think the bookies are also not too keen. .. cos there'll be few punters
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2018 World Cup Thread.
- Thread starter zhihau
- Start date
think the bookies are also not too keen. .. cos there'll be few punters
imho, u r wrong. Esp in asia, chinese loves gamble almost everything possible.
My uncle say KNN some kopi uncle gamble until nothing to gamble anymore they gamble sai colour KNNimho, u r wrong. Esp in asia, chinese loves gamble almost everything possible.
Interesting article about Luka Modric.
What's Croatia's problem with Luka Modric?
Nick Miller ESPN FC
If Harry Kane leads England to World Cup glory, he'll be given a knighthood before the plane home touches down. Should Kylian Mbappe score the winner in Moscow, he'll be France's boy king, feted for life. If Eden Hazard is the man who lifts the trophy on July 15, he'll never again have to pay for another strong Belgian beer.
But if the leader of the winners happens to be Luka Modric, then it might not be quite so straightforward. Modric is, to say the least, not universally popular in Croatia; in fact, he's actively disliked by large swathes of the population.
Why? It's a complicated issue, but it essentially boils down to Modric's relationship with one of Croatian football's most powerful men. When Modric was coming through the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb, he, like many others, signed a contract with Zdravko Mamic. Mamic has been, at various points, a Dinamo executive and vice-president of the Croatian Football Federation, and for a while at least was essentially Croatian football's Mr. Big.
Under those agreements, Mamic provided initial financial support in return for a proportion of the player's later earnings, and would be represented by his son Mario, a licensed agent. Clauses would be inserted into their contracts which stated the players would be due a cut of the transfer fee should they ever be sold. They would then use that money to pay their obligations to Mamic. In Modric's case, when he moved to Tottenham in 2008 he received €10.5million of the fee, but around €8.5million of that went to Mamic and his family
The trouble came when Mamic was accused of inserting those clauses after the players -- including squad members Dejan Lovren, Sime Vrsaljko and Mateo Kovacic, along with Modric-- had been sold. In 2015 he was arrested, accused of embezzlement and tax evasion, and was eventually convicted, along with three other men. In June of this year, he was given a jail sentence of six and a half years. He seemingly has no intention of serving that sentence, after fleeing to Bosnia-Herzegovina before the verdict.
So where does Modric come in? In June 2017 he, along with Lovren, testified in Mamic's trial. Modric said he "couldn't remember" basic details like how much he earned in his early days at Dinamo and when he made his international debut. Crucially though, he claimed that the contract clauses in question were already in place before his sale to Tottenham in 2008.
However, that seemed to contradict earlier statements, which eventually led to him being charged with perjury in March this year. He could face up to five years in jail if found guilty. Lovren is also being investigated, although he has not been charged.
Even before this, Modric's popularity in his homeland was low. Fans, sick of corruption in the Croatian game, saw his relationship with Mamic as part of the problem, and a few disrupted their match against Czech Republic at Euro 2016 by throwing flares on to the pitch in protest.
At this World Cup, the antipathy towards Modric continued, whether that was expressed through apathy at the side's fortunes in Russia or in more specific ways, such as this supporter who had printed on the back of his shirt "Ne sjecam se" -- "I don't remember," in reference to Modric's testimony.
And that's polite compared to some of the graffiti that appeared around Zagreb during the Mamic trial, which included the slightly chilling message: "Luka, you'll remember this one day."
Modric, perhaps predictably, hasn't been keen to discuss his extracurricular concerns. When asked by a reporter from The Guardian before Croatia's game against Nigeria if the case was a distraction for him or the team, Modric didn't take it especially well. "Nothing smarter to ask?" he snapped. "It's a World Cup, it's not about other things. How long did you prepare for asking this kind of question?"
But what's remarkable is just how brilliant Modric has been in Russia with all of this hanging over him. Players are routinely left out of matches because their frame of mind is impacted by pending transfers, and yet Modric has been able to produce incredibly performances knowing a possible prison sentence awaits after the tournament.
