World Cup Soccer 2018

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Golden ball : luka modric
Goldem boot : harry kane
Best Young player : kylian mbappe
2nd best player : eden hazard
3rd best player : antoine griezmann
Golden gloves : thibaut courtois




This world cup was very weird.

In the last world cup out of the 4 favorites, 3 were in the semi-final, in this world cup among the top 5 favorites before the cup began only 1 reached the semi-final (though they won, that was France). Overall, this was the world cup with the highest amount of upsets that I have watched, including Germany being removed by South Korea, Spain losing to Russia (in the penalties though) and even Brazil losing to Belgium (although Belgium was very strong this cup, I don't think they were yet on THAT kind of level specially given how the played against Japan or France) or even England reaching the semi-finals is kinda-off an upset as well as having a final featuring freaking Croatia.

The only non-upseting team was France and they played in a very very conservative and defensive style, clearly that style worked very well to prevent any kind of upset.



This world cup was very weird.

In the last world cup out of the 4 favorites, 3 were in the semi-final, in this world cup among the top 5 favorites before the cup began only 1 reached the semi-final (though they won, that was France). Overall, this was the world cup with the highest amount of upsets that I have watched, including Germany being removed by South Korea, Spain losing to Russia (in the penalties though) and even Brazil losing to Belgium (although Belgium was very strong this cup, I don't think they were yet on THAT kind of level specially given how the played against Japan or France) or even England reaching the semi-finals is kinda-off an upset as well as having a final featuring freaking Croatia.

The only non-upseting team was France and they played in a very very conservative and defensive style, clearly that style worked very well to prevent any kind of upset.
Probably why I enjoyed it. I don't really like all that predictability with the World Cup. It becomes boring, like in F1 racing when Schumacher and Ferrari dominated. Upsets feel like mini revolutions, in a funny way.



Rami go home u mustache idiot u dont even play 😂
Three words for you. World. Cup. Winner.

I really enjoyed the final. Didn't think it was a penalty but understand why it was given (I don't think it's deliberate but he moves his hand towards the ball. In slow motion it looks worse.) This France team remind me of United (though France have better players) they're very conservative but, when they open up, they put teams away in 10-15 minutes of good play. Last season United did this a number of times, especially at the start of the season before the first derby with City. Like United it's frustrating. Like United you expect more. Unlike United France won something with it, but then, they only had to play six games. I know there were seven, but no one played in the France v Demark game.

Just over three weeks till the start of the new season. Seems like madness but I can't wait for it.
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Three words for you. World. Cup. Winner.

I really enjoyed the final. Didn't think it was a penalty but understand why it was given (I don't think it's deliberate but he moves his hand towards the ball. In slow motion it looks worse.) This France team remind me of United (though France have better players) they're very conservative but, when they open up, they put teams away in 10-15 minutes of good play. Last season United did this a number of times, especially at the start of the season before the first derby with City. Like United it's frustrating. Like United you expect more. Unlike United France won something with it, but then, they only had to play six games. I know there were seven, but no one played in the France v Demark game.

Just over three weeks till the start of the new season. Seems like madness but I can't wait for it.

Couldn't have said it better myself.


One other thing though. Is it just me or was Pogba poor in the final? Cant believe all the hype he's getting about his performance. For me, he's just carried on from last season with a poor touch and awful final ball (mostly).
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Didn't think it was a penalty but understand why it was given (I don't think it's deliberate but he moves his hand towards the ball. In slow motion it looks worse.)
That seemed to be the bone of contention with a lot of the pundits – that the final decision was based on examination of a slow motion replay rather than in actual speed. Chris Waddell was emphatic about it being a penalty; Ian Wright basically said that, as a striker, he would have wanted it to be but I don't think he could be drawn on the validity of the refereeing decision. Everyone else I've seen was aghast, especially Roy Keane, who called it "disgusting".

I saw Rio Ferdinand basically saying that it made the final entertaining but for me it really took the shine off France's win. A dive from Griezmann for the free kick and then the draconian penalty call. At least Pogba and Mbappe's goals were fair. As a fan of Croatia I feel pretty miserable today but nowhere near as much as when the Netherlands lost to Spain – God that was awful .



I'm one of few who maintains penalty to be unfair. I don't believe hand touch was intentional and there was another Croatian player behind him to clear the ball.



