France eliminates England, advances to World Cup semifinal against Morocco
AL KHOR, Qatar — If things had worked out the way France planned, Olivier Giroud would largely have been a spectator at this World Cup. Kylian Mbappe, arguably the world’s best player, and Karim Benzema, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, were supposed to be France’s main offensive weapons in Qatar, leaving Giroud to play second fiddle — if he was chosen to be part of the orchestra at all. That ...
AL KHOR, Qatar — If things had worked out the way France planned, Olivier Giroud would largely have been a spectator at this World Cup.
Kylian Mbappe, arguably the world’s best player, and Karim Benzema, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner, were supposed to be France’s main offensive weapons in Qatar, leaving Giroud to play second fiddle — if he was chosen to be part of the orchestra at all.
That was the plan.
How fortunate, then, for both Giroud and France that things didn’t go according to plan.
When Benzema tore a muscle in his left thigh four days before France’s World Cup opener, Giroud took