Still, the brains of some footballers are simply wired differently to others. From Lee Bowyer enjoying brilliant form with Leeds while on trial for assault, right up to John Obi Mikel appearing at this World Cup knowing that his father had been kidnapped, sometimes footballers have an extraordinary ability to compartmentalise and to concentrate their energy on football no matter what else is happening off the pitch.
In this World Cup, he's been a conductor of subtlety and precision, gently taking teams apart. He was one of only two players left in Croatia's starting XI for their final group game against Iceland, when they'd already qualified, as if coach Zlatko Dalic couldn't trust his team to function without Modric on the pitch.
In a modern football world defined by moments, brief snatches of thrilling action that can be turned into GIFs, Modric is a sprawling, three-hour masterpiece of a movie. Perhaps the wider world doesn't quite have the attention span to fully appreciate him, but at least the wider world doesn't hate him.
If he leads Croatia to victory over England and then in the final on Sunday, will his popularity be affected? Will on-pitch success save his reputation? Probably not. An unscientific survey of those who would know suggested that positions are entrenched. Those who have decided Modric is not a man to be celebrated are firm in their convictions. Others believe the World Cup is only about football, in which case Modric is already a hero. But it's unlikely that minds will be changed.
Luka Modric could be a World Cup winner, admired and loved everywhere, except at home.
What's Croatia's problem with Luka Modric?
Nick Miller ESPN FC
If Harry Kane leads England to World Cup glory, he'll be given a knighthood before the plane home touches down. Should Kylian Mbappe score the winner in Moscow, he'll be France's boy king, feted for life. If Eden Hazard is the man who lifts the trophy on July 15, he'll never again have to pay for another strong Belgian beer.
But if the leader of the winners happens to be Luka Modric, then it might not be quite so straightforward. Modric is, to say the least, not universally popular in Croatia; in fact, he's actively disliked by large swathes of the population.
Why? It's a complicated issue, but it essentially boils down to Modric's relationship with one of Croatian football's most powerful men. When Modric was coming through the ranks at Dinamo Zagreb, he, like many others, signed a contract with Zdravko Mamic. Mamic has been, at various points, a Dinamo executive and vice-president of the Croatian Football Federation, and for a while at least was essentially Croatian football's Mr. Big.
Under those agreements, Mamic provided initial financial support in return for a proportion of the player's later earnings, and would be represented by his son Mario, a licensed agent. Clauses would be inserted into their contracts which stated the players would be due a cut of the transfer fee should they ever be sold. They would then use that money to pay their obligations to Mamic. In Modric's case, when he moved to Tottenham in 2008 he received €10.5million of the fee, but around €8.5million of that went to Mamic and his family
The trouble came when Mamic was accused of inserting those clauses after the players -- including squad members Dejan Lovren, Sime Vrsaljko and Mateo Kovacic, along with Modric-- had been sold. In 2015 he was arrested, accused of embezzlement and tax evasion, and was eventually convicted, along with three other men. In June of this year, he was given a jail sentence of six and a half years. He seemingly has no intention of serving that sentence, after fleeing to Bosnia-Herzegovina before the verdict.
So where does Modric come in? In June 2017 he, along with Lovren, testified in Mamic's trial. Modric said he "couldn't remember" basic details like how much he earned in his early days at Dinamo and when he made his international debut. Crucially though, he claimed that the contract clauses in question were already in place before his sale to Tottenham in 2008.
However, that seemed to contradict earlier statements, which eventually led to him being charged with perjury in March this year. He could face up to five years in jail if found guilty. Lovren is also being investigated, although he has not been charged.
Even before this, Modric's popularity in his homeland was low. Fans, sick of corruption in the Croatian game, saw his relationship with Mamic as part of the problem, and a few disrupted their match against Czech Republic at Euro 2016 by throwing flares on to the pitch in protest.
At this World Cup, the antipathy towards Modric continued, whether that was expressed through apathy at the side's fortunes in Russia or in more specific ways, such as this supporter who had printed on the back of his shirt "Ne sjecam se" -- "I don't remember," in reference to Modric's testimony.
And that's polite compared to some of the graffiti that appeared around Zagreb during the Mamic trial, which included the slightly chilling message: "Luka, you'll remember this one day."
