Gutting for Croatia. They were the team who played the football. Deserved to be winning before France got the 3rd. France were consistently effective with their counter attacks, diving and lucky decisions through this World Cup. Ruthlessly efficient. Always just did enough at the right times. A scary force in world football. Croatia were wonderful at times to watch, sad it looks like a battering today from the scoreline.
Will be amazing to see how many records Mbappe will go on to break. Neymar has been waiting for Messi and Ronaldo to retire so he can be the best player, I think Mbappe will leapfrog him very soon, if he hasn't already. The kid looks so strong, amazingly quick, skilful, confident and powerful.
They should hold the next World cup in France after Qatar it's been ages since they have been hosts of a major tournament.
My love of International football died along with our side yesterday. You don't win tournaments with set pieces.
Excellent DD. And as expected 'arry wins the Golden Boot, with 3 of his goals being penalties and an absolute fluke. #ohwell I see the thugs ruined France's celebrations last night - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world...lebrations-turn-violent-on-the-champs-elysees
They should forgo holding it in Qatar and hold it somewhere less moraly bankrupt like North korea. But those poor NK's don't have enough oil to bribe their way to hosting. God knowswhat bribes have been paid by the US/Mex/Can to host the next one? Would the canadians really be party to the seedy process required to get votes? Bah!
So we have the #teamofthetournament o A fair few England players and Trippier and Maguire are surprise inclusions for me, though they played well and deserve to be included. Thoughts???
I thought the very same to begin with ....BUT ...... I tried to think of another striker that actually covered themselves in glory in the Tournament (other than Mbappe). So to make up a 4-4-2, I do not see many options tbh. I am not sure what this tells us, as the World Cup was still good to watch and mostly interesting ... but the quality of strikers was pretty poor.
It's a nonsense from the BBC to crowbar Kane into the team. First and foremost you would not pick that formation and then with 1 up top it gives much greater scope to pick someone more deserving. I'd probably bang Perisic in for Kane in a 4-3-3 But if they must have two up top, I would say that Lukaku probably and Mandžukić definitely were better over the tournament. I'd also make an argument for Courtois between the sticks, though like strikers I don't think the goal keeping standards were that high. So many silly mistakes, look at Lloris in the final! Trippier and Maguire I have no complaints about either, they had good tournaments and I can't think of any individuals more deserving, although you could argue that the French back four collectively could be included. Bah!
Pickford did brilliantly but I think at a stretch he was top 3 keeper, probably not though. Kane was poor. Maguire and Trippier deserve the places. Lukaku or Griesman deserved a call ahead of Kane. I also think that Russian target man had a very good tourement.
For what it's worth, that's a team of the tournament based on votes on the website, in which the default formation is a 4-4-2. The Guardian's fan-voted team is: Courtois Vrsaljko Vida Godin Hernandez Perisic De Bruyne Modric Cheryshev Hazard Mbappe Also hardly a working side. Whilst the Metro boldly play Lukaku as a winger: Pickford Trippier Godin Varane Pavard Modric Kante Hazard Mbappe Kane Lukaku
For me Trippier and Maguire are the only ones you could talk about from England when looking at best players in the tournament. Although Varane and Godin were the best CBS in my opinion. Kane was non existent after the In the Croatia game, I though he grew into the Sweden game in terms of holding the hall and drawing fouls but he was never a threat going forward after the group stages.
How on earth have they come up with that?! Loris did have a very good tournament, he just made a massive error in the final. He got them through a few ties. Neymar was laughable, Paulinho was fairly anonymous, YOUNG!? He was poor. Him having to cut on to the right foot slowed down so many attacks. Lovern had a decent tournament, but he didn't stand out. The rest I'm fine with. Don't know how you can not have Kante in that team. Madness. I'd also have Godin at CB. Could possibly put Ronaldo in it. Portugal were poor, but Ronaldo was very good. Was definitely way better than Neymar.
