In what has been a ridiculously unpredictable World Cup, the tournament came to an end last Sunday when France defeated Croatia in an entertaining final in Moscow.
Has The World Cup Proved That Endeavor Is More Important Than Skill?
On paper, France were undoubtedly one of the favorites for the competition and after Brazil, Germany and Spain fell by the wayside earlier on in the tournament, it was certainly no shock to see les bleus take home the Jules Rimet trophy. On the other hand, Croatia are a totally different animal on the pitch – while the Vatreni are well known as a solid outfit, not many would have predicted that they’d make it much further than the group stages. With that being said, has their squad proved in this tournament that effort trumps talent?
Sourc4: FIFA World Cup via Facebook
Croatia Look a Good Bet Due To Their Determination
With players such as Rakitic, Modric, Perisic and Mandzukic, the Croatian team certainly isn’t short on talent. However, it is their willingness to put a shift in which stood them in fairly good stead against France, who boasted a hard working midfield of Griezmann,Matuidi and Pogba in the final. As can be seen in this review, there is a comprehensive sportsbook for anyone who fancies taking a punt on either Croatia or France to replicate their success in the European Championships in two years time. Those who are fans of other international sporting events can also enjoy a flutter on other sports including golf or even tennis – with Wimbledon favorites exiting the tournament left, right and center, there’s plenty of value left in the competition.
Non Stop Running Has Been a Feature of This Tournament
Despite the heat in Russia, the hardest working players averaged over 12km every match at the World Cup, which if nothing else, encapsulates just what it means to pull on your country’s jersey. Before Croatia took on England in the semi-final stages of the competition, Luka Modric, Ivan Rakitic and Ivan Perisic had covered the most ground between the two teams and it showed during the game, with star man Modric putting in yet another display which wouldn’t have looked out of place on the running track. The Croatian maestro showed little signs of fatigue despite playing his third extra time match in a row and ended up covering more ground than any other player in the tournament.
source: Instagram
Finding The Right Balance
To be successful at an international tournament, everything needs to fall into place at the right time. Without a squad of talented players, there’s little chance of a team going deep into the competition but at the same time, talent alone can only get you so far (see Brazil) and work ethic and team spirit are arguably more vital cogs in the well oiled machine of teams like Croatia.
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