This exciting FIFA World Cup that we are living will come to an end this Sunday. France and Croatia will face each other in an unprecedented final at the Luzhinki stadium in Moscow at 5:00 p.m. It will be the third major final for the French team and the first for the Croatian national team.
Recall that the French team has already played two finals,
the first in the 1998 Football World Cup
played precisely in France, where he
managed to win the title of world champion beating Brazil 3-0, and the second
in Germany 2006 in which was defeated in the penalty shootout for Italy.
The team of Didier Deschamps has been the strongest team of
the tournament in all its positions and that makes it undoubtedly the favorite
to get the second star in its history. Among the great candidates for the world
title, has been the only one able to withstand the pressure that the
"small" teams have exercised over the big ones throughout the
championship. Without playing a brilliant game but effective, have been planted
in the final with a team full of young (26.4 years old) but already great figures
of the global scene.
Despite the colorful game that the Balkan team is playing,
especially in the center of the field where Rakitic and Modric are
batons, it has been a great surprise for all of them to reach the final of a
World Championship as hard as this one. And it is that Croatia is the selection with worse ranking FIFA in reaching a
final of a Football World Cup. The
team led by Zlatko Dalic and captained by Luka Modric, is currently the
twentieth in this table.
Another interesting fact that indicates the courage that has
put this combination to get here, is that Croatia has become the first team
since this competition, which plays three extensions in a row and also
continues with options in the tournament. Reviewing his career in the final
phase, we can see that they qualified for quarters after an agonizing shoot-out
against Denmark, to the semifinals, again through penalties against Russia and
for the final, in the extra time of the game against England.
The main key of this selection is his handling of the ball
in the midfield with Rakitic and Modric, without forgetting Brozovic who played
a very complete game against England. The area that has improved the most
throughout the tournament has been the lead, mainly consisting of Manzdzukic
accompanied in the bands by Rebic and Perisic. The performance of these three
players has been increasing. As for the defense, it can be said that it is the
weakest part of the three lines of position, but even so they have surrendered
to a great level, highlighting the central Vida.
