France edges Paraguay 1-0 with Mbappé penalty after frustrating match

France secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Paraguay in Philadelphia, with Kylian Mbappé's 70th-minute penalty proving decisive. Despite dominating possession, often exceeding 75% of the ball, the French team struggled to break down Paraguay's compact defense, a strategy devised by coach Gustavo Alfaro.

Before the breakthrough, Mbappé himself showed visible frustration, captured on broadcast cameras uttering an expletive in Spanish directed at Paraguayan defender Junior Alonso. This moment highlighted the difficulties France faced in penetrating Paraguay's organized backline, which often featured nine outfield players in their own penalty area.

Paraguay, opting for a counter-attacking approach without defined strikers and relying on players like Miguel Almirón and Julio Enciso further upfield, presented a disciplined challenge. Their strategy of maintaining two tight defensive lines and applying pressure at opportune moments frustrated the French attack, limiting them to few clear scoring opportunities. Even a headed effort from Mbappé lacked precision, and attempts from Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, and Bradley Barcola were consistently thwarted.

The match's tension escalated in the first half following a foul on Mbappé that went unpunished by the referee and VAR, further agitating the French captain. While France eventually found a way through via the penalty, awarded for an infringement by Diego Gómez on Désiré Doué, the game underscored Paraguay's effective defensive tactics against a heavily favored opponent.

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If we have to get our hands dirty, we get our hands dirty. I have no problem with that. They just wanted to fight. We can also play dirty, but we were still better than them.