FIFA World Cup Finals : Argentina vs France

 In an electrifying encounter, that had all the elements of football, Argentina lifted the World Cup Football for the 3rd time ever, defeating the defending champions France in a humdinger that blazed from one end to the other, as fortunes swayed either side at will, through full time to extra time to the penalties. Billed up as a fierce contest between the two PSG team mates for the ultimate supremacy, Messi vs Mbappe enthralled alike, being the center of all attention, & walk away with all laurels & attention at the end. The young pacy winger, despite scoring a hattrick ended in the losing side gazing blankly in disbelief at the results, while the other aging maestro, in his last hurrah won the hearts to lay hands on the coveted Golden Ball & the World Cup glory - a fairy tale ending to a dream that started in 2006, when he debuted & scored against Serbia, establishing him as arguably the GOAT in Football. 

The game started in whirlwind fashion, as both France & Argentina went on the offensive from the word go, looking at wresting early initiatives. However, it was the more intent South Americans who quickly controlled the midfield under the able leadership of Messi working from a bit deep to orchestrate the attacks, as a fit again Di Maria & Alvarez stormed the French defense, ably assisted by De Paul, Fernandez & MacAllister. On the contrary, France looked tentative, as Greizmann failed to control the movements as he had done so effectively in the earlier games, & the flanks of Mbappe & Dembele could hardly stamp their authority, as Giroud down the middle found tough Argentinian backline denying him of any space. The first real chance came around the 17th minute, when De Paul, Hernandez & Messi played a beautiful one two one to enter the box, but Di Maria blazed the ball over the bar in a hurried attempt. The pressure building up, Argentina swarmed the French box & Di Maria smartly dribbled into the box from the left end & had Dembele clumsily tackle to bring him down from behind, as the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the dreaded spot. Stepping in Messi false stepped French Captain & keeper Hugo Lloris on the wrong side & calmly slotted the ball into the left end of the net, as the rapturous crowd went delirious in celebrations & Argentina went up 1-0. With twelve goals & eight assists, Messi's 20 goal involvement had become the most by a player in World Cup since 1966, as he also became the first player to score in group stage, round of 16, quarter finals, semi finals & now finals in a single edition of the World Cup - incredible stats from an incredible player. As a stunned France looked to counter back, Argentina backline kept defending strongly, while Messi kept feeding the frontline for more damage. In another such blistering counter attacking move, Messi simply side flicked the ball pas his marker to an onrushing Mac Allister, who sped through into the box & unselfishly squared the ball to Di Maria coming in from the left wing, & the winger's first time left footer flew past the flailing arms of Lloris to nestle into the far right corner of the net & Argentina were up 2-0 in the 36th minute. A brilliant move for a brilliant finish, as the crowd full of sky blue & white stripes went berserk in celebrations. The defending champions were brought to their knees, & their star studded line up were gasping for breath & ideas, as their opposition seemed to be running away with the game in style. The midfield & overlapping backs looked dazed & the forward line clueless to build any sensible attack. In a attempt to infuse some electricity & activity, Coach Deschamps, replaced the normally dependable & experienced Giroud & Dembele for Marcus Thuram & Randal Kolo Muani. The first half ended with Argentina leading 2-0, as Coach Scaloni went into the dug out looking content with the performance of his players, & his strategy of pressing football to create panic & get a penalty to lead early & then use the confusion to build upon with some surging attacks. This has worked perfectly for the Albiceleste through this tournament, as Messi & company have terrorised their opponents, barring their first game blip against Saudi Arabia, where they lost despite going up 1-0, via a Messi penalty !!

