Sports Desk :
When a team reaches the FIFA World Cup™ Final, it is because they have overcome every obstacle and shown exceptional qualities, and in doing so have turned their dreams of lifting the trophy into an attainable goal. Those preparing for the Final have every reason to believe that their names could soon be added to the exclusive list of people with the description ‘World Cup winner’ on their CV.
Our team reporter with France offers three reasons why Les Bleus can, must and will win the 2018 edition in the deciding match against Croatia.
1. Solidity
Both defensively and going forward, the French have impressed throughout the tournament. The stats speak for themselves:
n Since the start of the competition, France have trailed in a game for a total of only nine minutes
n Ngolo Kante has won back possession 48 times at Russia 2018, the most of any player at the tournament
n Hugo Lloris has saved each of the last seven shots on target that he has faced
n With eight victories in his last 11 matches (73 per cent), Didier Deschamps has the highest win percentage of any coach to have taken charge of at least ten matches at the FIFA World Cup
n Against Argentina, Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player since Pele (in 1958) to score a brace in the knockout stages of a World Cup.
2. Team spirit
“The World Cup does not respect talent, only teams,” declared Belgium coach Roberto Martinez ahead of his side’s semi-final defeat to Les Bleus. Didier Deschamps’ men are an object lesson in togetherness.
Firstly, at the footballing level: every player can make a decisive contribution or score a crucial goal. The proof is there to be seen in the profiles of their goalscorers since the start of the knockout rounds: defenders, midfielders and forwards have all risen to the occasion.
Secondly, at the human level: as demonstrated by a squad whose substitutes flock as one to celebrate goals with their team-mates on the field of play, the only star in this team is France itself. They have been transformed from a collection of individuals into a close-knit group. From the third-choice goalkeeper to the head of security, from the starting player to the assistant coach, everyone is 100 per cent involved and committed to the team’s mission. It is the mark of a team capable of going the distance.
3. History
Twenty years after their first and only world title, the French are on the verge of repeating the trick. It is symbolic that the team standing in their way should be Croatia, still seeking revenge for a semi-final defeat during that triumphant campaign in 1998. If France were to win on Sunday, Didier Deschamps would become only the third man after Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer to win the world title both as a player and as a coach.
All the ingredients for a fairytale ending are in place, and the planets seem to be aligned: 2018 will be the year of the second blue dream.
When a team reaches the FIFA World Cup™ Final, it is because they have overcome every obstacle and shown exceptional qualities, and in doing so have turned their dreams of lifting the trophy into an attainable goal. Those preparing for the Final have every reason to believe that their names could soon be added to the exclusive list of people with the description ‘World Cup winner’ on their CV.
Our team reporter with France offers three reasons why Les Bleus can, must and will win the 2018 edition in the deciding match against Croatia.
1. Solidity
Both defensively and going forward, the French have impressed throughout the tournament. The stats speak for themselves:
n Since the start of the competition, France have trailed in a game for a total of only nine minutes
n Ngolo Kante has won back possession 48 times at Russia 2018, the most of any player at the tournament
n Hugo Lloris has saved each of the last seven shots on target that he has faced
n With eight victories in his last 11 matches (73 per cent), Didier Deschamps has the highest win percentage of any coach to have taken charge of at least ten matches at the FIFA World Cup
n Against Argentina, Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player since Pele (in 1958) to score a brace in the knockout stages of a World Cup.
2. Team spirit
“The World Cup does not respect talent, only teams,” declared Belgium coach Roberto Martinez ahead of his side’s semi-final defeat to Les Bleus. Didier Deschamps’ men are an object lesson in togetherness.
Firstly, at the footballing level: every player can make a decisive contribution or score a crucial goal. The proof is there to be seen in the profiles of their goalscorers since the start of the knockout rounds: defenders, midfielders and forwards have all risen to the occasion.
Secondly, at the human level: as demonstrated by a squad whose substitutes flock as one to celebrate goals with their team-mates on the field of play, the only star in this team is France itself. They have been transformed from a collection of individuals into a close-knit group. From the third-choice goalkeeper to the head of security, from the starting player to the assistant coach, everyone is 100 per cent involved and committed to the team’s mission. It is the mark of a team capable of going the distance.
3. History
Twenty years after their first and only world title, the French are on the verge of repeating the trick. It is symbolic that the team standing in their way should be Croatia, still seeking revenge for a semi-final defeat during that triumphant campaign in 1998. If France were to win on Sunday, Didier Deschamps would become only the third man after Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer to win the world title both as a player and as a coach.
All the ingredients for a fairytale ending are in place, and the planets seem to be aligned: 2018 will be the year of the second blue dream.