Modric, perhaps predictably, hasn't been keen to discuss his extracurricular concerns. When asked by a reporter from The Guardian before Croatia's game against Nigeria if the case was a distraction for him or the team, Modric didn't take it especially well. "Nothing smarter to ask?" he snapped. "It's a World Cup, it's not about other things. How long did you prepare for asking this kind of question?"
But what's remarkable is just how brilliant Modric has been in Russia with all of this hanging over him. Players are routinely left out of matches because their frame of mind is impacted by pending transfers, and yet Modric has been able to produce incredibly performances knowing a possible prison sentence awaits after the tournament.
Still, the brains of some footballers are simply wired differently to others. From Lee Bowyer enjoying brilliant form with Leeds while on trial for assault, right up to John Obi Mikel appearing at this World Cup knowing that his father had been kidnapped, sometimes footballers have an extraordinary ability to compartmentalise and to concentrate their energy on football no matter what else is happening off the pitch.
In this World Cup, he's been a conductor of subtlety and precision, gently taking teams apart. He was one of only two players left in Croatia's starting XI for their final group game against Iceland, when they'd already qualified, as if coach Zlatko Dalic couldn't trust his team to function without Modric on the pitch.
In a modern football world defined by moments, brief snatches of thrilling action that can be turned into GIFs, Modric is a sprawling, three-hour masterpiece of a movie. Perhaps the wider world doesn't quite have the attention span to fully appreciate him, but at least the wider world doesn't hate him.
If he leads Croatia to victory over England and then in the final on Sunday, will his popularity be affected? Will on-pitch success save his reputation? Probably not. An unscientific survey of those who would know suggested that positions are entrenched. Those who have decided Modric is not a man to be celebrated are firm in their convictions. Others believe the World Cup is only about football, in which case Modric is already a hero. But it's unlikely that minds will be changed.
Luka Modric could be a World Cup winner, admired and loved everywhere, except at home.
you sure you only watch football in Geylang ? Says Wife.Tomorrow night I want to go Geylang Lorong 15 to watch the 3rd place playoff
KNN the ahc look more confusing for -1 3/4 ball as is actually -1.5 and -2 KNN
Hilarious
no matter what happens after the WC I know Luka Modric will lift the WC for Croatia and he will be pardoned and given a bare hug by the President...
The French will go home crying,weeping and sobbing munching on their french loaf..
CROATIA WILL WIN ,,, THIS IS THE MANDATE FROM HEAVEN
THIS MAN LUKA MODRIC is heaven sent for CROATIA and CROATIA will teach the world a lesson that will never be forgotten
small is big...anb big is small.................weak is strong ...and strong is weak ..............CROATIA IS DESTINED TO WIN so that the world will be a better
place for everyone , so that the big bullies will be humbled and the world will become a more peaceful place for everyone..majulah CROATIA!!!!
The French will go home crying,weeping and sobbing munching on their french loaf..
CROATIA WILL WIN ,,, THIS IS THE MANDATE FROM HEAVEN
THIS MAN LUKA MODRIC is heaven sent for CROATIA and CROATIA will teach the world a lesson that will never be forgotten
small is big...anb big is small.................weak is strong ...and strong is weak ..............CROATIA IS DESTINED TO WIN so that the world will be a better
place for everyone , so that the big bullies will be humbled and the world will become a more peaceful place for everyone..majulah CROATIA!!!!
Tell the wifey that yes, Geylang odd lorong really is only footballs. Even lorong on the other hand ......
France vs Croatia predicted lineups
France:
Lloris; Pavard, Varane, Umtiti, Hernandez; Kante, Pogba; Mbappe, Griezmann, Matuidi; Giroud
Deschamps can name an unchanged side from the semi-final win over Belgium.
Croatia:
Subasic; Vrsaljko, Vida, Lovren, Strnic; Brozovic, Rakitic, Modric; Rebic, Mandzukic, Perisic
Kramaric provides an attacking alternative to Brozovic if Zlatko Dalic wishes to add fresh legs to his team. Milan Badelj and Mateo Kovacic provide useful midfield options.
