World Cup: France proves masterful in all phases

One by one, the World Cup’s flashy and glamorous stories have crashed in defeat, from surging Mexico to disappointing Spain to the vanishing stars: Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Tuesday’s semifinal left the distinct impression that just a single entity, France, is without weakness.

Dissect Les Bleus’ 1-0 victory over Belgium, in a match that carried a final’s weight, and one hardly knows where to start. The sturdy goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, made a sensational diving save on Toby Alderweireld’s left-footed rocket in the 22nd minute. In a tournament featuring center backs that mix defense with the attack, it was Samuel Umtiti who scored the glancing-header goal off a cross from the reliable Antoine Griezmann.