World Cup cooling breaks debated as Didier Deschamps criticises three-minute stoppage | OneFootball

Cooling breaks set for the World Cup drew criticism from Didier Deschamps after Brazil 1-2 France, though many involved still see them as sensible if shortened, according to L'Équipe.

In Foxborough on Thursday, viewers saw a three-minute pause midway through each half ahead of the tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico from 11 June to 19 July. Post-match, Deschamps said the interruptions change the game and can kill any team’s momentum.

Bolivia, a potential Group I opponent for France, provided another example in Monterrey. Trailing Suriname, they seemed to profit from a second-half pause called by Iranian referee Alireza Faghani, then scored on 72 and 79 minutes to reach a final play-off with Iraq on Tuesday, 5am Wednesday in France.

Introduced by FIFA in 2014 to protect players in heat and humidity, the pauses target conditions expected in North America, as at the last Club World Cup. Performance specialist Alexandre Marles says they help prevent dehydration and support high-intensity matches of around 100 minutes, with referees whistling around the 22nd minute of each half.

Former Algeria international Carl Medjani says the current length is excessive for players already nearing 70 matches in World Cup seasons, and proposes about one minute 30 seconds. Former coach Laurent Battles sees a tactical time-out too, while broadcasters such as M6 plan to cash in, with a 20-second slot in a final featuring France priced at €425,000.

Source: L'Équipe