The knee held, the talent shone
Traffic into Foxborough was chaos. But Kylian Mbappé’s left knee had no problem. The French striker silenced all doubts with a quality goal that paved the way for his team’s 2-1 victory against Brazil.
It was his first game as a starter after almost a month out due to that sprain. Didier Deschamps, the coach, had him with a minutes limit, but it was enough.
“He has a lot of desire, a lot of pain in his legs,” Deschamps admitted afterwards. “Beyond that — the quality to make a difference, it has always had it.”
At 32 minutes, he received a filtered pass from Ousmane Dembélé. A touch to control and a poke over the goalkeeper. Goal. Pure class demonstration.
An essay with a World Cup flavor
The match was played at Gillette Stadium, the same ground where France will close its group stage this summer. More than 66,000 people filled the stands, most wearing the yellow of Brazil.
Hugo Ekitike extended the lead in the 65th minute. Minutes later, Bremer pulled one back for the South Americans with a header. The final result, however, confirmed a good feeling for the Europeans.
The atmosphere was spectacular, despite the logistical problems. The trip from Boston became a nightmare for the delegations.
“The most difficult thing is the transfers that take a long time…”, Deschamps acknowledged. “An hour and 15 minutes before a game is not easy.”
The organization overcame a controversy over security costs and complied with FIFA requirements, including natural grass and the new ‘cooling breaks’.
Mbappé made it clear that his injury is behind him. He himself denied false rumors about his recovery during the week.
Now, each team continues its path. Brazil faces Croatia in Orlando, seeking revenge for the last World Cup. France measures forces with Colombia in Maryland.
As Brazilian defender Leo Pereira said: “There are no friendlies for us. Every game is a great game.” And last night they showed it.
