Paul Pogba scores in France’s first World Cup match
By Wyatt Miner
In a 2-1 win over Australia, Manchester United’s Paul Pogba came to the rescue to score the winning goal.
Furthermore, France’s match with Australia was a close one. For instance, in the 58th minute, Antoine Griezmann scores a penalty for France. Literally four minutes later, Australia won a penalty as Jedinak stroked the ball home. Manchester United’s Paul Pogba scored a goal in the dying minutes of the match to steal a victory for France.
The first half was rough for both sides of the pitch. Australia had a hard time getting close to the French net, and vice versa. Pogba had a rough first half, as he played little importance for the French team. At times, his passes were to nobody, and his play appeared similar to his appearances for Manchester United.
In the second half, play improved for both sides. For example, they both won penalties to keep the game interesting. Once France won their penalty, the game tilted in France’s favor. However, the Australians did not give up, and they won a penalty as well.
Both sides scored once to tie the game up. As the game progressed, France began to take over the match. Australia saw less chances on goal and less of the ball. In the 80th minute, France worked the attack up to the opposing goal. Pogba used give and go’s to combine with his team, then a chip over Matthew Ryan and off the underside of the bar and in.
At first, Ryan scooped the ball up as if he did not score, but the referee pointed to the center of the field to indicate a goal. France would see out the rest of the match as the victors.
Match facts
France had a grand total of thirteen shots on goal. Of those thirteen shots, only six were on target. The French team dominated possession with 56%. In addition, the French team had sixteen fouls with only one yellow card. In all, France outworked Australia on multiple levels.
On the other side, Australia had only six shots total, with one on target. Australia were inferior in possession with 44%. Australia had a total of 19 fouls, of which three received yellow cards. While Australia put up a good fight, their efforts were not enough to best France.
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Ultimately, Paul Pogba came to the rescue for France. While they won the match, it may feel like a loss to the French team. Truth is, the first half was rough, and France could have lost the match based on their first half performance. With speculation surrounding Pogba and his future with United, this goal could not have come at a better time. Can Pogba save his spot at United for his efforts for France this summer?