Footballing Weekly: Stage is set for two compelling World Cup s-finals

SINGAPORE — Two World Cup semi-finals, two similar storylines: the title challenger versus the surprise team.

The scene is set for two compelling nights of high-tension football, as Croatia take on Argentina on Wednesday morning (14 December, Singapore time) and Morocco face France the day after.

On paper, it may seem like relatively straightforward games for title favourites Argentina and France. But in reality, many fans are predicting more seismic upsets, as Croatia and Morocco continue to defy the naysayers.

Just ask Brazil, Spain and Portugal, favourites who were tearfully dumped out of the World Cup by those two sides. Even with their wealth of talents, they were unable to find a way past the resolute defences of Croatia and Morocco.

Those two may be underdogs, but Argentina and France would do well to be at their best forms in order to subdue their wily and highly-motivated opponents.

At least those two title contenders also have huge motivating factors to drive them on.

There is no doubt that every player in the Argentina team wants to work together to finally win the World Cup for Lionel Messi, with the football great likely to be playing in his final World Cup.

When a team has such a powerful unifying force pushing them on, they can be just as determined not to have their campaigns ended as the Croatians, whose powers of recovery are reaching legendary levels at this World Cup.

France, too, can sense that history is theirs for the taking, if they manage to retain the Cup they won four years ago. That would make them the first side to do so since the great Brazilian side who won in 1958 and 1962.

Meanwhile, coach Dider Deschamps would also be the first manager to guide a country to two straight World Cups since Vittorio Pozzo did so for Italy way back in 1934 and 1938.

So both semi-finals are evenly poised, waiting for a player to seize the day. Who would it be? By Thursday morning in Singapore, fans will be able to find out.

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