France vs Croatia: France overpower Croatia 4-2 to win FIFA World Cup 2018 Final Trophy [Photos]

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBM8bldFENXuMSYzI4_ZOhWeed4a_Exn4E7jSw3yiRg-LPsdjHlqWFiYMa8uVKJ5kabo25Tfp_e8STyUhqUVUdZWSX_2Qm2fVwRpBEo0sVunDmFRJj2J7HH62pK9S2k8aqooxrpdzwYjX/s1600/France-vs-Croatia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="860" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBM8bldFENXuMSYzI4_ZOhWeed4a_Exn4E7jSw3yiRg-LPsdjHlqWFiYMa8uVKJ5kabo25Tfp_e8STyUhqUVUdZWSX_2Qm2fVwRpBEo0sVunDmFRJj2J7HH62pK9S2k8aqooxrpdzwYjX/s640/France-vs-Croatia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> France overpower Croatia 4-2 to win FIFA World Cup 2018 Final</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3> <ul> <li>France are Russia 2018 champions after 4-2 win in Moscow</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Valiant Croatia are runners-up, their best-ever World Cup finish</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Deschamps becomes third man to win Trophy as player and manager</li> </ul> <ul> <li>France overwhelmed Croatia 4-2 in the World Cup final to lift the trophy for the second time in 20 years</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The French were made to sweat initially and were lucky to go ahead when Croatia striker Mandzukic scored an own goal</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Deschamps became only the third man to win the trophy both as a player and a manager</li> </ul> </h3> <br /> MOSCOW - RUSSIA: France won the World Cup for the second time by ending battling Croatia's dream of a first title with a 4-2 victory on Sunday in one of the most entertaining and action-packed finals for decades.<br /> <br /> France led 2-1 at halftime after a Mario Mandzukic own goal and an Antoine Griezmann VAR penalty, with Ivan Perisic briefly bringing first-time finalists Croatia level.<br /> <br /> Quickfire strikes by Paul Pogba and Kylian Mbappe midway through the second half put France on course for the title but Mandzukic was gifted a goal by French keeper Hugo Lloris to set up a nervous last 20 minutes.<br /> <br /> France, however, withstood a spirited Croatia assault to lift the trophy for the second time, following their success on home soil 20 years ago, and ensure there was no repeat of two years ago when they were beaten in the European Championship final by Portugal in Paris.<br /> <br /> The victory means that Didier Deschamps, captain of the 1998 side, becomes the third man to win the World Cup as player and coach after Brazil's Mario Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer.<br /> <br /> It was the highest-scoring final since England beat West Germany 4-2 after extra-time in 1966 and the highest in normal time since Brazil beat Sweden 5-2 60 years ago. The landmarks came thick and fast in the first half too.<br /> <br /> Croatia had started full of energy but fell behind when Mandzukic, who scored the extra-time winner against England in the semi-final, became the first man to score an own goal in a World Cup final when a Griezmann free kick skidded in off his head in the 18th minute. It was the 12th own goal of the tournament.<br /> <br /> That meant it was the fourth successive knockout game that Croatia had conceded first but Perisic, who got the equaliser against England, was on hand again to level the scores 10 minutes later, smashing in a low shot after Sime Vrsaljko had headed Luka Modric's free kick across the box.<br /> <br /> But it was then Perisic's turn go from hero to zero when he flapped an arm at a corner and, after a VAR review, Argentine referee Nestor Pitana awarded the 28th penalty of the tournament, another record, which Griezmann stroked home in the 38th minute for his fourth goal of Russia 2018.<br /> <br /> That made it the highest-scoring first half since 1974, when West Germany led the Netherlands 2-1 - also the final score then.<br /> <br /> It was harsh on Croatia, who had made most of the running, and they were on top again after the break, continually winning their one-on-one duels in the air and in every tackle and forging forward in the French box with plenty of variety.<br /> <br /> <br /> But France's defence, so impressive all tournament, held and they went 3-1 up on the hour as Mbappe and Griezmann combined to set up Pogba on the edge of the box. His right-footed shot was blocked but he coolly curved the rebound in with his left.<br /> <br /> <br /> After three successive extra-time knockout games the chances of another Croatian comeback seemed slight but they looked dead and buried six minutes later. Lucas Hernandez tore down the left to set up Mbappe who drilled a low shot beyond keeper Danijel Subasic for the 19-year-old's fourth goal of the tournament.<br /> <br /> <br /> An awful blunder by Lloris revived Croatia, as the French keeper tried to dribble around Mandzukic only for the striker to tap the ball straight into an unguarded net.<br /> <br /> <br /> Croatia, beaten by the French in the semi-finals in their first World Cup appearance in 1998, continued to press but their energy was sapped and France safely held out for the victory.<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylPY_ns7KE92AKqKFtHFk1NmGIK5NpmyAEcS2qW_MG7nj4ndPSeOSb_YzdFhegJz2MaDJED8oY9p0ZeoBuhGBvTk8Ru5mnNU5R1ocJk9GmyoBtcn4YhUXUCGVwGDQWLKPhNqPHpfedcZI/s1600/france-world-cup-winners_2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1440" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjylPY_ns7KE92AKqKFtHFk1NmGIK5NpmyAEcS2qW_MG7nj4ndPSeOSb_YzdFhegJz2MaDJED8oY9p0ZeoBuhGBvTk8Ru5mnNU5R1ocJk9GmyoBtcn4YhUXUCGVwGDQWLKPhNqPHpfedcZI/s640/france-world-cup-winners_2018.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">France are Russia 2018 champions after 4-2 win in Moscow, Russia.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku_zo_RZ5A1VxQ3lUfTP5k8-vMKmb2ZWxjw9B50LxVfV0BtaUrs5jsCALQ6wUj0CGonLWYaYnP0IxauDQZiW9w6e0BW9GoJbDARrvYx9itFB2yoXrPMhWXKM0_4CemLKxyPGXDb19K6O8/s1600/france+team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjku_zo_RZ5A1VxQ3lUfTP5k8-vMKmb2ZWxjw9B50LxVfV0BtaUrs5jsCALQ6wUj0CGonLWYaYnP0IxauDQZiW9w6e0BW9GoJbDARrvYx9itFB2yoXrPMhWXKM0_4CemLKxyPGXDb19K6O8/s640/france+team.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">France are Russia 2018 FIFA World Cup champions after 4-2 win in Moscow.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPC-RAuUa2GFT1ZQofQlKYuYw2d6MMdeBMvozdiotqoUuE_mJvbusnxOJqAkx1Pb-OhkHji90ZcHJ8HqgBvdKvmYGC6_x00l1tTOSImDKNgzKa4bPUpet33P_63opV75bh3Iv3vX7yVmkT/s1600/Antoine-Griezmann.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPC-RAuUa2GFT1ZQofQlKYuYw2d6MMdeBMvozdiotqoUuE_mJvbusnxOJqAkx1Pb-OhkHji90ZcHJ8HqgBvdKvmYGC6_x00l1tTOSImDKNgzKa4bPUpet33P_63opV75bh3Iv3vX7yVmkT/s640/Antoine-Griezmann.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Antoine Griezmann Sealed 2018 FIFA World Cup Trophy with a kiss.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBWLWSPIqKFL0nQV_8Xd45i4kGtTNHlq6YM4YRKoyAWnXHK-uXdDlj1aWJKi9CCSXKCsZka6UIw1Ki5qs5Sj1FXTY5SA12YaE5fCHa2wBLgryPydMnXkNA2l3bCNkB0xv_b6HIIdJNhWS/s1600/Kylian-Mbappe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBWLWSPIqKFL0nQV_8Xd45i4kGtTNHlq6YM4YRKoyAWnXHK-uXdDlj1aWJKi9CCSXKCsZka6UIw1Ki5qs5Sj1FXTY5SA12YaE5fCHa2wBLgryPydMnXkNA2l3bCNkB0xv_b6HIIdJNhWS/s640/Kylian-Mbappe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">France forward Kylian Mbappe, a goalscorer in the showpiece, takes the FIFA Young Player award. And he Sealed Trophy with a kiss.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <br /> credit: The Times of India

2018 FIFA World Cup Trophy Antoine Griezmann Croatia vs France Featured France vs Croatia Ivan PERISIC Kylian Mbappé Luka Modric Mandzukic Moscow Russia FIFA World Cup Final Sports France vs Croatia: France overpower Croatia 4-2 to win FIFA World Cup 2018 Final Trophy [Photos]

 France overpower Croatia 4-2 to win FIFA World Cup 2018 Final France are Russia 2018 champions after 4-2 win in Moscow Valiant Cro...

