FIFA World Cup: How France goalkeeper made the difference in victory over Uruguay

France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, front left, and Uruguay's Cristhian Stuani, front right, challenge for the ball during the quarterfinal match between Uruguay and France. Photo / AP

The save of the tournament? Perhaps, although Switzerland's Yann Sommer did also produce something spectacular in the exact same goal at Nizhny Novgorod as Hugo Lloris' breathtaking effort here to deny Martin Caceres.

It is quite rare that you simply hear audible gasps around a football stadium, but that was the overwhelming reaction here from what was a largely neutral audience.

Again underlying the importance of set-pieces at this World Cup, France had only taken the lead a few minutes earlier in almost identical circumstances when Raphael Varane directed his header past Fernando Muslera. Caceres then almost immediately rose to meet Lucas Torreira's free-kick and looked certain to equalise.

Lloris, though, was like a French superman not just in the distance of his dive but how he hung in the air long enough to get sufficient strength behind his right palm. There was probably little either goalkeeper could have done to stop Varane's effort moments earlier but there was still a contrast in how Lloris had leapt so acrobatically and Muslera's rather more routine effort.

Particularly decisive for Lloris was how he had kept his balance so evenly centred before the header and was therefore ready to leap in either direction. Muslera was faced with a much more powerful header but he had moved backwards too late. It meant allowing his weight to rest on the wrong foot and therefore being slower to spring off for an attempted save.

Lloris's intervention was the pivotal moment in the game. Against exceptionally well-organised, physical and determined opponents, France had understandably struggled to turn a majority of possession into clear chances before Varane's 40th-minute header.

If Uruguay had then immediately got level, it would have taken France back to square one and given their opponents a huge second-half psychological advantage. As it was, Uruguay were forced to play with more risk after the interval and that made life much easier for France.

It was also a moment that underlined the importance of Lloris to both France and Tottenham. He is a quiet and sometimes reserved character but he speaks and acts with a calm authority among so many emerging younger players at both club and international level.

This was his 102nd international cap and he is undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in the world. With Harry Kane and England also still going strong, there are two Spurs players captaining their countries in Russia just now but it is Lloris with the best chance of lifting the trophy in Moscow nine days from now.