France vs Croatia: 5 things we learned from Croatia’s defeat
Croatia’s quest to become the second-smallest nation to win a World Cup didn’t come to pass, but the small Balkan nation didn’t go down without a hard-fought fight.
The Vatreni had won six games out of six to book its first spot in a World Cup final but was unable to withstand France’s onslaught as Zlatko Dalic’s men succumbed to a 4-2 defeat. It was an entertaining game from start to finish, but whilst Croatian fans will be bitterly disappointed, their country is still winners. After all, Croatia got further than Spain, Germany, Belgium, Brazil, and Argentina, so the Vatreni should be proud of that notable achievement.
Here are five things we learned from Croatia’s loss to France on Sunday.
1. VAR again causing controversy
VAR has been the subject of much debate throughout this tournament, and this final was no exception. Croatia will be the most aggrieved side from VAR-officiating, as France was given a penalty after the new system advised the game’s Argentinian referee of a potential handball incident involving Ivan Perisic. Perisic, who had pulled Croatia even with a brilliant long-range strike, seemed to move his hand to try to block Blaise Matuidi’s attempted header, but the referee was initially not convinced it was a penalty.
That is until VAR told him to consider the replays. It still took him a long time to decide, as he clearly knew he would forever change the tide of the biggest game of these players’ international careers. But once he did, there was no going back, despite Croatia’s pleas of innocense.
Antoine Griezmann netted the spot-kick, which knocked the wind out of Croatia’s sails and France ultimately went on to overpower the Vatreni en route to a 4-2 win. Croatian fans will obviously argue it wasn’t a spot kick, and they do have backing from other neutrals. But at the end of the day, VAR again proved to be a game-changer,
2. Mandzukic continues his track record of scoring in big finals
In 2013, Mario Mandzukic became the first Croatia player to score in a Champions League final as he netted the first of Bayern’s two to help die Roten win 2-1 over Borussia Dortmund. Flash-forward four years later, and the lanky striker was at again, scoring a brilliant overhead effort to help Juventus equalize against Real Madrid. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a mere consolation as the Spanish giants overran Juventus to score three goals sans reply en route to winning 4-1.
And a year after that, Mandzukic was again a protagonist in Croatia’s first ever World Cup final. His first goal made history – but for all the wrong reasons – as he headed the ball into his own net, making him the first ever player to score an own goal in a World Cup final. However, his second – this time in the right net – helped the Vatreni cut down the deficit to a 4-2.
That means that the 32-year-old set another record as the first ever player to score in both goals at a World Cup. Not the kind of record he’d want, but he at least made some amends for his header that gave France the lead 18 minutes into the tie. Furthermore, it was his late goal against England to get Croatia into the finals, and his effort against Denmark to help the Vatreni equalize en route to beat the Scandinavians in a spot-kick shootout.
Three vital goals at crucial moments mean that he’s certainly one of the most reliable players when it comes to stepping up – even though he didn’t end up with a winners’ medal in Russia this summer.
3. Modric shows that the quiet guy can have the biggest voice
Many had doubted Luka Modric’s leadership abilities as captain of Croatia, as the 32-year-old is a rather shy individual. He prefers to let his football do the talking, and unlike his counterparts who enjoy showing off their newest car or flashy clothes, Modric aparently leads a very quiet life off the pitch with his wife and children.
However, despite his smaller stature and quiet nature, Modric was a warrior for Croatia at this tournament. From showing great mental fortitude to take on Kasper Schmeichel in a penalty shootout – after missing from the same spot earlier in the match – to his long range effort against Argentina, the Real Madrid man sure should be in contention for the Ballon d’Or. He displayed tireless energy and class as he kept things ticking for Croatia, and led by example as the Vatreni shocked the world with its run to the World Cup.
4. A true roller coaster ride for Croatia’s fans
10 minutes. That was the amount of time that transpired between Mandzukic’s own goal, Perisic’s equalizer, and the Inter man going from hero to villain after giving up a penalty to France. Still, Croatia, as expected, didn’t give up – even after Kylian Mbappe and Paul Pogba piled more misery on the Vatreni, with Mandzukic redeeming himself by taking advantage of a distracted Hugo Lloris to pull Croatia to within two goals. It’s been a real roller coaster ride for Croatia’s supporters, that’s for certain. Arguably they couldn’t have expected their side to crush Argentina 3-0, and they surely were on the edges of their seats as Croatia prevailed twice through penalties against Denmark and Russia.
The England vs. Croatia tie was no different, as this team had now achieved the same milestone as the legendary squad of 1998. And Mandzukic’s late goal – to send them through to the final – was enough to obviously send the whole country into delirium. So, even though things didn’t turn out as planned, the small Balkan nation – with a population of less than 5 million – should still be proud of its achievements.
5. Dejan Lovren should take a lesson in humility
Perhaps he was tired of being trolled constantly by Premier League fans – especially those who also support the Three Lions. Reportedly, a British reported, eager to give his side as many advantages as it needed, attempted to wind up Dejan Lovren by asking him if he was “nervous” about facing Harry Kane. Remember, the Liverpool man was yanked off early after his horror show against Tottenham, during which Kane terrorized him for his entire 30-plus minutes on the pitch.
That certainly motivated him against England, during which he and his colleagues kept Kane quiet for the entire game. But rather than quietly going about his business, he then proclaimed himself as among the “best defenders in the world”.
Whilst Lovren has had a solid tournament, he would have been best served to let his football do the talking, like his colleague Modric. And having failed to keep France’s attack at bay, well, his self-proclaiming nature has naturally done him more harm than good. Don’t be surprised to see a few salty Three Lions supporters cueing up to troll him via social media, which really isn’t necessary, but they’ll still do it, regardless.
