*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)
The 2018 Winter Olympics are a day away. Over 100 countries will compete, but Russia won't be one of them. The country was banned from this year's games due to a doping scandal. However, Russian athletes will still be able to compete. James Yoder, Founder and CEO of Chat Sports, explains how.
Cheddar's Brad Smith sits down with Tough Mudder HQ senior vice president Cathrin Bowtell to discuss the brand's expansion. The company is opening Tough Mudder Bootcamp studios in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas.
Olympic gold medal swimmer Dana Vollmer and Go Red For Women spokesperson Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum discuss ways to make sure your heart is healthy. Dana Vollmer has won the 4th most gold medals of any U.S. female Olympian.
Olympic Gold Medal-winning swimmer Dana Vollmer talks about what's going through athletes' minds as they prepare for the Games.
Cheddar's Brad Smith heads to Tough Mudder HQ in Brooklyn to work out with TMHQ senior manager, Chris Maltbie. Tough Mudder is announcing new locations of its fitness studio franchise, with Tough Mudder Bootcamp locations in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Texas.
Disney reported earnings Tuesday and the most notable part of the report was the announcement that its new streaming service will be $5 a month. Rich Greenfield, Media Analyst at BTIG, joins Your Cheddar to discuss his thoughts on the announcement.
This Changes Things: Advice for the executives and leaders of tomorrow, brought to you by American Express OPEN. On Between Bells: Falcon Heavy launch, Olympic preview, and more. With Bacardi, FHM, and Entrepreneur.
The Olympics haven't even begun and the military is already being called. This time, however, North Korea has nothing to do with it. Almost a thousand military personnel have been sent to Pyeongchang after dozens of security guards fell ill from a norovirus outbreak.
The Olympics draws millions of people around the globe but it also attracts a higher risk of a cybersecurity attack. Travis Farral, Director of Security Strategy at Anomali, joins Cheddar to discuss certain risks to atheletes and tourists traveling to PyeongChang, SOuth Korea.
On Between Bells: More memos, more problems for both parties. Best Super Bowl ads, and Keeping Secrets with the Kardashians. With Rare Media, Gov. John W. Hickenlooper, The Young Turks, Diply, and Zimbio.
