They’re a tiny country who got to the final. Not weird in the slightest. The Dutch were met by thousands of fans in 2010 and they’d lost finals before. Thousands of people went to see the England team on an open top bus after finishing 4th in 1990. Croatia have never been to the final before - it’s possibly the greatest achievement in their sporting history. Would have been absolutely bizarre if they hadn’t been cheering and singing.
The World Cup Final: France vs Croatia (Kickoff 16H00 BST)
- Thread starter K2K
- Start date
Couldn't agree more
Almost 600 000 people greeted them today. 15% of the population. Speechless.
That's what happens when you play pressing in 115'.
That's what happens when you play pressing in 115'.
The moment when they arrived at the Main Square.
Fekin hell, how would it be if we won it. Mental celebration and welcome. Absolutely mental.Still leaves bad taste. But hey, just to remind you and @Ban , @No Idea For Nickname . Who said that we can be world champs month ago? Who?
It's not odd
Yeah. A huge welcome for a team of a team of a tiny country who was second in world cup. Really, I mean really odd.
You bastardo, you jinxed us!!!!!! Noooooo.Still leaves bad taste. But hey, just to remind you and @Ban , @No Idea For Nickname . Who said that we can be world champs month ago? Who?
So close...
Nah, they've done their country proud and are lapping it up because the chances of it happening again are so minimal. They have done the sport of football proud too so I think they have earned their right to celebrate even though they aren't parading a trophy.
Yes, even more odd was Belgium welcoming their Red Devils. Pfff, won Bronze medal. Ffs. What is wrong with world these days. And that Panama celebration after last game in the group! What the f... was that. You know, only people who won Gold should celebrate, no one else! Should be a law.
I've been there. I can tell my grandchildren about it.
Odd people all round.
I see odd people.
btw more people than when the Pope came.
You think? As a player would you be singing and dancing about, then go home stick on sky sports news and watch france doing rje same thing?
Maybe if i was in that situation id probably think different in fairness, i mean id be ecstatic if northern Ireland just qualified so I'm probably reaching here
i think ive talked myself into it. It was just odd seeing it on sky sports news immediately after they showed France's celebrations in paris
The players will have felt down no doubt so I think doing the parade and seeing the joy they brought to people back home will have really cheered them up and put their performance into real perspective.
I get that it seems a bit defeatist somewhat but this isn't Brazil, Italy, Germany, France etc; it's a country that's smaller in population than the capital cities of team's they beat to even go to the final.
you just don't understand what it means to a "dying" country like ours. to most of our citizens, this success is everything. we have nothing left besides football and... sea. that's about it.
congratulations to all french members/supporters here btw
fully deserved.You mean Pope John Paul? He was also Second!btw more people than when the Pope came.
The french goal is not offside, because 'going in direction of the ball' is not deemed enough to be offside anymore (recent rule change). You actually have to play the ball.
Also, the VAR referees don't talk to each other if it is a 'clear mistake' or not. They each vote if they think it is a penalty. If they all 'vote' it is a penalty the referee is called to review the play. If one of them had not agreed it was a penalty, referee wouldn't have been called to review it.
So they weren't debating whether its a clear mistake, a mistake or a correct call, that would make VAR very slow and unpractical...
The Griezmann foul is clearly a dive though, I can agree.
Also, the VAR referees don't talk to each other if it is a 'clear mistake' or not. They each vote if they think it is a penalty. If they all 'vote' it is a penalty the referee is called to review the play. If one of them had not agreed it was a penalty, referee wouldn't have been called to review it.
So they weren't debating whether its a clear mistake, a mistake or a correct call, that would make VAR very slow and unpractical...
The Griezmann foul is clearly a dive though, I can agree.
I agree with you that France are not the worst winner, they’ve got good to great players all over the field, fairly solid with varane at the back and lethal with mbappe up front. Before the final I would have said worthy winners, still are really but the final left a sour taste, they got let off the hook there.
But really?My 8 year old kid uses this argument, you can’t just take a goal away from the total and say “see they still scored more”.
The timing and order of goals is so important. If they go in at half time still 1-1 it’s a totally different 2nd half and Croatia wouldn’t need to chase as much and get caught so bad on the break plus France commuting more forward leaving Croatia more room.
You can chase the "if this, then that" argument all you want, but you never really know what "would have" happened if something else didn't happen. Even after going down 1-0 after a dubious free kick, Croatia was unable to trouble France's back line.
Playing the "if this, then that" game, maybe Lloris would have been more careful had France only had a 2 goal lead instead of a 3 goal lead. Maybe France would have pressed harder for a fifth goal had Croatia scored a third goal. Maybe or maybe not.
Point is, you can't argue what would have happened if something else had not happened.
All you know is what you know, which is that France executed more effectively on its tactics than did Croatia. France had 6 shots on target to Croatia's 4. Even taking one of France's goals off the board, at no point did Croatia's attack, apart from a freak keeper mistake, place serious pressure on Lloris? Never.
It's deeply disturbing if everybody on the panel yesterday thought that was a penalty.
