France is through to the Round of 16 after blowing away Sweden, 3-0, with star man Kylian Mbappé scoring twice to ease passage to the next phase.
Les Bleus, looking for their third-consecutive World Cup final, looked every bit the favorite as they advanced to the Round of 16 with a 3-0 victory over Sweden. And even that score undersells how one-sided the match felt at times as Mbappé, Michael Olise, and company put on a clinic of sophisticated soccer.
Initially, both teams looked to be treading carefully, wary of a misstep now in the knockout stage. Sweden, especially, seemed content to play conservatively, which forced France to take mediocre shots in the early going. Fans, perhaps impatient for something to justify sitting through the sweltering 90-degree heat, started doing the wave around the 18-minute mark.
Finally some excitement came the 20-minute mark as Mbappé broke away for what looked to be the first goal of the game. But he was called offside before the celebration could really get underway. A review shown on the Jumbotron revealed just about a shoulder’s width separated him from being onside – and staking France to their first lead.
Despite the “Extreme Heat Warning,” fans still booed the first hydration break – although that didn’t stop some segments of the crowd from singing along to “Livin’ on a Prayer.” (Suggested lyrical update: “Whoa, we’re a quarter of the way there.”) Sprinklers started spraying on the field just before the game got underway again and some players deliberately dosed themselves, a solid strategy considering the conditions.
