You're a man on a mission here. Kudos you're really into it, going all in.
Predict the World Cup final
- Thread starter RW2
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
5-0 by half time and then likely another 5 by full time. All VAR awarded penalties.
Yeah. It will get ugly. We're not supposed to be there anyway.
I think it's going to be a World Cup record the amount of goals France will score, and only just in the fist half.
I'm not oblivious to your hatred for France.
I'm 15% French and one of my best lays was with a French girl. I could never hateI'm not oblivious to your hatred for France.
France 2 - Croatia 2
Mbappe and Varane / Mandzukic and Raktic
Extra time winner: Perisic
Mbappe and Varane / Mandzukic and Raktic
Extra time winner: Perisic
One of the two will win : France or Croatia. There will not be any doubt who will have won because that is the country that won. You will know they won because they scored more goals than the country that didn't win. France will win if they score more goals than Croatia - in which case Croatia will lose because they scored less goals than France. Croatia will win if they score more goals than France - in which case France will lose because they scored less goals than Croatia.
France or Croatia will be the world champion, not European champion - because this is the world cup after all, despite it being an all European clash. But it's the world cup and one will win it. One of the two because there are indeed two countries in the final: France and Croatia. Not more, not less.
Because there are only two countries, the odds of winning this are 50% for France and 50% for Croatia. Unless of course France out plays Croatia in which case it stands to reason that 50% - 50% split could in actuality be perceived as being closer to 75%-25% in favor of France. But it could also be 80%-20%. It all depends on how good France plays. It also depends on how poorly Croatia plays. But similarly Croatia could be playing better than France in which case they might have a 65% chance of beating France. It could be more, it could be less.
France or Croatia will be the world champion, not European champion - because this is the world cup after all, despite it being an all European clash. But it's the world cup and one will win it. One of the two because there are indeed two countries in the final: France and Croatia. Not more, not less.
Because there are only two countries, the odds of winning this are 50% for France and 50% for Croatia. Unless of course France out plays Croatia in which case it stands to reason that 50% - 50% split could in actuality be perceived as being closer to 75%-25% in favor of France. But it could also be 80%-20%. It all depends on how good France plays. It also depends on how poorly Croatia plays. But similarly Croatia could be playing better than France in which case they might have a 65% chance of beating France. It could be more, it could be less.
Belgium
Sure.
Sour grapes? No gripe with Croatia at all. They're a very tidy technical team with some impossible not to be impressed by players like Modric.
Not the sort of quality that should be in a world cup final in my book. As we'll see on Sunday I fear.
Yeah no gripe with Croatia but we're not sort of quality that should be in the final and we'll get slaughtered by your book.
If not sour grapes then bollocks sorry.
Impressive how accurate this ended up being, albeit describing opposite teams.
Sounds like a book report I'd write for school when I didn't read the book.
Some bitter people here. Not that we give two fecks though.
Not sure if they support France or if they have some kind of "ex-colony" rivalry and hope they fail so they can make fun of it.Half of Canada would support France surely?
France didn't blow out Australia and Peru, but they will surely start doing it now with Croatia in the WC final.
I think France will win this fairly comfortably. I suspect the arrogance and lack of humility I am seeing in Croatian media at the moment will come back to bite them. Talking like they have already won the match and are better than France.
There's a fine line between arrogance and self belief. You don't get to a World Cup final thinking "well, they have better individuals in this and this position, we're probably out". You also certainly don't win the thing without believing you can do it. These supposedly arrogant quotes by the croatian media are hilarious.
Whoever wins it will be a deserving world champion, no ifs and buts about that.
Whoever wins it will be a deserving world champion, no ifs and buts about that.
Will be a drab affair with both teams daring the other to take the initiative.
would love to see Croatia do it but I can see France 2-0
France will get one, play conservatively and get another one on the break late on
France will get one, play conservatively and get another one on the break late on
I would absolutely love to see a new team win the world cup but I can't see past France unfortunately and have thought they'd win since the QF.
I don't see a weakness in their team tbh. I think it will be a 2-0 or a 2-1 victory.
But good luck to Croatia, I love watching Modric especially/
I don't see a weakness in their team tbh. I think it will be a 2-0 or a 2-1 victory.
But good luck to Croatia, I love watching Modric especially/
You're going by few quotes nitpicked here or you really read our media?
In any case it's not the media who'll play the game.
