Morocco v Portugal: Quarter Final - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
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One semifinal down, one to go. The World Cup's last underdog, Morocco, already became the first African side to make it to the semifinals and now they're looking to keep the dream alive. Will they spoil France's shot at becoming only the third country ever to win back-to-back men's World Cup titles? I'm Mike Goodman, and let's get to Wednesday's Golazo Starting XI.

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⚽  The Forward Line

France-Morocco, a matchup with deep roots

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You don't exactly need to major in world history to know that Morocco and France have intertwined roots. Morocco lived under French colonial rule from 1912-1956. And given that history, it's no surprise that these current squads are also largely connected, starting from Morocco's head coach, as Jonathan Johnson explains.

  • Johnson: "Morocco's head coach is French-born Walid Regragui. The 47-year-old was born in the Parisian suburb of Corbeil-Essones, spent most of his professional soccer career in the country aside from a spell with Racing Santander, and was even a teammate of a young Olivier Giroud at Grenoble Foot 38."

Then there are the on-field connections. Perhaps, Morocco's biggest star is right back Achraf Hakimi. At his club, Paris Saint-Germain, he is teammates with France's marquee man, (and possible heir to the title of best player in the world once Lionel Messi decides he's done) Kylian Mbappe. And since Mbappe plays on the left and Hakimi plays on the right, these two will be going at each. It wouldn't surprise anyone if this becomes the matchup to watch.

Of course, Morocco have plenty of impact players in their own right. Their dream run to the semis is no fluke thanks to the presence of Sofyan Amrabat in midfield. His poise on the ball and commitment off of it means that regardless of what happens, he'll likely be in demand once the transfer window opens in January, as Francesco Porzio writes.

  • Porzio: "The way he played against Spain and Portugal in particular showed that he's a midfielder that can bring quality to many European clubs that are looking for a central midfielder of this kind. Fiorentina's American owner Rocco Commisso, on the other hand, won't be an easy person to deal with to buy the player in 2023. He wanted him more than anyone else back in January 2020 and now he knows that the evaluation of Amrabat is only growing with each minute in Qatar."

🔗  Midfield Link Play

The end of an era in Croatia

Luka Modric's time playing for his national team in the World Cup is probably over. And what a run it has been. He's 37, taken his team to two final fours, including a runner-up finish in 2018, won the Ballon d'Or after that World Cup, and in his own quiet way, he's been one of the best midfielders of his generation. Jonathan Johnson takes you through it all.

  • Johnson: "If this is to be the last we have seen from Modric in a red checkered shirt (and Croatia are always in a red checkered shirt in spirt, even if they were forced to wear blue on Tuesday) at an international tournament, then we should feel blessed to have witnessed a master of his craft in his prime for as long as we have done. Also, given the young Croatian talent emerging at present, a future without Modric need not look so dark."  

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💰  The Back Line

Best bet

Let's wrap up our semifinal round with some money in your pocket. All odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook.

  • France vs. Morocco, Wednesday 2 p.m. ET
    💰 THE PICK: France (-180). The World Cup is just not hospitable to underdogs. You can make a run to the quarterfinals, or even the semifinals, but eventually there are just too many big dogs waiting to pull you down. I'd like to pick Morocco here. My heart is all about it. But, this is a team that made it this far on defense, and they'll be without both of their starting center backs due to injuries. I wasn't blown away by France in their quarterfinal win over England, but it's hard to see them not taking advantage of the depleted Morocco side. Make sure to follow SportsLine's best bet on this matchup.