Read more »

France vs Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow - Russia on July 15, 2018 @ 5:00 PM GMT+2: 2018 FIFA World Cup Final Live

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFXb8ChWX8ExX79ZtH3lPNNkYbPbCSoof54PmZLkdUagLkN5SCM-ZkMVeNBCQhY4oo2AdyHjBMcHU72NJ3whBvYPqGNEbLX-mfCOzD66SC1bM-56iAsnaLX6Q-5uuQN6gSSfc1aBQZH1g/s1600/France+vs-Croatia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="729" data-original-width="1296" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFXb8ChWX8ExX79ZtH3lPNNkYbPbCSoof54PmZLkdUagLkN5SCM-ZkMVeNBCQhY4oo2AdyHjBMcHU72NJ3whBvYPqGNEbLX-mfCOzD66SC1bM-56iAsnaLX6Q-5uuQN6gSSfc1aBQZH1g/s640/France+vs-Croatia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">France vs Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow - Russia, 2018 FIFA World Cup. </td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3> <ul> <li>Croatia Digs Deeper, Burying England’s World Cup Dreams.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The winners of the World Cup will qualify for the 2021 FIFA Confederations Cup. </li> </ul> <ul> <li>France or Croatia will be crowned world champions after the World Cup 2018 final.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Mbappe makes French the firm favourites in FIFA 2018 World Cup final but let wait and see.</li> </ul> </h3> <br /> This coming Sunday, July 15, 2018, 5:00 PM GMT+2; the biggest soccer will take place at the Luzhniki Stadium, is the national stadium of Russia, located in its capital city, Moscow. Its total seating capacity of 81,000 makes it the largest football stadium in Russia and one of the largest stadiums in Europe. As France and Croatia will battle it out in the final of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.<br /> <br /> According to GhanaSky.com soccer analyst through wikipedia, this will be the 21st final of the FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial tournament contested by the men's national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The match will be held at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, on 15 July 2018 and will be contested by France and Croatia.<br /> <br /> After Uruguay and Brazil were eliminated in the quarter-finals, a European side was ensured to win the World Cup for a fourth consecutive tournament. The match is also the ninth all-European World Cup final, having most recently occurred in 2006 and 2010.<br /> <br /> The match is the third World Cup final for France, having won the 1998 final as hosts, winning 3–0 against reigning champions Brazil. France also contested the 2006 final, where they lost to Italy in a penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 draw. Only Germany (eight) and Italy (six) have reached more finals among European nations.<br /> <br /> The match is the first World Cup final for Croatia in their fifth World Cup appearance. Croatia's previous best performance was as World Cup debutants in 1998, when they finished in third place, losing 2–1 to hosts France in the semi-finals before beating the Netherlands 2–1 in the third place play-off.<br /> <br /> The final is the sixth meeting between France and Croatia, with France undefeated in the previous fixtures with three wins and two draws. The two sides first met in the 1998 World Cup semi-final, with hosts France winning 2–1. Their only other competitive meeting was during the group stage of Euro 2004, which finished as a 2–2 draw. Their next and most recent meeting was in a March 2011 friendly match, which finished as a 0–0 draw.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Date:</b> July 15, 2018, 5:00 PM GMT+2 on OFMTV.COM</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Location:</b> Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Venue:</b> Luzhniki Stadium</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Event:</b> 2018 FIFA World Cup</span><br /> <span style="font-size: large;"><b>Match:</b> Match 64 </span><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAo8DHMwxytLioEtzwH7uXON3n7RyLaQrvhVkjkgb2r3_kW3ehdrxk62PynKjNbPT0_70MsF9XYHzAKv52B8pj2iaoLvYQMWWy0Vz-SoR1VflloxVX5GFnfo3XFVkz17971nb0pPAwv__/s1600/luzhniki-stadium-russia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="720" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAo8DHMwxytLioEtzwH7uXON3n7RyLaQrvhVkjkgb2r3_kW3ehdrxk62PynKjNbPT0_70MsF9XYHzAKv52B8pj2iaoLvYQMWWy0Vz-SoR1VflloxVX5GFnfo3XFVkz17971nb0pPAwv__/s640/luzhniki-stadium-russia.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow, Russia.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"></span></div> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYR3u6Kz3JsY7MNdI1q8S2hkbBBGJBaz4J0vXLjVibDxTovb7p0WshfTBJgwHPv-Rr-TNqw1cOfn_8ZWmLUgt4GKCeiy5D0frdZtXEiqFnuVl9xdgnriAZZnltAhxR2avUgCTVdddrsTG/s1600/Luzhniki-Stadium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="720" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYR3u6Kz3JsY7MNdI1q8S2hkbBBGJBaz4J0vXLjVibDxTovb7p0WshfTBJgwHPv-Rr-TNqw1cOfn_8ZWmLUgt4GKCeiy5D0frdZtXEiqFnuVl9xdgnriAZZnltAhxR2avUgCTVdddrsTG/s640/Luzhniki-Stadium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Luzhniki Stadium inside, Moscow, Russia.</td></tr> </tbody></table> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"></span></div> <br /> <h3> <u>2018 FIFA World Cup Match rules [62]</u></h3> <h3> <ul> <li>90 minutes.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>30 minutes of extra time if necessary.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Penalty shoot-out if scores still level.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Maximum of twelve named substitutes.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Maximum of three substitutions, with a fourth allowed in extra time.</li> </ul> </h3> <h3> <u>France Route to 2018 FIFA World Cup final:</u></h3> France entered the 2018 World Cup as one of the favourites to win the tournament, particularly for their strong squad featuring several youth talents. The team finished as as runners-up to Portugal at Euro 2016, which the country hosted. The team qualified for the World Cup proper after finishing first in their qualification group, ahead of Sweden and the Netherlands.<br /> <br /> At the World Cup, France were drawn into Group C alongside Australia, Denmark, and Peru. The team defeated Australia 2–1 in its opening match in Kazan, with a penalty called by the video assistant referee and scored by Antoine Griezmann followed by an own goal deflected by Australian defender Aziz Behich. In its second match, France won 1–0 over Peru on a goal scored by 19-year-old Kylian Mbappé, who became France's youngest goalscorer at a major tournament.<br /> <br />  The victory over Peru qualified France for the knockout stage, allowing manager Didier Deschamps to rest several starting players for the final group stage match against Denmark. The match at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow finished in a scoreless draw marked by misplaced passes and goalkeeping mistakes. The team's group stage performance was characterised as lacking cohesion and failing to use its star players effectively.<br /> <br /> Finishing as winners of Group C, France were matched in the round of 16 with Group D runners-up Argentina. France won 4–3 on two goals scored by Mbappé, who also won a penalty in the opening minutes. Mbappé's performance drew comparisons to Pelé, who in 1958 was the last teenager to score twice in a World Cup match. In the quarter-finals, France defeated Uruguay 2–0 on a goal and assist by Antoine Griezmann.<br />  The team advanced to a semi-final match against Belgium in St. Petersburg, which ended in a 1–0 win for the French with a corner kick headed into the goal by defender Samuel Umtiti. The French team, particularly Mbappé, were criticised for timewasting and other unsportsmanlike conduct in the semi-finals after taking the lead in the second half.<br /> <h3> <u>Croatia Route to 2018 FIFA World Cup final:</u></h3> Croatia entered the 2018 World Cup as potential contenders, with their "Golden Generation" led by forward Mario Mandžukić and midfielders Marcelo Brozović, Mateo Kovačić, Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Ivan Rakitić. The team reached the round of 16 of UEFA Euro 2016, with one group stage match interrupted by protests against the Croatian Football Federation for alleged corruption that brought charges against high-level administrator Zdravko Mamić in 2017. Croatia qualified by scoring only 15 goals and finishing second to Iceland in their qualification group after appointing manager Zlatko Dalić amid a series of poor away results. Croatia advanced past Greece in the qualifying play-offs, winning the first leg 4–1 and drawing 0–0 in the second.<br /> <br /> Croatia were drawn into Group D with Argentina, Iceland, and Nigeria, considered a difficult draw due to Argentina's talent and Nigeria's historic performances. In their opening match, the team earned a 2–0 victory over Nigeria, with an own goal caused by Mandžukić and a penalty scored by Modrić. Croatia went on to upset Argentina with a 3–0 win and finished atop the group with a 2–1 win over Iceland.<br /> <br /> In the round of 16, Croatia played Denmark and earned a 1–1 after the two teams exchanged goals in the opening five minutes and a missed penalty from Modrić in stoppage time. Croatia won the subsequent penalty shootout 3–2, with three saves by goalkeeper Danijel Subašić and two saves by Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.<br /> <br />  The team advanced to a quarter-final fixture with hosts Russia, who had defeated Spain in the round of 16, in Sochi. The Russians scored their first in the 31st minute, but Andrej Kramarić equalised for Croatia eight minutes later and kept the score at 1–1 through the end of regular time. Croatia took a 2–1 lead in extra time with a header by Domagoj Vida, but Russian defender Mário Fernandes equalised in stoppage time to trigger a penalty shootout.<br /> <br /> The shootout was won 4–3 by Croatia after two misses by Russia and a shot by Modrić that rebounded off the post and into the goal. Croatia became the second team in World Cup to win two consecutive shootouts, after Argentina in 1990.<br /> <br /> After the match, a video of Vida saying "Glory to Ukraine" prompted controversy among Russians and a warning from FIFA's disciplinary committee, which enforces a ban on political slogans. Croatia's semi-final match against England at the Luzhniki began with a free kick goal by English defender Kieran Trippier in the fifth minute. Croatia resisted several attempts by England to score a second goal and earned an equalising goal of their own through a shot by Perišić in the 68th minute. The match was won 2–1 by Croatia after a 109th minute goal by Mandžukić.<br /> <div> <br /></div>

