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B Before the start of the World Cup, I do not think I'm alone in thinking that one of the Brazilians, Germans, Argentines or possibly French would be in the final. France did it but I think very few would have guessed that Croatia would be their opponent.
It has been great to watch Zlatko Dalic's team this World Cup and one thing that stands out is their extreme work rate. Croatia has star players, of course, but that was a team question. Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Mario Mandzukic are important players who play for important teams in Europe but I would say that the reason Croatia has reached the final is that the whole team has contributed. The tireless race of Ivan Perisic left for example or Sime Vrsaljko at the back helped that the opponents could never rest. And we can not forget the goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, the hero of two shootings.
It also shows that tradition and history does not matter in the end. Russia 2018 has shown us that having a glorious past World Cup does not allow you to win matches. Teams like Brazil, Argentina, England and Germany are out while Croatia is still there. Croatia, of course, finished third in 1998, but has struggled at the highest level ever since.
This summer, however, everything went well. They had a clear strategy – unlike other teams – and it paid off. The unity of the team was great to see and they defended in team, not as individuals. A strong defense and the knowledge that everyone helps to give give everyone a lot of confidence to go forward.
Croatia was very aware of the weaknesses of their opponents and targeted them throughout the tournament. Dalic was also not afraid to change or modify during the game, which some coaches are wary of doing.
It is impossible, of course, to talk about Croatia without a special mention for Modric. He is a wonderful player who is able to do most of the things you need from a midfielder. It is always calm, which is impressive if we consider the tempo at which these parts are played, and builds the game of the team without any pressure.
We have seen him running games for Real Madrid for years, often overshadowed by others such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema. But Modric has worked very hard to get where he is and he deserves all the praise that he gets.
Talking about Modric reminds me of an excellent midfielder with whom I have played several times in the past and that I still have the chance to play with for the national team. His name is Formiga. Her starting position is in the defensive midfielder, but she is so talented that she is extremely good at going from the front too. She is also very aggressive when she adventure on the field, what you need to be, and she is also a very intelligent player.
As a midfielder, you have to combine a lot of different skills to be a complete player and, during all this time that I've played for my clubs and the national team, I could not not think of another player who has his quality, his vision, his willingness to work hard and his sense of position when it comes to scoring his opponents. She is a complete midfielder.
But, as I have said from the beginning, all this concerns the Croatian team and its fighting spirit. After the win against England, Modric and a few others said that they were excited by the "arrogance" of the English media.
Being criticized is never fun, but it affects different people in different ways. Croatia took this perceived criticism – namely that they were tired and would not be able to fight against England – and used it to their advantage. Using criticism as a motivator can be very powerful.
You could see that every player was giving everything he had on the field against England, and it's not impossible that some of that energy came from some comments before the Game. I know from personal experience that this may be the case because the more I receive reviews, the more I want to show them that they are wrong, and the more I want to get that result. It motivates me.
I do not respond to criticism, unless it is mentioned or asked in an interview, because I am trying to answer on the ground. I think that criticism is part of the success of an athlete. You have to learn to live with that and use it to your advantage.
Croatia faces France – a team that counts, Kylian Mbappé, one of the stars of the tournament. He is 19 years old and has the vitality of youth and the quality of a world clbad star combined with extraordinary speed. It is very difficult to stop and made the difference for this team.
France has a young team that is only improving and these are my favorites to win the trophy. But what do you know? I hope I am wrong because I encourage a little more for Croatia because it is a team that has never participated in a World Cup final and, for all the work that she has done, she deserves to win. It would be fantastic to have a team that has never won the World Cup by raising the trophy.
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