By Tommy Kane

Published: July 15th, 2018

Volume II: Issue XXXIX

With a 4-2 win against a tough Croatian side, the French National Team take home the 2018 FIFA World Cup in stellar fashion. The six-goal game was cluttered with bits of action that has made this World Cup stand out from the rest. Various set-pieces led to goals, including a penalty kick. The new VAR system was used, and an own-goal was scored, the first ever in a World Cup Final. Didier Deschamps is yet another Coach to win the Cup as a Player and a Coach, doing it with France in 1998. He is also one of 11 Captains still alive that have won a World Cup. Let’s take a look at what happened in the historic match at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia!

France Pops Out With An Own Goal:

The French got an early opportunity. Antoine Greizmann went down and was awarded a free-kick outside the box. Many are skeptical that Greizmann ‘flopped’, but nonetheless, the free-kick was awarded. Greizmann took the free-kick, but Croatian Striker, Mario Mandzukic, headed the ball into his own net. Danijel Subasic was unaware until the ball went behind him, giving the French a 1-0 lead.

Perisic Strikes Back:

Ivan Perisic had much to say about the own goal, by striking one in himself. In the 28th minute, the Winger took a pass in front of the net and struck it pass Hugo Lloris, giving Croatia a tie. At this point, neutral supporters started to call the match ‘possibly one of the best World Cup Finals to come’. The reasoning comes from the 1-0 wins by Spain and Germany, in 2010 and 2014, respectively.

Perisic Hand-ball Leads to PK:

Perisic was unable to keep up the momentum and took a hand-ball during a French corner. This led to a VAR replay, which overturned the original call of a goal-kick and granted France a penalty. Griezmann struck the back of the net in the 38th minute, giving France the lead into halftime. This was the correct call, despite the controversy of the play and review.

France Runs Away:

The second-half was awful for the Croatian side. They were unable to get back into it, and they looked dogged for sure. It could be from all of the minutes they have endured. Luka Modric was said to have traveled 39 miles on the pitch, a lot for a tournament. With that being said, Paul Pogba and the 19-year-old sensation, Kylian Mbappe, were able to find a goal each. Pogba’s goal was crucial for France, as it gave them a commanding 3-1 lead and was the game-winner. It came in the 59th minute. Mbappe’s goal came six minutes later, and only added to the pain of the Croatian side. The young stud is a player to look out for in future tournaments. Easing the pain for Croatia was during the 69th minute, when Mandzukic took the ball from Lloris and knocked it in the net. Capitalizing on Lloris’s mistake was vital for Croatia, but a comeback could not be created. France won the match in regulation, 4-2.

Final Analysis:

Croatia looked great for most of the match; they started off strong, but couldn’t continue when the pressure mounted. Two of the goals against them were tough: an own goal and a PK. The other two goals were difficult, because they came fast and were not seen by Subasic until late. Some would say he had his ankles ‘broken’. This should not take away any of the success Croatia has had in the Tournament. They have been a dark horse and have stunned everyone. Remember that they won all three Group Stage matches and collected a perfect nine points. Croatia will be a team to look out for, but with the aging of some of their players, it could be tough to make a run in 2022. A UEFA Euro run in 2020 could be plausible though. All in all, it is certainly not over for the Croatians!

For France, obviously this was the main goal coming into the World Cup. They were slept on for the majority of this Tourney, but beat teams like Argentina and Belgium. The team is young and threatening for UEFA and the world. France has shown that they will be around for a long time and will not want to be reckon with. They should be ranked first in the world after this match, for sure. Lloris, despite not winning the Golden Boot, is one of the best Goalies in the world and will not be going anywhere soon. Griezmann, Mbappe, and Pogba are also young stars that will be around for another World Cup. Look for them to continue their success and push further. It is clear that the ‘Golden Generation’ is still yet to come for France, as it has passed on many other teams in the World Cup. Will France be able to win in 2022? History is bleak, due to past winners being known to lose in the Group Stage in the following World Cup. Will history repeat itself?

2022 World Cup:

The 2022 FIFA World Cup will take place in Qatar, which is located in the Middle East, next to Saudi Arabia. The Tournament will run from November 21st to December 18th. The reasoning behind this is that Qatar is hot during the summer months, and it is unsafe for the players, much like the heat in the 2014 World Cup (Brazil). This will be the 22nd World Cup, and the first time being hosted in the Middle East. There is much to look forward to though. The FIFA Women’s World Cup is next year in France, as well as the Gold Cup for the US Men. In 2020, the UEFA Euro Cup will take place during the summer months.

Hopefully the 2018 World Cup was enjoyable for you as it comes to a close. Congratulations to France for winning their second World Cup! Happy soccer!

Stats:

https://www.google.com/search?q=france+world+cup&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi8tK7J5qHcAhXOl-AKHbedCJ4Q_AUICSgA&biw=1366&bih=635&dpr=1#sie=t;/m/01l3vx;2;/m/030q7;mt;fp;1

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup