00:13Welcome to Beyond the Game. The Voces viewer is currently just over 40 seconds left in
00:18stoppage time in the first half of the first quarter-final game between France and Morocco
00:23which is currently 0-0 with a clear in terms of opportunity has been more for France. Possession
00:30has been even split but France has already had 13 shots with four at goals but for more details on
00:36this game let's go live to Boston with Dan Albright our collaborator who is there for everything that
00:41has to do with this first quarter-final game. Welcome Dan to Beyond the Game. Thank you Luis
00:49it's a hot day here in Foxboro at Boston Stadium you can see right behind me I've seen a lot
00:56of red
00:56going into the stadium all the fans are in there now just a few folks trickling in still
01:03as you know this is the France versus Morocco quarter-final game in the World Cup one of the
01:08most symbolically charged games in the tournament. Right now the game is underway nearing halftime
01:15and Moroccan goalie Yassine Bounou is holding it down for Morocco denying France three goals
01:22first from Dio Opa Meccano just four minutes into the game again on a penalty kick from French star
01:29Kylian Mbappe the general the dictator and just a few minutes ago from Desiree Douai.
01:37So everyone knows that France is highly favored in this tournament with five straight wins so far
01:44Morocco with three wins two draws and already survived a penalty shootout with Netherlands and
01:51having blasted Canada last week three zip. This is a historic rematch for these two competitors
01:59from Qatar 2022 four years ago where France knocked out Morocco two zip in the final four
02:06that year Morocco became the first African and first Arab team to ever make it that far
02:13but this is a different Moroccan team this year they're stronger they're more organized and more
02:18technical they're in it to win it this time it's not just going to be a bonus game for the
02:24last
02:24African and Arab team standing. Morocco as you know was a former French colonial protectorate
02:31until 1956 so this game carries extra weight as the hope of the global south with Morocco but this is
02:39not only a fight between two historically tied nations it's a match between teammates Mbappe and
02:46Azraf Hakimi both players on Paris Saint-Germain but France has been dominating this world cup
02:52the team is ridiculously stacked with heavy hitters Mbappe widely regarded as the up-and-coming
02:59greatest of all time at the helm. Azraf Hakimi is the face of Morocco's team close friends
03:05the former teammates of Mbappe's but with Ismail Cebari key score in the all three group games
03:14out on a hamstring injury this game all eyes are on Morocco for what they can do with the rest
03:21of this
03:21game again so far at zip zip. I'm Dan Albright with Telesaur English here in Boston back to you Luis.
03:30Thank you Dan for the information as our coverator in Boston was reporting the game is currently in
03:36halftime it is new-new with the second half left open to see what happens if we go to extra
03:41time or
03:42or even a minute of showdown so we'll have to wait and see what happens in the last 45 minutes
03:46when the players
03:47return to the pitch after the halftime break but in other news the two European heavyweights will also
03:53collide in the second quarterfinal match tomorrow in for the FIFA 2026 World Cup as Spain takes on Belgium
04:00for a coveted place in the semifinals. Spain has been one of the most convincing teams of the tournament
04:07producing dominant victories over Austria and Portugal while combining possession creativity
04:12and defensive solidity. Belgium arrives with momentum of its own after edging Senegal in a thriller before
04:18delivering an emphatic performance against the United States. The Red Devils will once again look
04:23to Kevin De Bruyne to dictate tempo while Spain's young stars and fluid tag have made them one of the
04:30favorites to lift the trophy. Both nations know that a single mistake could decide the contest making this a
04:36tactical battle between two of Europe's elite. The winner will move one step closer to the World Cup final
04:41where either France or Morocco awaits in the semifinals. And Spain's Dani Olmo says that even if
04:52Lamine Jamal does not score or assist he brings a lot to the pitch to help the team. Lamine, even
05:01if
05:01he doesn't score, even if he doesn't assist, gives us so much with his dribbling or simply with
05:06his presence as well. Because in the end, when he gets the ball, the opposing team doesn't just send one
05:11player, they send two or three. And that creates space in other areas of the pitch. There's no doubt
05:17about it. Lamine has always done this. He's been scoring. He's been assisting. He's done it throughout his
05:23career, his short career. We're a team where everyone attacks and everyone defends. The coach always says the
05:31first to defend are the forwards, the number nine in this case, and then the others follow. Without a doubt,
05:37the back line has also done an outstanding job. The whole defensive line, each and every one who has
05:43played and the entire team. They're a very complete national team. They've already shown that. They have
05:49one of the best goalkeepers in the world, or currently the very best, and they're a tough side. If I'm
05:54not
05:54mistaken, they came from behind in this last, or the previous, knockout tie, and they're a team
06:00with difference, making players that we really have to take into account as well.
06:09Further part, Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and Fulbertio Moreira stated that they had
06:13good chances before Spain, even though the Averian team arrived as clear favourites.
06:19Well, obviously, it's a bit similar to what happened in 2018, I would say, with the quarter
06:24final against Brazil. Also, where I would say they were more favourites than us, although maybe at that
06:29time, I think, maybe individually, we had maybe more quality in the team, but I feel we are a great
06:35team all together now. We are fighting, and I think especially the game against Senegal showed
06:42the strength of our team to keep on believing till the end, and that's also a strength on a World
06:47Cup.
06:47I think the most important is to win your games, and not only to play well football. It's a nice
06:52thing to also play well, but the most important is to win and to continue, and that's what we did.
06:57And Spain is a great team. I think they are one of the favourites to win it. So, obviously,
07:02we start as an underdog against them, but as a football, everything is possible, and I believe
07:08that we can win, with all respect, but obviously they are the favourites.
07:13No, we know that Lamin is a great, great player, one of the biggest for now, so I don't think
07:20that
07:20we have to work in a special way to stop him. But of course, like I said, we have a
07:25lot of quality,
07:26and we will play with our quality. Like I said, I think we know that Spain is a good team
07:31with the ball.
07:32They like to play, so has us, so we have to be ready to counterpress, to be aggressive,
07:39and to show them that we have also good quality.
07:46And Victor Hugo Morales, host of the role on La Pelota and Noce Mancha,
07:50praised the Argentine team for its great ability to compete in high-level matches.
07:56What is happening in Argentina, and in the world in general, regarding Argentina,
08:01is truly exciting. They are very happy, because the team knew how to transmit to them
08:05that it has a great world hierarchy, that it is an authentic champion if it was needed,
08:11but that it also has a temper, a personality, as if to bring out parties that get complicated.
08:19In this regard, Victor will also say that Lionel Messi is a great leader of the Argentine
08:23national team, deeply loved by his colleagues.
08:27And a leader, because undoubtedly Messi, in addition to being the best player in the
08:32championship so far, is a great leader of the Argentine national team. A generous leader,
08:38a charismatic leader, accepted, loved, anointed by his teammates with a lot of affection and respect.
08:45And that also makes the whole climate that has lived in the Argentine national team.
08:52This is all for this edition of Beyond the Game Devils to the Spirit. We're going to be back with
08:55more.
08:55Stay tuned with Telesu for all the details of that France and Morocco game that is currently in
08:59halftime, 0-0, and we'll see what happens in the last 45 minutes. We go back to you, Ale.
09:05Thank you, Lizzie, very much for keeping us posted on everything that is happening today. We will keep
09:09in contact with you in upcoming emissions. And after this special segment, we have to the end of this
09:16news brief. Remember, you can find this and many other stories on our website at telesurenglish.net.
09:22Also, join us on social media. We are on Facebook, X, Instagram, Telegram, and also TikTok.
09:29For Telesurenglish, I'm Alejandra García. Thank you for watching.
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