World Cup Final: France vs Croatia, July 15 [R]

Just got back from Russia. This is dead on. France helped by the ref as always when the World Cup is in Europe. Making the game favorable to France’s strong points. The game was decided by the ref. The last two goals only because Croatia had to play catch-up and open up their defense. Platini wins again.

1998 Ronaldo seizure
2014 seeding
2016 last Single nation Euro
2016 hand ball Schweinsteger
2016 Ronaldo hurt

#lolpattern

They are already a good team... with influence... unstoppable

The international version of Real Madrid

 

No guns

 

He won’t sniff another World Cup win until he’s 31. France are bad at world cups outside Europe

 

That's other problem, no one remembers 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th...only 1st team.
In a year or two, no one will remember Croatia, Belgium, England.

 

Well, this guy has some balls to firmly speak up his view on this.



I'm neutral on the handball (if I was a coach, I would remind my players if it ever come down to a penalty kick like that, remember try to keep your arms to your side as much as you can). Ofcourse it easier say than done, when you actually in the game, it different.
Anyways, but I fully agreed with what that guy said towards the end about France performance.

He right when he said it make Pogba and Mbappe goal looked better than it actually is. True, they were able to score was due to Croatia have to chase after the game so they open up space in their defense.
That goal of Pogba and Mbappe I'm sure that England's goalkeeper (Pickford) would be able to save it with ease (it went straight directly at the direction of the GK).
I'm no England or Pickford fan, but how I wish Pickford was our GK at that time, lol.

Perisic's goal was hard to save since it was so fast. But Pogba and Mbappe goal, a good GK would be able to save it.

And I rewatch it, you know how when Pogba score, the first attempt was block, the ball bounce back and Pogba tried again, and he was succeeded in the second attempt. Hell, those Croatia players were drain, since I see it was doable for one of those Croatia to block that shot of Pogba again.

Anyways, perhaps Dalic didn't have the heart to leave Subasic on the bench (we don't know if he was healing his injury or not). But heck, if I was Dalic, I would leave Subasic on the bench. If I have to gamble my goal keeper performance in the final, I would put in another GK, why not put in Livakovic?
Livakovic was in the squad in Russia right? Why not use him instead? If Dalic was full aware of Subasic couldn't perform his all in the final.

So many unlucky things for Croatia in the final. They just wasn't destiny to win the WC, simply as that.

oh well, looking forward to 2022. And Germany better not crash out of the WC again, lol. This WC is over, and I still can't believe it that Germany crash out of the group stage.

 

oh and, defending champion is not automatic qualify a chair for the upcoming WC, meaning France will have to go through the qualifying stage fight for their spot in Qatar 2022.
I'm opening my eyes wide to see how France performance then.
And I will open my eyes and see if they make it out of their group stage in Qatar. Defending champion curse, lol.

France won't be lucky again to get all the powerhouse crashes out of the WC again. I bet in 2022 France will be AT LEAST fighting with Germany and Netherlands to defend their championship. And France never like to face Netherlands, lol.

This Russia WC is the WEAKEST one I ever seen, all the big powerhouse crashes out one by one, or fail to qualify. Picture of all those powerhouse were still in it, let see if France can still win the champion.

But one thing I do give France though, is defense. I always always think defense win offense. IMO in soccer, defense always win at the end.

And as we see from this WC too, majority of the teams who have the most possession are the teams who lost at the end.

 

And I agreed, Germany was better than France in EURO2016. And they were in control of the game vs France, and yeah, how can we forget, Schweinsteger handball.

Even till today, with France win the 2018WC, I still think Germany is better. Them crashing out of this WC doesn't change my mind at all.
People said this young France team is the best, Lol. They still far far behind 2014Germany team.

And EUFA champions league coming up right? And can't wait till EURO2020.

Girl here, and I don't like Pogba, looking at him already irk me, just can't stand him. He's a clown to me.

 

People, even those who werenot born yet at that time, still talk about the Orange machine of 1974, 1978 (and 2010, but then as an anomaly). The 3d placed 2014 Orange team is also still remembered. To be fair, it seems to be the only second place country everybody remembers.
It depends on how the imagination is sparked by a country I think and by putting on the table matches in a tournement that people refer to year after year. So many people cannot forget the Argentina- Orange match of 1998 because of how it developed and the sheer technical capability shown by both teams in that match, but in particular by Bergkamp.

 

Belgium might remain as the most attractive team. Croatian team will remain maybe as team with the heart, desire and character when they returned back in the game.

