Dan’s World Cup Prediction – The Big Final! by Dan Smith
France 1-0 Argentina
I don’t think there has been an outstanding team at this World Cup?
Yet there is something outstanding about not playing great, yet finding a way to win.
I feel France have done that in the last couple of rounds.
They haven’t been given enough credit for dealing with the injuries they have had.
Yes, they have an unbelievable conveyor belt of talent in their country, but they still have had to trust youngsters to fit into the system effortlessly.
The reason maybe they haven’t had that credit is a lot of attention has been on Messi’s last dance, with it now confirmed that this weekend is his last game at a World Cup.
Every round as the pressure increased you wondered would it be too much for the number 10 to carry?
In reality he’s got better every game with the decision to start Fernandez and Alvarez playing to his strengths.
Take Messi out of the team and this isn’t a world class Argentine team, and Giroud and Mbappe will feel they can get at Argentina’s defence.
The equaliser could be the Argentina crowd, so vocal this is essentially an away game for the French.
Argentina’s fans have been one of the highlights in Qatar, where there hasn’t always been a great atmospheres at every game.
These supporters (unlike previous tournaments) have been smart enough to support Messi, realising its counterproductive to scrutinise everything their captain does.
I so want Messi to lift that gold trophy, but facing the World Champions is another level to the sides Argentina have had to beat so far.
I wrote before a ball was kicked, the 35-year-old lifting the one prize that has eluded him is the perfect finale to a movie, the most romantic climax of a play, the fairy-tale ending to a story.
Almost too perfect?
I pick France simply because they can win this Final without playing well.
Whereas Argentina have to be perfect.
For Messi, I soooo want to be wrong!
Cheers peeps
Dan
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The FINALISTS…..
After 32 participants, the final 2 meet in Sunday’s Final.