The man who was once considered too small and too weak lifted a country’s weight off the national team, firing France into Sunday’s final with both goals in a 2-0 semifinal victory over Germany on Thursday in Marseille.
The result was cruel for the Germans, who injected pace and excitement into the game throughout a thrilling first 45 minutes. But two individual errors did them in.
The first mistake came right before halftime, when Bastian Schweinsteiger foolishly dove for a header in his own penalty box with his arm in an unnatural position.
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Griezmann calmly converted the spot kick, sending his nation into a frenzy.
The second blunder came from young defender Joshua Kimmich, whose stray touch in his own penalty area led to Griezmann’s second goal.
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At the final whistle, tricolor flags ubiquitously swirled inside the Stade Velodrome as French players lingered on the pitch savoring the moment. Miles away, the Eiffel tower glittered, inviting the French squad to a nationwide party on Sunday in the capital. That’s when and where they’ll meet Portugal for the European title.
But for a while, the Paris date with Portugal was very much in doubt.
A fervent home crowd spurred France on in the opening minutes. Its constant roar rose and fell with every change of possession, with every wave of attack, with every realization of opportunity or threat.
The early French charge culminated in one massive chance for Griezmann. Germany seemed to stand still as the Atletico Madrid man combined with Blaise Matuidi, then drifted past defenders with the ball on a string. His right-footed shot from the top of the box lacked power, and Manuel Neuer extended to his left to push it away.
The strength and directness of Mohamed Sissoko and Paul Pogba unsettled Germany throughout the first 10 minutes. The Germans began to grow into the game, though, and what followed was a period of fairly thorough domination that would last for 25 minutes.
Emre Can, playing in place of the injured Sami Khedira, pushed into space down the right in behind Patrice Evra and squared for Muller, whose first-time shot spun past the far post.
Germany began to drag a somewhat disorganized France out of its shape. With France’s wide midfielders pinned back by the German fullbacks, Jonas Hector overlapped down the left, and his cutback eventually found its way to Can at the top of the box. The versatile midfielder didn’t catch the moving ball well, but his effort had French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris scrambling down to his right to save with a strong right hand.
Minutes later, with the crowd now subdued, Toni Kroos played a one-two with Muller and burst forward into the box. His vital penultimate touch was a tad weak, and his scuffed shot trickled into the arms of Lloris. Kroos pleaded for a call, claiming he had been clipped as he wound up to strike.
France’s attack became fractured. The Germans’ rabid pressing dissuaded the French from committing men forward. They only troubled Neuer from dead balls. The German goalkeeper shuffled across his goalmouth comfortably to deny first Payet and then Pogba.
However, in the first half’s final 10 minutes, France regained its foothold. A splitting ball from Samuel Umtiti allowed Evra to square for Griezmann, and the diminutive attacker fired a snap-shot into the side netting.
With fewer than five minutes before the break, time stood still as Giroud waltzed in on goal, bearing down on Neuer. His agonizingly slow control of the bouncing ball gave Benedikt Howedes time to make a lunging recovery block.
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And then came the half’s big moment. Hector, unaware of his surroundings, tapped a back-post cross safely behind. The ensuing corner was curled into Evra, and Schweinsteiger lunged, with his arms outstretched, only to have the ball clank into one of those arms.
French players didn’t take the chance to appeal for a penalty, and the referee, Nicolas Rizzoli, initially appeared to move on. But he seemed to get to get a signal from his assistant, and belatedly lifted arms, and pointed to the spot.
The noise from the partisan crowd returned in the second half. France had two half-chances to double its lead within two minutes of the restart. Boateng, isolated with Giroud, stepped in front of the Frenchman’s shot, before Griezmann also had an attempted flicked behind for a corner.
Germany naturally controlled the pace of the game, with France content to let the Germans take the initiative. Their pressure built, but Kroos, Muller, Julian Draxler and Ozil failed to fashion clear-cut chances.
Then came the giveaway from Kimmich. Pogba danced over the ball on the left, and chipped in a cross that Neuer was only able to get fingertips to. Griezmann stabbed the ball through Neuer’s legs.
Germany threw everything forward to try to recoup the two goals. Kimmich’s curling left-footed effort struck the outside of the post. Headers flashed just wide. Lloris produced heroics. It wasn’t the German’s night.
It certainly was Griezmann’s night. French boss Didier Deschamps has moved him into his preferred central position, and his runs off Olivier Giroud have made him Euro 2016’s breakout star. Sunday will offer him a stage to make that star immortal.
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