itsbeautifuloutside

Match Report

IBO Reporter : jickster

This World Cup is generally agreed to be one of the most exciting ones we’ve seen and ended up getting the final it deserved. We had a bit of everything, great goals, rubbish goals, controversial goals, an imperfect winner and a new superstar. Who can complain about that? Only those weirdos who don’t like football.

France went into the game as big favourites, but Croatia certainly had the weaponry to hurt them and they started off on the front foot. But remember to expect the unexpected in this World Cup, and despite the slow start, France went in front through a very dodgy goal. First Griezmann dives for a free kick, then with Croatia defending very deep the ball takes a flick off Mandzukic to go into the net for an own goal. The goal boosts France for a minute but it doesn’t take long for Croatia to get back into their stride, they start pressing again and get a quick equaliser. An inventive free kick straight out of England’s playbook, the ball is kept alive and Perisic does brilliantly on the edge of the box to make space and hit a beauty into the far corner. It was apparent at this stage that we were going to be treated to one of the best finals we’ve seen recently (not that they are often very good).

Croatia continue to play nicely and unsettle France, but again France go in front as we get VAR at its worst. A France corner hits Perisic’s hand as he lands after jumping, there is no way it is deliberate but the ref is called over to have another look. He takes a long time, walks away, walks back and then decides it was deliberate and awards the penalty. We then have another ridiculous delay as Croatia complain about it, while Griezmann waits patiently. This really bugs me, the same happened before Harry Kane’s penalty against Colombia, and is not on as it really piles the pressure on the penalty taker when they have to wait. Refs should be much quicker with the yellow cards in this situation, or even take a leaf out of Michael Oliver’s book for dealing with Buffon and go for a red. Anyway, Griezmann takes a great penalty, sending expert saver Subasic the wrong way.

Croatia pick themselves up and get back at it, with chaos at every attacking set piece as France continue to look nervy before half time, the goals not calming them at all. It must have taken 4 or 5 minutes for the penalty and we also had the physios on, but we only get 3 minutes added time before the break. Croatia would count themselves very unlucky to be behind since the first French goal definitely wasn’t a foul and the second was definitely not a clear error worthy of being overturned by VAR. It was quite a stop-start half generally, but when there was a pattern it was certainly a case of Modric pulling the strings and Croatian dominance, although France looked dangerous on the break at times.

In the second half Croatia’s attacking play continues to be more precise than France’s whose main tactic seems to be to hoof it for Mbappe to chase. This does have its merits as it stretches the game and Mbappe himself is a complete livewire, but doesn’t really seem a fitting approach for World Champions to employ. England at least dominated this Croatia side for 45 minutes, which is actually more than France achieved in this game. For Croatia, an equaliser seems to be coming, Rebic has a shot tipped over, Varane gets robbed in his own final third, and a few shots pepper Lloris’s goal as Modric tears the French midfield to bits.

Then the turning point in the game- Pussy Riot invade the pitch to make a protest as Croatia have the ball in France’s half. A delay and a drop ball slows some momentum (another rant from me- when this happens, why can’t Croatia have the ball from where it was when play stopped, why should it go all the way back to their defence?). When we get going again, France’s tactic pays a dividend. This time the long ball to Mbappe is beautifully flighted by Pogba, Mbappe shreds the defence and it is worked back to Pogba who smashes it into the net for 3-1. A great goal of its type, but a bit like a video game where one player has more pace than the other- it feels a bit harsh when Croatia have played so well and are more deserving of a goal. Shortly after, Mbappe scores another long range goal, surprising the keeper with power and accuracy.

It looks to be a victory stroll for France, but Lloris wakes up a dead match by dribbling straight into Mandzukic to make it 4-2. However, France successfully repel the threat and it’s too much for Croatia to make it into a proper comeback at this stage. Rakitic shoots wide as they continue to try to make elegant chances compared to France’s kick and rush. In commentary Martin Keown says that Strinic’s “groin was hanging off” as he gets substituted which sounds like one the worst injuries imaginable.

As the game ends, the purists would call Modric the man of the match, but in truth Mbappe made the difference. If I’m not impressed by France as a team, I certainly am by Mbappe himself who seems a refreshing antidote to the histrionics of Neymar, a far more worthy inheritor of the best in the world label that Messi and Ronaldo are about to give up.

Thrills and spills in this excellent game- I don’t think France are all time great champions but I don’t think that’s what Russia 2018 was about. Did we see the best from the titans of the game this tournament? Not all, many of them underperformed badly. But did we have a great time and enjoy some fantastic matches? Without a doubt, and we’ll look back fondly on a month of excitement and surprises and in Mbappe a player we can enjoy for the next decade or more hopefully.