#64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by DasNutNock »

Still ain't won the rugby world cup though, have they. Only one country has won both association rules and rugby football world cups.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by WCpete »

Holy ****! It was Pussy Riot than stormed the pitch. They’re even more f*cked.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by rtwhufc83 »

VAR is a disgrace and will kill football
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by sendô »

A clear dive from Griezmann for the first.

A VAR inspired balls up for the pen.

Some great finishing and counter attacking for the others.

A belting finish for Croatia's first, and an utter calamity from the Spurs 'keeper to wrap it up.

A decent final, and the right result. No Englishman should want Croatia to win after their embarrassing comments after the semi-final.

Croatia's President looked like she cared little for football and was just chuffed to be on the stage, under the worlds' eye, rubbing shoulders with Macron and Putin.

Still, could you imagine Theresa May hugging and congratulating our team if we'd won?
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Patito »

Mbappé and the Croatian President :thup:
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Faithless »

Just noticed that player of the tournament Luka Modric turned his back on the 3rd french goal
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Patito »

Tbf he’d just spun around after watching Pogba’s first effort get blocked then turned slightly sideways for his second. There was no way he was going to block that whatsoever.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

The team I predicted before the tournament to win did win. IMHO by far the best team and squad (and players not in squad) in the world and proved it. Won all their games, except a dead rubber v Denmark, in 90 mins

For a country that doesn't really have a football psyche they are annoyingly good and will be for a few years yet.

And it was a clear penalty all day long IMHO
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by brothernero »

Crouchend_Hammer wrote:And it was a clear penalty all day long IMHO

Thanks Crouchend, you just won me £10. :lol: :thup:
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Crossd_Hammrs »

Crouchend_Hammer wrote:The team I predicted before the tournament to win did win. IMHO by far the best team and squad (and players not in squad) in the world and proved it. Won all their games, except a dead rubber v Denmark, in 90 mins
Phooey! They didn't even deserve to win their opening match versus Australia. More VAR controversy in their favour, and the exact opposite outcome of the VAR-overturning of a penalty decision that ultimately eliminated Senegal in the very last group game, which everyone accepts was the right decision.
Against Australia, France demonstrated everything that is wrong with the modern game - simulation and trying to get a booked player sent off (even when there was no contact!)(Hernandez about four times & Tolisso) , going down easily to win freekicks and penalties (Griezmann and Mbappe), intentionally handling the ball then lying that he used his chest (Umtiti), surrounding the referee (most of the team), dissent, standing over the ball when opponents want to take free kicks... every single instance went without a card. They made about ten tactical fouls too, but only one was booked. They won that game but it took a controversial penalty and a freak own goal - just as in the final. I only watched one other game of theirs in full and Mbappe gave Neymar Jr a run for his money in the Oscar department, but everyone seems to have overlooked that :thdn: Deschamp even substituted him as it was getting embarrassing.
France unquestionably have a talented squad but I don't think they put in much of a footballing performance but enough to look good in highlights. If teams embody the spirit of their managers then this is true of France - I remember Deschamp as an ever-whinging, always in the ear of the ref, niggly little player. Only two teams were more detestable than France: Colombia (v England) and, I think, Iran who hounded the ref en masse throughout one of their games. France were the Leicester City 2015-16 of this World Cup, despite not being underdogs.

Croatia by contrast, if I thought hey got away with a little agricultural tackling against England, were good in all their games. (Their worse performance probably against England first half). Especially the utter taking apart of Argentina!
In the final they really played in the spirit of the game and thrilled the fans - attacking at full throttle from the kick off. France only started to create chances late in the game after they somehow got in the lead - they probably couldn't believe their luck at half time.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Crouchend_Hammer »

Tbf I never said they played the best football, or dazzled us with their play, or that they did not resort to the dark arts at times.

However, they were still the best team, with probably the best squad of players. The fact they played in 2nd gear in the group stages and still won it demonstrates the old adage of winning playing badly is a sign of a good team.

They then beat Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium and Croatia all in 90 mins. That is impressive whichever way you look at it
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by fmgod »

France deserve it overall, they played the first game like the last, most consistent, boring but efficient, most winningest team on paper. Always in control of every game they played, never looked like losing any fixtures the whole way through, pretty dull but it's a result business and Deschamps has showed that with two finals in two years and this time coming out on top.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by sendô »

Crouchend_Hammer wrote:They then beat Argentina, Uruguay, Belgium and Croatia all in 90 mins. That is impressive whichever way you look at it
The latter three amongst the best at the tournament, and France more or less brushed them all aside. They adapted their game to the opposition where they needed to (particularly vs Belgium) and saw games out.

Worthy champions it has to be said.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Samba »

Out of interest, how would England have fared in the final, if we had beat Croatia?
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Crossd_Hammrs »

Samba wrote:Out of interest, how would England have fared in the final, if we had beat Croatia?
France were the team I feared in the final. Not because France are the best side - far from it, but because I don't think England are good enough up front (has there ever been such a profligate team reach the semi-finals?) to expose their weaknesses at the back, and can you imagine Harry Maguire coping with Mbappe's pace? We would probably have been the perfect opponents for France, unless we made quite a big change to the line-up.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Faithless »

Patito wrote:Tbf he’d just spun around after watching Pogba’s first effort get blocked then turned slightly sideways for his second. There was no way he was going to block that whatsoever.
I know but I can be a petty man at times ;)
Samba wrote:Out of interest, how would England have fared in the final, if we had beat Croatia?
A similar result I reckon, we could have done it but it would've been an upset. 4/1 ish?
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by simonirons »

Obviously its hard to tell whats fact and whats fiction when looking videos emerging online but it appears the French are smashing everywhere up?

Widespread reports of looting on Champs Elysees
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by Patito »

Faithless wrote: I know but I can be a petty man at times ;)
Strive for perfection why not :)
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by fmgod »

Croatia had the wrong idea though and played open football, Portugal had the right idea, we don't care how, boring, how deep, how much time wasted, you will not score and we will go to penalties or knick a 1-0, that's exactly what Croatia should've of done.
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Re: #64 World Cup Final ~ France v Croatia - Match thread

Post by szola »

The ref killed the game.

It wasn't var, it wasn't France it wasn't even some buggery by FIFA. It was a classic case of bad refereeing.

No-one will care though. Plenty of finals been decided by the referee. :wink:
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