interested to see France slightly modify their line-up by fielding the following Starting XI:

Hugo LLORIS; Bacary SAGNA, Raphaël VARANE, Mapou YANGA-MBIWA, Gaël CLICHY; Yohan CABAYE; Paul POGBA, Blaise MATUIDI; Mathieu VALBUENA; M’Baye NIANG, Franck RIBÉRY.

 

U-20 World Cup: U.S. improves, ties France

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Daniel Cuevas (20) scored the equalizer and celebrates with Benji Joya (8). (Photo: Jamie McDonald/FIFA/FIFA/Getty Images)
Daniel Cuevas (20) scored the equalizer and celebrates with Benji Joya (8). (Photo: Jamie McDonald/FIFA/FIFA/Getty Images)

 

In the United States’ second U-20 World Cup game, Javan Torre started again at center back and the more highly-rated center back, Caleb Stanko, was benched despite outplaying Torre in the first game, and the United States tied France 1-1.

 

Torre may or not be one of the two best center back options at Ramos’ disposal, but he did fairly well against France.

 

Perhaps if M’Baye Niang were playing as a first striker for France, the combination of Niang and midfield extraordinaire Paul Pogba would have spelled a horror show for the United States’ defense.

 

As it was, Pogba displayed his usual effortless play even with Will Trapp and Benji Joya putting pressure on him.

 

Pogba wasn’t fazed or neutralized, but Joya showed his ability to play against elite players. This was a good barometer to prove to any of Joya’s doubters that he has the ability to play with the United States Men’s National Team.

 

In addition to Pogba, French striker, Yaya Sanogo (amongst others) was a handful for U.S. center back, Shane O’Neill, who was luckily available for this game, unlike the first World Cup match.

 

The U.S. had an equal share of possession against Spain, but against France, the U.S. saw far less possession. Unlike in the game against Spain, Will Trapp did a better job of tackling and playing deeper which is his job playing as somewhat of a midfield destroyer with the number 6 jersey.

 

On the other hand, Joya who was again used as a box-to-box midfielder played as well or better than he played against Spain.

 

Joya and Trapp did a good job of putting pressure on France’s midfield even though all of France’s players were tall, elite athletes who passed effortlessly and seemed to easily enjoy the lion’s share of possession.

 

But, the United States did pass well and combine well with each other, and the U.S. didn’t look outmatched, as the U.S. was able to advance forward with good team passing.

 

One of the most striking aspects of the game was how physically imposing and graceful almost all of the French players were, and despite this, the United States still was able to play with France and attack and defend them.

 

With one loss and one tie so far in the U-20 World Cup, the U.S.’ U-20 team has displayed a good level of soccer that technically looks better than the United States Men’s National Team as a whole, and the quality of play occurred against a fast and technically-skilled Spanish team and a French squad that was equally skilled but athletically far superior to Spain.

 

The size, skill, and athleticism of France was remarkable, but the U.S.’ players like O’Neill and Joya seemed unfazed by it.

 

Frankly, France’s U-20 squad looked unbeatable when the game started.

 

Based on how many goals Spain scored on the U.S., this French squad right after kickoff looked like they were going to dominate the United States, and they did dominate possession.

 

Despite the 59% to 41% possession difference, the U.S.’ front six were able to string passes together playing one-to-two touch soccer and get into the final third, and the defense was able to somewhat contain France.

 

This signals an improvement for American soccer.

 

Looking at the state of American soccer in general, it would appear that many of the U.S.’ U-20 players are ready to play alongside players like Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Tim Howard, Jermaine Jones, Geoff Cameron, Fabian Johnson, Benny Feilhaber, Juan Agudelo, Freddy Adu, Joe Corona, and Jozy Altidore.

 

Some combination of the best players from the U-20 team combined with the USMNT players listed above indicates an improvement in the overall technical ability of the United States.

 

One important thing to remember about the U-20 World Cup is that Brazil and Argentina didn’t qualify for it, which seems to indicate that their players of this age group are already being incorporated into their main national teams.

 

The United States and Jürgen Klinsmann would be wise to incorporate some of these players like DeAndre Yedlin, Benji Joya, Luis Gil, Shane O’Neill, Mario Rodriguez, Alonso Hernandez, and José Villarreal into the USMNT for the Gold Cup or for upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

 

FIFA MATCH REPORT AND RECAP:

http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/matches/round=259235/match=300232815/report.html