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"Everything is coming to an end, nothing lasts forever," Héctor Lavoe sang, blowing trombone Willie Colón. This Sunday, at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, the World Cup in Russia is over, which was very good, with an unthinkable final a month ago, without the superfavorites that were not powerful, without the megastars that ended up eclipsed and with two finalists arrived the animators, as candidates to give the surprise and ended up giving it.
France and Croatia, yes, France and Croatia have a match in their hands the World Cup, this wonderful victory trophy, 6 kilograms of 18-carat gold and malachite base. But the true value of this gem is that it represents the eternal glory of football, the pride of a country, the courage of the homeland and the demonstration that children's dreams run barefoot behind a balloon, fleeing poverty or war, are possible.
France is looking for its second world crown. In 1998, he won the trophy in his own home and is now confirmed as a world force after the subtitle that reached in 2006. Third World Cup final in twenty years. A huge merit that is said easy and written quickly.
Croatia, on the other hand, hopes to make its name in the trophy next to that of the greatest of all time, after also in 1998, it is also twenty years, was born with a powerful shout after finishing in third place in the World Cup, having been a brilliant part of the old football school of the old Yugoslavia, before the fall of the socialist walls and the iron curtains
Although it is simple, perhaps very obvious, to mark this finale as a duel between a big one against a boy, the antagonism of the chronicles and the previous badyzes point to the confrontation of two styles between two ways to understand the game. Thus, the media present this final, that of the 21st World Cup, as a pulse between the defensive France and rested for its pragmatism and the Croatia of talent and management in the middle of the pack and very tired for their s three France, favorite
Bookmakers have France as a 3-1 favorite. Even the match pays more than the triumph of Croatia and extends. But it is well known that matches are not won the day before or on the bettors' cards. The World Cup in Russia was a permanent example.
France came more and more. He started with a quiet 2-1 win over Australia (the day when video refereeing in the World Cups was released with a penalty in their favor), beat Peru 1-0 and signed a 0-0 draw against Denmark.
Then, in his biggest offensive show, he got rid of Argentina 4-3; then, in his greatest display of coldness and calculation, he eliminated Uruguay 2-0, and finally, with a serious defensive and offensive pragmatism, he overtook Belgium 1-0 praised in the semi-final . A team of well-prepared young people who have shown maturity.
We do not care how we win. We want to win, and I'm mad. If I have the Cup, no matter how we play
– We do not care how we win. We want to win, and I'm mad. If I have the Cup, no matter how we play, "said Antoine Griezmann, one of the French stars, one of the candidates to win the award for the best player in the World Cup. " Win or not the Golden Ball – he has greeted the best player of the season in Europe – no matter. I want to win the World Cup and I will leave everything I have on the ground to get it. "
Croatia had a first round of all timpani: it eliminated Nigeria and Argentina without conceding a goal (2-0) and 3-0 respectively) and won with a goal in the 90th minute in Iceland (2-1), then tied with 1-1 with Denmark (extended and 3-2 on penalties), shot 2-2 with Russia (extended 4-3 on penalties) and defeated England 2-1 (overtime).
Croatia arrived with 90 minutes more competition than France, with 116 kilometers more than its rival and one day off, because it played 24 hours after France its semifinal
This team has a heart and proved by scoring opponents markers in this same cup
"Being finalist of the World Cup is the biggest success of the history of our sport, but we want more and we will not stop. This team has a heart and proved it by climbing opposing markers in this Cup, "said Luca Modric, a firm candidate to be chosen as the most valuable player of the World Cup.
The duel also makes the difference in the technical banks.Zlatko Dalic, the Croatian 51-year-old coach, was a half-unknown who was appointed to two months of the World Cup to put order, to Discipline and an atmosphere of camaraderie in a locker room Didier Deschamps, the French coach since 2012, has been severely criticized for the elimination in the quarterfinals at the last World Cup in Brazil-2014 at the hands of this relentless Germany, and for having lost the finals of the 2016 European Championship with Portugal.That's why, as Griezmann says, "Deschamps just wants to win." If he does, he will become the third person to become a global player and coach, as have already done Mario Zagallo (Brazil) and Franz Beckenbauer (Germany)
Well, as Hector Lavoe sang while blowing the ball. Trombone Willie Colón, "everything is coming to an end, nothing lasts forever". The 2018 World Cup of Russia has arrived …
Gabriel Meluk
Special Envoy of TIME
Moscow
On twitter: @MelukLeCuenta
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