Kylian Mbappé's Frustrating Penalty Delay
In the highly anticipated quarterfinal match against Morocco, Kylian Mbappé found himself in an unusual predicament, having to wait over three minutes before taking a penalty kick. This incident unfolded after a foul committed by Morocco's Noussair Mazraoui, who brought down the French superstar in the box. The referee, Facundo Tello, rightfully awarded a penalty, but what followed was a perplexing delay that left fans and analysts scratching their heads.
The foul occurred at the 24:32 mark, yet Mbappé didn't approach the penalty spot until 27:44. This significant gap allowed ample time for both players and spectators to contemplate the impending kick, arguably too much time. The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) team intervened to review what was, by all accounts, a clear foul. Tatiana Guzman, a familiar face from earlier in the tournament when she controversially disallowed a goal for Germany against Paraguay, was again at the center of the VAR decision-making.
Compounding the situation, Moroccan players engaged in tactics to disrupt the flow of the game. Mazraoui received prolonged treatment on the pitch, while Issa Diop appeared to communicate with France's Ousmane Dembélé, an action that, under new interpretations of the rules, could have warranted a red card. However, referee Tello chose not to act, and the VAR team remained silent.
Bastian Schweinsteiger, an analyst for ARD, expressed his dismay at the situation, stating, "It is ridiculous that Mbappé had to wait so long. The refereeing team handled this poorly." Jürgen Klopp, a commentator for Magenta, humorously questioned the delay, suggesting that perhaps there was a bathroom break involved.
Ultimately, the lengthy wait seemed to affect Mbappé's performance. When he finally approached the ball, an additional 30 seconds passed before he took the shot, which he executed poorly, sending it weakly to the right corner—where Moroccan goalkeeper Bono was ready and made the save.
However, in the second half, Mbappé redeemed himself with a stunning curled shot that opened the scoring for France. Ousmane Dembélé soon followed up with another goal, securing a well-deserved 2-0 victory for the French team, who advanced to the semifinals without much trouble.
As reported by welt.de.
