Now also Croats

There was nothing more than 50 years old. And it should not have been

This championship, at which, it seems, everything that could not happen already happened-I mean the tournament intrigue-something final was not enough at the finish. Not sensation - this word was lost due to too frequent use. And something is generally unimaginable in the form of the final of Belgium-Croatia.

The Belgians let down. And the Croats reached the finals. And this will be remembered in years: "This is the world championship at which the Croatian national team played in the final!"

There was no more than 50 years. And it should not have been.

Starting with the 1966 World Cup, which we first showed on television and which the ancestors of football won for the first and last time, there could be no “second echelon” in the final in principle. Hungary in 1954, Sweden in 1958, Czechoslovakia in 1962. Further to the final, in different years, exclusively monsters went out and won: Brazil, Italy, Germany, Argentina, France. Plus, Holland's eternal loser and for the first time that broke out to the table only in 2010, Spain, which was gone. And all! And more-no-ko-th!

There are enough football countries, football powers are a little more than fingers on one hand. At the continental championships - please frolic at least Mexico with Chile, at least Denmark -Greek -Portugal. But on the planetary football forum no-no.

And it was not the Croats to break the tradition. Yes, Italy with Holland did not get to Russia, but the cohort of the grands looked powerful quite powerfully. The Croats carried one of them back in the group, without leaving stone on the stone on Argentina. But you never know who was previously called a shadow favorite and who will remember them on the move? The wards of Zlatko Dalich began the cup round and continued with a creak, having won the national teams of Denmark and Russia in the penalty shootout. Two consecutive matches for more than 120 minutes of exhausting struggle for an age team is almost a sentence. Of course, it was lucky with the net - but not with England.

That's who was hungry, greedy and most importantly - fresh. That's who probably remembered that it was the unmotivated Croatia that deprived England in Euro 2008, opening the path of Russia.

Everything started in the Luzhnikovsky semifinals in a tight knot, and almost all the trump cards were in the arms of Gareth Soutegite. Almost all, except for one - experience, which a person in a strict vest did not get tired of reminding after everything ended.

In fact, it ended in the fact that after the goal of Mario Mandzhukich, the Croatian football players, distraught with happiness, almost crushed the Salvador photographer behind the edge of the field. When the final whistle of the Turkish judge Giunayt Chakyra sounded, the clock was preparing to recapture midnight. The sky over the seething bowl of a large sports arena has long been dark, almost black. But for the winners, stars shone on it.

But humanity did not look upstairs. It enjoyed the moment. The most interested part of it-the British in white T-shirts and Croats in traditional red-white “checkers”-was a maximum of one fifth audience. The remnants of the fans who left the championship stood out against the general background - either Sombrero, then the Poncho, and the German flag flashed, but there were also enough Russian. And most of all, according to my estimates, it turned out to be the Chinese. They finally massively joined the mundial at the level of the semifinals, without regretting the money. And as the fans from the Middle Kingdom swept the kiosks with official attributes after the match - it was necessary to see.

The cloud drove the noise of the stands. The place got good, somewhere at an average level. From there it was clearly visible how the guys in white electric tracts rush past the platforms. The platforms were Croatian players. It seemed that they were difficult to give every movement. They did not compare elementary at dashing attacks. No one has time. The multi -hearted Luke Modric failed the case of Alli, which is above his head, on the border of the penalty area at the very beginning of the match. The Tottenham Tottenham trippiere performing all the penalty kiran launched the ball over the wall, the deeds Lovren from Liverpool almost jumped, the goalkeeper Daniel Subashich had no chance. The English torside made a cry of delight and sang truly, which was periodically interrupted by the sigh of disappointment.

There was something from. Captain Harry Kane got a meter from a meter and threw the moment that could lead any hit parade of curioses. Jesse Linggard neatly and without interference laid the ball into the right corner from the goalkeeper, but missed. The approaches were not counted. The Croats rested as best they could, but looked naked. They whistled from the stands.

Not everyone - the “Luzhniki” team of Croatia just supported much more than the British. The whistle was addressed to a specific player. Not the British whistled, and even more so not the Chinese. The owners were different, Russians, about whose cordials they do not tire of screaming on all television channels. The target became the defender Domaga of the appearance. Not only did he score the second, which almost became decisive, the ball against Igor Akinfeev. After the match, along with a member of the Croatian delegation, Firen Vukoevich also made the Internet a video in which there was more stupidity than seditions.

To "Glory to Ukraine!" Our propagandists attacked like a red rag. Already FIFA punished the fines, already the Croats themselves were deprived of Vukoevich’s accreditation, he already apologized, and the fans already stretched out almost two sectors of the panel with words of gratitude to Russia.

But they did not understand and did not forgive, showing even more than playing in the Kiev “Dynamo” football player, dependence on politics.

I did not lead a look with an ear. Croats survived. The British should be wary. But they went to the second half, obviously about to play in the row. Previously, they did it - Souteite taught his young and not too sophisticated team a lot. However, this time there were Croats against them, who twice lost to the rivals during the match in the Cup round - and won twice. Fighters and masters who never give up. They played without replacements, up to the beginning of additional time - the fact for such a match is incredible.

In short, the Croats of the English light cavalry were hovering. They took the ball and territory. They began to methodically besiege the penalty and not just disturbed Jordan Pickford, but arranged a real fire in his possessions. Ivan Perishic scored, in a tight junction, ahead of Kyle Walker after the simplest canopy Shima Vrsalo. In the next episode, Pickford's gates were saved only by the bar - the same Perishic beat. It was possible to align to align the game of the team of England only by the end of the main time.

Mario Mandzhukich was an angry genius for her. The Juventus striker was missed in the penalty area, the hero of the match Perishic took the ball (later Ivan will say that Mario was in the right place), and Manjukich does not miss such moments. Then, as if the giant consisting of one lived, it would be able to sit on the lawn without strength, and the British will help him to rise, who had already considered every lost second.

First, Mandzhukich will leave the field. Then Modric. At some point, instead of the usual team of the penetrating pass, he simply chatted the ball to the opponent-his legs no longer obeyed. But the British had already lost. Rather, spirit, not tactics.

Southgate at a press conference will mainly talk about the same thing that is discussed after the victorious defeat of the Russian national team: about the progress of the team and its experience. And the least-about the comforting finale in St. Petersburg with the Belgians.

The phrase “The Russian team was not suitable for the Croats” is not suitable. Could, but not. And point.

Yes, what about the semifinals of France - Belgium? What about the failed triumph of the most spectacular team of the championship? Why did not succeed in the brilliant trio of Azar - de Brain - Lukaku?

Yes, because the French. Probably future champions. The springy, flexible, cunning, terribly pragmatic team, which had never been before. After a shameful final of the home euro of two -year -old, a program included a program called “The Main - Result”, after a shameful final of the home euro. And he made from a very talented but damp team-killer team that can strangle any opponent.

Before Sunday, all for the French. Absolutely everything. But there is already a cherry on the cake. You know what it is called.