Very entertaining match for a neutral. If I were Croatia I would feel hard done by with the dive-free kick-own goal debacle to start things, and the hand ball free kick. Which set up France for the counter. Other than that (!) Croatia was the better team. I felt really proud for Modric winning the Golden Ball. I didn't see the whole tournament, but from what I saw, he was the best. The contrasting styles of the two teams were really interesting. Croatia-as-Mexico and France-as-USA struck me as an apt comparison. Soccer needs more scoring, and this final answered that need.
Now that this tournament is over I can finally speak on my total disgust for Concacaf and Conmebol (decided to wait until after the final because some of you might not agree). Well an all European final no south, central or North American nation represented well in this competition. It is absolute bullshit that Concacaf or Conmebol have let the football in this side of the world slide down so far that Argentina, Brasil or Mexico play absolute garbage! Yes even with the games they won it was absolute garbage! The squads with players playing in top leagues, making millions and they get sent home early, why is this is it personelle? Managment? Or simple bad luck? It is incompetence, negligence and corruption! This should be a wake up call for the Americas we all on this side of the world better do something to stop the exporting of top talent to Europe and develope a strong system here. Yes we can't expect to have players develope leave for Europe kill themselves in competition over there travel days or long hours to come back play qualifiers and then maintain high level of football as their European counterparts. It is simply too much to ask physically and mentally. You think these player truly want to leave their country if they could gain the same monetary compensation domestically that they get abroad? All that history of the clubs, best competition in the world crap is a smoke screen, it's about the millions and way of life simple as that. We need to come together as confederations and develope competitions that matter and certainly pay these players the millions that the market dictates they are worth! Here is where MLS is going to need to wake up and realize that we will be nothing unless that unfair salary cap gets dumped in the garbage bin along with the comical penalty shootouts in the early years. We saw what being lazy and unprepared did to us, Italy and Holland. It can never happen again but for our guys they need to have open competition to massive contracts here not in Europe! The level of play has to get better and only money can make that happen. South America pay your players invest in youth development come together with Mexico and the United States and let's get a compensation system and player development system which will help us all. We need to stop letting them spend their best years playing high level entertaining football for European fans and let them do it here for our leagues. It makes me sick to watch great players not able to be fully fit because they are nursing injuries from European competitions and their bodies cannot recoupe in time for national team duties. The travel is brutal because of the high demand in schedule of their overseas clubs again it's like that because of the millions they pay. I want to emphasize that it is the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ that is the common factor here! We better get together and figure out a way to make football in the Americas great again or this will be the norm all European finals maybe with a odd Asian or African finalist here and there. I do believe Asia and Africa have surpassed us in level of competition not by much but it is getting a lot better than ours.
I told several friends before the WC that I expected European teams to outperform expectations and South American teams to underperform. Historically in the WC home continent is a significant advantage. And Russia is "sorta Europe."
The penalty I have no problem with. If I were a Croatian fan I’d be annoyed, if I were French and it wasn’t give I’d be annoyed. The ref listened to VAR, spent a lot of time reviewing it you can’t ask for more really. The dive for the free kick was disappointing. All that said Croatia for all their attacking efforts didn’t threaten Lloris’s goal that much. TBF France didn’t either, but we’re more clinical when the opportunities arose. I thought this was absolute class from Croatia Overall I thought this tournament did a fine job of showing VAR’s merit - certainly more so than it has in MLS. The notion VAR is, or should be perfect is misguided. VAR shouldn’t be seen as anything more than a technology to reduce the number of mistakes.
Which to be fair isn’t all that uncommon, not just in the World Cup, but many Cup games are pretty dire compared to the semis or quarters. At least it wasn’t a drab 1-0 affair or decided in penalties.
Congrats to France. Other than Lloris’ brain fart they really played to their strengths and buried their chances.
I know the dust has barely settled, but I was thinking about 2022 and the first Winter World Cup. It’s going to be really interesting to see a major international tournament held when South American and European leagues are mid-season meaning players should be in great form going in to the tournament. Conversely this will be the first time for MLS, when a World Cup happens after their season is over. The league will have to amend the schedule a bit though as the playoffs have been extending through to December. The Winter World Cup starts in November 21st and I’d imagine most national teams will want their players in camp at least two weeks prior to the tournament. I’m 100% opposed to a Winter World Cup, but it is at least going to be interesting.
Good point. The entire MLS season will need to move up a month. That said, it'll be a lot less disruptive than the rest of the world....
Also - if the level of graft/corruption in awarding the tournament = how awesomely insane the actual tournament is, then the level of entertainment in 2022 will blow 2018 out of the water.....
Ah, it goes in cycles. I for one was happy to see NEW teams in the semi-final on. The fact they were from Europe was a bonus for me.
Yeah, I don't care about new teams, frankly. Croatia, all told, would've been one of the poorest WC winners ever (certainly in my lifetime, probably one of the poorest finalists).
I don't have a problem with the team's being from Europe they did play great football and scored when they needed to so credit to them. My beef is with conmebol and concacaf having a disgraceful showing at this tournament when most of their players play top level football, yet are pitiful as a collective unit at the most important competition in the world. If anything this should give US football some hope and they better get to work now to improve and never again miss qualifying for a World Cup. I want to see a champion from a dfferent confederation 4 straight from UEFA is too much and embarrassing or it should be for other confederations.
CONMEBOL has quality and will be back, though the heart of top quality world football is solidly in Europe. CONCACAF, yes I agree they should be embarrassed, as they seem to be going backwards. I wouldn't hold my breath for the USA to shore them up any time soon. Maybe it really comes down to where the WC is. When its in Europe, the Euro teams really do well.
I agree, but I also want to see great teams. Spain and France are relatively new winners, and they did it by being the best. IMO, the World Cup is not a place for underdogs or Cinderella stories. Ultimately, I want to see the best teams at their best, which you only get to see every four years. I'd have had no problems with Belgium winning the final; for me Croatia were just fairly underwhelming.
I don’t know that time Greece won the European Championships beating Portugal in the Final was pretty cool. And Leicester winning the PL will likely be up there for sports story of the century at the end of 2099.