From Manhattan, across the Hudson River to East Rutherford, New Jersey, MetLife Stadium belonged to World Cup Group I on this night. When the halftime whistle blew, the scoreboard still read 0-0 — France against Senegal — and neither set of fans had a celebration to wait for, only tighter breath-holding. Blue and white chants and Teranga Lions roars rose and fell across the stands; after 45 minutes, the goal line had not moved, yet the tension was already building.
Deschamps stuck with a 4-2-3-1, as France pushed possession to 57%, completed 280 passes and entered the attacking third 37 times. The numbers looked fine on paper, but what did they amount to? Just one shot in the entire half, none on target, with an expected goals figure of only 0.02. Six crosses from wide areas, none finding a teammate; only three touches in the box. At times the possession felt more like safe recycling in their own half and midfield. Upamecano completed 47 of 54 passes and won all three of his tackles; Tchouaméni went 40 for 45 with the ball — steady rhythm at the back, but the final ball always fell just short.
Senegal also lined up in a 4-2-3-1 with only 43% of the ball, yet their threat was more direct. Five shots, one on target, 0.28 expected goals, and the half’s only clear-cut chance. Nicolas Jackson hit the post and then missed another big opening — a sigh from the stands, then a gasp. Moments of “almost in” like that fired up the stadium more than sterile possession camped in the opposition half. In transition and in dribbling success, they played sharper and bolder going forward.
Mbappé managed just 14 touches in those 45 minutes without a single shot—far too quiet for the world's top attacker. Dembélé flashed a few times and produced France's only attempt, which was blocked. In the half-time ratings, Upamecano led the way with a 7.2, while Tchouaméni and Dembélé both scored 6.9. There were only seven fouls combined for the entire half, the tempo stayed flowing, and neither side looked to break up the game with heavy-handed challenges.
On paper, the gap in quality looks fairly clear: France have just climbed to No. 1 in the FIFA rankings and Senegal sit 14th, yet the first half turned into a stalemate of "the side in possession lacking bite and the counter-attacking side failing to finish." After the restart, France must stretch the pitch for real and turn those 37 final-third entries into shots on target; Senegal, meanwhile, must stay alert to moments like Jackson's—one swift transition is all it takes to rewrite the mood in the stands. At a tournament co-hosted across North America, a major venue like MetLife never lets the crowd drift away early—the second half still has a long way to run.
