Tight games produce few goals, sometimes none.
So gifted subs who can change a game will be priceless from now on. And even more valuable when the tournament is reduced to 16 team and 8 and 4
Paul Pogba fiddled around against Romania, trying to dribble in centrefield. If I was annoyed with him, Deschamps was incandescent.
France beat Romania 2-1 but Pogba was dropped for last night’s match against Albania and so was Antoine Griezmann.
Against Albania in Marseilles last night, the underdogs fought like lions, were very strong in the 50-50s, almost scored with an inventive corner routine, and proved to be highly organised competitors.
But Albania is small country with a limited number of pro footballers.
Deschamps decided to go with Martial on the left and Coman on the right, two talented wingers. Matuidi stormed around with colossal energy, Giroud missed headers, and Payet was used as a roving No.10, which narrowed his options.
It was 0-0 at half time and Pogba replaced Martial for the second half, and that allowed Payet a broader canvas on which to paint, more freedom to do the things only he can do.
ITV’s Glenn Hoddle said France needed more fluency and Payet supplied that in the second half.
After 53, Pogba stretched for a chance at the far post and smashed it well wide. In 61, he had a silly shot from distance that hit Giroud
Paul Pogba is a dynamic gladiator but not a half-back or a reliable inside forward.
He doesn’t want to continue the play because he wants to decide the play. Rather than orchestrate a 14-pass move, he prefers to hit a killer cross like his spectacular 40-yarder against Cameroon, which Giroud stabbed in from five yards.
In 68, Griezmann replaced Kingsley Coman, in 72 there was a foul by Matuidi but the ref allowed play to continue, Gignac replaced Giroud, the superb Koscielny couldn’t quite get his head to a Payet free-kick.
And by then I was hoping Albania wouldn’t lose to a jammy goal or a controversial one.
As the whites faded, Les Bleus suddenly seemed to have 13 or 14 players, and when centreback Rami whipped in a good cross, the unmarked Griezmann headed the only goal of the game in the 90th minute and then I was thinking that Germany-Poland would be a better spectacle than England v Wales.
BUT THERE WERE 5 MINUTES OF ADDED TIME!
And injury time turned out to be pain time for the Albanians.
As Sagna gave Pogba a simple forward pass in the right back area, the substitute let the ball run, knowing he had time to look up.
The giant gladiator saw his target and hit Gignac with a majestic megapass that allowed the striker to attack the corner of the penalty area on the left side.
When Gignac slipped, the ball broke to Payet and gave the Picasso of football another chance to demonstrate his sublime artistry. He took two touches and made it 2-0.
Two very late goals.
As I say, it’s a 14-man game and, sometimes, a 95-minute game.