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

They have extreme luck too. Penalty shots and injuries... Second time they got a penalty shot in a final. From Ronaldo Phenomeno having seizures, Roberto Carlos tying his shoes, Cristiano Ronaldo going out in Euro 16, Cavani going out. I guess you can say it’s better to be lucky and good. I’m enjoying France in Fifa 18 while it lasts.

 

I'm pretty sure France win Euro 2016 if Ronaldo didn't get injured. They completely dominated the first 15 minutes or so of that match, but when Ronaldo went out they seemed to lose their focus.

 

France has played 3 finals in the last 6 world cups, scoring 8 goals in total. All the other finals participants together scored 7 goals in the same time frame: Croatia and Brazil (2), Spain, Italy and Germany (1).

N'Golo Kanté was sick during the final, that's the reason why he's been replaced by Steven Nzonzi at the 55th minute. Despite having one of its key player out of shape, France still scored 4 goals.

 

Well they also lucky the ref wouldn’t give a free kick when Hazard was being fouled like crazy outside the box during the semi final. When Giroud fouled Hazard right in front of the ref the whole stadium knew it was a foul. The whole stadium moaned. But the ref said play on lol even though he had a clear view of it. The ref finally conceded a free kick to Belgium when it was safely far away from the box.

It is clear some mischief was going on with France and the way the refs handled them. I agree they had a very good team, but it is also clear the refs intended to help them. Lol at Griezman’s dive for the first goal in the final. Just wait thirty years it will come out. America and Russia win by doping. Thanks Lance . France just influences the refs and whatever players on the opponent’s team they can. They deserve to win with this mind set. They do everything to win... training and influencing.

 

Do you just realize there was no foul from N'Golo Kanté before the action which has lead to the Croatian goal? Not only that imaginary foul whistled against France has lead to the goal, but Kanté even got a yellow card for it!

The truth is that the observers are just biased. Those wanting Croatia to win only see referee's mistakes against Croatia and forget mistakes benefitting to Croatia. Fact is Croatia played very rough against French players, we didn't complain only because we were too busy celebrating.

OK that's enough. The comparison to Lance Armstrong is just a big fat joke telling how biased you are.

 

We didn't lose because of it but it's true that France got away with some fouls on Hazard that no other countries in the tournament had gotten away with up until that point.

 

France has a lot of luck. Argentina at its worse. Uruguay without Cavani (who was at psg). Belgium coached by Henry. Griezmann dive goal + Handball goal in the final

That’s just the World Cup 2018

Ronaldo hurt in the final. Euro 16
Handball on Schweinsteger semifinal
Iceland quarters

Ronaldo seizure before 1998 final

Sounds like luck hahahahahahahahaha

 

Luck????

I don't think so.

I mean , every team that wins the World Cup has a couple of fortuitous bounces of the ball but the best teams find ways to take advantage of others misfortunes. I would not consider that luck at all.

The fact of the matter is they have very talented players from the youth level all the way to the very top. They have so much talent that they left off many talented players from their list of 23 who probably would have started for most teams in the tournament.

They were the second youngest team in the tournament and STILL found a way to look like the most veteran side in Russia. They were trailing/losing for the least amount of minutes out of any team in the World Cup last summer.

We have to give credit for their young players stepping up and their manager knowing how to utilize their talent.

Nothing more, nothing less.

 

Well yes they had luck, but almost every World Cup winner does frankly. Germany 2014 was the only team that actually won it without partly luck.

Spain 2010 definitely had luck. Italy 2006 had luck (this is my team by the way and I'm saying that). Brazil 2002, don't even get me started. France 1998 had a little luck as well.

 

And we as usual have no luck.....LOL

 

You had luck, but there weren't any good coaches. Advocaat and Hiddink too old, Blind was just weak solution. Even Marwijk had defensive style in South Africa, not much of creativity. Now you have Koeman, the coach.

Can't believe that this topic is still active. Even in Croatia, people forgot about this match after July.
Especially after 6-0 defeat against Spain. Crisis of Croatian players in their clubs: Real, Inter...maybe Lovren, Rakitic and Kramaric play nice in Liverpool, Barcelona and Hoffenheim.

 

That final match in France 1998 was really strange.

https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/what-really-happened-ronaldo-1998-world-cup-final-his-own-words

https://www.dreamteamfc.com/c/news-gossip/165418/mystery-ronaldo-1998-world-cup/

....after 20 years, mystery still unsolved... (I hope that you can notice some drama in my last sentence).

