From Eu Weijun
First things first – let’s look at my predictions prior to the semifinals.
Of my four semifinalist picks, I only managed to get Argentina right after England lost a quarterfinal Channel derby against France.
Rather disappointingly, I did not even have either Croatia or Morocco advancing out of their group. Nevertheless, my bracket remains alive as I had chosen Argentina as my title pick.
The World Cup is now heading down the home straight. These are how the four semifinalists fared:
Argentina 3-0 Croatia
Despite having just 39% of the possession, Argentina put together what was obviously their best performance of the tournament to date. Julián Álvarez’s two goals led Argentina into their second World Cup final in the last three editions. In addition, Lionel Messi and Ángel Di María now have the opportunity to avenge Argentina’s 2014 final loss as both were in the squad eight years ago.
France 2-0 Morocco
Despite the two-goal margin of victory, this was a very competitive match, which on another day, could’ve swung in Morocco’s favour. However, France’s superior level of overall skill ultimately made the difference. Goals scored by Theo Hernández and Randal Kolo Muani put Les Bleus into a second consecutive World Cup final.
Now, before I present my third-place playoff and final predictions, I’d like to take a moment to highlight five players who currently do not play for major clubs but have likely earned a transfer to such a club by way of their impressive World Cup performances.
Ritsu Dōan (Japan/SC Freiburg)
Despite only having been selected as a substitute in two of Japan’s four matches, Dōan was clearly Japan’s standout performer in the tournament. The Freiburg winger added to what has already been a breakout season with crucial goals against Germany and Spain. Should Freiburg qualify for the Champions League, expect some of European football’s leading lights to make bids for Dōan soon.
Yassine ‘Bono’ Bounou (Morocco/Sevilla)
Bono’s outstanding play in goal has served as the foundation of Morocco’s unexpectedly deep World Cup run. With Sevilla languishing near the foot of La Liga, the opportunity for Bono to land a major move may soon arrive. Should the Andalusian club be relegated, a flurry of high-profile transfer offers will almost certainly come.
Dominik Livaković (Croatia/Dinamo Zagreb)
After two penalty shootout victories, Livaković’s profile has now reached new heights. He has proven to not only be obviously too good for his current club, but for his league as well. Thus, it should not come as any surprise that several top clubs have already become interested in signing the Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper.
Alexis Mac Allister (Argentina/Brighton & Hove Albion)
Having recently returned to Argentina’s national team after being overlooked for more than two years, Mac Allister has more than made up for lost time. The Brighton midfielder has almost certainly established himself as an Albiceleste mainstay for the foreseeable future. He is almost certainly also ready for a step up to a big-name club.
Harry Souttar (Australia/Stoke City)
The fact that Souttar, perhaps Australia’s best player during this World Cup, does not even play for a top-flight club is a travesty. Any player able to play at the level he was at during the tournament should not be wasting away at a club which could possibly slip into the third tier. For the sake of his career, it is imperative that Souttar leave Stoke for a bigger club at the first opportunity.
Well, this is it – my final two predictions: those for the third-place playoff and final.
Croatia vs Morocco
Although most people normally think of third-place playoff matches as low-stakes encounters, there are two separate storylines underpinning this one. Croatia will be seeking to give legendary midfielder Luka Modrić the victorious send-off he deserves. Morocco, meanwhile, will attempt to cap off their historic tournament run with a victory. This could go either way, but I will have to lean towards Morocco simply because of the lower level of pressure on them. At this point, the Atlas Lions are playing with house money – and from a mental standpoint, that could make all the difference.
Argentina vs France
A place in history beckons for both teams. Should Argentina win, the victory would almost certainly seal Lionel Messi’s place as the greatest footballer of all time. France, meanwhile, would become the first team to win back-to-back World Cups since Brazil in 1962. On paper, there isn’t much that separates these two titans of world football. However, I will stick with my pre-tournament prediction and go with Argentina for one key reason: the vast majority of football luminaries, analysts, and even neutral supporters will be fully behind Argentina just so that they can “win it for Messi”. I believe this will be the “X-factor” that tips it in the Albiceleste’s favour. - FMT
Eu Weijun is an FMT reader and a huge Bundesliga fan.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
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