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Tag: Croatia
Les Bleus: thank you for the memories!
Mes Amis, this is my final post on the World Cup tournament. 😃
We came to the end of a wonderful World Cup tournament two weeks ago and I already have wonderful long lasting memories. I just want to look back on a few moments.
THE SUPPORTERS
The fans were incredible from the very beginning. They soaked in the atmosphere of the game and enjoyed every minute of it. I didn’t hear of any hooligan reports which was good. Some French fans said the locals were very accommodating and allowed them to couch surf.
DIDIER DESCHAMPS
Deschamps implemented discipline and a sense of togetherness in this young team. He even showed Jose Mourinho how to get the best out of Paul Pogba. 😉 One of my favorite moment is when some of the players gatecrashed his post-conference, chanting his name. It shows that the players have a special bond with him regardless of what the media thinks.
LES BLEUS
The various backgrounds blending together really enriched the squad.
They didn’t start well, but they grew during the tournament. When I look back at their victory against Croatia, I’ll always remember Les Bleus standing in the pouring rain, golden confetti stuck to their skin and sparkling in their hair, as they hoist the trophy over their heads. They deserved this victory. They and their people.
THE EMIR PRINCE OF QATAR SHEIKH TAMIM
The French media praised him for offering his front-row seat to the French First Lady Brigitte Macron. Little things that the media don’t talk about, but I want to highlight it anyway.
THE FRENCH & CROATIAN PRESIDENTS
Emmanuel Macron was such a delight! After his team won the WC, his animated display made one of the best highlight and iconic photo when he lept to his feet and punch the air. Credit goes to Alexei Nikolsky for this superb capture!
His celebration with the team in the locker room – notably with Mendy and Pogba who got him to dab – made headlines.
Monsieur Président so chill, eh?
What’s the purpose of the dab anyway and didn’t that fad fade away? Anyway, I loved watching Macron and the Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović embracing the players in the pouring rain. One can see the genuine warmth and affection they had for the players.
Putin is smugly standing under his umbrella watching the other two presidents get wet. What poor protocol! They are guests in Moscow and one of them is a woman. Macron took time to visit the Croatian players and the madam did the same for the French players.
However, people can’t get over that the Monsieur and the Madam were too close during the game. Someone even asked if she was his wife.
No, this is his wife:
Lloris looks at the pair with such fondness!
I’m thankful for the French memories.
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Kudos to you, Russia, for organizing an unforgettable tournament! It’s the best World Cup I’ve had the pleasure of viewing since 1998 and I can only say, merci beaucoup.
VIVE LA FRANCE!
***Photos and GIFs via Google Search save the last GIF which was my attempt at creating my first GIF. 😄 It didn’t work out how I planned it, but that’s what practice is for.
Rain pours down on France as they celebrate World Cup title. 🏆
The tournament is over, but I’ll be wrapping up WC blogs this week.
July 15th, 2018.
Another unforgettable experience in my book. France won the World Cup for the second time and it was also my bestie’s birthday. 💙
France faced Croatia in the final of the World Cup and won 4-2 in what was an entertaining final. Les Bleus took the lead on 18 minutes when Mario Mandžukić scored an own goal from an Antoine Greizmann freekick. I dislike his Fortnight celebration, though.
Croatia equalized in the 28′ from a wicked left-footed finish via Ivan Perišić and it was game on for both sides!
In the 36′ France was awarded a penalty after the use of VAR decided that Perišić handled the ball. After what seemed like ages, Griezmann converted from the penalty spot to make it 2-1.
In the 59′ Paul Pogba missed with his right foot, but he made no mistake with the left curling home a great effort that extended France’s lead.
Six minutes later, Kylian Mbappé joins the party with a wicked strike to put the French in the driving seat.
There were no more goals to come from the French, but Hugo Lloris made a disastrous error in the 69′ which saw Mandžukić pull one back for Croatia.
Other than that, Lloris had a great game.
France did not lose a game in this tournament and they performed well to the very end. Croatia also had the tournament of their lives. There were some fans whining about possession, but here’s a news flash: modern football is not about statistics and it certainly does not care about possession for possession does not win games. You have to be decisive in front of goal and the French were just that.
And nature came out to celebrate victory with the French after winning their second WC after 20 years.
France Achievements:
1998: World Cup champions
2000: Euro champions
2006: World Cup finalists
2016: Euro finalists
2018: World Cup champions
Vive la France et vive la République!
And then there were two
Croatia beat England 2-1 last evening to claim a spot in the final to face the French. Was there ever any doubt about the Croatians? They’ve been consistent throughout the tournament. What also motivated them, according to Luka Modric, was the English arrogance. English pundits and journalists were showing their disrespect to Croatia and they weren’t having any of that.
So, the Croatians will meet the French on Sunday for a thrilling – and hopefully, epic – final. The French camp refuses to get ahead of themselves and captain Hugo Lloris said it best:
Sometime during my semi-final write up, I said that Croatia knows that they have what it takes to win it all, and although I am satisfied with how far they’ve come, I’ll be supporting Les Bleus all the way be it victory or defeat.
ALLEZ LES BLEUS!
*** Photos and GIF via Google Search
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