Many things had to go right for Morocco to make it to the knockout round. The Moroccans were humbled by Germany, 6-0, in their opener but bounced back to defeat both South Korea and Colombia. The South Koreans then did Morocco a huge favor by tying Germany, 1-1, which sealed Morocco’s advancement to the round of 16.
Now, the question is whether the Moroccans’ luck and strong play can continue against France, a team ranked fifth in the world and one filled with World Cup experience. The French finished the group stage strong after an opening draw against Jamaica by beating Brazil and Panama. France has begun to set aside its pretournament concerns about unity, but favorites have slipped before. The French will not want to join those who fell out.