2018 FIFA World Cup Antoine Griezmann Croatia vs France Featured FIFA World Cup Final France vs Croatia Ivan PERISIC Kylian Mbappé Luka Modric Luzhniki Stadium Mario Mandzukic Sports France vs Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow - Russia on July 15, 2018 @ 5:00 PM GMT+2: 2018 FIFA World Cup Final Live

France vs Croatia at Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow - Russia, 2018 FIFA World Cup.  Croatia Digs Deeper, Burying England’s World Cup Dreams....

Read more »

Croatia vs England (2-1): Croatia beat England 2-1 to set up summit clash with France in FIFA World Cup 2018 Finals

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MCkGaF0pVgiGsLkO5gY6FC_E3MpF41nYeygAug6m3ayjh9LzHOwQlKYAQApuP58pGa0eunSp_PyK_HbxYtnJ4kCIHeFiAMq5Y3jE87x1KXREQ4qbUfoifxy_HYZVciJh2Xa7IcOnss_G/s1600/Croatia-man.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1MCkGaF0pVgiGsLkO5gY6FC_E3MpF41nYeygAug6m3ayjh9LzHOwQlKYAQApuP58pGa0eunSp_PyK_HbxYtnJ4kCIHeFiAMq5Y3jE87x1KXREQ4qbUfoifxy_HYZVciJh2Xa7IcOnss_G/s640/Croatia-man.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ivan PERISIC goal, Croatia vs England (2-1) at Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals </td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3> <ul> <li>Croatia will play France in the final on Sunday</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Croatia into their first ever FIFA World Cup Final</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Mandzukic strikes in second half of extra time to win it</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Trippier and Perisic goals send it beyond 90 minutes</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Croatia and England were level at 1-1 after 90 minutes in their semi-final contest</li> </ul> <ul> <li>England led Croatia 1-0 at halftime after Kieran Trippier got them off to a flying start</li> </ul> </h3> <br /> <br /> What a stunning performance from Croatia! They are in the final! What a story for this golden generation!<br /> <br /> England are down to ten men after Kieran Trippier has been carried off with Gareth Southgate having used all his substitutes.<br /> <br /> England were the better team of the first period of extra time but Croatia take the lead! Mario Mandzukic scoring great goal from insidethe box!<br /> <br /> Luka Modric is everywhere. Another stunning game from Croatia's talisman so far. Vatreni played much better in the second half of normal time. How much energy do they have left after their two prior 120-minute knockout round matches?<br /> <br /> <b>Can Kane do it?</b><br /> Harry Kane hasn't been able to find his scoring touch so far today, heading wide in stoppage time.<br /> This is the ninth semi-final to go to extra-time. Only three of the previous times has it been decided in the half hour. Five times it has gone to penalties...<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3O9uP_G0W62pc-DOpxPU_4XDVY20Bsfha9RLqkbaxqHfIfMsKYrS2hlTlP84VbxxREVMHaCLhxIEyZEINSVvfSKuVvgbpEp27R8uHHrI3MQdZS4lCNhHP8KoE0Dsb0zkbh1DwNdEe95P/s1600/kane.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA3O9uP_G0W62pc-DOpxPU_4XDVY20Bsfha9RLqkbaxqHfIfMsKYrS2hlTlP84VbxxREVMHaCLhxIEyZEINSVvfSKuVvgbpEp27R8uHHrI3MQdZS4lCNhHP8KoE0Dsb0zkbh1DwNdEe95P/s640/kane.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> 120+4' - Free-kick for England. Last chance?<br /> <br /> 120+2' - Harry Maguire's long ball was calmly collected by Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic<br /> <br /> 120' - Four minutes added as stoppage time<br /> <br /> 120' - Croatia's Andrej Kramaric hit the side netting from the right<br /> <br /> 119' - Time is running out for England<br /> <br /> 118' - Substitution! Change for Croatia: Luka Modric is replaced by Milan Badelj<br /> <br /> 117' - Bad news for England: Kieran Trippier limped off the ground<br /> <br /> 116' - Corner for Croatia. Not much came off it<br /> <br /> 115' - Substitution! Change for Croatia: Mario Mandzukic is replaced by Vedran Corluka<br /> <br /> 112' - Substitution! Kyle Walker is replaced by Jamie Vardy<br /> <br /> 109' - GOAL! Mario Mandzukic put Croatia in the lead<br /> <br /> Mandzukic scored from close range to put Croatia in the lead late in the extra time.<br /> <br /> 108' - Ivan Rakitic took a quick corner kick but Marcelo Brozovic shot it well wide of England goal<br /> <br /> 107' - Ivan Perisic won a corner for Croatia<br /> <br /> Second half of extra time underway...<br /> <br /> HT of extra time: It's still 1-1 in Moscow<br /> <br /> 105+2' - SAVE! Jordan Pickford deflected it out for Croatia corner and denied Mario Mandzukic<br /> <br /> 105' - Two minutes added as stoppage time<br /> <br /> 104' - England enjoyed better possession in the first half of extra time<br /> <br /> 101' - Substitution! Second change for Croatia: Ante Rebic is replaced by Andrej Kramaric<br /> <br /> 99' - SAVE! John Stones header was headed out from the goal line by Sime Vrsaljko. Kieran Trippier with the delivery from the set piece<br /> <br /> 98' - Eric Dier's long ranger was deflected out for an England corner<br /> <br /> 97' - Substitution! Third change for England: Jordan Henderson is replaced by Eric Dier<br /> <br /> 95' - Yellow Card! Croatia's Ante Rebic is booked for a foul on Danny Rose<br /> <br /> 94' - Substitution! First change for Croatia: Ivan Strinic is replaced by Josip Pivaric<br /> <br /> 93' - Dele Alli gave away the ball at the edge of the Croatia box<br /> <br /> ET 1st half underway...<br /> <br /> Extra-time Substitution: England's Ashley Young is replaced by Danny Rose<br /> <br /> End of regulation time: It's 1-1 between Croatia and England. Extra time to follow<br /> <br /> Croatia and England were level at 1-1 after 90 minutes in their semi-final after Croatia's Ivan Perisic scored in the 68th minute to cancel out Kieran Trippier's early free kick. Trippier curled the ball in after five minutes to get England off to a flying start but Croatia hit back when Perisic got in front of his marker to flick in a high cross from Sime Vrsaljko in the 68th minute. The match is going into extra time.<br /> <br /> 90+1' - Free-kick for England from the right flank. Kieran Trippier curled it into the middle but Harry Kane's header was well wide of the Croatia goal<br /> <br /> 90' - Three minutes added as stoppage time<br /> <br /> 88' - Free-kick for Croatia near their penalty area. The match looks heading towards extra time<br /> <br /> 83' - SAVE! Mario Mandzukic's attempt from a tight angle was palmed out by England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford<br /> <br /> 81' - Kieran Trippier's back pass almost cost England a goal. Ivan Perisic was on the prowl, John Stones avoided the disaster<br /> <br /> 77' - Harry Kane found Jesse Lingard on the right side of the Croatian area, but the Manchester United player's attempt went across the goal mouth<br /> <br /> 76' - England are struggling to stop constant waves of Croatian attacks.