Les Bleus man group
Teen helps youthful French squad make deux in finale
MOSCOW — Taking turns sliding across the rain-soaked turf holding the World Cup trophy tight, teenager Kylian Mbappe and the rest of France’s players acted like the youthful bunch they are.
Nothing, not a protest nor a postgame downpour that soaked Russian President Vladimir Putin, was going to stop the party.
It carried on long after a thrilling 4-2 win over Croatia yesterday. In the locker room with French President Emmanuel Macron striking poses with players, then a champagne-spraying, water-splashing interruption of the coach Didier Deschamps’ news conference.
“Sorry! They’re young and they’re happy,” said Deschamps, like a proud father.
Deschamps had good reason to indulge them. His team is mostly aged 25 or under and can return almost intact to defend their title in 2022 in Qatar.
“Our children are going to be very proud,” forward Antoine Griezmann said. “The World Cup, it’s a lot.”
The 19-year-old Mbappe became only the second teen after Pele to score in a World Cup final.
Mbappe had just shown his electrifying speed in the 52nd minute when play was held up by four protesters who ran onto the field. A notorious Russian punk band later took credit for the incident — watched from the VIP seats by Putin, whose government once jailed members of the activist group. Charges were filed against the group yesterday, too. About 12 minutes after a protester gave Mbappe a double high-five on the field, he sent a right-footed shot from 25 yards past Croat keeper Danijel Subasic to put France up 4-1 — closing the door on Croatia who had been the better team until Mbappe took control.
“I have a whole story to write,” Mbappe said. “This is just the beginning.”
Paul Pogba and Griezmann, France’s two other key creative players, also scored. Pogba played a disciplined role in Russia, but his natural joy was evident celebrating his 18-yard shot, and leading the champagne shower for Deschamps.
But it was Mbappe who put the match out of reach with a furious passage of play in the second half. In the 59th, a run from Mbappe started a play that ended up with Pogba on the edge of the penalty area. With his second attempt, the midfielder curled his shot beyond Subasic.
Griezmann scored from the penalty spot in the 38th minute fully four minutes after his corner kick was knocked out of play by Ivan Perisic’s arm. The referee ruled it handball only after a video review, just as the first thunders claps boomed around the stadium.
“In a World Cup final, you do not give such a penalty,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said.
France took the lead in the 18th when Croatia’s 6-foot-3 forward Mario Mandzukic, rose to meet Griezmann’s free kick and slightly headed it past his own keeper.
Perisic and Mandzukic both scored for Croatia, first to equalize in the 28th minute and later as a consolation goal in the 69th, embarrassing Hugo Lloris with a flicked shot as the French keeper tried to dribble out of his goalmouth.
But the three-goal lead was too much for the red-and-white-checkered squad that made a habit of coming back at the World Cup — and played three straight 120-minute games before the final.
Deschamps became only the third man to win the World Cup as a player and a coach.