France vs. Croatia stats
2018 World Cup: Expected goals (per match)
France:
Croatia:
Inform your France vs. Croatia prediction
France have reached a second consecutive major tournament final but will not want to repeat their poor display during the loss to Portugal at Euro 2016. As they were ahead of that final, the French are favourites but this squad is an improvement from the 2016 version.
The addition of Mbappe to the 2016 side along with youthful replacements for Sagna and Evra at fullback has improved the team ensuring are worthy favourites to lift the trophy. Victories over Uruguay, Brazil and Belgium demonstrate the quality within the team.
This improvement is important since they are up against a Croatian side with more than enough talent to surprise the French on their day. The Croats have certainly been resilient during this tournament all three of their knockout round fixtures going to extra time.
They will hope fatigue does not become a factor as the final progresses, especially considering France will have an extra day of rest after Tuesday’s victory over Belgium.
Key area: Which side will win the midfield battle?
A key part of France’s successful run in this tournament has been their outstanding defence. Didier Deschamps opted to focus on defensive solidity over an expansive attack and that approach has worked effectively as the tournament has progressed.
A large part of that defensive success has been due to the work of their central midfield duo of Paul Pogba and N’golo Kante alongside Blaise Matuidi’s energy on the left.
In the win over Belgium that trio combined for a total of 11 tackles and five interceptions as the French became the only team to prevent the Belgians from scoring in Russia.
It will be vital during Sunday’s fixture that France are equally as strong in the centre of the pitch since Croatia possess one of the tournament’s strongest midfields.
Zlatko Dalic is likely to select Ivan Rakitic, Luka Modric and Marcelo Brozovic in central midfield. Rakitic is a Champions League winner and regular starter for Barcelona whilst Luka Modric is a contender for this years’ Ballon d’Or, awarded to the World’s best player.
Brozovic, the youngest of the three, is also exceptionally talented and will grace the Champions League this season with Inter Milan. All three players are very comfortable on the ball and capable of both scoring goals and providing assists.
The French will be eager to prevent the Croatian midfield from being as influential as they were against England. Modric and Rakitic, in particular, were instrumental in shifting the ball into wide areas where Croatia could cause damage.
Equally, Matuidi will be charged with shutting down Sime Vrsaljko who caused plenty of problems for the English when he linked up with Modric on the Croatian right side.
If Pogba, Kante and Matuidi can get the better of their opposite numbers then a French victory becomes much more likely considering their superior talent in other areas of the pitch.
France vs. Croatia: Where is the value?
Of course the opening goal in a soccer match is always important but it could be especially so in this matchup.
Due to the cautious way in which France play and the potential fatigue in the Croatian team an opening goal for France would likely lead to opportunities on the counter-attack for the dangerous Mbappe and Griezmann.
The French frontline were uncharacteristically wasteful with these opportunities against Belgium but are unlikely to be so again.
Given that an opening goal for France is a fairly likely scenario backing France to score over 1.25 goals could offer value to bettors.
Likewise, Croatia taking the lead would eventually draw France out of their defensive game plan and result in a more open game. The Croatian midfield trio are capable of creating scoring opportunities if France afford them space.
As a result, over 1.5 goals to be scored in the game could be a sensible selection regardless of which side opens the scoring.
France:
Lloris; Pavard, Varane, Umtiti, Hernandez; Kante, Pogba; Mbappe, Griezmann, Matuidi; Giroud
Deschamps can name an unchanged side from the semi-final win over Belgium.
Croatia:
Subasic; Vrsaljko, Vida, Lovren, Strnic; Brozovic, Rakitic, Modric; Rebic, Mandzukic, Perisic
Kramaric provides an attacking alternative to Brozovic if Zlatko Dalic wishes to add fresh legs to his team. Milan Badelj and Mateo Kovacic provide useful midfield options.
France vs. Croatia stats
- France have won six of their last seven knockout matches within 90 minutes
- The French have kept clean sheets in four of their six World Cup 2018 matches
- Every World Cup 2018 knockout stage match involving Croatia has gone to extra time
- Both teams have scored in Croatia’s last four matches
2018 World Cup: Expected goals (per match)
France:
- Expected goals for: 1.3
- Expected goals against: 0.7
Croatia:
- Expected goals for: 1.9
- Expected goals against: 1.3
Inform your France vs. Croatia prediction
France have reached a second consecutive major tournament final but will not want to repeat their poor display during the loss to Portugal at Euro 2016. As they were ahead of that final, the French are favourites but this squad is an improvement from the 2016 version.