If it is anywhere else on the pitch it would be called handball. You are asking for trouble when you handle far from your body and the ball is hit from a reasonable distance. It is a cheap penalty, but it is legit imo. Croatia could argue it went over Matuidi (I think) but in the end you need to play the ball better too.
I really don't understand how anyone can argue it wasn't a penalty. His hand clearly deviated the ball from going behind him where 2-3 French players were in good position for a tap in. It's a pretty clear cut penalty to me. You can call me biased as I'm a French supporter, but I would say the same thing as a neutral to be honest. If the hand was completely against his body, then for sure it's a no-call. Also, there was another handball on Pogba's miss hit in the zone from the Mbappe pass, but that one flew by, so you win some, you lose some. It doesn't take away from the validity of the call. I can't believe it's such a topic.
Why? Because they had “possesion”? Possesion it’s worthless when not used to score, and as Neville said it isn’t an indicative of dominance of its sterile (side and backward passes).
Possesion is overrated, what wins matches are goals! Not silly passes a la UEFAlona/Spain, no matter how much cnuts as Guardiola or Xavi cry: the better team is the one who scored, not the one with most “possesion”! Give me everyday a counter attacking team which scores 2 of five chances with 10% possesion, over a tiki Taka side which shots 20 times, has 90% possesion, but scores only one goal!
No, you can beat which was better than you, that's the beauty of football.
If a dubious FK and a penalty mean they executed tactics better than yeah. That kind of things change a game. As for pressure on the French I don't agree.
Fair enough. But you can't deny some of the saves were excellent reactions. Other keepers might have let in a handful that night.
Forgive the crap music. 6,9,10,12 were definitely top class saves. 16 summed up the US defending that night.
Now that I recall a bit, Keller vs Brazil in the 1998 Gold Cup was the best I've seen from an American keeper.
That parade in Zagreb yesterday was truly amazing. Historic moment.
Those images will be shown in 80 years + time. “On this day in 2018”.
It’s not everyday 550 000 people get together to celebrate, without any incident, and show their respect to the players that represented the country on the world stage and did us proud.
Those images will be shown in 80 years + time. “On this day in 2018”.
It’s not everyday 550 000 people get together to celebrate, without any incident, and show their respect to the players that represented the country on the world stage and did us proud.
Sorry but if that is a penalty FIFA might as well go the whole hog and use the system they used in Spain whereby if the ball hits your hand in the penalty area whether deliberate or not a penalty is awarded, at least the fans, players and coaches would know beforehand.
I hadn't seen the video below until a few minutes ago and i'm staggered that 53% of the voters said it was a penalty, i'm guessing most like the VAR panel have never played the game before.....
Surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet, but if the Referee thought it was a penalty, why didn't he give Perisic a red card for deliberately depriving an opponent of a goal-scoring opportunity as the rules dictate ?
Anyone who played a game of football knows that wasn’t a penalty, hence why pretty much all ex-players agree that it’s not.
That and the fact that the reff looked at it for 4 minutes tells you it’s doubious at the very least.
You can try this experiment yourself. Simulate those conditions (pace of the ball, aproximity etc) and try to avoid the ball from hitting your arm.
Then tell me you think that’s a still penalty and I will not only put my hands up and accept it, but I will also try to become your agent as you posses reflexes unmatched in the football world.
That and the fact that the reff looked at it for 4 minutes tells you it’s doubious at the very least.
You can try this experiment yourself. Simulate those conditions (pace of the ball, aproximity etc) and try to avoid the ball from hitting your arm.
Then tell me you think that’s a still penalty and I will not only put my hands up and accept it, but I will also try to become your agent as you posses reflexes unmatched in the football world.
Everyone except the people that count; the referees and FIFA. There have been a number of near identical incidents this World Cup given as penalties. If FIFA didn't want them awarded, after the first one they would clarify it and the referees would stop giving them. They obviously want the rules interpreted this way.
What pundits, ex players, ex referees or anyone else thinks is irrelevant.
I was very much for Croatia, but for me it was a penalty. Like it was Pique's, like it was that guy's from Portugal as well.
I am very much for removing of "deliberate" part in the laws of the game.
I am very much for removing of "deliberate" part in the laws of the game.
Is it a PL view that only Suarez against Ghana kind of handballs should be given as pens?
If you don't give a pen here you have to completely change the jurisprudence of what is a handball foul.
If you don't give a pen here you have to completely change the jurisprudence of what is a handball foul.
So did Croatia not equalise then and was there not panic in the French box?
I'd love for them to change it. Well, pending me googling what "jurisprudence" means.
EDIT: Googling done. Post stands.
I'd hardly call it "panic". Croatia pressured France's back line, no question, but France coped quite well with the pressure. The second Croatia goal arose from a freak keeper mistake, which by the same logic that freak keeper mistake might not have happened had France not already had a comfortable lead.
It's fair to argue that Croatia controlled possession, as the numbers don't lie, but the numbers also don't lie that France actually more shots on goal than Croatia.