WORLD CUP ASWHOARTDSS
BEST PLAYER
LUKA MODRIC CROATIA THERE was ultimately an unhappy ending and he didn’t have his best day in the final, but Croatia wouldn’t have progressed to the brink of glory without his consistent brilliance. The losers will not be forgotten.
BEST GOAL BENJAMIN PAVARD France v Argentina
FRANCE were in a bit of bother against Argentina when a player who operates at centre-back for his club Stuttgart wandered forward. He showcased impeccable technique by picking up the remains of a cross to caress the ball into the top corner from 25 yards. There were plenty of strong contenders, but this had the wow factor.
BEST GAME
FRANCE 4 ARGENTINA 3
THIS had everything and the fact that France went on to win the competition has enhanced the legend. Argentina were the soap opera angle of the tournament, and their reaction when they went 2-1 up was a combination of jubilation and surprise. France responded impressively – in a stadium packed with opposition fans – and Mbappe delivered the performance that announced he was ready to live up to his billing here.
BEST VENUE
KAZAN
IT’S a fantastic place and this is also where a lot of the magic happened. South Korea knocked Germany out of the World Cup on a Wednesday; they left town and France and Argentina rolled in for the afore mentioned Saturday afternoon classic. Then, less than a week later, Belgium knocked out Brazil to complete Kazan’s memorable contribution to the tournament.
TOP FLOPS
SPAIN
GERMANY were the defending champions and their collapse was spectacular, but there was something especially frustrating about Spain’s round of 16 defeat to Russia. After their tournament started with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Portugal, there were warning signs against Iran and Morocco and they switched off after an early lead to huff and puff and they got what they deserved against the Russians. It was this loss that essentially created the weaker half of the draw.
‘BEST FANS IN WORLD’
SOUTH AMERICANS
IRELAND would have struggled to scoop this honour and while the Mexicans were excellent and Panama brought a real energy, the South American nations brought colour and atmosphere to this tournament. Peru’s fans were a breath of fresh air and Uruguay were well supported. Argentina and Colombia followers made all the noise in their respective round of 16 exists and the competition died a little when they were eliminated. Brazil fans made more noise than the French and Belgians during Tuesday’s semi-final in Saint Petersburg as they believed they were going all the way. Europe’s fans stayed away, and should regret their caution.
CURIOUS TACTIC
SOUTH KOREA
“IT is very difficult for Westerners to distinguish between Asians,” said South Korea coach Shin Tae-yong, explaining why he asked players to swap their shirt numbers in pre-tournament friendlies with Bolivia and Senegal in order to throw scouts from Sweden off the scent. There was an absence of outrage from the western media, perhaps borne out of guilt that he might actually have a point.
BEST NEWCOMER
KYLIAN MBAPPE
IT was a close call between Mbappe and VAR until the final, but the way it all panned out made the French teenager the real breakout star – certainly in the eyes of the casual football fans who weren’t aware of his brilliance.