*By Christian Smith*
In a World Cup filled with exciting comebacks and a record-breaking number of matches decided by penalty kicks, all it took for France to best a high-scoring Belgian team was a single goal.
Center back Samuel Umtiti put France on the board in the 51st minute with a header off of a corner, and the team managed to hold that narrow lead for the last 40 minutes and change.
Statistically speaking, France had Belgium's number when it came to taking shots for most of the game. *Les Bleus* fired off 16 shots to Belgium's 9, which is consistent with the team's shot count throughout the tournament. That evenness is why France is the team to beat in the mind of Jeffrey Marcus, publisher of the World Cup newsletter "The Banter."
"Even when things don't exactly go *Les Bleus*' way, these young hardworking players get impressive results," Marcus said in Tuesday's [edition of "The Banter."](https://mailchi.mp/e3c3e7abc46e/world-cup-banter-dont-believe-everything-you-hear-again)
Belgium was plagued by fouls throughout the match, racking up 16, including three yellow cards. France on the other hand ended the game with just six fouls and two yellow cards.
Croatia takes on England in the tournament's second semifinal match Wednesday at 2 pm ET. The winner will challenge France in Sunday's final.
The loser of that match will battle Belgium for third place in the consolation match Saturday.
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/previewing-the-france-vs-belgium-semifinal-match)
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: The Bachelor finale and big changes at ESPN. With Popular Science, Us Weekly, and more.
In a time when TV ratings are dropping for a number of different sports, eSports is on the rise. Millions of people tune in to watch gamers compete online to the tune of millions of dollars. That economic potential is grabbing the attention of VC firms like Accel.
Big changes are coming to ESPN. The sports network just named James Pitaro as president, all while former host Adrienne Lawrence is accusing several network employees of harassment and discrimination. FHM's Nick Dimengo discusses whether or not Pitaro's digital background will be enough to save the struggling network.
With March Madness around the corner and the FBI investigating NCAA for benefit violations, the issue of whether college athletes should be paid is back in the spotlight. Swofford, though, says the whole system needs to be revamped.
ACC Commissioner John Swofford discusses what the last two years have been like having the ACC Tournament at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The first round of the tournament starts Tuesday afternoon.
ESPN has a new president, following the abrupt resignation of its former president in December. The Nordstrom board rejected an offer from the Nordstrom family to take the company private.
The founder behind luggage company Wool & Oak wanted a trendy, back-packing alternative to the traditional tourist bag. Now Wool & Oak is now out with their third Kickstarter campaign that was fully funded in less than 24 hours!
The D10 is a Wall Street decathlon that has raised more than $10 million for pediatric cancer research over the years. This June, the event will celebrate it's 10th anniversary!
The Weinstein Company reaches a deal, REI stops ordering from Vista Outdoor over its response to Parkland shooting. Fox will finally air its "If I Did It" interview with OJ Simpson, more than a decade after taping it.
Snap is planning to roll out new Spectacles after its first version failed spectacularly. An investor group strikes a last-minute deal to buy the Weinstein Co. Global markets are tanking on fears of a trade war following President Trump's tariff announcement. And we're talking eSports with Mike LaBelle, the New York Red Bulls' first official eSports athlete.