Luck comes with individual talent, good coach, personal desire of every player, team chemistry, good draws (Nigeria, Iceland, Denmark, Russia). After that, luck will arrive...

Observe Germany against South Korea, not a single moment of luck. If one great team creates 10 chances, luck can become left out in 9 chances, but one is enough. If you have 2 chances, can't expect much from luck.

Croatia has some other problems which blocks the complete football development: weak sports infrastructure in general, weak national leagues in all sports, better players go abroad too early in every sport, if parents have enough money, their weaker child in every sport will have an advantage, compared with poor parents who have talented child, negative atmosphere which surrounds Croatian fans, especially in football, bad reputation. This negative reputation evolves from poverty and rage in general, against system establishment, against institutions, against society. That's why fans are destructive, no personal perspective, normal people in Croatia don't visit football matches, families with children - something that doesn't exist at stadiums, mostly lonely male fans between 15 - 45, who drink a lot of alcohol (cheap beer, wine and some stronger alcohol variations (rakija, vodka), they use some substances also, because you can't behave like that with tea and coffee, strange relations with countries in region: Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Slovenia, Hungary, Montenegro. Unsolved past, history that which concerns WWII, War for Independence 1991-1995, religious environment creates hostile atmosphere (Roman Catholic Croats, Orthodox Serbs, Bosnian Muslims). This is how things are in Balkan Peninsula. Of course, such problems don't exist in France, Netherlands, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, England, Scandinavian countries - sports provide much healthier atmosphere, competitive, yet fair. Southern Europe understands sports much differently, often more irrational.

You might notice how Croatia often losses those key matches in handball, football, water polo, tennis. Always close, but often second, third, fourth places.

It's amazing how French players who have different origins, play with such desire, in football, handball, tennis. In Croatia, they don't like to see someone who isn't Croatian in their team, they accept him or them, but it's not so welcomed. So called, desire for purity, even though many Croats have different backgrounds: Latin, Slavic, Ottoman, Vlach, Austrian, Czech, Slovak, Hungarian...

 

We shall see what 2022/2026 brings.

Holland might surprise a few people.

Insanely strong defence and midfield we are building right now

 

Holland doesn't surprise me. The tradition is too big in football, just to stay isolated from World Cups, EURO's. When Ajax, PSV, Feyenoord produce their talents, national team doesn't need to worry. Same goes for Italy, Germany, England...short episodes of weaker period exist, but renovation also arrives fast. We can't expect Holland to be like Hungary, Austria, Czech Republic in football. Ajax will have nice Champions League season, victory against Bayern. When Bayern has problems, German NT also has problems. Same goes with other countries.

Lets drink to that: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rakia

 

Guys cmon. I should probably shut up for my own safety, but just watch the semifinal umtiti goal. It’s a fellaini own goal even looks like he punches it in with his hand. Anyways england wins World Cup 2022. If you read the 2014 thread I predicted the France win. Italy will be in the final of 2026 btw.

 

Ronaldo can you pretend to have seizures. Yes I can.
Roberto Carlos can you tie your shoe.
Yes I can.
Neymar can you pretend to break your back.
Yes I can.
Thiago Silva can you hit the ball out of the goalies hand to get suspended.
Sounds dumb, but yes I can.
Schweinsteger can you get an uncharacteristic handball in the semi of euro 2016.
Yes I can.
Pique can you get this handball for a pk.
Yes I can.
Fernandinho can you handball into your own goal.
Yes I can.
Fellaini can u handball into your own goal.
Yes I can.
Perisic...
I heard you already talking to Pique, Fernandinho, and Fellaini. Fine.

 

Remember the match Croatia - Australia 2-2, World Cup 2006. Similar thing happened, only Croats made two hand gestures in penalty area. Yes, Stjepan Tomas can.

 

Truly, madly, deeply. We will miss this World Cup like no other. The day after Bastille Day France are champions and deservedly so. But only after the most remarkable, crazy and controversial encounter against a courageous Croatia in which there was a VAR storm, and an actual storm in the skies above Moscow, a first-ever own goal in a World Cup Final, a cool strike from a new global superstar, an horrific goalkeeping blunder by the man who lifted the trophy - and a Pussy Riot pitch invasion.

 

And so the transition happens. Champions league final is an all England affair. Tv money finally catching up to the international teams.

 

...and Europa League probably; Chelsea - Arsenal

 

Too bad there is no World Cup this year. I really am going to miss watching the World Cup this summer