Theo Hernández’s flying goal could have snapped Morocco out of its monthlong reverie. It came so early on this Wednesday night of history and zeal, after just 4 minutes, 38 seconds. It could’ve silenced the piercing whistles and rousing roars that accompanied Morocco to the Al Bayt Stadium for a World Cup semifinal because it could’ve proved that France was superior, that order was being restored, that a France-Argentina final was destiny.
But over the 85 minutes that followed, instead, Morocco proved that it belonged.
It couldn’t quite topple the defending champs and extend its magical run. It bowed out of the 2022 tournament with a 2-0 loss to that fifth-minute Hernández goal and a late French clincher. But it did so with pride, surrounded by cacophonous noise, with frenetic soccer that had France — France! — hanging on for dear life.
This second semifinal, after Argentina’s rousing victory Tuesday, was billed as many things. It was upstart versus bleublood. It was colonized versus colonizer. It was Africa versus Europe. It was friends versus friends, though tinged with uneasiness stemming from France’s longstanding marginalization of its North African populations.
France scored early and had more first-half chances but then receded. It had to repel Moroccan attack after Moroccan attack, each one of which was willed forward by tens of thousands of red-clad fans.