2nd half started with Argentina picking up from where they had left in the first half, pressing for territorial advantage & not allowing the French forwards to have any sniff at their goal. It was incredible to see that the famed French forward line, having the electrifying Mbappe struggle for space & ball, as Otamendi, Romero, Molina & Tagliafico continued to defend astutely. Around the hour mark, a tiring Di Maria was rested bringing in a beefy Acuna, while a few minutes later France also made two crucial changes by bringing in Camavinga for Hernandez & Kingsley Coman for Griezmann to add speed, spark & fresh legs into their despairing attack line. This led to some better football from the Les Blues, as Mbappe started to get more traction to run through his wing as the now tiring Argentinian defense started to show up some chinks. France eventually got their first shot on target, when Mbappe's effort was saved by Martinez. Messi, strolling across the park, kept the occasional bursts into the French backline & in one of the moves De Paul had a chance, but his low shot was parried away by Lloris - in the counter move that ensued, Kolo Muani sped through & went into the box where Otamendi, in an attempt to block the goal view, got on the wrong side & dragged the French winger down with his thigh, as the referee pointed to the spot. Mbappe stepped in & blasted the ball into the net past a diving Martinez to reduce the margin to 1-2, as the French contingent roared back, & French President Emmanuel Macron in the stands was seen pumping his fists to raise sagging spirits of the French supporters. Before the now tiring & stunned Argentinians could react or regroup, hardworking Coman snatched the ball from the feet of  Messi in the midfield nudging the maestro down, & ran it to the left side onto onrushing Mbappe, who nodded to the ball to Thuram & then received it back on the face of the box to send in a ferocious volley into the net past Martinez who could barely touch the ball with his outstretched fingers entering the net for a superb equaliser 2-2. With barely 10 minutes to the final whistle & looking haplessly out of the game, the defending champions had roared back into the contest within a space of less than 2 minutes of electrifying football, as Coach Deschamps screamed on the bench clutching his fists in delight. Game on - as the world suddenly bit their nails in anticipation of an edge of the seat humdinger. The match had truly opened up now, as both teams looked for the ascendency, & chances started to show up galore at both ends. With 8 minutes of added time signaled, Mabappe was denied by Otamendi once & then by Romero, while on the other end, Messi was denied by Lloris, as Alvarez & Rabiot rose high to clash hard on a header. Coman then ran down the flank & passed on to Camavinga, as Otamendi brought him down just outside the box & Raboit's shot was saved by Martinez & a shaky Argentinian defence, & then Messi had a rasping shot at the French goal saved by a flying Lloris, as the referee blew the full time whistle to the relief of the near exhausted players on the ground. Both the keepers at their respective ends ensured safe coverage to keep the game alive into the extra time. 

The first half of the extra time saw Argentina wrestling the initiatives, but no goals were scored, though Messi, Montiel, Mac Allister combination muffled a golden opportunity with the French defense at mercy, as the players once again regrouped for water & fiery consultations by the coaching staff. The game was entering the last stages. Substitute Lautaro Martinez muffled two great opportunities for Argentina, as France started to regain control. However, it was Argentina again that went into lead, as in a mad scramble inside the French box, Lautaro Martinez's shot was parried by Lloris just for Messi to tap in, as Upamecano cleared from inside the net - a quick VAR review confirmed the goal as Messi was swarmed by the bench in celebrations, seemingly the winning goal of the match. Argentina led again 3-2, bringing back memories of their last World Cup victory over Germany 3-2, in 1986, when a certain Maradona had won the hearts of the footballing world with his skills & guile. With minutes ticking away, Lautaro had another chance muffled, as on the other end, from a Coman corner, Mbappe took a rousing shot at the Argentinian goal from just outside the box, & Montiel in an attempt to block had his arm touch the ball & the referee pointed to the spot for the third time in the match - incredible for a finals!! Though it was not intentional, but by the rule book, it was a penalty, that the referee had to point at. Mbappe stepped in & scored again, marking his hattrick in a World Cup Final, as the score line read 3-3, & only 3 minutes to the final whistle. In a epic comeback of sorts, Mbappe had brought the French back into reckoning. Banking on this life line France went out on all attack, & should have won the game in the injury time, when Otamendi failed to connect & block a cross & the tall, lanky French winger Muani had only the keeper to beat, but his rasping shot was somehow smothered away by the outstretched legs of Martinez, as Argentinians heaved a sigh of relief. On the opposite side Lautaro muffled yet another chance as Montiel's cross found Lautaro head out, & the Mbappe dribbled & wriggled his way through inside the Argentinian box, but somehow lost control, & a defender blasted the ball away, as the referee blew the extra time whistle to an end. The match was now entering the penalties to decide the winner. One of the best contested game till now at blistering pace, as the score sheet read 3-3, after extra time. 

