By Tommy Kane

Published: July 8th, 2018

Volume II: Issue XXXVII

The 2018 World Cup has now been narrowed down to the final four teams. Belgium, France, Croatia, and England each share a chance to hoist the World Cup in Moscow, on July 15th. But first, they must face one another to get the opportunity to play in the Final. The losers, they get sent down to the dreaded Third-Place match that takes place the day before the Final. Starting on July 10th, France will play Belgium, while Croatia and England will square off on July 11th. For all of these teams, this year has seemed to be the year to win it all. Let’s go through each match and see who can come out on top!

France Vs. Belgium:

A match between two neighbors always makes for good soccer action! The path for these two have been long, but successful. France took Uruguay out with a 2-0 victory. They looked solid and didn’t show any remorse towards Uruguay. Belgium did similar, beating Brazil 2-1. A huge save by Thibaut Courtois gave the Belgians the win. This now leads to the analysis of the match ahead. Courtois and Hugo Lloris are world-class Goalies for each team. They can change a game with any save at any time. Actually, both Goalies had big-time saves in their Quarter-finals match. Courtois is arguably the best Goalie in the world right now. He has made saves in this World Cup that are unimaginable to say the least. Courtois has had to make 18 saves in this Tournament, one of the highest thus far.

For France, attackers like Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann are deciding factors in every match. Mbappe broke out against Argentina and has the potential to do so again. Griezmann has three goals in the Tournament. The attack for France is dangerous. Likewise, Belgium has great attackers in Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard. Lukaku is in second with four goals scored.

This match is a tough one to call; France and Belgium are both playing at the highest level they possibly could. To watch will be age and the who is in net. Belgium is a bit older and has more experience than the French side. With that being said, having experience in these situations could be vital for success. In net, Belgium has the upper-hand. Courtois is a more versatile Goalie, and is more flexible than Lloris. Not that he is bad, it is just that Courtois has been playing better. In a really interesting, but tough contest, Belgium wins 3-2.

Croatia Vs. England:

One thing is correct about both of these squads: they are great at the Penalty, and their Goalies are clutch! England experienced success in their last match against Sweden, beating them 2-0 and advancing to the Semis. On the other hand, Croatia defeated the Hosts in a crazy Penalty Shoot-out. This will mark the second-straight game Croatia won in Penalties, after beating the Danish. When looking at this match, the key thing to look for is the attack of the English, and the counter-attack of the Croatians. England seems to be a clear favorite at the moment, so Croatia must utilize the counter-attack and get a goal or two.

Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic are two players that can facilitate a successful counter-attack. Both players have the strength and skill to do so. The La Liga rivals will be key to winning for Croatia. England has the top-scorer in the Tournament: Harry Kane. He is the captain for the team, and has scored six goals in the Tourney. He is a great finisher and will be dangerous to Croatia. Raheem Sterling might have not scored yet, but he is a great play-maker and will be used effectively in this match.

Finally, it comes down to the clutch Goalies of the two squads. Danijel Subasic has been huge for Croatia, helping them win Penalties, despite his injury. He is expected to play against England. Jordan Pickford might have little experience on the National Team, but he has come up huge for England. He played well in the Shoot-out against Colombia, as well as had some great saves against Sweden. Without him and his great intuition, England would not be here. With this equally tough match-up, England wins 2-1.

It is all set! Now we must wait and watch to see who will play for the World Cup on July 15th. This is must-see television, no matter if you are a soccer fan or not. All four of these teams are mere steps away from lifting the Cup; they will surely be giving all the effort they possibly could give. It has been an exciting World Cup, and it is tough to see it coming to a close. What do you think about these predictions? Do you agree?

Stats:

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