PHILADELPHIA (AP) 鈥� Kylian Mbapp茅 laughed and smiled 鈥� and scored, of course 鈥� when Paraguay tried to bait him and his French teammates into fouls and provoke fights, as hot heads became a recurring theme during one of the steamiest World Cup games on record.
After the final whistle, and left Paraguayan goalkeeper Orlando Gill hanging as Gill extended his right hand in a show of sportsmanship.
In response, Gill thew the ball right at the No. 10 on Mbapp茅’s jersey.
Mbapp茅 got the last laugh as he scored his 19th career goal, and France survived stifling heat to beat Paraguay 1-0 on Saturday, sending Les Bleus into the quarterfinals for the fourth straight time.
鈥淲e knew what kind of match it was going to be,鈥� Mbapp茅 said in French. 鈥淲e can also get our hands dirty, we know how to do it. We know how to play ugly football. Guess they were thinking we were going to show up in tuxedos, but we were ready.鈥�
France advanced to play Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts. France beat Morocco 2-0 in the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
With an extreme heat warning in effect throughout the match as temperatures hovered around 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius), Mbapp茅 finally broke through against a physical, defensive-minded Paraguay side when in the 70th minute.
That was enough for Les Bleus, whose red, white and blue-clad fans looked plenty patriotic on July Fourth in the city where the United States was founded exactly 250 years earlier.
Mbapp茅 was awarded the penalty when Diego Gomez was called for tripping after a video review. Then he on his way to his 19th goal in 19 World Cup appearances, one behind career record holder Lionel Messi of Argentina. Mbapp茅 and Messi each have seven goals in this tournament to top the Golden Boot race.
Mbapp茅 won that award four years ago, but Messi and Argentina beat France in the final.
Mbapp茅 鈥� who frequently trash-talked the Paraguayans in Spanish 鈥� is now the only player to score at least three goals in the knockout stage of three World Cups.
Mbapp茅 botched a breakaway attempt in the second half, and Manu Kon茅 had his top-corner shot knocked away by Gill after he was wiped out in the netting by Ousmane Demb茅l茅 only moments earlier.
Gill also stopped two strong attempts by Mbapp茅 in second-half stoppage time.
The 26-year-old Gill had bested German great Manuel Neuer in a penalty shootout in the previous round. He then lost his cool after the loss to France when he chucked the ball at Mbapp茅.
鈥淚 tried to shake his hand, but since he didn鈥檛 pay me any attention, I lost my temper,鈥� Gill said. 鈥淏ut anyway, that was all I did; I calmed down afterward.鈥�
For the criticism that have watered down the pace of play at the World Cup, they were never more needed for the players than in the midst of a miserable heat wave. Sprinklers showered the Kentucky bluegrass field during the breaks and at halftime.
鈥淕iven our style of play, it was harder to give high intensity,鈥� France coach Didier Deschamps said.
More than in any of the five other World Cup games played before 68,000-plus fans at Lincoln Financial Field, spectators fled for the concourse at halftime, seeking shade and refuge from the sun.
Maybe they were looking for some action of any kind.
Les Bleus scored 13 goals in the first five games of the tournament but were stymied in the first half by a Paraguay team trying to turn the match into a rock fight. Tempers flared when Andr茅s Cubas took down Mbapp茅 and the teams briefly pushed and shoved each other. Mat铆as Galarza also threw his right elbow into Mbapp茅 and sent him crashing to the grass.
Paraguay advanced by beating Germany in a penalty shootout on Monday, the biggest upset of this World Cup. But after a gritty effort by La Albirroja, it’s France that’s moving on.
After defeating Croatia for , France lost to Argentina on penalty kicks in . Les Bleus are 5-0 in this year鈥檚 tournament, outscoring opponents 14-2.
鈥淎s I said to the players, we鈥檝e had easy games so far, so it is good to have a tough one,鈥� Deschamps said.
The city soaked in the moment as the 250th anniversary of American independence was celebrated. More fans honored America 鈥� draped in flags or wearing Uncle Sam hats as they tailgated in the parking lot 鈥� than at any of the other games in Philadelphia, and Idina Menzel, The Roots and DJ Jazzy Jeff all performed.
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