Russia 2018 revisited
TO whet your appetite for Qatar 2022, we refresh your most recent World Cup memory by revisiting the last edition in Russia four years ago.
There was much scepticism about the first World Cup held in Eastern Europe, but Russia 2018 did not disappoint.
In fact, some pundits even argued that it was “statistically” the best tournament ever.
From the moment the hosts smashed five goals past Saudi Arabia in the opening match, there was more drama and excitement to come.
Overall, the group and knockout stages, and even the final delivered what they needed to. Here are five highlights that made 2018 one of the more memorable editions.
1. THERE WAS MUCH DRAMA
DRAMA was created as early as day two, as Spain and Portugal served a classic with a 3-3 thriller, which was capped by hattrick hero Cristiano Ronaldo’s late free-kick to ensure his side stole a point.
There were also late winning goals for Uruguay against Egypt in the 89th minute and Iran against Morocco in the 95th.
Overall, there were nine winning goals (plus four defeat-avoiding equalisers) scored in the last minute or injury time of matches. That’s more than any previous edition, and just one fewer than the five tournaments from 1998-2014 combined!
2. JUST ENOUGH SHOCKS AND UPSETS
2018 struck a good balance in the shocks department. Not too many giants exited early, a situation that could have made the tournament’s climax underwhelming.
The stunner was holders Germany going out in the group stage, with Spain, Argentina and Brazil stumbling in the knockout stage.
The Germans were both uninspiring and particularly unlucky, their total of 72 shots surpassed by only five teams in the tournament, four of whom played four more games than Joachim Loew’s side.
Croatia, inspired by a majestic Luka Modric who went on to win the Golden Ball, provided the biggest surprise by surviving two shootouts in the knockout stage en route to a classic final against eventual winners France.
3. EMERGENCE OF A YOUNG SUPERSTAR
WITH Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi both heading home after only the second round (amazingly, both legends have yet to score in the knockout stage) the baton of superstardom was supposed to pass to Neymar.
And the Brazilian was a targeted man, being the second most-fouled player (26 times in five games, behind Eden Hazard with 27 in six) but few felt for him due to a moment of distasteful overacting after a tackle by a Mexican player.
In the end, it was France’s 19-year-old Kylian Mbappe who stole the show with a breakthrough performance.
A brace against Argentina in the last 16 saw him become the first teenager since Pele to score twice in a World Cup game, and he followed that up by becoming the youngest player since the Brazilian legend to score in a final. Mbappe is also the youngest French goalscorer in World Cup history.
4. ‘VAR-VAR’ VOOM! IT HAD A LOUD AND CLEAR THEME
VAR (video assistant referee) became a hit topic as it had a major effect – good and bad – on the games. Just look at the sheer number of penalties.
As the tournament started, players were clearly not prepared for the scrutiny that VAR would subject them to, with day three already featuring five penalties with three converted, eventually leading to a record 22 penalty goals in a single World Cup!
VAR kept most of the hard men on guard by the latter stages, with no penalties awarded in any of the quarter-finals or semi-finals. Then, in the final, the world saw what was possibly the most unsound VAR penalty decision of the tournament – when referee Nestor Pitana hesitantly penalised Croatia’s Ivan Perisic for handball.
On a brighter note, the tournament ended with just one 0-0 draw – the lowest number since the 1954 edition which did not feature a single goalless tie. There was also an astonishing number of set-piece goals, with 43% of strikes coming in that fashion – the highest proportion in any World Cup since 1966.
5. ENGLAND SHOWED UP!
FOOTBALL didn’t quite come home, but the Three Lions equalled their best performance in a foreign World Cup in 1990 by reaching the semis.
Tottenham hotshot Harry Kane became only the second Englishman to win the Golden Boot after Gary Lineker in 1986.
There were others who made their mark. Harry Maguire had more than twice as many touches in the opposition penalty area (23) as any other defender in the tournament as well as the jointmost headed attempts of any player (nine).
Kieran Trippier created more goalscoring chances than any other player (24), finishing ahead of Neymar, Kevin de Bruyne, Luka Modric, Eden Hazard and Philippe Coutinho.
Best of all, England finally broke their penalty shootout jinx in the World Cup – in the 4-3 win over Colombia after a 1-1 deadlock in the last 16.