The addition of Mbappe to the 2016 side along with youthful replacements for Sagna and Evra at fullback has improved the team ensuring are worthy favourites to lift the trophy. Victories over Uruguay, Brazil and Belgium demonstrate the quality within the team.
This improvement is important since they are up against a Croatian side with more than enough talent to surprise the French on their day. The Croats have certainly been resilient during this tournament all three of their knockout round fixtures going to extra time.
They will hope fatigue does not become a factor as the final progresses, especially considering France will have an extra day of rest after Tuesday’s victory over Belgium.
Key area: Which side will win the midfield battle?
A key part of France’s successful run in this tournament has been their outstanding defence. Didier Deschamps opted to focus on defensive solidity over an expansive attack and that approach has worked effectively as the tournament has progressed.
A large part of that defensive success has been due to the work of their central midfield duo of Paul Pogba and N’golo Kante alongside Blaise Matuidi’s energy on the left.
In the win over Belgium that trio combined for a total of 11 tackles and five interceptions as the French became the only team to prevent the Belgians from scoring in Russia.
It will be vital during Sunday’s fixture that France are equally as strong in the centre of the pitch since Croatia possess one of the tournament’s strongest midfields.
Zlatko Dalic is likely to select Ivan Rakitic, Luka Modric and Marcelo Brozovic in central midfield. Rakitic is a Champions League winner and regular starter for Barcelona whilst Luka Modric is a contender for this years’ Ballon d’Or, awarded to the World’s best player.
Brozovic, the youngest of the three, is also exceptionally talented and will grace the Champions League this season with Inter Milan. All three players are very comfortable on the ball and capable of both scoring goals and providing assists.
The French will be eager to prevent the Croatian midfield from being as influential as they were against England. Modric and Rakitic, in particular, were instrumental in shifting the ball into wide areas where Croatia could cause damage.
Equally, Matuidi will be charged with shutting down Sime Vrsaljko who caused plenty of problems for the English when he linked up with Modric on the Croatian right side.
If Pogba, Kante and Matuidi can get the better of their opposite numbers then a French victory becomes much more likely considering their superior talent in other areas of the pitch.
France vs. Croatia: Where is the value?
Of course the opening goal in a soccer match is always important but it could be especially so in this matchup.
Due to the cautious way in which France play and the potential fatigue in the Croatian team an opening goal for France would likely lead to opportunities on the counter-attack for the dangerous Mbappe and Griezmann.
The French frontline were uncharacteristically wasteful with these opportunities against Belgium but are unlikely to be so again.
Given that an opening goal for France is a fairly likely scenario backing France to score over 1.25 goals could offer value to bettors.
Likewise, Croatia taking the lead would eventually draw France out of their defensive game plan and result in a more open game. The Croatian midfield trio are capable of creating scoring opportunities if France afford them space.
As a result, over 1.5 goals to be scored in the game could be a sensible selection regardless of which side opens the scoring.
Will France or Croatia Win The World Cup?
The defining force of the 2018 World Cup has been France’s defense. They’ve conceded four goals in the entire tournament. Didier Deschamps has built a team that is devilishly difficult to break down, an immovable object that Croatia will have to pry apart if they want to stage a historic upset.
Those four measly goals came in only two matches. France gave up one to Australia in their opening match, before switching to a lineup which included Blaise Matuidi playing in the attacking band of three to bring defensive stability. Other than that, the only goals France conceded were against Argentina in their wild 4-3 round of 16 victory.
Unsurprisingly France’s underlying defensive numbers are stellar. Only Uruguay, who France soundly dispatched in the quarterfinals, conceded fewer expected goals per 90 minutes than France’s 0.47 over the course of the tournament. Similarly Uruguay was the only team that conceded a lower xG/shot rate at 0.04 to France’s 0.05. Only three teams, Australia and Senegal who didn’t advance from the group stage, and Spain gave up fewer shots. The combination of giving up very few shots and having those shots be of low xG value is the holy grail of defending. France achieved it.