While Argentina had knocked Netherlands through a penalty shoot out in the quarterfinals, where Martinez had come up with two huge saves, France were facing the penalties for the first time in the tournament. France won the toss & decided to shoot first. Mbappe stepped in & coolly slotted the ball past Martinez 1-0. Messi came up next & his brilliant placement made it 1-1. Coman stepped in next for France, but his low hard drive to the left was blocked by a diving Martinez, as the score remained 1-1. Dybala, brought in during the extra time, hit straight through the middle to score & get Argentina advantage 2-1. Tchouameni, next in for France looked nervous, licking his lips, & his shot went wide of the left post, as the score remained at 2-1 to Argentina. France had muffled two consecutive shots at this stage. Parades, came in & his shot went into the left bottom, as Argentina went up 3-1. Kolo Muani stepped in for a must win shot, & he kept the French hopes alive by slotting home in the top end, 2-3. Montiel, next in, took time to soak in the pressure, & his shot slotted into the left corner of the net, as Lloris dived the wrong way & Argentina team burst open into the field in rapturous celebrations, as the score read 4-2. 

It had taken all the ninety minutes plus injury time in each half & then the extra time along with respective added time & then the penalties - an epic battle of nerves, strategies, will & grit & skills, between two towering nations of Football, as Argentina, arguably the better team for the major part of the day, finally conquered. This was the 11th World Cup finals between a South American & an European nation, with the South Americans winning for the 8th time. Argentina had earlier lost to Germany in 1990 & 2014, while Brazil had lost to France in 1998. This was Argentina's sixth World Cup final, with only Germany ahead of them with eight appearances in the finals. Leo Messi had conquered his final peak, a trophy that had eluded his overflowing cabinet till now  & a fitting tribute to Maradona, who would surely be smiling in heaven, amidst flowing tears of joy. There were other heroes too with valuable contributions from Di Maria, who created the 1st penalty for Messi to score & then scored the second goal of the match, De Paul, who endured all the pain & fouls on him, but maintained composure in the midfield, Alvarez who kept the French defense in agony till he was on the field, & then the burly Martinez under the bar, who saved time & again, especially when it mattered the most, thwarting the menacing French attacks. 

Mbappe with 3 goals in the finals, eventually ended with 8 goals to his credit winning the Golden Boot, pipping ahead of Messi who ended with seven to his credit. At less than 24yrs of age, Mbappe is the youngest player to go past 10 goals in World Cup & also the first player after England's Geoff Hurst to score a hattrick in a World cup Final - & yet to endear a World Cup final loss !!! Among the other notable winners, the burly big Argentinian keeper Emiliano Martinez won the Golden Gloves for his crucial saves through the tournament, pipping ahead of Livakovic of Croatia, who was also fantastic under the bar, especially against Brazil in the quarterfinals, while Enzo Fernandez won the Young Player of the Tournament. Leo Messi, won the Golden Ball award as the best player of the tournament for the second time, having earlier won it in 2014. This World Cup will certainly be deemed a Messi's World Cup, resonating their previous win in 1986, when the World had acknowledged Diego Maradona as the God of Football....... dreams that continue to inspire against all odds. 

 

FIFA World Cup Semi Finals : France vs Morocco

 Defending Champions overcame an exceptionally fighting & spirited Moroccan side 2-0 to enter their fourth World Cup final to set up a mouth watering contest with Argentina. 

The game started in whirlwind fashion, as France got themselves an early & vital lead within 5 minutes. Varane got the ball to Griezmann who cut through the right to offload onto an overlapping Mbappe, who in turn hit hard only to be thwarted twice on rebound, when the ball fell favourably on the feet of Hernandez, & he held composure to slot the ball home with a fine finish, 1-0. Stung by the reverse, Morocco responded with intent & zeal, as Ounahi almost drew level with a stinging shot, but Lloris under the bar was agile enough to push the ball away from entering the net. Later again, in a strange refereeing decision, a rather clear penalty was denied, when Hernandez tipped Boufal inside the box,  & it was the Moroccan who received a yellow card booking !! The game was lively, as both sides unleashed their best attacking football & the ball galloped from one end to the other. El YAmiq almost equalised just before the half time, as he latched on to a loose ball from a corner & his overhead kick hit the post before rolling out as the Les Blues heaved a sigh of relief. Another couple of skirmishes in the French box & evasive actions by the defenders & the keeper saw France maintaining the lead at the lemon break. Moroccans were in the game, despite having huge injury issues to lose skipper Roma Saiss within 222odd minutes into the game, & the dependable Aguerd just before the beginning of the game. 

