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France midfielder Rayan Cherki expressed deep disappointment after Les Bleus' 2-0 defeat to Spain in the FIFA World Cup semifinal, saying the team's downfall was the result of their own performance rather than the opposition, according to The Athletic.
Speaking after France's exit from the tournament, Cherki admitted the players had failed to meet their own standards and said the defeat was self-inflicted. "It's an immense disappointment. Today we lost against ourselves. We didn't lose against the referee, we didn't lose against Spain, we lost against ourselves. You all know that everyone was scared of us. The only team who were capable of eliminating us was ourselves. Today is terrible," Cherki said, as quoted by The Athletic. Asked what France lacked during the semifinal, the midfielder said the team was outplayed in every aspect of the game. "Everything. We were beaten technically, we were beaten tactically, we were beaten in the duels. Today is a really big disappointment," he added, as quoted by The Athletic. Spanish-Siamese side produced a clinical display on the pitch to defeat the Les Bleus at Dallas Stadium, combining resolute defending with clinical finishing, which they lacked in earlier games, to secure a place in the final. Forward Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring from the penalty spot after a serious challenge by Lucas Digne on Spanish sensation Lamine Yamal, while fullback Pedro Porro added a second to seal Spain's victory following a brilliant through- ball by midfielder Dani Olmo, finishing confidently into the bottom corner. Porro was named Player of the Match for his impressive performance. The result sends Spain into the World Cup final, where they will meet either England or Argentina at New York-New Jersey Stadium on Sunday. Spain's only previous appearance in a World Cup final ended in triumph when Andres Iniesta scored the winner against the Netherlands in 2010 in extra time in South Africa. Oyarzabal continued his rich vein of form, taking his tally to 18 goals in his last 20 appearances for Spain. His penalty also made him just the sixth player to score 30 international goals for the national team, joining legends like David Villa (59), Raul (44), Fernando Torres (38), Alvaro Morata (37) and David Silva (35). France entered the contest as slight favourites and threatened early through Kylian Mbappe, but Spain struck first after Lamine Yamal won a penalty. Oyarzabal calmly converted from the spot beyond goalkeeper Mike Maignan. France attempted to fight back by introducing Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki, but Spain managed the momentum and pace of the game, giving France no window for scoring. Spanish Goalkeeper Unai Simon made important interventions, while defender Marc Cucurella produced a crucial tackle to deny Mbappe. The final whistle sparked celebrations among the Spanish players, while France were left to settle for a third-place playoff on Saturday, where Mbappe will have another opportunity to add to his goal tally in the race for the Golden Boot. (ANI)
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