SOCCER: Fear factor to the fore as France march into semi-finals

France booked a place in the FIFA World Cup semi-finals with a commanding 2-0 victory over Morocco on Thursday, capitalizing on their clinical finishing and defensive discipline to continue their impressive run in the tournament.

Morocco, one of the World Cup's biggest surprises, opted for a cautious 4-5-1 formation instead of the attacking style that had carried them through the earlier rounds. Brahim Diaz was left isolated in attack as the North African side focused on limiting France's dangerous counterattacks.

France, who have now scored 16 goals in the tournament, controlled possession and dictated the tempo for much of the match. Kylian Mbappe, who has eight goals in the competition, had a penalty saved by goalkeeper Yassine Bounou in the 28th minute, but France remained patient and continued to create chances.

Mbappe eventually broke the deadlock with a curling strike before Ousmane Dembele added a second goal, putting the result beyond doubt. Morocco did not register a shot on target until the 84th minute, highlighting France's dominance throughout the contest.

Midfielders Adrien Rabiot and Manu Kone controlled the center of the field, while Morocco struggled to maintain possession under France's relentless pressure.

"In the spells when we did not have the ball and let them keep it, we felt they were not dangerous and that we had nothing to fear from that team," Rabiot said.

"That was the feeling we had on the pitch."

Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi acknowledged that France could have scored earlier and praised his players for their effort despite the defeat.

"We knew they could have scored earlier. We would have liked to hold out a little longer without conceding, to see how France would react," Ouahbi said.

"I told the players that they needed to go in with their heads high."

France advanced to a third consecutive World Cup semi-final, where they will face either Belgium or Spain.

"There can be no let-up," Mbappe said after being substituted in the 77th minute because of slight ankle discomfort. "There is still a long way to go, and what lies ahead will be even tougher, but we will recover well." -Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters