India, July 14 -- On paper, Tuesday's World Cup semi-final in Dallas, widely billed as the "final before the final", looks straightforward. Spain arrive with the tournament's meanest defence. France boast its most devastating attack. But labels rarely decide knockout football. This blockbuster between Europe's two modern-day heavyweights will hinge on one thing: transition. Not possession. Not territory. Rather, what happens in the seconds after the ball changes hands - who reacts quicker, who exploits space faster, and who prevents the other from doing so before defensive shape is restored.

France have never needed sustained spells of pressure in this World Cup. Almost every meaningful goal has followed the same script: win a duel, reco...