USA, France Draw 1-1 in 2018 Friendly; Julian Green, Kylian Mbappe Score

The United States and France played to a 1-1 draw Saturday at Groupama Stadium in Lyon, France.

Julian Green gave the United States a 1-0 lead in the 44th minute before Kylian Mbappe equalized in the 78th minute. Despite having an 8-1 edge in shots on goal, France was unable to find a winning goal.

Lloris Performance Raises Alarm Bells Ahead of World Cup

Green beat French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the near post with a right-footed volley. While Djibril Sidibe's dreadful touch helped set up Green, Lloris was in position to stop Green's shot but didn't react quickly enough to make the save:

Lloris' form is a major concern for France entering the 2018 World Cup. His level of performance has dipped slightly with Tottenham Hotspur, which comes at the worst time for Les Bleus. Green's goal will do little to ease the fears of supporters:

In terms of outfield players, France has one of the strongest teams in the World Cup, and the country is rightly considered a contender to dethrone defending champion Germany.

However, a struggling goalkeeper can have a domino effect on a squad, as it sows seeds of doubt in everyone else on the pitch. France's defenders, in particular, may worry they have to overcompensate for a shaky Lloris.

A 1-1 draw with an inexperienced U.S. side—with Lloris in part to blame for the United States' only goal—is exactly what coach Didier Deschamps didn't want to see as his team prepares to travel to Russia.

Giroud Injury Overshadows Result with World Cup a Week Away

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Olivier Giroud exited the match in the 58th minute after inadvertently butting heads with Matt Miazga. Both players were bloodied and remained down on the pitch for a while before they walked off under their own power:

If Giroud suffered a concussion, then it could jeopardize his availability for the start of the World Cup.

Deschamps is blessed with a number of skilled attackers, but Giroud is the only natural striker on the World Cup roster. His presence allows Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Nabil Fekir and Ousmane Dembele to play out wide and drift around the pitch.

Dembele replaced Giroud after starting alongside Mbappe and Griezmann in France's 3-1 win over Italy on June 1. France could open the World Cup with nearly the same formation from Saturday, Dembele taking over for Giroud the only change by Deschamps.

Deschamps has excluded Karim Benzema from the national team, so the Real Madrid striker was never going to be an option for France at the World Cup. One can't help but wonder, though, whether Deschamps will regret leaving Benzema at home should Giroud's injury prove to be serious.

Spirited USMNT Effort Offers Optimism in Transitional Period

With no World Cup to prepare for, interim coach Dave Sarachan went with an experimental lineup. The United States' starting XI combined for 73 caps entering Saturday. Bobby Wood accounted for more than half (38) of those appearances as well.

American supporters didn't expect much with the USMNT matched up against France in Lyon, so a 1-1 draw was an excellent result, even if the United States played very defensively for almost all of the 90 minutes. The collective effort from the team got many excited for the future ahead:

Whether Sarachan is part of that future remains up in the air. The U.S. Soccer Federation hired Earnie Stewart as the national team general manager earlier this week, and Stewart may want a clean slate as the United States starts focusing on its 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign.

Sarachan didn't make Stewart's decision any easier with the United States' draw Saturday.

What's Next?

Saturday's friendly was France's final match before traveling to Russia for the 2018 World Cup. The French open the tournament against Australia on June 16. Having failed to qualify for the World Cup, the United States will have a few months off before returning to the pitch. The USMNT welcomes in Mexico for a friendly Sept. 11.