The Blues dominated, but the Blues stalled. Without Kylian Mbappé and his broken nose, spared and confined to the bench, the France team did not manage to get rid of the Netherlands (0-0), despite a string of incredibly missed opportunities by Adrien Rabiot, Marcus Thuram and Antoine Griezmann. Overall disappointing, the Dutch nevertheless believed they had achieved a nice hold-up, which would have validated their qualification for the round of 16 of Euro 2024 and complicated the task of Didier Deschamps’ players, before their last group match on Tuesday against the Poland.
What happened ?
We rewind: we are playing the 69th minute of the match, and on one of the rare Dutch incursions into the French camp in the second period, the Blues struggle to break free. The ball returns on the left side to Cody Gakpo, who serves in the Memphis Depay axis. The former Lyonnais manages to turn around despite the marking of Dayot Upamecano and strikes with the left. Mike Maignan pushes back with his foot as best he can, full axis, and Xavi Simons deceives him with a right shot, low to the ground.
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The French goalkeeper immediately raises his arm and seems to indicate that Denzel Dumfries, in an offside position, prevented him from intervening. While Simons and his friends go to celebrate on the left wing, the English referee Anthony Taylor immediately goes to the opposite side towards his linesman. He immediately cancels the goal.
Why were we freaked out?
Time suspends its flight, the referee awaits the result of the VAR verification. Mr. Taylor asks the players to remain calm while the excitement is also spreading among the French supporters. In general, in this kind of situation, the longer it is, the worse it is, and Blues fans fear seeing the Briton rushing to the screen at the edge of the pitch, to finally validate the stab of the player loaned by PSG to Leipzig. After almost three minutes, the referee confirmed the first decision. Already disappointed, Xavi Simons is also replaced immediately…
What does the rule say?
It is law 11 of the IFAB (International Football Association Board), the guardian of football laws, which governs offside. In paragraph 11.2, it is written that “a player in an offside position when the ball is passed or touched by a teammate must be sanctioned only when he begins to take an active part in the game.”
Among the scenarios mentioned is the one where the player (in this case Dumfries, indisputably in an offside position) “performs an obvious action which clearly influences the ability of an opponent [Maignan] to play the ball.
It was probably by relying on this point of regulation that Mr Taylor canceled the goal. Would the Blues goalkeeper, otherwise excellent, have released the ball without the presence of the Dutch right piston? Difficult to say, but let’s remember a basic principle of football (and which suits the French and their fans this Friday evening): the referee is always right.
And what do the Dutch think?
Well, they’re disgusted. Relayed by AFP, Xavi Simons is quite sober: “The referee’s decision is difficult to digest. But you have to give in because I can’t change anything anyway. I prefer to remember the positive from this meeting. »
Nothing to do with the reaction of his coach Ronald Koeman, much more vehement at the microphone of the Dutch public television channel NOS: “For me it is clearly a valid goal. OK, our player [Dumfries] is in an offside position. But look at the images: he does not bother the French goalkeeper who is late and does not have the possibility of diving. The presence of a player in his vicinity changes nothing. Look: from Simons’ shot, Maignan is beaten. He is no longer able to prevent the goal. » VAR does not prevent controversies, episode 567.
