FIFA World Cup 2018: The giants that fell
World Cup time. Once in four years, every footballing nation reaches a fever pitch from expectations and excitement to see their country's best players compete in the FIFA World Cup finals. The top 32 nations from across the world representing every continent except Antartica play for the biggest trophy in the game over the course of a month.
It's a big deal for every player and every nation involved and this year Russia was playing host. The polar opposite climate from the previous World Cup held in Brazil, but one that would benefit most players who play in Europe for different leagues and are more used to the chill than to the heat. This is also the stage for individual players to become legends, to rise up when a loss would mean elimination, to be recognized as the World's best in their time.
At each World Cup there are certain players who are the world's best on a club level and have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or but for whatever reason, they underperform or fail to meet the expectations set by their other performances. Some may refer to this as players being exposed for what their real abilities are while I would like to go easier on them and say that these flop performances reveal the breadth of their abilities. At times an entire national team's hope are relying on these individuals to perform as expected of them and do not focus on playing their best as a team, resulting in elimination from the tournament.
Had I written then when I was supposed to I would have discussed the failure of the Big 3 - Lionel Messi, Christiano Ronaldo and Neymar Jr. But I'm writing this really late so I'm going to start with a player from France who won the 2018 FIFA World Cup (it did come home then). This player actually gave a decent performance and is now the second ever teenager to score a goal in a World Cup Final — Kylian Mbappe. He is quick and superbly talented but shows habits that could hinder him from becoming a truly great player and that is his tendency to fall and cry foul. Yes, it's part of the game, it's part of strategy to gain an advantage and to frustrate the opponents but it's also the best way to stop yourself from being respected unconditionally. In my opinion, he needs to move out of PSG and play in England or Italy to get some rough love and experience needed to become the best he can be.
Croatia finished second despite having played their hearts out throughout the tournament and exceeding the expectations of most people. They were one of the few teams who actually played as a team with proper coordination and communication between all players including their top performers. As such I agree that Modric was deserving of the player of the tournament prize but I'm sure he'd rather get Croatia on the World Cup. It was a memorable final and both teams put up quite a spectacle with plenty of goals and drama and that is why 4-2 was the final score.
On to the Big 3 then and we start on Ronaldo first. He seemed to be in top form in Portugal's group stage matches but just could not do enough in the Round of 16 match against Uruguay and neither could his team. It can be said that no one could have predicted Cavani to play as well as he did that night but the final result shows that Portugal even with Ronaldo could not make it beyond that stage in the World Cup.
Then we have Neymar who was active in every match but I cannot recall a single moment in any of those games when he seemed worth his market value. He had no flair, he inspired no confidence with the ball at his feet and he became the meme for falling over at this World Cup. Brazil were knocked out in the quarterfinals when they lost 2-1 to Belgium.
Onto the most respected players of the three and my personal favourite, Messi. The Argentinian football team has suffered from poor management and staff for the last few years and this was apparent from the first game. The starting selection of players, the lack of coordination in their attack, it was all too obvious that they were a collection of good players but not a great team and that's what Messi needed around him. A team who was on the same page as him, who could support his play or make a play for him, but he was simply surrounded by confused expressions. After their 3-0 defeat to Croatia, he was visibly frustrated with his situation and was unable to do enough by himself. In the end, Argentina lost to France 4-3 in the Round of 16 and the woeful performance of their goalkeeper was a key element in that defeat. However, unlike Neymar, Messi did manage to score the most fabulous ball-control goal of the tournament, one that can be enjoyed over and over again in slow motion.
The last team on our radar for the 'Giants that fell' is the 2014 World Cup winner — Germany. Keeping the pattern of years gone by, the defending champions saw themselves knocked out of the tournament at the Round of 32 itself after they lost to Mexico and South Korea. They just were not playing well enough as a team to beat the hungrier and better-coordinated oppositions.
In conclusion, this World Cup was a reminder that individual skill does not matter much at this level in comparison to the teamwork of all players on the field. The performances of Russia, Japan and Sweden are a testament to the possibilities when everyone does their part to the best of their ability.
What are your thoughts on the results from the 2018 FIFA World Cup? Who were you supporting this time? Which player performed the best according to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe to The Sane Lunatic for plenty more stuff to come. Thanks!
It's a big deal for every player and every nation involved and this year Russia was playing host. The polar opposite climate from the previous World Cup held in Brazil, but one that would benefit most players who play in Europe for different leagues and are more used to the chill than to the heat. This is also the stage for individual players to become legends, to rise up when a loss would mean elimination, to be recognized as the World's best in their time.
At each World Cup there are certain players who are the world's best on a club level and have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or but for whatever reason, they underperform or fail to meet the expectations set by their other performances. Some may refer to this as players being exposed for what their real abilities are while I would like to go easier on them and say that these flop performances reveal the breadth of their abilities. At times an entire national team's hope are relying on these individuals to perform as expected of them and do not focus on playing their best as a team, resulting in elimination from the tournament.
Croatia finished second despite having played their hearts out throughout the tournament and exceeding the expectations of most people. They were one of the few teams who actually played as a team with proper coordination and communication between all players including their top performers. As such I agree that Modric was deserving of the player of the tournament prize but I'm sure he'd rather get Croatia on the World Cup. It was a memorable final and both teams put up quite a spectacle with plenty of goals and drama and that is why 4-2 was the final score.
On to the Big 3 then and we start on Ronaldo first. He seemed to be in top form in Portugal's group stage matches but just could not do enough in the Round of 16 match against Uruguay and neither could his team. It can be said that no one could have predicted Cavani to play as well as he did that night but the final result shows that Portugal even with Ronaldo could not make it beyond that stage in the World Cup.
Then we have Neymar who was active in every match but I cannot recall a single moment in any of those games when he seemed worth his market value. He had no flair, he inspired no confidence with the ball at his feet and he became the meme for falling over at this World Cup. Brazil were knocked out in the quarterfinals when they lost 2-1 to Belgium.
Onto the most respected players of the three and my personal favourite, Messi. The Argentinian football team has suffered from poor management and staff for the last few years and this was apparent from the first game. The starting selection of players, the lack of coordination in their attack, it was all too obvious that they were a collection of good players but not a great team and that's what Messi needed around him. A team who was on the same page as him, who could support his play or make a play for him, but he was simply surrounded by confused expressions. After their 3-0 defeat to Croatia, he was visibly frustrated with his situation and was unable to do enough by himself. In the end, Argentina lost to France 4-3 in the Round of 16 and the woeful performance of their goalkeeper was a key element in that defeat. However, unlike Neymar, Messi did manage to score the most fabulous ball-control goal of the tournament, one that can be enjoyed over and over again in slow motion.
The last team on our radar for the 'Giants that fell' is the 2014 World Cup winner — Germany. Keeping the pattern of years gone by, the defending champions saw themselves knocked out of the tournament at the Round of 32 itself after they lost to Mexico and South Korea. They just were not playing well enough as a team to beat the hungrier and better-coordinated oppositions.
In conclusion, this World Cup was a reminder that individual skill does not matter much at this level in comparison to the teamwork of all players on the field. The performances of Russia, Japan and Sweden are a testament to the possibilities when everyone does their part to the best of their ability.
What are your thoughts on the results from the 2018 FIFA World Cup? Who were you supporting this time? Which player performed the best according to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don't forget to subscribe to The Sane Lunatic for plenty more stuff to come. Thanks!
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