Finally, WC 2018 is over and we have seen every game. This is my final WC squad with starting XI -
GK: 1. Courtois
Back: 2. Pavard, 4. Varane, 5. Godin, 3. Vertonghen
DM/CM: 6. Kante, 8. Modric (C)
AM/Wingers: 7. Mbappe, 10. Griezmann, 11. Hazard
Forwad: 9. Neymar
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GK: 13. Schmeichel, 23. Pickford
Wing backs: 12. Vrsaljko, 15. Hernandez
CB: 16. Granqvist, 17. Thiago Silva
CM/DM: 18. Rakitic, 19. Pogba, 20. KDB
AM: 14. Coutinho
Winger: 21. Perisic
CF: 22. CR
So, basically I didn't find any reason to change my starting XI based on the Final & 3rd/4th play-off; but there are few changes in the back-up team.
Despite having a great tournament, I have dropped Lloris from the squad for that one blunder - goal-keeping is a thankless job. Also, it's better for WC winning captain to miss-out all together, rather than sitting on bench.
Perisic and Vrsaljko were outstanding for Croatia, therefore they makes the squad. Vrsaljko was so good that had Pavard not been quite good as well in Final, I would have started with Vrsaljko. Hernandez comes as back-up LB, for his great display in Final. Perisic isn't starting because his 2 possible spots are occupied by the 2 best players of the tournament - Hazard & Mbappe. He can start as the Left wing back, in a more attacking version of 4231.
Stones & Lovren had 2 forgettable games & it was Stones, who allowed Mandzudic to sneak behind and score, then Hazard breezed past him. Not sure why everyone is crazy about Maguire, who is hardly a CB - apart from arial threat from set pieces, don't think his defensive stats are that good. For same reason Mina misses out - CB has to stop goals first, rather than scoring. I think, before Lukaku hammered them, Miranda & Silva were outstanding for Brazil and they lost against Belgium for an own goal and a long shot from outside box - their zonal marking and positional play was outstanding; I picked Thiago Silva from that pair. Last CB (4th in squad), hardly ever gets any game time - there were many to pick from - Alderweild, Umtiti, Miranda, Stones, Vida, Lovren, Maguire, Kompany ... I picked the man instrumental in the build-up of a very average but brilliantly organized Swedish team, their inspirational captain Granqvist.
Kane had one more chance to make a meaningful mark & he failed miserably. CR almost alone earned 1 point against Spain and he was instrumental to take Portugal to next round - for his 4 goals in as many games, I picked him as back-up forward, can easily replace Neymar as starter. Sadly, I couldn't find a spot for any English player, apart from Pickford as 3rd keeper. He was by far the best English player in this WC, which probably indicative of England.
Without a shed of doubt, my Manager is Dalic.
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My WC 2018 Epitaph -
Best Player: Modric
Best GK: Courtois
Best Defender: Varane
Best Midfielder: Pogba (After Modric)
Best Winger: Hazard
Best Forward: Mbappe
Best Manager: Dalic
Best Goal: Still Messi - timing (of run to beat offside trap), touch, speed, shooting precision ... every skills were there in those 3 sublime touches - a perfect goal.
Best Moment: Mbappe's back flick to feed Giroud - don't have any words for that, and the kid is only 19.
Best individual piece of skill - Quaresma's volley to score against Iran from the edge of box with his outside edge of right foot - it had control, pace, precision, dip and swing, above all vision - he knew exactly what he was trying to achieve.
Cult Hero: Has to be Giroud - one can hate him, but guy did his job perfectly
Unfair play: Neymar - he is introducing an ill trend in soccer
Unfortunate: Senegal
Undeserving: Harry Kane
Over Rated: Rashford - "better than Mbappe", British media wrote it even in mid June!!!!
Heart Broken: Japan - made it to the 2nd round through back door, but didn't deserve to lose like that
Felt sorry: for James Rod - robbed a golden ball by Adidas in 2014, then a possible SF spot for injury in 2018
Worried for: Argentina - this golden generation won 2 U20 WCs, 2 Olympics; but they haven't won anything for Argentina. Since 2007, once mighty Argentina hasn't done anything (Not even SF) in U17 or U20 WC, or in Olympics, which brings fear that the once bottomless mine of talent might be depleting - none of this last of the Mohicans should be there in 2021, and if they don't find the replacements, Argentina might miss out Qatar 2022.
Biggest surprise : Germany & Russia at either end
Least surprise: France - I knew, even 4 years back, they'll win this time - that squad is worth $1.5bn, and they kept another bn worth of players at home. That forward line is unreal.
Impressed by: Vladimir Putin - best WC in memory.
Disgusted by: VAR - not the technology, but the application.
Mukkaddar Ka Sikkander: Lionel Messi - Qatar is 4.5 years away, and he'll be 35+ by then. He had the chance to score at least one goal in a WC KO game in 8 attempts ....... Haven't seen anyone like him in past, won't see anyone in future for sure; but football didn't wish him to win something for Argentina - that was his destiny.
It had been a wonderful month, in which my entire focus was soccer - apart from 2 matches at Wimbledon, I didn't watch anything outside soccer for a month. Life returns to normality again ......
