So, I thought I would make a thread were we will discuss ongoing event and results between team in the World Cup.

Let's start with what happened last, Russia won 5-0 against Saudi Arabia in the opener. I personally thought Russia didn't seemed so good at first, their first goal wasn't very impressive but at the end of the day, I feel they did a really good job. Golovin was motm in that first game imo. Also, it seem to me like Saudi Arabia are nearly officialy out of the World Cup. What about you guys, what do you think of the resutls and what it mean?

Round of 16:

This has been the best World Cup ever. Change my mind.

Is people still complaining about the ref in the final? Seriously?

Fine, the first foul that led to the opening goal might have been exaggerated by Griezman or not a foul at all but the rest of the game seemed pretty fair to me. The penalty decision was spot on, if Perisic didn't have his hand weirdly extended like that the ball would have continued its trajectory leading into a very clear goal opportunity for France.

It's been mentioned before but I would like to reiterate, France would have easily won the game with any referee handling the match.

Fact: VAR helps any sort of team, big or small. It helped Russia, Costa Rica, Australia and many others in crucial situations against bigger and more traditional teams.

Long Live the VAR!

Hands down, best WC ever!! One of the best at leat. I like it really much!

@Tuanis Agreed. :)

I was content with VAR refereeing to some extent because i can see that this is still new and will take time to adapt to get the best results. However, referee has failed multiple times during the game to make the right decisions that have let to crucial game changing outcomes. VAR was there to help referees to spot fouls, dives ,offsides, red card or penalty decisions but that doesn't mean that human element will be completely eliminated. Then decision should stand that human element should be completely eliminated therefore any contact in the box and handball should be considered as penalty. It will turn the game mad. Solution to this is that FIFA needs to be clear on the laws of the penalty and not be so ambiguous.

4 moments for me that turn the game in favor of France:

1. Griezman blatant dive. Obvious as a daylight but referee ignored it and called it.

2. Perisic handball. The hand was in natural position and was hit from short distance. We can't call this as penalty ESPECIALLY in the final. I even watched replay so many times that it seems like that ball even grazed Mantiudi hand. Should we have called it as handball too? It is just stupid that referee didn't use his experience and logic to make the judgements with 8 referees supposedly helping him but something tells me French just had to win. The fact that referees experience is limited to Argentine league was already alarming before the game.

3. During the game Mandzukic had penalty denied. Exact same one was given to Harry Kane in our game. They didn't even give VAR a chance. So are we using VAR selectively? WHY?

4. Referee didn't control the game well. I don't know how Giroud ended game without at least one yellow if not two! There were many instances of dive and rough play. Nestor Pitana wasn't fit for this game. Maybe he was paying back for humiliating 3:0 loss of Argentina to Croatia.

I wanted France to win this game but not this way. Croatia won me over with their display and passion. Referees as always spoiled the game that should have gone down to the wire and in my opinion Croatia would have been the winner at the end of that wire.

@Marcus, I agree with this, Pitana wasn't on his usual best, but he also was referee in match against Denmark and he did good job. So I wouldn't say he is biased or something, but yeah, in overall whole refereeing during this WC has been bad.

Didn't catch that Mandzukic situation, and didn't hear much of it, so I can't tell you that, but yeah, I was suprised how Giroud ended without card too. Handball situation, I think most of referees would give penalty because there could be goal threat if Perišić didn't touch it... but my biased side says that never, ever would that be penalty. He couldn't do anything, distance was very small and ball was going fast, he made that one reflex movement and it screwed them.

Real question is why Pitana, if his decision is so 50-50, decided to give it to France, essentially ruining natural game flow?

It's hard to be not pissed off because referee was the only one responsible for France leading 2-1 at half time. Because France barely touched the ball in first half, and Croatia completely dominated them in that period.