France’s strong defense means that even though their somewhat meager attack has a tendency to greatly undersell its talent, the team still regularly generates more and better scoring opportunities of all types than their opponents.
The question of how France execute their defense is an interesting one. This is neither a typical modern defense, ball dominant and full of intense high pressing to win the ball back quickly nor a traditional deep block. They don’t sit back and absorb pressure. Instead they operate firmly between those two extremes.
Where France pressure teams is highly dependent on their personnel. On the left Blaise Matuidi’s presence in the attacking band means he often is challenging opponents in their own half of the field. On the right, where Kylian Mbappe is often pushed very high in the attack, France contain attacks, forcing them out wide before pressuring them as they advance.
It’s also important to understand that France’s defensive activity in the middle of the pitch is relatively light, not because they are vulnerable, but because they are so impenetrable the ball rarely makes it that far. Their dominance and solidity actually frees up defensive midfield superstar N’Golo Kante to go win the ball all over the pitch. Looking at defensive actions where the ball changes possession, it’s clear that Kante gets to have the freedom to go take the ball from opponents wherever he finds them vulnerable. It’s a clear example both of how stellar he is at getting to the right place to cause damage, and how good France are at letting him do just that.
Nobody has quite figured out how to get the best of France’s approach at this World Cup. In the semifinals Belgium, perhaps the best attacking team of the tournament were simply stopped cold.
That shot map has a whole lot of nothing on it. France were happy to let Belgium filter the ball out to the right where their defense was more than well equipped to deal with the challenges presented by Nacer Chadli.
Eden Hazard was both much more dangerous and much less able to get on the ball during the course of the match. But, ultimately, even his unstoppable dribbling on the ball didn’t do enough to pull France out of their shape and create real opportunities either for himself or for his teammates.
This will be the major problem for Croatia when it comes to the World Cup final. On the one hand, they have the midfielders who could in theory be equipped to break down France. If anybody is going to break through this fortress a combination of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, and Marcelo Brozovic would be that trio. On the other, the way Croatia wants to attack is by using those players to filter the ball out wide.
Croatia’s best moments all involve Modric and Rakitic drifting wide to combine with wingers and fullbacks in order to facilitate attacks down the flanks. That approach has provided just enough juice to get the job done to this point, but they also haven’t had to overcome a defense like France’s. Meanwhile, France just handled a Belgium setup where Eden Hazard was one of the wide men on the ball tasked with unsettling a defense. Croatia’s Ivan Persisic is very good winger, and Ante Rebic has his moments, but neither of them can do anything close to what Eden Hazard can on the ball. And France handled Hazard.
The other thing that France’s slightly lopsided defensive structure does is free up Kylian Mbappe in attack. Because he doesn’t have to defend like Matuidi does, he can stay higher up the pitch and combine with Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud on the counter. In Croatia’s semifinal against England, they looked their most vulnerable when England was able to get the ball forward to Raheem Sterling quickly and get him isolated against a central defender. If France can similarly isolate Mbappe then Croatia will likely be in for a long day.
Coming into the tournament the lack of a cohesive attack out of France was the main story. The way the side seemingly squandered, dynamic attacking talent overshadowed just how defensively strong they’re set up to be. As France head to the finals, the defense deserves all the attention it’s getting. Kante is every bit the superstar that his more glamorous teammates are, the beating heart at the center of a defense that has completely owned this tournament. Defense can be harder to appreciate than attack, but it’s no less important. And France have the best defender in the world in their midfield. And they’ve shown him off all tournament long.
The defining force of the 2018 World Cup has been France’s defense. They’ve conceded four goals in the entire tournament. Didier Deschamps has built a team that is devilishly difficult to break down, an immovable object that Croatia will have to pry apart if they want to stage a historic upset.
Those four measly goals came in only two matches. France gave up one to Australia in their opening match, before switching to a lineup which included Blaise Matuidi playing in the attacking band of three to bring defensive stability. Other than that, the only goals France conceded were against Argentina in their wild 4-3 round of 16 victory.
