World Cup 2018, Uruguay 0-2 France: 3 key takeaways from the game

#3 A rise in simulation

A well deserved yellow card for Mbappe's simulation

France might have won, but it was disgusting to watch Mbappe flop around the ground as if he had been taken out by a sniper with a BB gun when all he got was a graze from the end of Rodriguez's arm.

This match saw a lot of such simulations - on both ends, as players took to the ground from the slightest of touches.

It hampered the momentum of the game at times, and why players do this when there are a million cameras pointed at them and VAR now being capable of checking through the scenes remains a mystery.

Next time someone brushes against me on the London Underground I'm going down like #Mbappe pic.twitter.com/5pAhhcmknN

— Jeremy Vine (@theJeremyVine) July 6, 2018

What is even more frustrating is that even the exceptional players are not avoiding simulation right now. After two great goals against Mbappe, there is no need for him to resort to such types of cheap tactics - and certainly not when his team is leading 2-0.

He did get his karma back in the form of a yellow card, and he succeeded in riling up an otherwise composed Godin - but why?

It is the quarterfinals of the World Cup, and acting like a child on such a big stage will not go down kindly with the neutral fans. It might sound snobby, but it really detracts from what the game is all about.

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