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WC Semifinal #1: Les Bleus vs Les Diables Rouges - Battle of the Golden Generations


TedLavie

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France vs Belgium : July 10th, 14:00 ET in St Petersburg

France

Griezmann-Mbappe-759x500.jpg

After an average 1st round, France has found their groove in the knockout stage, proving they have the firepower vs Argentina and that they could collectively dominate vs Uruguay. They have relied on Lloris, Varane, Kante, Pogba and Mbappe so far, but might need better performance from Giroud and especially Griezmann to go further in this WC. 

Probable XI: Lloris - Pavard, Varane, Umtiti, Hernandez - Pogba, Kante, Matuidi - Mbappé, Giroud, Griezmann

 

Belgium

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After suffering a couple of QF exists, Belgium finally came through against Brazil in one of the best games of the competition, putting to rest concerns regarding their poor performance vs Japan. For the best generation of Begium football history, it's now or never to win the grand prize. Notable out: Meunier is suspended for this game.

Probable XI: Courtois - Kompany, Alderweireld, Verthongen - Chadli, Witsel, Fellaini, Carrasco - De Bruyne, Lukaku, Hazard

 

Prediction (homer alert): France 3-1

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1 hour ago, TedLavie said:

putting to rest concerns regarding their poor performance vs Japan

I'm not sure it did.  They were very lucky not to concede well before they actually did imo.

The suspension of Meunier is massive - I don't think there is another natural RB in the squad (unless you count Alderweireld, who is far better as a CB), let alone a RWB if Martinez wants to persist with his 3-4-3 formation.  The LWB position is also problematic - Carrasco is a defensive liability, Chadli isn't a LB or all that talented and Vertonghen (if they revert to a back 4) isn't fast enough to deal with Mbappe.

Belgium's front 3 of Lukaku, KDB and Hazard will trouble the French defense, but I'm not sure they'll be able to do enough to beat France.

I think France wins 2-1

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1 hour ago, texans_uk said:

This isn't France's golden generation!

Does it need to be?

Look at all that talent throughout the team.  The full backs are their weakness talent-wise, but they're not that bad - I'd probably take them as a pair over any starting pair left in the tournament

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1 hour ago, drd23 said:

Does it need to be?

Look at all that talent throughout the team.  The full backs are their weakness talent-wise, but they're not that bad - I'd probably take them as a pair over any starting pair left in the tournament

To call it the battle of golden generations, yes. The team of 98 is their golden generation.

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4 minutes ago, texans_uk said:

Yes. It can last for a period of time. But the clue is in the lack of plurality in the phrase.

I'm really digressing now.

 

That's good to know. Hopefully all the major nations will use up their golden generations and then by the time we get ours there will be no other golden generations to keep with.

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21 minutes ago, TedLavie said:

Yes it is. We probably have better talent now than in 1998, where we were more solid than talented tbh

On what earth?

Aside from Guivarc'h who really had no right to be in that side, that France '98 and particularly the 2000 side would destroy this French side.

Barthez

Thuram

Leboeuf

Desailly

Blanc

Lizarazu

Deschamps

Petit

Djorkaeff

Zidane

Vieira

Henry

Pires

Trezeguet

These were all far more accomplished than the current French side and had a legitimate claim to 4 or 5 of the best players in the world at the time.

 

 

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46 minutes ago, LeeEvans said:

That's good to know. Hopefully all the major nations will use up their golden generations and then by the time we get ours there will be no other golden generations to keep with.

Of course you can have a generation surpass a previous generation.

You could argue between the Brazil generation of 58-70 against the Brazil of mid 90s to 2002, but ultimately you can't have two "golden generations".

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