By Tommy Kane

Published: July 13th, 2018

Volume II: Issue XXXVIII

The Final is set! On July 15th, at 11 PM EST, France will take on Croatia for the chance to hoist the World Cup. It has been 20 years since France won their only Cup, and they are looking to do it again with a young squad. On the other side, Croatia is entering their first Final ever. They have improved since 2014 and have a few studs that can carry the team far. Will Kylian Mbappe win the World Cup at 19 years old, or will Luka Modric bring glory to the tiny, but persistent, nation of Croatia? Let’s take a look below at each squad and what they bring to the table.

The History:

France and Croatia have only played each other five times. They drew on two occasions, while France won the other three. That includes a French win in the 1998 World Cup, which the French then won. Croatia will need to beat France for the first time if they would like to win the Cup. The Final ahead will mark the first time that both teams are solid and up to form. Yes, Croatia is now a team to look out for!

France:

We can go on and on about how great this young squad is. They have a plethora players that most soccer fans already know! The addition of Mbappe has helped the team a lot, as he has been the ‘golden boy’ of soccer for the time being. The Forward has added talent to the squad that has more than enough of it. There was a lot of speculation that despite all the great individual talent, France would not be able to play as a team. In turn, they have proven doubters wrong!

The Goaltending for the French has been outstanding! Hugo Lloris has defied expectations and made some great saves against Belgium. He has become a huge factor for keeping France in games and giving them the win. The defense is great as well, along with some players that typically go offensive, helping out on defense. Antoine Greizmann is your typical play-making Midfielder, but he can play anywhere when needed. Speaking of Greizmann, he has scored three goals and has two assists to his name. Play-making is his best game! Look for him to stand out against Croatia and possibly give the French a few opportunities, especially when on set-pieces.

Now it comes down to the ‘Golden Boy’, Kylian Mbappe. The 19-year-old has become a huge sleeper since the start of the Tournament. He is quick and agile; he has the ability to create plays on the counter-attack before the defense can even bat an eye. It will be interesting to see if he can keep up the great pace on the biggest stage in the world. Surely, there is a lot of pressure, but it shouldn’t get to him.

Croatia:

Talk about a real sleeper! No one ever thought that Croatia would make it to the World Cup Final, let alone finish first in their group! But, they have played at the top-level, and are set to square-off against a difficult French side. What makes Croatia click? They have won all three Knock-out Stage games in Extra Time, with two being in Penalties. There is a lot of adversity, but it has been overcome and looked upon. Croatia seems to never lose energy, despite being the team that has played the most minutes in the Tourney. They have the fight and determination, and it all starts in the net.

Danijel Subasic has been the stone core of the Croatian side. Despite some injuries, he has shown up and carried the team, stopping various great chances and pivotal PKs. He now has 12 saves and has stopped 75.0% of the shots against him. That is a pretty great stat for a soccer tournament, let alone the World Cup. He will play well against France for sure!

Helping him are the two dynamic Midfielders: Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic. These two always seem to come up when Croatia is mentioned. They are top performers and show up when called. Modric and Rakitic have a special chemistry that is shown whenever Croatia is playing. They are great at play-making, as well as creating dangerous counter-attacks, as they did against England. Set-pieces are also a specialty of these two. Modric has scored off free-kicks on multiple occasions.

Finally, Croatia’s defense has been solid, especially in the waning minutes of the win against England. If they are going to win on Sunday, the defense will need to be on their top-game!

The Verdict:

This World Cup has had it’s twists and spins, shocking everyone that has kept up with it. Under those circumstances, it is France’s game to lose. They are clearly the stronger side between the two. Croatia, having all the energy in the world, will come out on top in this one and will win their first ever World Cup, being the 9th nation to do so. The game will go into Extra Time, where Croatia will strike at the last second and win the Cup.

The reasoning for picking Croatia is explained above in greater detail. Don’t get me wrong, France is a great team, and a tough opponent in the long-run. Croatia just looks really good. They have the team able to beat France, as well as the grit and grind of many past World Cup Winners. They look a lot like a 2014 Germany. France has less experience and will get another opportunity in the next couple of World Cups. For now, Croatia needs to win this before their ‘Golden Generation’ expires. Croatia wins 2-1.

Tune in on Sunday, July 15th, for the 11 AM match-up between France and Croatia. The game will be on Fox, for Americans. Happy soccer, and look below for the Way-Too-Early 2022 World Cup Winner!

Way-Too-Early 2022 Winner:

The Way-Too-Early 2022 World Cup Winner will be France!

Stats:

https://www.11v11.com/teams/croatia/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/France/

https://www.fifa.com/worldcup/statistics/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FIFA_World_Cup_winners