@Marcus
I agree, particularly that dodgy reffing probably took as much away from France in so much as they will prefer to remember it as a game they won entirely fairly, without the help of questionable reffing, as it did Croatia. For Croatia it was their first world cup final and theyvwill remember how they fought bravely despite iffy decisions against them, rather than coming against a team who were definitively better than them

Unfortunately, the world cup 2018 is over.
And now I don't know what to do. Yesterday I had tried to watch Australian football cup 777score.com - and I can't understand how they do that.

@eratou Never will be as good as World Cup but its better than nothing:

The real final was : Belgium Vs France, the winner of this game was going to be world champs... we got lucky on this game not in the final.

As i have said, I was going for France but I was so surprised how Croatia wasn't allow France to breath from minute one and then somehow out of two complete bull crap situations French are leading 2-1.. I was like whoa this game is either super unlucky due to idiot referee managing the game or rigged!

Tiki you got lucky in both matches. Now go and party. Winning anything with referees help never bothered you anyway. Btw it wasn't french who won the final but literally North Africa. Praise those players they have been defending France's honor since 1914!

@Marcus2011 Sour as hell mate, even the actual croatian supporter isn't as bad as you. Not saying I don't see where your coming with some of your complain but come on, the africa thing is going too far. Doesn't matter if those player origin isn't actually France, they are now citizen from that country and play for it. Also, why the hate on France in particular? Yeah, they got more player who have ancestor in Africa than most NT but other, like England for example also have player with foreign ancestor. And don't even get me started on player with dual citizenship and all the "actual" controversy surrounding the team they play for.

Lol they all were born in France educated and formed in France. As if England has only white players lol. Lingard, Rashford, young, Rose, Sterling, Walker, loftus,... and the list is long. At least French players are world class :)

It was VAR not ref, any replay In a handball situation or in a contact in the box will result on PK, you know it England had like 4 PKs given in 6 games...

France is rock solid, the team who doesn’t commit mistakes goes through and the victory is well deserved cry me a river it went home, OUR HOME. And all the people born in France are French in our mind, maybe you are more racist In England. Some of them have never been to Africa, Griezmann has Portuguese origins, Lloris and Hernandez have Spanish, French is not a race, our country is a political construction with Celtics, Francs, corsicans, Aryens, carebeans, Africans, Asians. It doesn’t fucking matter.

By the way, how Belgium trashed England twice I think the luckiest team to reach semifinals is England. So look to your compain first. We didn’t dominate but we had the most complete team of the tournament and it paid off.

They were immigrants kids. France has the most racist open laws and bigotry movements in Europe. They are french in their mind? They are coming from ex colonial states where French massacred and committed genocides for centuries to change their cultures and language fundamentally. Give me a break. Now days, as soon as some colored person ( any background but especially african and muslim) does something wrong they are no longer French and must leave this nation.

That African guy who saved a boy was african immigrant but the moment he saved the boy he was given passport and became French. So i assume that he can't cherish his identity because if he does bad thing then he is dirty immigrant but if he does good that puts country in the good light then he is a French? Benzema famously said it " When I score i am French, when I don't, I am Arab".

Brazil for example has mixture of white, brown and black players but they are all Brazilian and no one has doubt about this nor anyones place in the country. No ever told Pele to go back to Africa.

P.S. If you are wondering wether i am black. I am not.I am white as a snow. I am not english either. I live in England and have residency in England doesn't take away my right to support the team but also no one takes away my right to cherish my heritage there unlike in France who has built glories on immigrant's backs that defended countries honor since 1830s and not just in Sports!

Guys this is getting out topic and out of hand, any other comment about that and I close the thread.

I agree on everything Marcus but we, the people are not as racist as our government. As long as they are born in France they are French, football made me play with dozen of origins, it unifiés what the system tries to divide.
Anyway say what you want, it went HOME ;)

I have nothing against French people. I only criticize the establishment and their hypocrisy.

As far as football. Still no one can deny that League 1 nourishes young players very well. It has been known since Cantona days. This just proves that any nation can produce top quality players when they have right training and development programs. For that kudos to France.