<br /> <br /> 74' - Substitution! First change for England: Raheem Sterling is replaced by Marcus Rashford<br /> <br /> 72' - MISSED! Ivan Perisic hit the far post from the left side of the England area. And on the rebound, Ante Rebic shot it straight to Jordan Pickford<br /> <br /> 68' - GOAL! Ivan Perisic scored the equaliser for Croatia<br /> <br /> Sime Vrsaljko with a brilliant cross in from the right flank and Perisic beat Jordan Pickford with a high boot touch in front of Kyle Walker's head<br /> <br /> 67' - Harry Kane hit the side netting from a tight angle<br /> <br /> 65' - BLOCKED! Ivan Perisic's goal-bound shot was blocked out by England's Kyle Walker with his body. Walker needed some assistance to recover from the thunderous shot<br /> <br /> 61' - Ivan Rakitic attempted a half-volley from the edge of England box, but he mishit it and the ball went well wide of the goal<br /> <br /> 59' - Ante Rebic's cross in into England box was miscued for a Croatia corner. Then Luka Modric's delivery was punched out by Jordan Pickford<br /> <br /> 56' - Jesse Lingard's attempt from the edge of Croatia box was deflected out for an England corner. Kieran Trippier's delivery was cleared out<br /> <br /> 55' - Corner for Croatia. It ended with a free-kick for England for a foul inside the penalty area<br /> <br /> 54' - Yellow Card! Now England's Kyle Walker booked for blocking Croatia from tacking quick throw in<br /> <br /> 50' - Yellow Card! The booking was for Mario Mandzukic for showing dissent and not for Ante Rebic<br /> <br /> 48' - Yellow Card Cancelled! Croatia's Ante Rebic penalised for hitting Kyle Walker with his arm while vying for a header. But he was not booked<br /> <br /> 46' - Early attack from Croatia in the second half. Ante Rebic fumbled and gave away the ball inside the England box<br /> <br /> Second half underway...<br /> <br /> HT - England lead Croatia 1-0 at the halftime break<br /> <br /> England led Croatia 1-0 at halftime in their World Cup semi-final after Kieran Trippier got them off to a flying start by scoring from a free kick after five minutes. Trippier curled the ball over the Croatia wall and into the top corner from the edge of the area. England looked much more dangerous throughout and missed a golden chance to go two goals ahead when Jesse Lingard, completely free on the edge of the penalty area, curled his shot wide.<br /> <br /> 45+1' - Somehow England cleared out the cross in by Luka Modric from a set piece<br /> <br /> 45' - One minute added as stoppage time<br /> <br /> 44' - England attack from the left flank, won a throw-in near the Croatia box<br /> <br /> 40' - Free-kick for England near their own area after Ashley Young was brought down by Ante Rebic from behind<br /> <br /> 36' - WIDE! Jese Lingard shot it wide of Croatia goal from the edge of the box. He received the ball from the left from Dele Alli. Good chance missed<br /> <br /> 33' - Ivan Perisic's shot was blocked out by Ashley Young for a Croatia corner. Nothing came off the set piece<br /> <br /> 31' - SAVE! This time it was the turn of England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to make the save. Ante Rebic with the long ranger<br /> <br /> 30' - SAVE! Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subasic denied Harry Kane from one-on-one situation. And from the rebound, Kane hit the post from tight angle<br /> <br /> 27' - Free-kick for England from the left. Dejan Lovren brought down by Raheem Sterling. Ashley Young's delivery was punched out by Danijel Subasic<br /> <br /> 25' - Good counter run from the right by Jesse Lingard, but his final pass was wayward and behind the charging Harry Kane and Dele Alli<br /> <br /> 22' - Raheem Sterling found himself with the ball at the top of the Croatia box, but it was good defending by the Croatians. Sterling was forced to release it for Harry Kane, who was caught off-side<br /> <br /> 21' - Free-kick for England at the half line for a foul on Harry Kane<br /> <br /> 19' - WIDE! Ivan Perisic's attempt from diatance went just wide of England goal<br /> <br /> 14' - Second corner for England. Kieron Trippier's delivery for the corner kick found Harry Maguire in the middle, but the England defender headed it wide of Croatia goal<br /> <br /> 12' - Corner for England. Ashley Young with the delivery from the set piece, but the ref whistled for a free-kick for Croatia<br /> <br /> 9' - Corner for Croatia. Luka Modric with the delivery but England cleared it out.<br /> <br /> 5' - GOAL! Kieran Trippier scored a free-kick to put England in the lead<br /> <br /> WHAT A GOAL! England's new 'David Beckham' Trippier hit the back of the top right from the set piece. What a timing to score his first international goal. No chance for Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subasic<br /> <br /> 4' - Free-kick for England from a dangerous position. Luka Modric brought down Dele Alli just outside the Croatia area<br /> <br /> 3' - Mario Mandzukic penalised for a foul on Jordan Henderson<br /> <br /> Here we go....KICK-OFF TIME<br /> <br /> *Time for National Anthems*<br /> <br /> <b>Starting line-ups</b><br /> <br /> <b>Croatia (4-3-3):</b> Danijel Subasic; Sime Vrsaljko, Dejan Lovren, Domagoj Vida, Ivan Strinic; Luka Modric (capt), Marcelo Brozovic, Ivan Rakitic; Ante Rebic, Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Perisic. Coach: Zlatko Dalic (CRO)<br /> <br /> <b>England (3-5-2):</b> Jordan Pickford; Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire; Kieran Trippier, Jesse Lingard, Jordan Henderson, Dele Alli, Ashley Young; Raheem Sterling, Harry Kane (capt). Coach: Gareth Southgate (ENG)<br /> <br /> <b>Referee:</b> Cuneyt Cakir (TUR)<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>TEAM NEWS</b><br /> <br /> England's starting line-up for their semi-final against Croatia remained unchanged for the third knockout match in a row, with coach Gareth Southgate sticking to his trusted 5-3-2 system. Captain Harry Kane, leading scorer in the tournament with six goals, will spearhead the attack alongside Raheem Sterling, who has not scored in more than 1,000 days for England, as they look to reach their first World Cup final in 52 years.<br /> <br /> <br /> Croatia midfielder Luka Modric, set to start, will equal Dario Simic's national record of 11 appearances at World Cups. Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic brought in midfielder Marcelo Brozovic in place of forward Andrej Kramaric in an effort to control the pace of the game. Key defender Sime Vrsaljko was passed fit to start after recovering from a knee injury.<br /> <br /> credit: The Times of India & FIFA