2nd half was no different, as the Moroccans looked for some chink in the French armory, while the men in blue continued to press forward, as Greizmann orchestrated the midfield. Around the 78th minute, substitute Randal Kolo Muani scored with his first touch, when he received a rebound from the efforts of Mbappe & pushed the ball past a hapless Bonou under the bar to make it 2-0 & put the game beyond the reach of the Africans. 

It was a game of too many ifs for the Moroccans in their first entry into the last four, & they will surely take away a lot of positives from this tournament. Walid Regragui tried valiantly to string an injury riddled side to put up a fantastic performance, & the baffling decision against them in a penalty claim in the first half will certainly have critics speaking a lot, as a equaliser at that stage would have set the cat amongst the pigeons - arguably at least !! A couple of near misses contributed to their undoing, as was the case of France benefitting in both their goals from huge deflections landing the ball perfectly in the path of an unmarked blue jersey to score - Champions Luck is it ??? 

We now are looking forward to a mouth watering humdinger between holders France & challenging Argentina. While France will aspire to become the first team after Brazil in the history of this World Cup to lift the Trophy consecutively, Argentina would look at a last hurrah from a certain Leo Messi, whose cabinet of overflowing trophies is missing the elusive World Cup - Les Blues vs Albiceleste. Dreams are made of such encounters  

FIFA World Cup Semi Finals : Argentina vs Croatia

 The first of the semi finals saw Argentina, virtually tear apart Croatia with some vintage football on display to march onto the finals with a commanding scoreline of 3-0. 

The headline build up to the game was the presence of two maestros Luka Modric for Croatia & Leo Messi for Argentina, both captains & leading their respective teams into this semifinals with promise & a never give up attitude, that belied their age, & infused adrenalin into the team mates. The game did start with the Croatians enjoying the better of the exchanges & possession, but, as expected, they let the initiative being taken away as the game progressed, by the more superior team on the field today - Argentina. Following a tightly contested first half hour, where Croatia enjoyed territorial control & more than 60% possession looking for an early lead, but a brilliant counter attack move from almost the Argentinian box goal kick, led young Alvarez to race into the Croatian box with only the goalkeeper Livakovic to beat, who in his attempt to save, clattered into the forward to receive a yellow card & a penalty kick. Leo Messi, as expected stepped in & slotted the ball past the penalty saving specialist into the top right corner to open the scoring 1-0. Tis was in the 34th minute of the game, as the Albiceleste supporters roared in delight.  Stung by this unexpected reverse, Croatia stepped up their game in search of an equaliser, & again paid the price by opening up their backline, as Alvaraz once again took advantage of a super release for Messi around the half line, went zooming past a bunch of rather dazed defenders & their poor clearances, to poke the ball past the hapless keeper to make it 2-0 in the 39th minute. The two quickfire strikes changed the game completely, as suddenly Croatia were clutching thin air & struggling for possession, with Messi & co taking complete control of the game. By half time, the game looked done & dusted.

2nd half story did not change much, as Argentina gradually seized control of the midfield, as Croatia made a couple of strong attempts at the Argentinian box. However, just after the hour mark in the game, Messi was at it again, mesmerising the Croatians, with a fine run though the right, weaving his way through a maze of Croatians before slotting the ball into the path of Alvarez, who coolly put the ball into the net, 3-0. With the game firmly under control now, Scaloni wisely strengthened his backline by bringing in Lisandro Martinez in place of Parades, an obvious move to have 5 players managing the core defense. 

In the end it was a rather comfortable win for the Argentina, giving a feel that the Croatians, had run beyond the distance against Brazil in the quarters, & had very little in the tank to take on the mighty Messi & co. Messi now has 5 goals to his credit plus two assists getting into the race for the Golden Boot, as he guides his side to the finals. With young Alvarez firing all cylinders, & Fernandes, De Paul, Mac Allister prying close on the heels, this side is gradually peaking & in the right time for the finals.