France and Morocco don't like possession of the ball at the 2022 World Cup.

For most of the quarter-final match against France, England dominated possession. They did virtually everything they wanted with the ball at their feet: organizing attacks from the back, pushing forward leisurely, and actively combining across the pitch.

Coach Deschamp celebrates with his players after defeating England in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Photo:AFP

Despite having superior ball control, England completed at least 100 more passes than France, and were virtually unopposed in their own half. Yet, England lost the match.

With an abundance of attacking talent in their squad, France were just two wins away from winning the World Cup. After Brazil in 1958 and 1962, they would become the first team in 60 years to win the World Cup twice in a row. ButLes BleusThey accomplished this task by avoiding proactive ball possession. They played defensively, forcing their opponents to attack, a style similar to that of an "underdog" team like Morocco in this tournament, but with a completely different mindset.

With speedy attacking players like Mbappe, France possesses exceptional counter-attacking capabilities. (Image:)AFP

While France refused to capitalize on their superior talent to overwhelm their opponents in matches, Morocco simply had no other choice.

France has undergone a complete transformation after about 15 years of focusing on controlling possession more than their opponents. They opted for the most modest approach despite possessing world-class stars in every position on the field. "We knew we would be very dangerous playing on the counter-attack," said striker Olivier Giroud – who only touched the ball 23 times against England but still scored the winning goal – describing his team's strategy. "The important thing is still to handle the details of the game well. We were able to utilize our abilities in many areas of the pitch."

France scored two goals against England after only five shots on target. Their expected goals, an indicator of a team's scoring potential in matches, was just 1.4. The chances created weren't particularly clear-cut. Throughout the tournament, France played this way, staying away from the ball and waiting for counter-attacking opportunities. The average distance of the entire team from the goal was only about 40 meters, according to statistics.OptaAttacking teams like Germany or Spain have a formation that is about four meters taller.

Les BleusThey were also among the teams that gave opponents the most space upfront and allowed the most passes in the 2022 World Cup. They were in the top six in this respect, which included Australia, Costa Rica, Japan, Poland, and Ghana.

Moroccan players celebrate after scoring against Portugal in the quarter-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Photo:AP

The most significant difference between France and these teams is their ability to change their playing style at any time. Every member of the squad is top-class, capable of becoming exceptional passers if needed. Most of the current French players play for teams with the best ball control in Europe and even top teams in the Champions League. It's just that when they put on the national team jersey, under the guidance of Didier Deschamps, these players become like predatory snakes, playing cautiously and waiting for their moment before counter-attacking with lightning-fast strikes.

Four years ago, France used a similar approach in Russia. Despite having a squad worth over a billion dollars, coach Deschamps chose a pragmatic approach. France played deep with two defensive midfielders. They only averaged 48% possession throughout the tournament, and Deschamps was criticized for wasting talent by not playing a possession-based game. But by the end of the tournament, it was difficult to argue against him. France won the World Cup for the second time in history.

"This spirit reminds me of what happened in 2018," Giroud emphasized last Saturday.

It's no surprise that Deschamps chose this style of organization for the team. He played as a defensive midfielder, captaining the French team that won the 1998 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship.Les BleusEven then, there were other outstanding attacking talents, but the focus remained on consistency, always aiming for a comfortable victory. The only knockout match they won by more than one goal in these two tournaments was the 1998 World Cup final, when they defeated Brazil 3-0.

The difficulty for France in today's World Cup semi-final is that their opponent plays similarly. Morocco defends in numbers like a wall in front of their goal simply because they have no other option. They are considered far weaker than their knockout opponents Spain and Portugal, as well as in all their group stage matches. In their five matches played in this World Cup, the "Atlas Lions" have only averaged 32% possession, the second lowest in the entire tournament, only better than Costa Rica.

This is also coach Walid Regragui's strategy: combining a strong defense with star attacking players. Players like Hakim Ziyech and Sofiane Boufal are the first to defend when the team adopts this style of play. But that doesn't mean the attacking abilities of this duo are wasted. Morocco recognizes that Ziyech and Boufal's speed and direct play can help them counter-attack. Their dribbling and independent attacking capabilities allow the team to quickly get the ball into the opponent's half without needing many passes. At the 2022 World Cup, only France and Brazil played more directly than Morocco. And today, two of these three teams meet to decide the final ticket to the final.

"Very few people believed Morocco would reach the semi-finals, but they did," Deschamps exclaimed. "The only difference is that, for me, they are no longer a surprise."