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MOSCOW – France's first goal came out of the head of a Croatian, and his second after the intervention of the Argentine referee.
But these are the next two goals, the low shots that handed the World Cup in French hands, the goals that crowned his latest generation of stars, who confirmed what everyone knew even before his victory 4-2 on Croatia is complete: France was the best team of Russia this summer, a powerful mix of luck. And now he can still call the world champion.
"We do not yet realize what we have just done," said Lucas Hernández. "When we arrive tomorrow in Paris, we will realize."
The title is the second in France, and the first since he's won at home in 1998, and put an end to Croatia's thrilling race over the past five weeks. The Croatians survived three consecutive games in overtime – and two shots on goal – in the round of 16 to reach their first final, and they even had the best game on Sunday. "We have no regrets because we were the best team for much of the match," said Luka Modric, Croatia midfielder, who has been awarded the Golden Ball as that excellent tournament player. . "Unfortunately, clumsy goals have tipped the scales.
" They will celebrate, but we can keep our heads up. "
France won by doing what it had done for six previous matches: It pushed back its opponent when necessary, and punished him when he could.
And when the whistle Final broke out, his players ran for joy on the bench, getting together in cuddles and throwing their coach, Didier Deschamps, in the airs.Deschamps, a midfielder of the 1998 France team, had become a paternal figure for his young team, a hand that guided the wheel, while keeping a methodical line to the title.
When the night ended, when France was the champion again, he became the third man to win the World Cup as a player and head coach.The players honored him with their turbulence, bursting into his postgame press conference and brewing Champagne before he can answer a simple question.
His equipment e 2018 will not be chosen as the most elegant, or the most creative champions. Instead, one will remember what it was: a team of exceptional talent and ruthless efficiency, a group in which every player knew his job and performed it perfectly.
But all he has accomplished – thanks to diligent planning, hard work, the relentless discipline and occasional brilliance of young striker Kylian Mbappé, galloping midfielder Paul Pogba and defense unshakable of N & # 39; Golo Kanté, Raphael Varane and Samuel Umtiti – were all the same remarkable
. : a team of high-level talents willing to sublimate their individual games for a collective mission; a team confident enough to give up possession against even smaller teams and fight back on the counter; A team able to score great goals while being ready to accept anything that was given to it
Even on Sunday, while Croatian midfielder Modric Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic controlled the game in the first half, France was always ahead. Presented with an own goal and a penalty kick – the first goal of the World Cup final attributed to a decision to review a video assistant – France has escaped thanks to the unparalleled combination of speed and speed. Address of Mbappé. Pogba goal and a second in the third of the Mbappé tournament.
Not unlucky, as an error that gave Croatia a second goal late in the game and reduced the French mark to two goals, with a real price. France was content to regroup and see the game, then waited, taking selfies and waving flags, to get his golden reward.
"We did not play a big match but we showed a mental quality." And we scored four goals anyway. "
The French scored first, or rather Croatia l & rsquo; Did – with striker Mario Mandzukic who scored a free kick on his own goalkeeper in the 18th minute. Stunned, Croatia found the bottom and tied the match 10 minutes later by Perisic, but was again behind in a historic and controversial moment
The incident occurred in the 35th minute, when a balloon served in the French player surface and on the hand of Perisic, who n? The Argentinian referee, Néstor Pitana, initially reported a corner and the French players immediately asked for a penalty, but Pitana did not move
. the decision was reviewed using the VAR system, which was approved controversially earlier this year e for the first time in the World Cup and has exceeded expectations in the tournament. Pitana went to the touch line between the benches and, with the voice of the VAR in the ear, scrolled through the game before returning to the field to signal a penalty kick for a handball
"As far as VAR is concerned," Zlatko Dalic says, "when it goes in your favor, it's good, when it does not work in your favor, it's bad."
Antoine Griezmann s & n Is advanced and calmly rolled the ball, and just as this story was made and the French were back in the lead, 2-1.
Pogba, controlling his own rebound to score in the 59th minute, and Mbappé, shooting around a defender and overtaking the crippled goalkeeper of Croatia Daniel Subasic in the 65th, soon made the goal VAR- attended a note. Even Lloris' blunder could not stop France by then; as he had done in most of his World Cup games, he sent some substitutes and simply strangled the game's life to complete his triumph.
When the match ended, when the sky opened and the rain sank and the confetti flew away and the trophy was finally theirs, the French players dropped. They slipped into the sodden grass and danced around the field and took flags on the victory laps.
Many Croats simply fell on the grass, unable to give more. Some started crying. It was, for once this month, not their day.
It was a day for Deschamps. For Pogba. For Mbappé. It was a day for France to celebrate a new generation of heroes, eagerly awaiting their return for a Parisian celebration, and hope that it will not take more than 20 years before and ## 147 ## They can do it again.
The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, is presented for the presentation of the trophy alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin; The President of Croatia, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic; and Emmanuel Macron from France. Modric from Croatia won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, and Mbappé was honored as the tournament's best young player. (The Englishman Harry Kane won the Golden Shoe as top scorer of the tournament, pulling boos from a crowd of Croatians and neutral Russian fans, but his boos were nothing compared to those of Pitana, the referee.)
a guard of honor for the Croats during the trophy ceremony, and handshakes were freely exchanged among a group that included at least one dozen current and former teammates. By the time the Croatians picked up their medals, a continuous rain had turned into a downpour. Only one umbrella appeared above the dignitaries, to protect Putin.
This article appeared in The New York Times.
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