Unsurprisingly France’s underlying defensive numbers are stellar. Only Uruguay, who France soundly dispatched in the quarterfinals, conceded fewer expected goals per 90 minutes than France’s 0.47 over the course of the tournament. Similarly Uruguay was the only team that conceded a lower xG/shot rate at 0.04 to France’s 0.05. Only three teams, Australia and Senegal who didn’t advance from the group stage, and Spain gave up fewer shots. The combination of giving up very few shots and having those shots be of low xG value is the holy grail of defending. France achieved it.
France’s strong defense means that even though their somewhat meager attack has a tendency to greatly undersell its talent, the team still regularly generates more and better scoring opportunities of all types than their opponents.
The question of how France execute their defense is an interesting one. This is neither a typical modern defense, ball dominant and full of intense high pressing to win the ball back quickly nor a traditional deep block. They don’t sit back and absorb pressure. Instead they operate firmly between those two extremes.
Where France pressure teams is highly dependent on their personnel. On the left Blaise Matuidi’s presence in the attacking band means he often is challenging opponents in their own half of the field. On the right, where Kylian Mbappe is often pushed very high in the attack, France contain attacks, forcing them out wide before pressuring them as they advance.
It’s also important to understand that France’s defensive activity in the middle of the pitch is relatively light, not because they are vulnerable, but because they are so impenetrable the ball rarely makes it that far. Their dominance and solidity actually frees up defensive midfield superstar N’Golo Kante to go win the ball all over the pitch. Looking at defensive actions where the ball changes possession, it’s clear that Kante gets to have the freedom to go take the ball from opponents wherever he finds them vulnerable. It’s a clear example both of how stellar he is at getting to the right place to cause damage, and how good France are at letting him do just that.
Nobody has quite figured out how to get the best of France’s approach at this World Cup. In the semifinals Belgium, perhaps the best attacking team of the tournament were simply stopped cold.
That shot map has a whole lot of nothing on it. France were happy to let Belgium filter the ball out to the right where their defense was more than well equipped to deal with the challenges presented by Nacer Chadli.
Eden Hazard was both much more dangerous and much less able to get on the ball during the course of the match. But, ultimately, even his unstoppable dribbling on the ball didn’t do enough to pull France out of their shape and create real opportunities either for himself or for his teammates.
This will be the major problem for Croatia when it comes to the World Cup final. On the one hand, they have the midfielders who could in theory be equipped to break down France. If anybody is going to break through this fortress a combination of Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic, and Marcelo Brozovic would be that trio. On the other, the way Croatia wants to attack is by using those players to filter the ball out wide.
Croatia’s best moments all involve Modric and Rakitic drifting wide to combine with wingers and fullbacks in order to facilitate attacks down the flanks. That approach has provided just enough juice to get the job done to this point, but they also haven’t had to overcome a defense like France’s. Meanwhile, France just handled a Belgium setup where Eden Hazard was one of the wide men on the ball tasked with unsettling a defense. Croatia’s Ivan Persisic is very good winger, and Ante Rebic has his moments, but neither of them can do anything close to what Eden Hazard can on the ball. And France handled Hazard.
The other thing that France’s slightly lopsided defensive structure does is free up Kylian Mbappe in attack. Because he doesn’t have to defend like Matuidi does, he can stay higher up the pitch and combine with Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud on the counter. In Croatia’s semifinal against England, they looked their most vulnerable when England was able to get the ball forward to Raheem Sterling quickly and get him isolated against a central defender. If France can similarly isolate Mbappe then Croatia will likely be in for a long day.
Coming into the tournament the lack of a cohesive attack out of France was the main story. The way the side seemingly squandered, dynamic attacking talent overshadowed just how defensively strong they’re set up to be. As France head to the finals, the defense deserves all the attention it’s getting. Kante is every bit the superstar that his more glamorous teammates are, the beating heart at the center of a defense that has completely owned this tournament. Defense can be harder to appreciate than attack, but it’s no less important. And France have the best defender in the world in their midfield. And they’ve shown him off all tournament long.
big difference here is that croatia has amdk players with skills, size, speed, stamina, and sex appeal while sinkapore has.........???
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