NIZHNY NOVGOROD, July 6: France became the first team to reach the World Cup semifinals as goals from Raphael Varane and Antoine Griezmann gave them a deserved 2-0 victory over Uruguay on Friday.
It is the first time France have been in the last-four since 2006 and set up a mouth-watering clash in the semifinal in St Petersburg on Tuesday.
France took the lead in the 40th minute from the unlikely source of defender Varane, who glanced home a fine header from an Antoine Griezmann free-kick.
It was only the Real Madrid player�s third goal for France and represented redemption for Varane, who was largely blamed for the goal which saw France lose at the quarterfinal stage to Germany four years ago. Griezmann, who counts several of the Uruguay players as close friends, scored a second in the 61st minute, but it was mostly due to a howler from La Celeste�s goalkeeper, Fernando Muslera.
The usually dependable stopper flapped at Griezmann�s 20-yard shot and agonisingly saw the ball float over the line.
It was Griezmann�s third goal of this World Cup, but his first not from a penalty. That goal secured the victory but did not end the drama in Nizhny Novgorod, as Uruguay�s frustration boiled over in the 67th minute when Kylian Mbappe fell to the floor.
Uruguay skipper Diego Godin gestured with the teenager to get up, then tried to pull him from the turf, sparking a melee which involved most of the players and saw French coach Didier Deschamps come onto the pitch to try to calm tempers. � AFP