2018 FIFA World Cup Croatia into World Cup final Croatia vs England England vs Croatia Featured FIFA World Cup semi-finals Harry Kane Ivan PERISIC Ivan PERISIC goal Luka Modric Mario Mandzukic Sports Croatia vs England (2-1): Croatia beat England 2-1 to set up summit clash with France in FIFA World Cup 2018 Finals

Ivan PERISIC goal, Croatia vs England (2-1) at Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals  Croatia will play France in the final on Sunday...

Read more »

France vs Belgium (1-0): Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals Goals & Highlights

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNYx0wTTUBKvmGF3K8NQAu16UWiU7wDK70KAgIqiTT3ZugTn4PXu9K2A5XKQ7s9mM3I5WM1hJstAVRfG_kh15Oltz_XhbObkRhQ41JM7kt4LWkwPDyfpzCgcN_LZBsDkrm5-lPWIyNrSg/s1600/Lukaku_Eden_Griezmann_Mbappe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="850" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPNYx0wTTUBKvmGF3K8NQAu16UWiU7wDK70KAgIqiTT3ZugTn4PXu9K2A5XKQ7s9mM3I5WM1hJstAVRfG_kh15Oltz_XhbObkRhQ41JM7kt4LWkwPDyfpzCgcN_LZBsDkrm5-lPWIyNrSg/s640/Lukaku_Eden_Griezmann_Mbappe.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Romelu Lukaku (second left) and Eden Hazard (right) face off against Antoine Griezmann (left) and Kylian Mbappé (second right) as Belgium and France meet in the first of the FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals. FIFA/Getty Images </td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3> <ul> <li>France vs Belgium, Samuel Umtiti header sends France past Belgium and into World Cup final.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Samuel Umtiti's 51st-minute header sent an impressive France into the World Cup final.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>France look to lift the trophy for the second time following their triumph on home soil in 1998.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>France were thankful for fine saves from goalkeeper Hugo Lloris either side of half-time.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Samuel Umtiti headed France into the FIFA World Cup 2018 final in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday with a 1-0 win.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Samuel Umtiti's headed winner has returned France to the FIFA World Cup™ Final for the third time in 20 years, sealing a 1-0 win over Belgium in Saint Petersburg.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Belgium denied and will contest third-place play-off on Saturday.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>France are first team into 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Final.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>France book their place in their first World Cup Final for 12 years.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Les Bleus to face England or Croatia on 15 July.</li> </ul> </h3> <br /> <b>ST PETERSBURG RUSSIA: </b>Samuel Umtiti's 51st-minute header sent an impressive France into the World Cup final with a 1-0 win over Belgium in an absorbing first semi-final on Tuesday.<br /> <br /> Didier Deschamps' side will face England or Croatia in Moscow on Sunday as the French look to lift the trophy for the second time following their triumph on home soil in 1998.<br /> <br /> In an enthralling tactical match, it was once again a set-piece that proved decisive with Umtiti's near-post header from an Antoine Griezmann corner settling matters.<br /> <br /> Belgium took early control of midfield with France content to sit deep and eliminate the threat of counter-attacks from Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne.<br /> <br /> But it was by no means a purely negative approach as the French offered their own danger on the break, perfectly illustrated when Paul Pogba's delivery sent Kylian Mbappe racing towards goal and Belgium were thankful their keeper Thibaut Courtois was alert to snuff out the danger.<br /> <br /> The first real opening came in the 16th minute when De Bruyne hooked the ball into the path of Hazard whose shot was just wide of Huge Lloris's far post.<br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgreOSQgnAVRaAX3VoZdUGYRapw-e8Zz14PYzlCknulVsqb1AdwPJKdHRFuFMecSsJUE1SNkG1nWxMHKIZtz2xnGIZgpSiwUrI9KVxJL3cTKZ4TMq3WtS3V-SBIV1wKdcms2jYq73ZuX1/s1600/russia-soccer-wcup-france-vs-belgium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="960" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgreOSQgnAVRaAX3VoZdUGYRapw-e8Zz14PYzlCknulVsqb1AdwPJKdHRFuFMecSsJUE1SNkG1nWxMHKIZtz2xnGIZgpSiwUrI9KVxJL3cTKZ4TMq3WtS3V-SBIV1wKdcms2jYq73ZuX1/s640/russia-soccer-wcup-france-vs-belgium.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">France's Samuel Umtiti (2L) is congratulated by teammates Antoine Griezmann (L), Raphael Varane (2R) and Paul Pogba after scoring the only goal between France vs Belgium at Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals.</td></tr> </tbody></table> Hazard was dangerous again moments later when he cut in from the left and unleashed a rasping drive which clipped off the back of Raphael Varane and just over the bar.<br /> <br /> From a Belgium corner, Toby Alderweireld tested Lloris with a smart shot on the turn but as the half progressed France began to create more.<br /> <br /> Olivier Giroud flashed a header just wide and Mbappe set up Benjamin Pavard whose low shot was kept out by the outstretched leg of Courtois.<br /> <br /> <br /> It was a fascinating first half and all that was missing was a goal but one came soon after the break.<br /> <br /> From Griezmann's corner, Umtiti beat Marouane Fellaini at the near post and powered a header home to put France ahead.<br /> <br /> Fellaini flashed a header just wide and Axel Witsel forced a good save out of Lloris as Belgium pushed forward for an equaliser and France hung on in six minutes of stoppage time to book their place in the final.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> credit: The Times of India

2018 FIFA World Cup Croatia vs England Featured FIFA World Cup semi-finals France into World Cup final France vs Belgium Harry Kane Kylian Mbappe Luka Modric Romelu Lukaku Samuel Umtiti goal Sports France vs Belgium (1-0): Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals Goals & Highlights

Romelu Lukaku (second left) and Eden Hazard (right) face off against Antoine Griezmann (left) and Kylian Mbappé (second right) as Belgium ...

Read more »

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Semi-finals: France vs Belgium and Croatia vs England Matches, fixtures, Schedules, Full results, Tournament statistics, Matches played 60, Goals scored, Venues, FIFA TV Channels etc.

