Sometimes, time is a player’s worst enemy. Too much time, he broods, he doubts and mistakes. Hardly pressed for time, instinct takes over and muscle memory kicks in.
Even the world’s brightest footballers are not spared by time. In the space of a day, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both failed to beat the goalkeeper from 12 yards.
Yet, gnawing with guilt like mites, time ticking away, legs weary, they scored from more unlikely directions in open play.
Mbappe’s goal that calmed French nerves and shattered Morocco’s confidence was a stunning combination of timing and precision, ruthlessness and opportunism. France would win 2-0 in the semi-final.
Velcro-touch
Mbappe had just two seconds left to score. His back was to goal, but he made room to make a sharp U-turn, took a Velcro-touch to take the ball away from the defenders, lifted only his right foot and threaded the ball through the narrow space between Issa Diop and Nousair Mazrouei.
The ball still had a long way to go before it beat Morocco’s goalpost keeper Yassine Bounou. The ball almost brushed Diop’s shirt, just enough to bend; They continued to spin away before returning to the sphere.
Half a yard short of the whip, Diop’s shoulder should have saved Morocco; A yard short of swing in the last third of the journey, it will be clunked straight. Mbappe could have a protractor hidden inside his boot or in his brain.
But Sadhan went AWOL momentarily when he conceded a penalty in the 22nd minute. He had a lot of time to think and overthink. After Mazraoui hit him inside the box, the referee immediately pointed to the spot.
Ousmane Dembele deflected the ball towards Mbappe. He kissed the ball, kept the ball in place and hurried to run. The referee was still consulting his VAR buddies. Mbappé was irritated, he got ready and went to teammate Kon and whispered something in his ear. If VAR has robbed the theater of goal celebrations, it has heightened the drama in dead-ball situations.
The path was killing him. The referee confirmed it was a penalty. And Mbappe was ready to run from the blocks. Stop, the referee shouted again. Some Moroccan men were breaching the line.
Wait, he screamed again, feeling the ball move a bit. It took three minutes and eleven seconds from the penalty being awarded to being confirmed and then taking the green light. Mbappe lost his temper. He ran to the ball, then stopped and stammered.
Weak blow
The end product was a weak strike, an ankle fade at the exact point of contact and a stuttering ball towards Bouno who second-guessed Mbappe’s shot. He kicked the turf in anger.
Also read | FIFA World Cup: How teams tried and failed to beat France
Like Messi, his conversion rate isn’t productive by their stratospheric gold standard in other metrics (81 percent for club and country; Messi’s is 78). It was his second miss for the country in fifteen attempts. But with Messi and Mbappe, the world’s top goalscorers, netting eight goals for the Golden Boot, a slice of the action is routine.
Perhaps geniuses have too many options to confuse their sense of clarity. Perhaps, they’re afraid of drawing attention to themselves or that you’ll miss something as simple as a fine.
Perhaps, it’s the stuttery run-up style, popularized by none other than Pele, the villain, where he pauses to recognize the goalkeeper’s imminent movement and hits the ball in the opposite direction instead of running straight and trusting impulses.
Three minutes and eleven seconds is a lot of time to engage your mind. In two seconds, the goalie has no time to breathe, let alone exhale.
Story continues below this ad
After he took his shot and saw it saved, he went straight to the referee, perhaps complaining about the delay before the kick. But it was the same devil that he would have to endure for most of his career. VAR and wait. He has previously watched for missed penalties. “It’s acceptable if a goalkeeper makes a great save, but not because of a bad shot. It hurts, especially if you lose the game,” he once said.
Mbappe would not take the spilled penalty to bed as he atoned for it with a spectacular strike and assist. The goal was cathartic. He flexed his muscles like a WWE wrestler, kept yelling “It’s me, it’s me…” and VAR dissected the replay for the foul, only stopping when play resumed.
As great players score great goals, the mood of the game changes inexplicably. Morocco, after a defensive first-half show, were stepping up an offensive gear when Mbappe struck. A sense of fatalism gripped him. Ousmane Dembele’s strike punctured all their hopes six minutes after Mbappe’s assist. The goalkeeper got a hand, but in vain.
After the match he was asked about the missed penalty. He just smiled. He gave all the answers with a smile. It did not have a villain’s name. These may be seconds ticking off the referee’s clock.