The Paraguay barrier: France find no answers in first half

France ran into a wall built by Paraguay at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field in the closing match of the World Cup round of 16, with the first half ending goalless. Ranked third in the world by FIFA, France enjoyed 81 per cent of possession across the opening 45 minutes, yet that overwhelming control was nowhere to be seen on the scoreboard of the near-70,000-capacity stadium.

Didier Deschamps's side managed five shots and touched the ball 12 times inside the Paraguay penalty area, but a clear-cut opening never arrived. The expected-goals data sums up the picture: France's xG stood at a mere 0.15, and neither team created a single big chance before the break. The South Americans, meanwhile, barely broke their defensive shape; restricted to two shots and zero touches in the opposition box, Paraguay nonetheless protected exactly the scoreline they wanted.

Notable moments were scarce. Bradley Barcola was booked in the 19th minute for a push, while deep into stoppage time Adrien Rabiot failed to connect cleanly with a cross into the area. Uzbek referee Ilgiz Tantashev added three minutes before ending a half that Paraguay's bench greeted with applause.

The winner of the tie will face either Canada or Morocco in the quarterfinals in Boston. The questions for the second half are already clear: France must inject more tempo and variety into their attacks down the flanks, while Paraguay will keep sitting deep and waiting for their counter-attacking moments. For one of the tournament favourites, another 45-minute examination of patience is about to begin.

First-Half Stats
Score: 0-0 · Possession: France 81% – Paraguay 19%
Expected goals (xG): France 0.15 – Paraguay 0.05 · Shots: France 5 – Paraguay 2
Touches in opposition box: France 12 – Paraguay 0

Image: Al Jazeera