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCzybEEtPCWqd4UVh5TRbeTEFHnTkbVSfFA9j5y5yoe6PDTy89l2Oh8BgIXlM5r7dOKpQv8IEKIrYSioZILElrB4T8_YLHKQjERJX9vrFN5vXhqdzCRv6mYKAQIpWvVPd39P6xo-N2qil/s1600/FIFA_World_Cup_2018_Semi-finals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="800" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCzybEEtPCWqd4UVh5TRbeTEFHnTkbVSfFA9j5y5yoe6PDTy89l2Oh8BgIXlM5r7dOKpQv8IEKIrYSioZILElrB4T8_YLHKQjERJX9vrFN5vXhqdzCRv6mYKAQIpWvVPd39P6xo-N2qil/s640/FIFA_World_Cup_2018_Semi-finals.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals: Fixtures of France vs Belgium and Croatia vs England Matches.</td></tr> </tbody></table> Catch up all the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Soccer News and Analysis, as GhanaSky.com presents full fixtures, Schedules, full results, tournament statistics and matches of 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.<br /> <br /> Fixtures of France vs Belgium and Croatia vs England Matches, Time Table in Ghana time, in Nigeria time, in Europe time, in Africa time etc.<br /> <br /> <h2> FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals</h2> <h3> <ol> <li><b>France vs Belgium at St Petersburg, Russia on Tuesday, July 10, 2018.</b></li> <li><b>Croatia vs England - Moscow (Luzhniki), Russia on Wednesday, July 11, 2018.</b></li> </ol> </h3> <h4> Universal Time (GMT) is +00 But Local Schedule Timezone is +03 Russia.</h4> <h4> Universal Time (GMT) is +00 But Europe/London Schedule Time is +01.</h4> <h4> No UTC/GMT Offset For Ghana, Accra is 3 hours behind Moscow/Russia.</h4> <br /> There have been 157 goals scored in 60 matches, for an average of 2.62 goals per match. Players with highest goals and are still active in the competition. 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia attendance is 2,747,054 (45,784 per match), with Top scorer(s)<span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>England Harry Kane (6 goals).<br /> <br /> Eleven own goals have been scored during the tournament, breaking the record of six set in 1998.<br /> <br /> <h3> FIFA World Cup Semi-final preview and highlights</h3> France vs Belgium at St Petersburg, Russia on Tuesday, July 10, 2018.<br /> People from across the globe seem to have more belief in Belgium than the locals do.  Various media had a lot of positive things to say about Belgium after their win over Brazil. Here is the one from Globo Esporte: "This team goes to the semi-final with the status of favourites for the title. It is a mature team ready to make it. Against Japan, their main challenge will be to prevent France,s Mbappe having space, but it should not be a problem as this team seems capable of reinventing itself."<br /> The Red Devils are certainly good Ambassadors. Most of them speak three languages, but Thibaut Courtois, Romelu Lukaku and Vincent Kompany speak at least five according GhanaSky.com report through FIFA.<br /> <br /> <b>Croatia vs England</b> - Moscow (Luzhniki), Russia on Wednesday, July 11, 2018.<br /> Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic is a clever and resourceful boss who is getting the best out of a talented group of Croatian stars.<br /> <br /> <b>Third place play-off</b><br /> Saturday 14 July<br /> Loser match 61 vs Loser match 62 - St Petersburg<br /> <br /> <b>World Cup 2018 final</b><br /> Sunday 15 July<br /> <br /> <h3> FIFA World Cup 2018 Players with highest goals and still active in the competition: </h3> <b>Players with 6 goals:</b><br /> England Harry Kane with 6 goals<br /> <br /> <b>Players with 4 goals:</b><br /> Belgium Romelu Lukaku<br /> <br /> <b>Players with 3 goals:</b><br /> France Antoine Griezmann<br /> France Kylian Mbappé<br /> <br /> <b>Players with 2 goals:</b><br /> Belgium Eden Hazard<br /> Croatia Luka Modrić<br /> England John Stones<br /> <br /> <b>Players with 1 goal:</b><br /> Michy Batshuayi<br /> Belgium Nacer Chadli<br /> Belgium Kevin De Bruyne<br /> Belgium Marouane Fellaini<br /> Belgium Adnan Januzaj<br /> Belgium Dries Mertens<br /> Belgium Jan Vertonghen<br /> Croatia Milan Badelj<br /> Croatia Andrej Kramarić<br /> Croatia Mario Mandžukić<br /> Croatia Ivan Perišić<br /> Croatia Ivan Rakitić<br /> Croatia Ante Rebić<br /> Croatia Domagoj Vida<br /> England Dele Alli<br /> England Jesse Lingard<br /> England Harry Maguire<br /> France Benjamin Pavard<br /> France Raphaël Varane<br /> <br /> <br />   Russia, the world’s largest nation, population of 144.3 million with it's capital Moscow, borders European and Asian countries as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Its landscape ranges from tundra and forests to subtropical beaches. It’s famous for Moscow's Bolshoi and St. Petersburg's Mariinsky ballet companies. <strong>Source: <a href="http://ghanasky.com/" target="_blank">GhanaSky.com - The sky is our limit</a> </strong>

2018 FIFA World Cup Brazil vs Belgium Croatia vs England Domagoj VIDA Featured FIFA World Cup semi-finals France vs Belgium Harry Kane Kylian Mbappe Luka Modric Romelu Lukaku Sports 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia Semi-finals: France vs Belgium and Croatia vs England Matches, fixtures, Schedules, Full results, Tournament statistics, Matches played 60, Goals scored, Venues, FIFA TV Channels etc.

FIFA World Cup 2018 Semi-finals: Fixtures of France vs Belgium and Croatia vs England Matches. Catch up all the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russ...

Read more »

Russia vs Croatia (2-2): Croatia beat Russia on penalties (4-3 ) to set up England FIFA World Cup semi-final

