[Saba Sports News] In the World Cup Round of 16, France defeated Paraguay 1-0 to become the second side to qualify for the quarter-finals. After the match, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Hill sparked heated debate after he threw the ball at Kylian Mbappé. When asked about the incident, Hill commented: “I held out my hand to congratulate him, yet he ignored me completely. I acted on impulse in the moment, but I calmed down shortly afterwards. I only wanted to show my respect and congratulate them. Truth be told, France played brilliantly and they are one of the favourites to lift the World Cup trophy this year.” Tensions flared between the two teams throughout the fixture. Paraguay adopted an extremely aggressive tactical approach, yet many of their fouls went unpunished by the referee. In his post-match interview, Mbappé stated: “We knew this would be a tough test from the outset. We are ready to get stuck in and do the dirty work if that’s what it takes. We’ve proven we are not just adept at attractive attacking football — we will not hesitate to grind it out when necessary. They probably expected us to turn up and play fancy football, but we came fully prepared for a physical battle.”
The editor believes that there is no hierarchy in football. Paraguay tried to adopt this style to counter France, yet it was Les Bleus who came out on top in the end.