HKP90 Posted December 15, 2022 VT Supporter Share Posted December 15, 2022 On paper Arg-Fra should be a thrilling goal fest. On that basis, i'm expecting a nil nil draw and penalties. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PussEKatt Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Argentina for me.They look like hey are hitting form just at the right time,going from a 3-0 loss to a 3-0 win in their last game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 (edited) Benzema to come back and score in OT to win the gold Edited December 15, 2022 by sne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 (edited) 5 hours ago, Beastmix said: There are plenty of 'football crazy' nations in this World Cup with comparible (or higher) populations than Argentina AND are willing to travel en-masse. I reason they've acquired their tickets by nefarious means which, as tournament organisers, is on FIFA to police really. It's a shame because the overwhelming bias every game somewhat tarnishes an otherwise perfectly good World Cup (football-wise). I really can't believe how many people have fallen for this. There really are not THAT many Argentinians in Qatar. They are mostly locals and people from neighbouring countries as well as India who have bought a blue and white shirt cos of Messi. It's glory hunting on an international scale and peed me off no end since the day I arrived on Qatar. Yes they are well supported, but the reality is, the crowd on Sunday will be just as it has been all the way through this tournament. It will be 80% locals. Many of whom, have no idea how to watch a live football match. The fawning over Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe etc is probably the thing I despise most about football. If you are Argentinian then I get why you would want to see Messi win the World Cup. As I'm not, he is on the same level as interest for me as Marc Hottiger. (I loved Qatar tho. The media narrative was wrong in so many ways) Edited December 15, 2022 by GlobalVillan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beastmix Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 3 minutes ago, GlobalVillan said: The fawning over Messi is probably the thing I despise most about football. I've cut-up your original quote here because, despite Emi's involvement, this is precisely why I'd like France to win on Sunday. It's fawning on a grotesque level. Damien Duff spitting hyperbole about him on Irish TV yesterday was almost feverish. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJBOB Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 (edited) Most of the modern world cup finals have been cagey affairs. Prior to 1990 - almost all of the finals had at least 3 goals but since then - only 2/8 have gone over 2 goals and 4/8 have gone into extras. Makes sense as the team that scores first will usually win and I don't think it will be any different. Neither Argentina nor France have poured the attack forward. France have had a block of at least Varane-Upa/Konate-Kounde as a back 3 while Theo gets a bit more forward and Thchouameni and Rabiot/Fofana as sitters. Neither of them have been making a lot of extra 3rd man runs from midfield. Lots of reliance on Griezman in between the lines and Mbappe/Dembele on the wings. Same with Argentina as Acuna/Tagliafico will stay back whilst Molina gets forward on the Messi side to provide width. Either way - De Paul is never far behind Messi in his bodyguard role while Enzo also sits in front of the back line of Romero-Otamendi. Messi plays in the right channel and drifts while MacAllister covers the left channel for width on that side. It will be interesting to see how Argentina handles this Messi/Molina dynamic as I don't think they are going to want to leave Romero vs Mbappe frequently as Mbappe always stays up on his side. Conversely - Messi has made a mug of the variety of LB's and left-sided CB's this tournament. I expect Konate to retain his spot and will be interesting to see how Theo Hernandez and Rabiot/Fofana will deal with Messi. Unfortunately for France, Messi has found a way each match this tournament and Argentina, unlike their cursed 2014-2018 versions, have been willing to play away from Messi to their left side with MacAllister and Alvarez usually remaining on the opposite side of the pitch to punish the triple and double teams on Messi. Very interesting chess match. Scolani has shown a very progressive willingness to chop/change his line-up based on the opponent, playing variations of 442/433/5212. France - on the other hand - almost always set up in a 4231 in the build up and a 442 in defense. Can Scolani exploit the predictability one more time? Neither Argentina (Saudi-Mexico-Poland-Australia-Netherlands-Croatia) nor France (Australia-Denmark-Tunisia-Poland-England-Morocco) have had very hard fixture lists but on the face of it - Argentina have been the better side against every team bar Saudi Arabia. Besides Australia and Poland, have France really been the superior side against the other teams they've faced? They were in 1st gear vs Tunisia but England should have won. Morocco should have won had they finished any of their chances. Can France continue to milk their clinical finishing? Can Messi summon the wand of his left foot one more time to cement himself in the pantheon of world cup greats? I will have to edge it to Messi and Argentina. It's easy to come to the conclusion that Messi is carrying this team (which he is), but unlike 2014 and 2018, the rest of the Argentina side have found a way to help him instead of waiting for Messi to do all the work. But the front 4 of Mbappe/Giroud/Griezman/Dembele have been clinical enough to hide some blushes along the back 6. Can they be clinical once more against an Argentina side that have only buckled against Saudi Arabia and the Netherlands? 