It was a tournament high on action, drama, laughs and meme-able incidents. A world cup with only one goalless draw surely has to be considered a fun-filled world cup. And it truly was.
Fun is not a word many people would have associated with the host country. The inhabitants of Putin’s territory were often portrayed in austere light. However, football came there and it was bright and bubbly for most of the tournament.
No extreme cases of hooliganism and no racist chants. Just warm and fuzzy feelings and a truly worthy champion at the very end. France, who were involved in the only goalless draw, seemed to win this competition without having to hit top gear.
The final match was a perfect encapsulation of the French team and this world cup. Out-played for large sections by the ballsy Croatians, France managed to go into half-time with a 2-1 lead. Then, they burst into life and showed their quality. The 6 goals eventually scored in the final summed up the tournament itself.
(1-0) Goal from a set-piece? Check.
(1-0) Own goal? Double Check
(1-1) Lovely goal for equaliser, originating from set piece? Check
(2-1) VAR decision for a penalty? Check
(3-1) Counter attack goal? Check
(4-1) Brilliant shot? Check
(4-2) Very bad goalkeeping error? Check
It seemed like all the good and bad bits of the tournament had to be on display on that final day, even during the presentation of the medals. With rain pouring down on the adorably delighted French and Croatian presidents for minutes, their Russian counterpart kept a straight face while performing his duties under an umbrella. Another suitably meme-worthy incident to end the 2018 tournament.
Watch this space for more articles. We shall be talking about Football Not Coming Home, the GOATs debacle, the Supreme Super Jersey and much more.
See you next time.
Oladimeji Sapoloso
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