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGaCeSIuyUpploWiTJ69ZY_aTBoMCjlAZTKf4z3hwwpo7aWHT71V1nK-ZA2LpuR2E2jf-p2DMPwjqQP0z_wViC3RfpWF4MqJ4AHYGyc2bZYT8ptgYbJEosyR5T5wx9FCA9N1M-rvtp-xm/s1600/croatia+national+team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGaCeSIuyUpploWiTJ69ZY_aTBoMCjlAZTKf4z3hwwpo7aWHT71V1nK-ZA2LpuR2E2jf-p2DMPwjqQP0z_wViC3RfpWF4MqJ4AHYGyc2bZYT8ptgYbJEosyR5T5wx9FCA9N1M-rvtp-xm/s640/croatia+national+team.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> Croatia win penalty shootout 4-3 after 2-2 draw AET to reach FIFA World Cup semi-finals</span></td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3> <ul> <li>Croatia win penalty shootout 4-3 after 2-2 draw AET</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Valiant hosts' World Cup run ends in dramatic fashion</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Croatia will face England in the semi-finals on Wednesday</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Croatia ended Russia's unlikely World Cup dream when they won 4-3 on penalties to eliminate the gallant hosts.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Ivan Rakitic stroked home the winning penalty to send Croatia into a semi-final against England after a night of unremitting tension in Sochi.</li> </ul> </h3> <br /> <br /> <b>SOCHI RUSSIA:</b> Croatia ended Russia's unlikely World Cup dream when they won 4-3 on penalties to eliminate the gallant hosts after a dramatic quarter-final ended 2-2 after extra time on Saturday.<br /> Ivan Rakitic stroked home the winning penalty to send Croatia into a semi-final against England after a night of unremitting tension in Sochi, ending the remarkable campaign of a team ranked 70th in the world.<br /> <br /> Fyodor Smolov saw Russia's first penalty saved by Danijel Subasic and, although Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev saved a Mateo Kovacic kick, the hosts' fate was sealed when Mario Fernandes fired completely wide from their third attempt.<br /> <br /> In the previous 120 minutes, Denis Cheryshev rifled Russia in front with a long-range thunderbolt, his fourth goal of the tournament, in the 31st minute before Andrej Kramaric headed Croatia level six minutes before halftime.<br /> <br /> Croatia then went ahead with a soft header in the eleventh minute of extra time but Brazilian-born Fernandes headed the hosts level with five minutes of play remaining to send the game to penalties.<br /> <br /> Russia had already surpassed expectations by reaching the last eight, ousting Spain on the way.<br /> <br /> After a lively opening, the game dropped off, with sessions of head tennis in midfield, but it was Russia's more rustic approach which paid off first as they went ahead out of the blue.<br /> <br /> <br /> Cheryshev collected the ball near the halfway line, exchanged passes with Artem Dzyuba and curled a 25-metre shot past Subasic.<br /> <br /> <br /> But slack defending allowed Croatia to level eight minutes later. Mario Mandzukic ran unchallenged into the penalty area and chipped a low ball back into the centre where unmarked Kramaric scored with a glancing header.<br /> <br /> <br /> Croatia were agonisingly close to scoring on the hour when Russia's defence failed to clear the ball and Ivan Perisic's shot hit the inside of the post but rebounded harmlessly across the face of the goal.<br /> <br /> <br /> Croatia appeared to have the tie in the bag after Vida's extra-time goal until Fernandes rose to head in a free kick and send both teams to their second penalty shootout of the tournament.<br /> <br /> <br /> Croatia are only the second team in World Cup history - after Argentina in 1990 - to win two penalty shootouts in the same edition of the tournament.<br /> <br /> Nerves of steel. Croatia are through to the semi-final and it's well deserved. They attacked but patience was essential. Danijel Subasic had another fantastic night.<br /> <br /> Croatia are into the semi-finals<br /> It's Croatia who triumph on penalties, they have eliminated the hosts in a shootout in Sochi and will now take on England in the semi-finals on Wednesday.<br /> <br /> <br /> credit: The Times of India

2018 FIFA World Cup Brazil vs Belgium Featured FIFA World Cup quarter-finals Harry Kane Luka Modric Neymar Russia vs Croatia Russia vs Croatia (2-2) Sports Sweden vs England Uruguay vs France Russia vs Croatia (2-2): Croatia beat Russia on penalties (4-3 ) to set up England FIFA World Cup semi-final

 Croatia win penalty shootout 4-3 after 2-2 draw AET to reach FIFA World Cup semi-finals Croatia win penalty shootout 4-3 after 2-2 dr...

Read more »

Brazil vs Belgium (1-2): Belgium dump Brazil out of FIFA World Cup 2018 with 2-1 win

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlLX1YeoSgHxIYJ7Dil4LF5niTQDh1YpMeAiMCjkjyX9BxxM2eWEfGQh7cTxyI6TTbIFL5RByhFWpw5ytLDYcVI_tR-FYP8-5jL_2hINRN7ha-dxm5zwpJSr_JSKpddgQqoDRWDDC3AbZ/s1600/Belgium-National-Team.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="768" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlLX1YeoSgHxIYJ7Dil4LF5niTQDh1YpMeAiMCjkjyX9BxxM2eWEfGQh7cTxyI6TTbIFL5RByhFWpw5ytLDYcVI_tR-FYP8-5jL_2hINRN7ha-dxm5zwpJSr_JSKpddgQqoDRWDDC3AbZ/s640/Belgium-National-Team.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <h3> <ul> <li>Belgium took an early lead through a Fernandinho own goal</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Belgium ended Brazil's dream of a sixth World Cup title.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>De Bruyne doubled the lead before Renato Augusto pulled one back</li> </ul> <ul> <li>Belgium beat the South Americans 2-1 in a dramatic, enthralling end-to-end quarter-final.</li> </ul> <ul> <li>The Red Devils - Belgium earned a semi-final tie against France.</li> </ul> </h3> <br /> <br /> <b>KAZAN - RUSSIA:</b> Belgium ended Brazil's dream of a sixth World Cup title when they beat the South Americans 2-1 in a dramatic, enthralling end-to-end quarter-final on Friday to earn a semi-final tie against France.<br /> <br /> <b>European supremacy:</b><br /> With Brazil and Uruguay bidding farewell today, we are now guaranteed to have a European team holding the Trophy come the end. The last time we had an all-European semi-final line-up was in 2006 (Italy, France, Germany, Portugal).<br /> <br /> Brazil dominated the opening stages, with Thiago Silva hitting the post, but went behind when midfielder Fernandinho put the ball into his own net from a corner in the 13th minute.<br /> <br /> <br /> Belgium took advantage of some wide open spaces in the Brazil defence when Romelu Lukaku found an unmarked Kevin de Bruyne who fired home their second goal in the 31st.<br /> <br /> <br /> Brazil threw everything at Belgium in the second half and finally found a way past goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois with a Renato Augusto header in the 76th minute. But despite laying siege to the Belgian goal, they could not find an equaliser.<br /> <br /> credit: The Times of India<br /> <div> <br /></div>

2018 FIFA World Cup Brazil vs Belgium Featured FIFA World Cup quarter-finals Harry Kane Kylian Mbappe Luka Modric Neymar Romelu Lukaku Russia vs Croatia Sports Sweden vs England Uruguay vs France Brazil vs Belgium (1-2): Belgium dump Brazil out of FIFA World Cup 2018 with 2-1 win

Belgium took an early lead through a Fernandinho own goal Belgium ended Brazil's dream of a sixth World Cup title. De Bruyne d...

Read more »

Uruguay vs France [0:2]; FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-finals results, Griezmann inspires France past punch-less Uruguay

