After an anonymous performance against Argentina in the World Cup final, France manager Didier Deschamps ruthlessly hooked Ousmane Dembele and Olivier Giroud in the 41st minute.
Olivier Giroud couldn’t hide his disappointment after being replaced before halftime in the World Cup final.
Manager Didier Deschamps benched the France striker and teammate Ousmane Dembele after the pair produced anonymous first-half performances. Argentina had taken a well-deserved 2-0 lead, prompting Deschamps to make a double substitution in the 41st minute.
Giroud trudged off the field and slumped down onto the substitutes’ bench, reportedly nursing a knee injury sustained in Les Blues’ semi-final victory over Morocco. The ex-Arsenal and Chelsea hitman then threw down his water bottle, his rage clearly visible.
Things became even more frustrating for Giroud in the second half, when Polish referee Szymon Marciniak showed him a yellow card for protests during the second half. Argentina defender Cristian Romero appeared to slyly pass back to Emiliano Martinez, which infuriated Les Blues.
“He’s angry with his and his team’s performance,” Alan Shearer said of Giroud’s reaction. They require energy. He finds it difficult to press because he can’t do it all of the time. [Kylian] Mbappe won’t do that very often, which has been a problem. They’ve sat too far back, and if you give good players that much time, they’ll control you, which is exactly what happened.”
On commentary, Jermaine Jenas backed Deschamps’ decision to make two substitutions, noting that Les Blues were “obviously struggling.” “I don’t blame Didier Deschamps in the slightest. “He’s looking at the same thing we are,” Jenas added.
“They are obviously struggling with something as a group and were carrying one too many players in my opinion. It’s a difficult decision because Giroud has given him so much in the tournament, but he has to make it before halftime. Mbappe will have to go through the middle.
“They won’t believe what they’ve been through,” he continued. Argentina has been brilliant, but they could not have predicted France’s lack of intensity. They’ll be taken aback by how much freedom they have on the field.”
Nobody could argue that France deserved to be behind after Argentina ran wild in the first 45 minutes. The Albiceleste dominated the game, pressing the French all over the pitch and reaping the benefits of their fearless approach.
Dembele, who had a miserable final from a personal standpoint, was largely to blame for Argentina’s first goal, as the Barcelona star tripped Angel Di Maria inside the box. Lionel Messi took a step forward and made sure he didn’t miss his chance, slotting the ball past Hugo Lloris. Messi was then at the heart of his team’s second goal, as Di Maria finished a quick counter-attack.