You have seemed to take a big note of a post-match reaction after something we were certain to never see happen and pure delirium. The only thing I don't like is that Vecernji newspaper saying English being sore losers because I've not noticed that from media or the team, at least in terms how they viewed the game and their attitude afterwards. If anything, it was the opposite.
I think that pretty much everyone in Croatia is aware that this would be the biggest upset in World Cup history if we pulled this off and, well, the man can dream for a few days. Huge underdogs, but let's go and win it because if you don't go into it with that mindset you don't have any chance.
I don't mind you shitting on our team and our chances, but do like your modest view on things while shiting all over the Russian team who were host, beat Spain and Denmark who didn't lose 18 games going into Croatia match (not beaten by France either). While not being the best teams, certainly a good sides.
And even if you don't think we constantly showed our quality (I even agree with that, but then no other team was also able to produce the same) it is hard to ignore character and fighting spirit from the team who went behind in every single knockout match while also playing extra-time.
Great post. Večernji is a crap paper anyway. Its always easy to find few bad quotes and paint the whole country and the whole team as arrogant. Neville was giving it large at HT, Mcnanaman portrayed us as a crap team before the game and I certainly didn't think all English pundits were arrogant cause of that. Lots of things were said in the spur of the moment and I'm sure some of English media would be smug and giddy if their team had won.
This is exactly my point... ok for Croatia to take a few nitpicked comments from our media and call the English arrogant though to suit their little narrative. The reaction after the match tells you all you need to know about what the media here think of this England team's performance. If they all thought Croatia were such pushovers, you'd expect some criticism of the team.. no?
France to win with relative ease in a pretty pedestrian and boring match.
Pogba to score the only goal in the final minute.
What do you mean Croatia? Some were saying English are arrogant some weren't. I guess that's the point? You can't talk about media as whole or a team.
Some players read and heard some stuff and felt underrated.
About the reaction, there was some criticism, that's not related to us being pushovers or not.
If only our players read this thread. Some the posts would fire them up nicely.
Demolition job, easy, tired, lots of goals for France.
I honestly have no idea. People say we're favorites but I don't believe that. I mean we technically are considering the rest we've had and all the extra football Croatia had. I just don't think fatigue will be much of a factor. Teams know how to prepare for these games (an injection here, an injection there...) and this is the biggest of their lives. If a team beats the other, it will probably by 1 goal margin.
To all the people saying Croatians are displaying arrogance in the media, well they're also doing the same in France, a lot of people think this done and dusted. This is why I never give it much importance
To all the people saying Croatians are displaying arrogance in the media, well they're also doing the same in France, a lot of people think this done and dusted. This is why I never give it much importance
I had a lot of practice doing just that.
Yes, i agree. Why would a team which beat 6 teams including england and argentina be in wc final. That is rubbish.
World cup should be divided in two groups.
One group should be italy, spain, england, france, germany , brasil and argentina. And they would play for trophy.
Other group would be all other teams who would play for tickets and right to watch final. Because it is really ridiculous to have "minor" football country in world cup final. Outrageous really. To steal that spot from brasil or germany. Pathetic from croatia
I have to admit I've fancied Croatia from day 1 and got 33/1 each way I so can't lose. As an England and United Fan, I thought they deserved to be in the final. They have shown a mental toughness and real quality on the ball. The England game was much closer than most may believe but Croatia never know when their beat which means France are in for a very, very tough game.
I am going out on a limb here and take them to do what they did to England win 2-1 in Extra Time and become the 9th country to lift the Fifa World Cup. They are clearly a tournament team because many forget they finished second to Iceland in World Cup Qualification so let's hope they take the big CUP back to Croatia as it would be fantastic that a small country of 4 million can lift the biggest trophy in World Football.
I am going out on a limb here and take them to do what they did to England win 2-1 in Extra Time and become the 9th country to lift the Fifa World Cup. They are clearly a tournament team because many forget they finished second to Iceland in World Cup Qualification so let's hope they take the big CUP back to Croatia as it would be fantastic that a small country of 4 million can lift the biggest trophy in World Football.
Croatia are better against better teams no doubt. They have so much quality that can hurt France. I think France have a lot more dimensions to their game and that’s what will ultimately see them through. Another 1-0 AET similar to previous tournaments.
Did anyone predict it?
No. Arrogance is when you say for your opponent that they are poor, that they are one man team, that they are lucky to be in semis. Arrogance is when you on half time say " how the hell this shit team ended in semis".
Saying that france is fantastic team which have world class players on every position but who can be beat is faith in your ability.
Thanks for bolding that. Wasn't sure what final Croatia got to.