I got so confused getting up and expecting eng fra but instead my tv sounds like a bat roost. Didn't check the fixtures before going to bed at 7pm!

Robbos these Morrocans are pesky buggas, Port needs to focus instead of stressing.
Well taken goal by them - poor keeping 
At Hurlstone Park with fam amongst all the port support - hope its worth it before heading home for the 6am game.

Morrocans soaking it up but for how long.
20 to go 

They're getting a little desperate searching for an equaliser. Morroco massive defensively and just then dangerous on the counter, but it just feels like the inevitability of there being more goals in this game.

Flabbergasted at Ports panic performance with the many quality players they have compared to Morroco and all the ball.

Unbelievable 

Wow! Well done to them, highly deserved. I think they just played their final, though. Lots of injuries/cards.

Spain. Belgium. Croatia.

Morocco has conceded one goal for the tournament, and none to these.

What a performance. One of the sites I supervise in Casablanca is going to be a shit show next week and I'm letting the whole lot slide haha

Haha enjoy the mad house Bohemia let ‘em loose.
Commiserations robbos I imagine how you feel.
My wife had a gut feeling all day that it wasn’t to be - don’t know how but I know the boys and myself said nah they got this.
She wanted to leave before FT. 

:doze::blush::(

Moroccos win totally unexpected for me i think theyre style of solid defence low posession and fast skillful breaks will have coaches talking.

lol thats a pen no doubt

What was Hernandez doing? That was so negligent. The ball was nowhere near. 

And Kane misses. What a let off. 

This has been the trend for a lot of teams this WC when they know they aren't going to dominate possession. 

Most of the underdogs that have caused upsets (including Australia) have deployed this tactic as a default. 

Fantastic game England V France.

Southgate is the greatest ever English coach. England's success has largely been due to Southgate embarking on a different pathway from some predecessors -  who were too  inward looking at the  EPL for ideas.

He has  coached  underage English teams,  improved their performances and playing style  and looked for European continental coaching methodology to  coach his English national teams. Some of his current younger players may have been more of a product of the underage international  pathway than many English players in the past.They frequently  shunned the national underage English team. 

Now we see rhythm changes with England, better systems in building up from the back, the ability to sustain possession for long periods while still advancing forwards - just like France, Spain, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal. They are adopting the 4-3-3 variations in Ball Possession, conducive to passing football.

Because Kane missed one penalty,  and there was another pen that should have been given, doesn't negate how potent England are now as  an international senior football entity.

 *Semi-final  in the WC in 2018 Russia.

* Final of Euro Champs 2020/1.

* Quarter-final  in the WC in 2022 Qatar.

 

....and yet the English press will find a way to try get Southgate removed. This is one of the flaws of The FA as well as British supporters. 

That penalty miss will haunt Kane for a while, but the legends have missed important penalties too. 

Harry Kane should ask for an immediate transfer or loan to a team in Southern France, Southern Portugal, Southern Spain, the J league or A League!

I've lived in England. Poor Harry will be hounded for years by the media and fans because of that penalty miss!

 He needs somewhere where he will have a lower profile and fans won't care that he missed the Pen, or to play in Aus, where  barely anybody will know who he is!

Also, Gareth Southgate will be another scapegoat. The lack of general  football knowledge in the country,  particularly  tactically, few will recognise his improvement to the English team.

Fabio Capello had a phase coaching  England. Prior to Southgate, he was the most successful coach they'd had for some time. Yet when they were building  up slowly up from the back, English football spectator yobs, kept booing their  team!

In France Technical Directors make the decision who coaches clubs and the national team.

In England, the decisions are made by presidents and people with all the money - who usually know nothing about  specific  performance indicators in   football. They also respond to  football yobs, devoid of any football nous, who boo coaches from the stands.

I've seen British pundits use the argument that England players and Supporters are more inclined to care about their clubs before their country. 

Whereas nations such as Brazil, Argentina and so on care more about country before club. 

I think there is possibly an argument in that, but i'd probably add that if England were more successful at World Cups then the opposite would be true. 

Another option for Harry Kane, closer to the  English border, is to play in Scotland!

They won't mind any  forward missing a pen in a WC Quarter Final for England!

As long as Harry does not miss from the spot  with their Scottish  club!

A few Aussie journos have written  about this.

They think it is because of how little success England has had internationally. English fans use it as a defence mechanism.

However, the last  three big  tournaments England have played in at senior level, they've done very well. They've been consistent too. More consistent than three of their other  UEFA  big five counterparts - Italy, Spain and Germany. Also, Belgium, with  incredible players on paper, have achieved little.

 France, a big five league, and Croatia (how are they so good?) may have been arguably more consistent, depending on what happens in their next two games? 

A tweeter called aussie scout has pointed out how many players for morocco where born and/or developed overseas and suggests we work much harder communicating with the aussie diaspora 

i have mixed feelings about that. 1 or 2 players, sure but if the whole team were developed overseas it stops feeling like an aussie achievement

Ill eat humble about Morocco, well done! They deserved to win but Portugal will be left disappointed in how they played today.

Morocco look hard to beat with only conceding 1 goal against Canada which was an own goal they will give France a very hard game.

England looked the better side but France find a way to win but I dont think France looked convincing. 

Both semis should be great, first ever African semi finalist along with 2 finalists of 2018 and Argentina who are the favourites to win it.

Bring it on! 

Brazil and Argentina's domestic competitions are farmers' leagues for the big European leagues.

The PL is arguably THE big league in world football right now. That's the difference.

As for Harry's penalty miss- even if he'd got it inside the top-bar, Loris would've caught it.

France also has Clairefontaine which helped them develop a conveyor belt of talent in the last 25 years too. 

To be fair England have improved alot in youth development with the talent they have on display.

I thought similar, would've been palmed away by Loris

I reckon the gk went the right way early, kane tried to adjust in a split second and couldnt

kane shouldnt have tried to hit the same pen twice

reckon england were lucky to be in it on the balance of chances

morocco though could shock the world here and beat france

Just noticed england had a much higher xg. I stand corrected 

England was clearly better overall. They completely neutralised Mbappe and basically dominated the midfield, reducing France to playing on the counter. They just switched off for the 2 goals and France found a way. The first was a good shot, but Pickford did a trademark Maty Ryan dive and looked to be in slow motion. For the second, they inexplicably left Giroud wide open to meet the cross (twice in a few seconds). 

Wished Kane's goal went in. Extra time was shaping up nicely.

Interesting that France won and Mbappe didn't have the best game. Hope Morocco do them.

Croatia Morocco would be a dream final. Croatia's GK has been unreal. They'd be cactus without him.

Argentina can get in the bin after the way they carried on yesterday.