Found this on twitter.
One of the most interesting story to come out of this world cup is De Bruyne's winning goal resulting in the fall of the Haitian government.

I am quoting the journalist Richard Ensor (his tweets) now.

First: for complicated reasons, Haitians support the Brazilian football team like its own. They love it. Here are scenes in Haiti with people celebrating Brazil’s victories earlier in the world cup:
instagram.com/p/BkflkIsld4e/

So in when the IMF told Haiti to remove fuel subsidies earlier this year, the government decided to wait, and announce the 40% increase in fuel prices ten minutes into the Brazil-Belgium game, while the entire country was distracted.

Officials calculated that when Brazil won the game, Haitians would be too busy celebrating the victory to riot in protest against the price increase.

There was just one problem with that plan. Brazil lost.

After Brazil lost to Belgium, Haitians riots for days, doing huge, costly damage. Politicians lost confidence in the judgment of the prime minister, leading to his resignation today.



One other thing though. Is it just me or was Pogba poor in the final? Cant believe all the hype he's getting about his performance. For me, he's just carried on from last season with a poor touch and awful final ball (mostly).
I thought Pogba was OK. At times wonderful. He seems to be doing more in this team than he has before. I don't know if that's because of his relationship with Deschamps (who I have to admit surprised me getting this team to play to a win. Although he did stop trying to get them to all play together and instead, play like he wanted them to. Which is much more understandable) or because he's realised that not every pass can be Hollywood, you don't have to continue to beat two or three defenders when a pass to a, now free, teammate is the better option and that, unless you are Messi or Ronaldo, you can't be the superstar in every minute of every game (for evidence of which I point everyone to the Belgium game where he sat on Fellani for a good 50 minutes or so because it stopped them playing.)

If this Paul Pogba comes back to United, I'll be very happy and Mourinho will be delighted. It's like he stopped always being the kid in the street or on the playground and started using his head more.

That seemed to be the bone of contention with a lot of the pundits – that the final decision was based on examination of a slow motion replay rather than in actual speed.
I agree with this entirely. I know football is all about opinions and all that, but how any unbiased viewer could look at that at full speed and say it's intentional I don't know. Hand to ball? Yes, but intentional? No.

However, the more you look at it in slow motion the more and more it looks that way.

I've liked VAR in this tournament and I think it should continue, but as always, they need to look at how it's used and what it's going to be used for. The line about clear and obvious error always comes to mind (I don't even know if that's how they were using it at this world cup? If they were, it stopped being the case quite quickly) and, while I can see the argument for that, you have to wonder if you have the technology and are using it, why not for more marginal calls? After all, if the ref misses something, it's not a clear and obvious error because he hasn't made a decision, yet I think most people would say it's a good idea to point something like that out to the ref so he can make a decision.

I'm one of few who maintains penalty to be unfair. I don't believe hand touch was intentional and there was another Croatian player behind him to clear the ball.
I may be wrong, but I don't think the position of any other player matters with a handball decision. I can't remember that every being the case.



I thought Pogba was OK. At times wonderful. He seems to be doing more in this team than he has before. I don't know if that's because of his relationship with Deschamps (who I have to admit surprised me getting this team to play to a win. Although he did stop trying to get them to all play together and instead, play like he wanted them to.
I like Pogba – when I first saw him playing in particular because he reminded me a lot of Zidane. Hopefully he can build on his form back at United.

I agree with this entirely. I know football is all about opinions and all that, but how any unbiased viewer could look at that at full speed and say it's intentional I don't know. Hand to ball? Yes, but intentional? No.

However, the more you look at it in slow motion the more and more it looks that way.

I've liked VAR in this tournament and I think it should continue, but as always, they need to look at how it's used and what it's going to be used for.
Yes I think human error (I'm being charitable there ) is the problem with VAR. The technology looks sound enough but it needs to be used in the correct way. I think they said it was 90% effective at least during the tournament so it's a great start.



I see Diego Maradona has died. He was only 60. Not the most ethical of soccer players, but a great player nonetheless. R.I.P. ✝️
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One of the greatest world cup goals ever. His solo run wasn't a bad one either
He used his hand! Only the goalie can touch the ball with his hand.

His 2nd goal was fine, I’ll give you that.