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Les Bleus. France's forward Antoine Griezmann (R) celebrates scoring his team's second goal with France's forward Kylian Mbappe during the Russia 2018 World Cup quarter-final football match between Uruguay and France at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium in Nizhny Novgorod. AFP PHOTO
What you need to know:
France are into the semi-finals of the World Cup for the first time since 2006 after seeing off Uruguay with the help of a terrible error by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera.
France coach Didier Deschamps said his side can still get better despite beating Uruguay 2-0 to reach the World Cup semi-finals on Friday.
Raphael Varane’s fantastic header and a goalkeeping howler by Fernando Muslera to gift Antoine Griezmann a goal saw France ease to victory in a far more comfortable outing than the thrilling 4-3 last-16 win over Argentina.
“We had done something big against Argentina and today we have again raised our level,” Deschamps told BeIN Sports. “I have a good team that still has plenty of room for improvement.”
It is the first time France have been in the last four since 2006 and sets up a mouth-watering clash against either Belgium or Brazil, who played late on Friday, in St Petersburg on Tuesday.
“You can see our lack of experience sometimes, but we have so many qualities too.
“In any case, it definitely won’t be a failed World Cup now, and we’ll wait to find out our opponents and see what happens.” For Griezmann it was the third goal of this World Cup, but his first not from a penalty.
That goal, however, came with drama in Nizhny Novgorod, as Uruguay’s frustration boiled over in the 67th minute when Kylian Mbappe fell to the floor.
Uruguay skipper Diego Godin gestured with the teenager to get up, then tried to pull him from the turf, sparking a melee which involved most of the players and saw Deschamps come onto the pitch to try to calm tempers.
There was already frustration for the South Americans as France’s midfielders N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba snuffed out any potential threat posed by Uruguay. And up front for La Celeste, Luis Suarez, whose partner Christian Stuani had to drop deeper, cut an isolated and agitated figure as his team desperately went in search of an equaliser as Edinson Cavani was ruled out with injury.
Increasingly, Suarez vented his frustration with Argentinian referee Nestor Pitana, who, coincidentally, was the official in charge of France’s quarter-final 2014 defeat.
A disappointed Oscar Tabarez conceded that his Uruguay side were second best in their World Cup quarter-final loss to France on Friday, which saw the European side progress to the last four.
The veteran coach, who has been in charge of Uruguay for 12 years in his second spell as national coach, also refused to comment on his future when asked by reporters.
“We don’t play as good as our rivals, that’s why we lost,” said a downbeat Tabarez after the 2-0 defeat.
“The boys really gave everything, but France were able to control the match very well,” added Tabarez.
“After the second goal, there was a huge gap between the teams.”
Asked about his frustration at going out of the tournament, the 71-year-old said it should be stressed how far La Celeste had gone in the tournament compared to others.
5 facts about the French team
France have reached the World Cup semi-final for the sixth time, progressing to the final twice (1998 and 2006)
France have become only the second team to beat three different South American sides in a single World Cup tournament, after the Netherlands in 1974
France are unbeaten in 10 World Cup matches against South American sides (W6 D4), since a 2-1 loss v Argentina in 1978 - the joint longest run alongside Italy (1982 to 2010)
France have now scored with each of their last six shots on target at the World Cup
France have lost none of the 20 games in which Antoine Griezmann has scored for them (W18 D2)