I wasn't born in 70's, but I remember many highlights seen on TV, Youtube, 1974, 1978.
I liked 2006 Netherlands with van Basten. Weaker result than in 2010, but beauty was remembered. 2010 Netherlands was very tactical, ruff in sense of De Jong. They placed the beauty in the second plan. Van Marwijk made organized machine, like you said.
Netherlands that I remember also is USA 1994 and France 1998.
On this World Cup I was impressed with Japan, Senegal, Belgium, Colombia, Uruguay...even Iran and Morocco were wild in their games, which was interesting to watch. Maybe in year or two, I will forget these teams...
Argentina in Germany 2006 was excellent in my opinion, still remembered.
Interesting Uruguay, Italy, Portugal, Spain from Japan 2002.
I think that majority of memories end with title holders, either WC, EURO, or Copa America.
Netherlands from EURO 2000, also excellent, 3-2 against France, Frank de Boer free kick.
Nigeria, Chile, Denmark, Norway from 1998.
Further I go, details are gray...
After 2002 World Cup I started naturally forget many details...there wasn't some special beauty in Germany, South Africa, Brazil World Cups.
In 1994, I watched all matches at 2 AM, 3 AM...
EURO 2004 was nice...EURO 2008, 2012, 2016...already vanishing from my memories.
Too many of tactical assignments.
But I remember Feyenoord final against Dortmund, Cup Uefa, 3-2, Jan Koller, Pierre van Hooijdonk, maybe van Persie played there, Bombarda, Shinji Ono, Paauwe, Zoetebier, maybe Makaay, before he left in Bayern or Deportivo...Staad Rotterdam sponsor I think.

 

I remember 1994 Italy and 1994 Brazil Champions. I remember brazil 98. Ronaldo having seizures. France 1998 Champions* (asterisk). 2002 Brazil Champions. Zidanes’s 06 Head butt... Italy 2006 champions*. Henry’s hand ball that eliminated Ireland in 2010. 2010 Spain Champions. 2014 Germany Champions. First VAR use in the Final. 2018 France Champions*

1998 Ronaldo seizure.
France benefits way too much from administrative changes. Even making World Cup winners auto qualifying no longer a thing because France’s horrible result in 2002. 2010 Henry handball... let’s replay the game to give Ireland a fair chance... nope says FIFA. 2014 seeding rules changed... France no longer lowest European seed guaranteed group of death. 2016 will be Last time Euro will be hosted in one country France will be the last to host as a single nation. Schweinsteger gets a very uncharacteristic handball in the semifinal. Ronaldo goes out in the opening minutes of the final against France. 2018 final VAR gives France penalty... and this is after a soft call to give a free kick to France in front of the goal... penalty on Hazard in the semifinal for a free kick in front of goal is weirdly waved off... so much French administrative influence on the refs whether intentional or not is disappointing. All fair I guess as FIFA is controlled by France it’s their hard work. Might as well use it to make their country look good.

 

Speak for yourself. My favorite team from 1998 is still Holland. People who were around to see them in 1974 speak far more fondly of the Dutch than of the Germans. The same applies to Brazil in 1982. Or Denmark in 1986. The idea that only the winners are remembered is weird.

I very much doubt I will soon forget this Croatian team, who kept on fighting back against the odds.

 

It's funny you say that. To me Belgium was stronger than Croatia. I'm pretty convinced you'd have beat them.

For what it's worth, I also still believe France would have lost against Brazil (even more certainly with Casimero). As a matter of fact, France needed a much more accomplished game to win against Belgium than the one against Croatia were France committed a lot more mistakes and played with a sick Kanté who wasn't at 100%.

Now what Croatia has done is still amazing, and they had the most technical midfield in the competition, but I believe the team was less complete than the Belgian team.

 

How was France the lucky one ?

They had a much tougher route to the final, while Croatia had an extremely easy route to the final, yet they still stumbled the whole way through.

Croatia was the lucky one that they made it so far after stumbling against Denmark, Russia, and England.

Meanwhile France took out contenders, or teams that took out contenders. They took out better teams more convincingly than Croatia took out weaker teams. Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium. Belgium to me was the second best team at this Worldcup.

If you want to talk about luck, the luck was with Croatia. Maybe not in the final itself, but certainly throughout the entire tournament up until that point. You cannot ride luck every game. Eventually the laws of nature will make the ball bounce a different way, which goes against you.

 

Croatian defence is weaker, also there are not many choices in attacking aspect. Only Mandzukic and Rebic. If one gets injured, tired or carded, who to take? Pjaca was injured for a longer time. Kramaric isn't material, like Rebic or Mandzukic. Rebic is very mobile, strong, Mandzukic has the "nose" for positioning, scoring easy goals. Kramaric is somewhere between them, not enough. That's why he left Premierleague.

