World Cup final - France vs. Croatia
Come on Croatia
GET IT ON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rooting for Croatia but hard to see how they pull out a win against France.
Who wouldn't be ready to storm the Bastille after listening to tens of thousands sing "Les Marseillais"? I would only put God Save the Queen ahead on the list most rousing anthem.
They both sure as hell beat the worldwide contagion of 7 Nation Army.
Really? Those, along with ours, bore me. I feel lethargic after them. I like Italy’s, Russia’s and some of the Latin American anthems. But I think most of the European ones are very boring.
God Save the Queen as rousing? I don’t see how you get there. I would put the Star Spangled Banner #1 (obv.) then maybe Marseilles, but O, Canada is pretty awesome too.
Frankly, I'm not a fan of "The Star-Spangled Banner" - it's a odd tune, very difficult to sing.
I like the music of "God Bless America" better, although I understand why it wouldn't be the anthem due to the religious references.
Never been a fan of SSB. As many others point out, it's practically unsingable, and we've got better music in other patriot songs (e.g. Stars and Stripes Forever).
God Save the Queen gives chills. It doesn't have to be fast tempo to get people jacked. It makes the most hooliganny of hooligans weep.
It's "La Marseillaise" actually. The version they've played in this tournament isn't my favorite - it's a bit too cheerful-sounding.
The version they played in 2006 was awesome.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic is how I prefer to get funky.
Go Croatia. Beat those cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
Croatia is the better team right now. But I can just see France scoring on a counterattack against the run of play.
Injustice there. Where’s VAR when you need it?
OMG, Croatia scores a goal for France.
Poor guy that made that error, he and his family should seek immediate asylum in France.
He’s one of their better players and has scored a couple big goals this World Cup. And the fk should have been a yellow card to Greizmann for diving. Mandzukic will be alright.
Mandzukic is team chaos
What a stellar finish!
Beautiful. Interesting fk choice, but it works out in the end. Great goal by Perisic.
Beautiful Goal, so well done.
If there’s justice, he will miss this
Not sure I agree with the handball call.
Hand was out away from the body and seemed to play the ball... I think you have to give the PK there, but it’s just unlucky.
It wasn't as blatant as the "Hand of God" but it looked pretty deliberate, if a bit crafty. Definitely deserved.
Incredibly lucky that France have a goal, let alone two. Hope Croatia can pull back even again.
This is kind of hard to watch, the game is being 100% decided by officiating.
The Griezmann foul was harsh, but you know what? Croatia could actually learn how to defend set pieces. They've sucked the entire tournament at them and today it finally cost them.
The PK is preventable if the defender puts his fucking hand on his fucking nutsack and doesn't let it hang out away from his body. It's a harsh call (as almost any penalty is), but it's also the right one.
Greizmann is such a little bitch. All I can think when I see him is that I want to punch him in the face...
Kante and the French LB with yellow cards. Something to keep an eye on in the second half.
Until FIFA makes diving reviewable there will be a bit of a turnoff about soccer. I have thoroughly enjoyed this World Cup, but when France scores off a set piece that was awarded for a clear dive, then they get the benefit of VAR for a penalty kick, resulting in another goal, I’m disgusted.
Refs/France 2
Croatia 1
It’s a cruel game. Croatia have been the better team, and it hasn’t even been close, and they’re down a goal at halftime.
It was certainly a dive, though Croatia's goal was also set up by a phantom foul (and yellow card!) as well.
That was definitely a handball. The question is more whether the rules should always make it a penalty.
There's a few sensible changes that I think would make soccer more watchable
- Diving / doing anything to get a set piece. Fix that somehow. Make dives reviewable and give someone a yellow for diving or something
- The clock keeping is nonsense and results in stupid gamesmanship too.
That half was the Deschamps era for France in a nutshell. You watch and think they have far too much talent to look this lethargic and passive. But they're ahead...
That half is Italian football since Mussolini was running the country. The Italians get lauded for it and the French crucified for it.
Ugh, Alexi Lalas. What is it that makes me want to punch him? Is he smug? Sanctimonious? Or am I just an asshole?
He's just a terrible commentator
I'm pulling for France to win because I said they would before the tournament and that is at least a small consolation for Germany choking.
Wow, I don't know about that substitution. I guess it's because of the yellow card but he's been arguably France's best player.
Ha, I've really got to stop criticizing Deschamps...
I was going to come no matter what. But I think Deschemps could have waited another 10-15 minutes. That Pogba goal will probably render the decision moot though
Say what you will about their first 2 goals, that 3rd score was pretty
No way it stays at this score. Croatia will really have to go for it, which gives France the chance for even more counters. The score line won’t reflect how thoroughly outplayed France have been. Two lucky moments created this for France
Wow. Mbappe........
People will look at the score and think it was no contest. But Croatia were the better team, by far, for the first 60 minutes. But two moments of greatness from Pogba and Mbappe and it’s now out of reach.
That's sports, man . . . you've got to capitalize when you have a chance.
Duh. Doesn’t change anything.
Yup.
"We were the better team for the first 39 min 59.9 seconds," said Houston after getting bounced by Jordan Poole.
It seemed to fall apart for Croatia up front. Their strikers didn’t seem to be on the same page. Way to many balls played where the player stopped making a run or made a different run.
Fiers d'etre bleus!!!
This is just such a fun team to watch. Allez les bleus!