Legendary right-sided midfielder David Beckham had some hugely memorable moments for England, including the free kick that sent the nation to the 2002 World Cup and the free kick that sent England to the quarterfinals in ’06. But the “Bury Beckham,” Kieran Trippier, has perhaps already eclipsed Golden Balls on the world’s biggest stage.
Following Belgium’s 1-0 defeat to France in the semifinals of the World Cup, defeated Red Devils stars Eden Hazard and Thibaut Courtois immediately began throwing shade at Les Bleus.
During France’s 1-0 win over Belgium yesterday, there was a heinous moment in the 92nd minute when Kylian Mbappe attempted to retain possession near Belgium’s corner flag, only to dribble out of bounds. Instead of allowing Toby Alderweireld to take the throw, the 19-year-old attempted a comically horrendous behind the back pass that landed on the pitch.
The first semifinal of the 2018 World Cup featured heavyweights France and Belgium, and there were several inspiring moments throughout the match. Unfortunately, a Blaise Matuidi concussion in the 82nd minute and the insufficient treatment he received left many fans in disbelief for all the wrong reasons.
The application of VAR has contributed to officials awarding a record number of penalty kicks during the 2018 World Cup. The 28 penalty kicks awarded thus far shattered the previous record of 18. In addition to identifying fouls in the box, VAR could be used to improve penalty kick rules by making them more nuanced.
There’s your answer: From front to back, France has the best blend of talent at this World Cup. That’s not to deride Croatia or England, it’s just a question that was very obviously going to be settled in this particular semifinal. Could the “magic” propel either of those nations beyond France in the final? As Steven Gerrard would say, yeeeaah course — Portugal did it.