Central part is excellent. Hoping to see Modric at least 2 years and Rakitic 4 years. Perisic might play in Qatar, 29 years now. So that Croatia doesn't lose all three in one interval. Also, relations between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb must be nice for the future of this NT. They already lost Nikola Kalinic, Franko Andrijasevic...
Nikola Vlasic is a nice player also. Nikola Moro - hope from Dinamo Zagreb.

Mateo Kovacic won't have normal development. Maybe this result attracts nicer players from Croatian diaspora.

Only if they were first, it would be much easier to resolve this title holding burden.
Netherlands suffered three defeats in final matches...how to survive this...who knows, maybe such defeats are the reasons why this team isn't at World Cup. Maybe it's something more than ordinary generation switch. Also, Ajax needs to be good to provide the NT players, which is not the case at the moment.

 

Yes, they were nice, but only fans talk about them. I remember them mostly through Ajax school. In some official TV shows, they always mention France as title holder, they even say how Brazil was so weak, but those who saw it, they knew what happened.

 

The Dutch runners-up of 74 and 78 are still to this day seen as one of the greatest National teams of all time. Same with Hungary in 54. I don't think any other runner up has come close to their iconic status.

 

I would argue that Brazil 1982 is another one of those teams, only they didn't lose in the final.

 

France was lucky in the group against Australia. France also played with Denmark, 0-0 in 90 minutes. If they had additional time, penalties...who knows what might happen. France waited Peru and caught them with lucky goal. Seven points, not so convincing 3-1 goal difference.

4-3 against Argentina, it could go on the opposite way also. Uruguay without Cavani is like Colombia without James Rodriguez. Belgian players said, that they were much better than France. Luck was in high percent with both teams: Croatia, France..

Uruguay was lucky against Egypt, even it sounds weird, they scored in 89th minute.

Belgian comeback against Japan, goal of Vertonghen, only Belgium earned their victories in the group and against Brazil. Some teams were extremely unlucky.

Mexico is the most unluckiest team at every World Cup, first stage of the knock out stage and they go home.

Every team has the contrast of luck with unlucky moments. Own goal of Mandzukic he scored this with his back turned to the goal, Perisic unlucky touch.

Germany was unlucky against South Korea, even Hummels gave up at the end, just like he said: "Oh, lets just go home and finish this".

France was lucky in 1998 group stage, they got easy group with Saudi Arabia and South Africa. Now we also saw that hosts got Saudi Arabia. Golden goal against unpleasant Paraguay, penalties against Italy.

Every team has it's lucky period.

Interesting info...everyone remembers missed penalty of Southgate, but no one knows about the missed penalty of French Pedros. Both missed penalties were at EURO 1996. Seedorf also missed against France.
Hierro and Nadal missed against England. But only Southgate needs to suffer. Is it intentional suffer...so that he carries some victim status...or is it real guilt.

 

We all remember Netherlands in specific period, so we all like that team. Either through clubs, or NT. Lets not forget Dutch participation at EURO's. Also, interesting, EURO 2000, 2004.

 

of course every team has its luck, but posters on this thread are acting like luck was only with France, when throughout this tournament Croatia needed far more luck to get to this position in the first place.

 

More rounds mean more luck, less rounds means nice chapter of unlucky moments.
We can ask so many questions about anything. What if...?
What if Argentine GK didn't make that mistake against Croatia?
What if Pogba didn't score that unusually curved goal against Australia?
What if Cavani wasn't injured?
What if Colombia didn't got red card against Japan?
In penalty shoot-out, you are either lucky or unlucky, player selection, calmness, restless?
What if Hierro had listened Diego Costa, who said to him that Koke will miss his penalty?
There is no some special skill in penalties, you just hope that it will enter somehow. Penalty of Modric against Denmark was lucky, it went with the bar, line, but he was unlucky in 116th minute, when he missed it.
But it's much better to hit it high, instead of picking sides with some slight curve.
That's why we follow football, unusual things happen, which are often irrational.
For good result, you need easier group stage, solid part of the knock out stage, big teams clashes in first stage of knock out stage. So that you get one strong in the semi-final.
Croatia also had easier group in 1998: Japan and Jamaica..what if there was some other stronger European team? Instead of Jamaica. Easier Romania, red card of Christian Worns (Germany)...against France, Croatia wasn't lucky also in 1998. For good result, you need both: quality and luck. Quality brings more chances and potential goals. If you miss 2 chances, you can score out of 6th chance, if you have quality.
Bunker teams, like Russia, hoped only for luck and 1-2 chances.

 

While every police office might not carry guns in Western Europe, they do have armed officers who receive special training on how and when to use their weapons...

 

The party is still going on in Croatia. Yes they lost in the finals but they won back the heart of the people and country. Yesterday tears of joy seeing the celebrations in Zagreb.

 

You are forgetting about Filip Krovinovic. That kid can play hopefully he comes back from his injury ok.