Kylian Mbappé converted a penalty in the 67th minute to give France the decisive goal over Paraguay and send the French into the World Cup quarterfinals, match reports said.
The goal was Mbappé’s seventh of the tournament and his 19th career World Cup goal, tying him with Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the tournament lead, tournament statistics showed.
The match in Philadelphia was played in hot conditions that slowed the pitch and contributed to a physical contest, match reports said. Tensions boiled over in the 35th minute when Mbappé and Paraguay midfielder Andrés Cubas engaged in a pushing match, and Paraguay drew three yellow cards during the game, the reports added.
France sustained pressure through much of the first half and created more chances early in the second half, including a near breakaway by Mbappé, according to the match report. Paraguay pressed late and forced France goalkeeper Mike Maignan into his first save of the game about the 90th minute, the accounts said.
France is scheduled to meet Morocco in a quarterfinal match Thursday in Boston, according to the tournament schedule.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
