2018 World Cup: Lloris, the cat with "DD"

The day after the qualification of the French team in the final, we argue to know if Giroud or Mbappé were up to it. But one thing is certain: with Varane, Lloris saved the Blues. This is not the first time in the Russian epic French: the goalkeeper and captain of the Blues is at its peak, and Tuesday again, he made stops that will enter the legend, including the pivoting hit Toby Alderweireld who was spinning to the right side of his cage

"Lloris still makes the necessary stops, again on Tuesday, and the other day against Uruguay, even more exceptional, "says AFP Alain Giresse, former player and consultant for Radio France. Because the porter is customary because of the fact in Russia.

Australia (2-1): he takes a free kick of the Socceroos extended by Corentin Tolisso, who was going near his post. He also took a penalty

Peru (1-0): he celebrated his 100th cape by winning his face-to-face with Paolo Guerrero.

Denmark (0-0): he leaves his place to his lining Steve Mandanda, who plays his first match of the finals. "I spoke with Hugo", who was "less demanding" to continue the third group game as in 2014 and 2016, reveals Deschamps after the match.

Argentina (4-3 in the 8th finals): gets complicated. He can do nothing on the first goal conceded, a powerful shot of Ángel Di María, and not much on the second, a hit incidentally deviated. Perhaps less innocent on the third, even if it is especially the French defenders who let Sergio Agüero negotiate the ball of the head. Three profit-and-loss goals in Kazan's fairy-tale

"It's not a stop, it's almost a goal"

Uruguay (2-0 in a quarter): its masterpiece . A horizontal rebound to give Martín Cáceres a header just before the half, close to the post. Certainly one of the memorable moments of the blue course, equal to the crazy ride of Kylian Mbappé or the "tatar potato" of Benjamin Pavard executed against Argentina.

"It's not a stop, it's is almost a goal, "exclaimed Deschamps. As a nod to Pele's famous commentary on the rescue of goaltender Gordon Banks on his attempt at the Brazil-England World Cup in 1970: "I scored a goal, but Banks stopped him" ( at 0'50).

He also knows how to extinguish the fire in his surface by boxing fists a ball that smears. But Lloris also plays the extinguishers after every victory: he invariably demands "not to ignite"; variant, used Tuesday evening: "We must not give in to euphoria.

In Doubt

And he also smothered the nagging critics before the tournament. Born mainly of his "Swedish dumpling" in June, causing a 2-1 defeat in Stockholm, and whose memory remained alive. Critics revived during the preparation, stern on the goal conceded against Italy (3-1), justified when he mouths his corner against the United States (1-1). But the legendary Fabien Barthez was right on June 11 on RMC: "We know his qualities, his mental strength. He has only one thing to do, put himself in his bubble, and shut himself completely out of all those things. I have total confidence in Hugo. He knows the big events.

At age 31, Lloris will start his 104th selection on Sunday, far ahead of Barthez's 87, and one more than Deschamps, whose captaincy record he had already broken (80th Sunday vs. 54). The Niçois Tottenham has something of 1998 in him, since he rubbed in the national team the last survivor of world champions Thierry Henry, from 2008 to 2010.

Super-Lloris

It has everything known, the worst page in the history of the Blues (World Cup 2010) as the epic of Euro 2016, where he disgusted the German world champions in the semifinals (2-0). And three coaches, after Raymond Domenech who installed him in the cages from August 2009 and Laurent Blanc who entrusted him the armband, for want of a better: it was the only incontrovertible holder on the rubble of Knysna. The captain learned his role, imposed himself in his own way. It is now a question of raising the glove of a final of Mondial … by raising the trophy.

Meanwhile, on Twitter, the blue mauler is already sacred Super-LLoris