Classy French fancied to dominate for a decade
FOR the second time in their history France are World Cup champions following a thrilling final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
After a thrilling month of football the tournament got the climax it deserved, with Les Bleus prevailing on a 4-2 scoreline.
This was the most goals in a 90-minute decider since 1958 when Brazil and a teenage Pele defeated hosts Sweden 5-2. Another teenager, 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe, emulated Pele by scoring in the final and may just go on to follow in the great man’s footsteps.
Despite their defeat, Croatia can hold their heads high with the top footballing nations of the world. For a country of just four million people they punched way above their weight and but for a few controversial first-half refereeing decisions, could have caused a sensation and lifted the coveted trophy.
Like many of the TV pundits, I didn’t think that the handball incident which gifted France their second goal was a penalty.
Argentine referee and former actor Nestor Pitana was a surprise choice for the final. He’s not a bad official, but he is more renowned for his cartoon-like bulging biceps than his officiating.
Video Assistant Referee (VAR) made its debut at Russia 2018 and by and large it worked and enhanced the tournament. However, it hasn’t been without its controversies.
Unfortunately for poor Croatia, a poor decision by Pitana and his team of officials scuppered their chances of ultimate success. And it wasn’t just the penalty call that went against the underdogs. Antoine Griezmann’s dive which led to the free kick which gave France their opener was shameful.
Somewhat ironically, video replays clearly show there was no contact with the defender.
But over the course of the tournament France probably deserved their World Cup crown. Didier Deschamps’ men came through the more difficult side of the draw, defeating many of the favourites - including Argentina, Uruguay and Belgium. This team appears to have the capacity to win all types of games. Skilful players and match-winners like Mbappe and Griezmann are complemented by tough and resilient midfielders and defenders who got better as the tournament progressed.
This French conveyor belt of talent could dominate for the next decade.
Amidst all the hullabaloo of the World Cup, it’s easy to overlook Dundalk’s Europa League first leg win in Estonia. Stephen Kenny’s charges returned from Tallinn with a 1-0 advantage, but the margin of victory could have been greater. Nevertheless, the result sets Dundalk up nicely for the return leg at Oriel Park on Thursday evening. A second-round clash with AEK Larnaca of Cyprus awaits the victors. There was a glut of GAA action over the weekend, with four Super 8s football games and two All-Ireland Hurling quarter-finals. Records were broken in both codes, with Galway recording their first championship victory over Kerry in 53 years, while Limerick beat Kilkenny for the first time since the All-Ireland Hurling Final of 1973.
Elsewhere, there were wins for Dublin, Tyrone and Monaghan in the football, while Clare eased through to the last four of the hurling with an impressive win over Wexford.
In local GAA, holders Newtown Blues comfortably advanced to the knockout stages of the Senior Championship with yet another comprehensive performance, this time over Kilkerley. Dreadnots also sealed their place in the quarter-finals with a 2-9 to 0-9 win over 2016 champions Sean O Mahony’s.
It’s all to play for in the final series of group games which take place this weekend.
Athletics
And finally, two local athletes were part of the Irish womens 4x100m relay team who won silver at the Under-20 IAAF World Championships in Finland.
St Gerard AC’s Patience Jumbo-Gula and Blackrock AC’s Gina Akpe-Moses produced an excellent performance from lane five to secure second place, behind Germany and ahead of Great Britain.