Arlington, July 15 (IANS) Kylian Mbappe lifted his shirt over his face and buried his head in his hands. Moments later he gazed into the middle distance while being consoled by France manager Didier Deschamps.
This is not how the script was meant to go for France.
Les Bleus, one of the title favourites, had entered the game unbeaten, having conceded just two goals in six matches. The tournament was supposed to provide a fitting farewell for Deschamps and a crowning moment in Mbappe's career, confirming his status as the game's undisputed No. 1 player in the post-Messi-Ronaldo era, reports Xinhua.
That he remains part of the conversation is not in doubt. But in this semifinal, despite an almost impeccable campaign, the France captain could not lead his team past a Spain side that exposed flaws not previously seen.
This is not to say that all of the blame should rest on Mbappe. France simply did not dictate terms as it did in previous matches, and its forwards were unable to exploit spaces.
Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele was similarly unable to impose himself, while Michael Olise, who has led the competition for assists, was barely sighted. Bradley Barcola, meanwhile, earned an early corner after dribbling past Pedro Porro, but otherwise struggled.
Spain edged its opponent for completed passes, but had only two shots on target compared to France's three.
Both attempts counted, with Mikel Oyarzabal converting an early penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled by Lucas Digne, before Porro added a second following a one-two with Dani Olmo.
Perhaps the most striking aspect of this Spain team is that there is nothing truly striking about it at all, at least on an individual level.
While Yamal has courted much of the media attention, he has not reached the heights many expected of him before the tournament. For some, this represents a virtue rather than a shortcoming.
"If I speak about Spain, I don't speak about one star," former Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic said. "The team is the star. Even if you have Lamine Yamal, this is not a team dependent on one player. Everything they do is as a team."
One player who has, in his own quiet way, emerged as a key figure is Oyarzabal. The 29-year-old Real Sociedad forward has been a steady, reliable influence in Spain's attack, scoring five times and providing one assist this tournament.
His international tally now stands at 30 goals in 60 appearances.
"He's not your step-over guy, not a nutmeg guy and whatnot, but one thing he truly knows is where the net is," former France forward Thierry Henry said. "He's been brilliant for a very long time for Spain."
While Spain can now prepare for Sunday's final in New Jersey, France will head to Miami for a third-place playoff against the loser of Wednesday's other semifinal between England and Argentina.
It will mark Deschamps' farewell as France manager after 14 years in charge. The 57-year-old, who also captained France to the 1998 title, took over an underachieving side from Laurent Blanc and led it to a second crown in 2018.
"Nothing changes what Didier means for French people," Henry said. "He is part of the national team's history. There is one game left and we are going to try to win. He deserves that and the fans do too."