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9N3X58NIh7dQ99ySB8Jyn-xixUrAv1c8xdrcBHeb6zmP924gZGLdZv4BTCJtropswWScvPZQBx4bUDg4PxSvLqyQm-oDBqthEDB8vHGj1KLvHsOtN93ZHCzoTKxLnoCi1hUMT9ROqsSSE/s1600/Uruguay-vs-France-Kylian-Mbappe-eyes-semi-final-place.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="720" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9N3X58NIh7dQ99ySB8Jyn-xixUrAv1c8xdrcBHeb6zmP924gZGLdZv4BTCJtropswWScvPZQBx4bUDg4PxSvLqyQm-oDBqthEDB8vHGj1KLvHsOtN93ZHCzoTKxLnoCi1hUMT9ROqsSSE/s640/Uruguay-vs-France-Kylian-Mbappe-eyes-semi-final-place.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay</td></tr> </tbody></table> <h3> <ul> <li><b>Varane's glancing header and a goalkeeping blunder that gifted Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay</b></li> </ul> <ul> <li><b>France set up a last-four tie with Brazil or Belgium</b></li> </ul> <ul> <li><b>Uruguay went into the game without key striker Cavani, who was ruled out with a calf injury</b></li> </ul> </h3> <br /> <br /> <b>NIZHNY NOVGOROD:</b> Raphael Varane's glancing header and a goalkeeping blunder that gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay in the first World Cup quarter-final on Friday and set them up for a last-four tie with either Brazil or Belgium.<br /> Uruguay went into the game without key striker Edinson Cavani, who was ruled out with a calf injury, with Cristhian Stuani drafted into the starting line-up.<br /> <br /> The impact on their attack was noticeable. Without Cavani, who scored twice in the round of 16 win against Portugal, Uruguay's moves forward lacked a focal point, and Luis Suarez found less space and openings against a well-drilled French defence.<br /> <br /> The South Americans battled but their talented generation of players, including the defensive rock Diego Godin, look like ending their international careers without the World Cup success they have threatened to deliver. "I'm proud of my team mates - they were lions," said skipper Godin.<br /> <br /> <br /> "We are a team where everyone gives everything in the matches and in preparation..I just have words of gratitude for my team mates," he said.<br /> <br /> <br /> France rarely sparkled, but they didn't need to move through too many gears, and they go into the semi-finals without any major weak points and appearing capable of taking on anyone of the survivors in this tournament.<br /> <br /> <br /> France forward Kylian Mbappe, who had ripped apart Argentina in the previous round with his directness and pace, wasted a good opportunity to open the scoring in the 15th minute when Olivier Giroud headed across the box to him but the 19-year-old's looping header was off-target.<br /> <br /> <br /> A relatively quiet game burst into life in the 40th minute when Varane sprinted clear of his marker to meet a well-placed Griezmann free kick with a perfectly angled header.<br /> <br /> <br /> Moments later, France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris ensured his side went in at the break with the advantage, producing a brilliant one-handed save to keep out a Martin Caceres header although Diego Godin will be disappointed his follow-up shot was wildly off target.<br /> <br /> <br /> If that was an example of goalkeeping at its very best, Uruguay's Fernando Muslera showed how easily it can go wrong for the custodian with a horrendous error to gift France their second goal in the 61st minute.<br /> <br /> <br /> Griezmann tried his luck with an effort from outside the box which was straight at Muslera, but the keeper's ill-chosen attempt to palm the ball away ended with him merely deflecting it into the net.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> It was a mistake that left Oscar Tabarez's team with too much to do to turn the match around.<br /> <br /> "Fernando is a great goalkeeper... We all make mistakes.. On other occasions, he has rescued us with incredible saves," said Godin.<br /> <br /> <br /> Mbappe then caused a melee after he went down claiming he had been struck in an incident off the ball and was confronted by a furious Godin about his playacting.<br /> <br /> That proved to be the last hint of any drama in what was overall a disappointing game which had promised much more.<br /> <br /> Brazil and Belgium meet later on Friday, while Saturday's quarter-finals see England take on Sweden and hosts Russia face Croatia.<br /> <br /> Credit: The Times Of India

2018 FIFA World Cup Brazil vs Belgium Featured FIFA World Cup quarter-finals Harry Kane Kylian Mbappe Luka Modric Neymar Romelu Lukaku Russia vs Croatia Sports Sweden vs England Uruguay vs France Uruguay vs France [0:2]; FIFA World Cup 2018 quarter-finals results, Griezmann inspires France past punch-less Uruguay

Gifted Antoine Griezmann a soft goal gave France a 2-0 victory over Uruguay Varane's glancing header and a goalkeeping blunder tha...

Read more »

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Quarter-Finals Teams, Matches & Results

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rQHr1y7nPXD2mONtxY5rhGXB6QMyvddVxkBShL8VLET15ib_VzePCPnMN-JF1_M_zYW1oJkMMR7XH33qw5KQYguGgigyOUG5Ntgx2XU14JZc6yam7-jqkW3mqXgb6uA59E7L8JNdyJMM/s1600/FIFA-World-Cup-Russia-Quarter-Finals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="852" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1rQHr1y7nPXD2mONtxY5rhGXB6QMyvddVxkBShL8VLET15ib_VzePCPnMN-JF1_M_zYW1oJkMMR7XH33qw5KQYguGgigyOUG5Ntgx2XU14JZc6yam7-jqkW3mqXgb6uA59E7L8JNdyJMM/s640/FIFA-World-Cup-Russia-Quarter-Finals.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Quarter-Finals Teams & Matches</td></tr> </tbody></table> According to GhanaSky.com analyst, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Kazan Arena, Samara Arena and Fisht Stadium of Sochi are ready to host 2018 FIFA World Cup Quarter-Finals Teams & Matches at Russia. For current update <a href="http://ghanasky.com/fifa-world-cup-quarter-finals-matches-results/" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a>.<br /> <h4> Universal Time (GMT) is +00 But Local Schedule Timezone is +03 Russia.</h4> <h4> Universal Time (GMT) is +00 But Europe/London Schedule Time is +01.</h4> <h4> No UTC/GMT Offset For Ghana, Accra is 3 hours behind Moscow/Russia.</h4> Russia, the world’s largest nation, population of 144.3 million with it's capital Moscow, borders European and Asian countries as well as the Pacific and Arctic oceans. Its landscape ranges from tundra and forests to subtropical beaches. It’s famous for Moscow's Bolshoi and St. Petersburg's Mariinsky ballet companies.<br /> <h3> Uruguay vs France - Friday, July 6, 2018 - 17:00 Local Time</h3> France qualified for the quarter-finals with a 4-3 win over Argentina in the Round of 16, on overtaken hundred meter race performance from 19-year-old energetic Kylian Mbappe.<br /> Uruguay also booked their place with 2-1 win over Portugal, courtesy two goals from striker Edinson Cavani. That result meant Messi’s great rival, Real Madrid legend Cristiano Ronaldo, will also likely end his career without winning a World Cup.<br /> Therefore, France and Uruguay will face each other in Quarter-finals of Russia FIFA World Cup 2018 on Friday, 06 Jul 2018 - 17:00 Local time, at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Russia.<br /> <h3> Brazil vs Belgium - Friday, July 6, 2018 - 21:00 Local Time</h3> Tournament favourites Brazil earned their quarter-final berth with a 2-0 win over Mexico, with star striker Neymar scoring the first goal and helping set up the second.<br /> The winner of Uruguay vs France will play the winner of Brazil vs Belgium in the first semi-final on Tuesday, July 10.<br /> <h3> Sweden vs England - Saturday, July 7, 2018 - 18:00 Local Time</h3> Sweden needed a deflected shot from striker Emil Forsberg to get a 1-0 win over Switzerland in a scrappy Round of 16 match earlier Tuesday.<br /> England secured their quarter-final spot following their penalty shootout victory over Colombia on Tuesday afternoon. England took the lead via captain and star striker Harry Kane, only for Colombia to equalize in the dying seconds of the game thanks to a header from defender Yerry Mina.<br /> The two teams couldn’t be separated after 30 minutes of extra-time, taking the match to penalty kicks., with England prevailing.<br /> Kane’s goal was his sixth in the World Cup, making him the favourite to end the tournament as top-scorer. Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku trails him on four goals.<br /> <h3> Russia vs Croatia - Saturday, July 7, 2018 - 21:00 Local Time</h3> Tournament hosts Russia were widely considered one of the weakest World Cup hosts in recent decades, making their Round of 16 victory over a strong Spain side one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. That game, too, was tied 1-1 before Russia went on to win in a penalty kick shootout.<br /> Croatia also needed a penalty kick shootout to defeat their Round of 16 opponents, Denmark.<br /> Croatia captain Luka Modric missed a golden opportunity to win the match for his side, seeing his penalty kick saved towards the end of the regulation 90 minutes with the score tied at 1-1. The match then eventually went to a penalty shootout, with Modric this time managing to bury his penalty kick.<br /> The winner of Sweden vs England will play the winner of Russia vs Croatia in the second semi-final on Wednesday, July 11.<br /> <div> <br /></div>

2018 FIFA World Cup Brazil vs Belgium Featured FIFA World Cup quarter-finals Harry Kane Kylian Mbappe Luka Modric Neymar Romelu Lukaku Russia vs Croatia Sports Sweden vs England Uruguay vs France 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Quarter-Finals Teams, Matches & Results

2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ Quarter-Finals Teams & Matches According to GhanaSky.com analyst, Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Kazan Arena, ...

Read more »