1-0 Argentina with some epic shit housery from the South Americans....but would love to see a 3-2 dramatic affair. Edited December 15, 2022 by DJBOB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Having Messi lifting the WC trophy in front of hundred of millions or even billions of people watching around the world would be the most successful sports washing moment of all time. It's the dream scenario for both FIFA and Qatar. Therefor I'd rather see France win it. Sure Qatar will be perfectly fine with their other poster boy M'bappé lifting it instead but it is what it is. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VillaJ100 Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Anyone but France for me I can't bear to see the French gits win it again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 Sometimes I think I'd rather Argentina for the variety, and sometimes I think I'd rather France so we'd gone out to the champions (and IMO comfortably the best side in world football). But most of all I just don't give that much of a shit really. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hiney Posted December 15, 2022 Share Posted December 15, 2022 As an English man, picking between Argentina or France to win the world cup is like choosing between contracting syphilis or genital warts 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr_Dogg Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 16 hours ago, sne said: Having Messi lifting the WC trophy in front of hundred of millions or even billions of people watching around the world would be the most successful sports washing moment of all time. It's the dream scenario for both FIFA and Qatar. Therefor I'd rather see France win it. Sure Qatar will be perfectly fine with their other poster boy M'bappé lifting it instead but it is what it is. They can't lose though, they own Mbappe and Messi. It's a dream for them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mic09 Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 One thing is certain about the final. About 10-15 mins will be sucked up by Emi needing to do his laces before a goal kick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 (edited) Despite claims of a new world order, it is two very familiar sides in the final. In the last 9 world cup finals 6 have involved either France or Argentina. We are still waiting for a non South american or European side to reach the final. Edited December 16, 2022 by The Fun Factory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OutByEaster? Posted December 16, 2022 Moderator Share Posted December 16, 2022 Argentina have on their side a psychopath between the sticks and their second best player of all time. France have a very good balanced side and the fastest human being at the World Cup. France also seem to have Qatar and FIFA behind them, perhaps due to their football being based in Paris, and the French have benefitted massively from some suspect refereeing in this tournament. I'm going for the Argentinians though, the French are good, but the Argies have an almost frightening will to win this - if it came to it, I think the Argentinian outfield players would all sacrifice a hand in order to win - the French look a little more like they'd prefer to keep their hair neat. Argentina 4-2. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 My prediction based on absolutely nothing is messi misses a penalty, an argue team mate misses a sitter after a great messi assist, mbappe does nothing but France win, winning goal will be a defensive howler followed by at least one "martinez has to save that" post pointing the finger at the first villa player to ever play in the WC final rather than the defender we have no connection to 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 53 minutes ago, The Fun Factory said: Despite claims of a new world order, it is two very familiar sides in the final. In the last 9 world cup finals 6 have involved either France or Argentina. We are still waiting for a non South american or European side to reach the final. This always pops up when some big teams go out early. I remember 2002 was a number of upsets some dodgier than the other and the final was still Brazil vs Germany Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Fun Factory Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 4 minutes ago, Zatman said: This always pops up when some big teams go out early. I remember 2002 was a number of upsets some dodgier than the other and the final was still Brazil vs Germany And that was a crap German side as well. Ballack carried them to the final. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlobalVillan Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 There ha ent REALLY been many upsets that actually mattered in the end. After the 2-1win, Saudi went out and Argentina reached the final, Brazil reserves lost to Cameroon with France reserves losing to Tunisia. Yes Morocco managed to "Greece 2004" their way to the semis but here we are with a final many expected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LondonLax Posted December 16, 2022 Share Posted December 16, 2022 The only matches Australia didn’t win were against Argentina and France so I think that demonstrates pretty comfortably that Australia are the third best team at this tournament. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rino8 Posted December 16, 2022 Visiting Supporter Share Posted December 16, 2022 1 hour ago, GlobalVillan said: There ha ent REALLY been many upsets that actually mattered in the end. After the 2-1win, Saudi went out and Argentina reached the final, Brazil reserves lost to Cameroon with France reserves losing to Tunisia. Yes Morocco managed to "Greece 2004" their way to the semis but here we are with a final many expected. What, did you think we had a Japan - Morocco final on the cards for a second? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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