WHAT THE JEFF JUST HAPPENED: CRO-FRA Final

[tuckwat]

Griezman can fuck right off what a cunt.

[ursus arctos]

More goals than in the 3rd Place match for the first time in a while.

[Ray de Galles]

BBC now claiming this is a record number of OGs for a tournament - unsurprising, as 32-team tournaments are still a relatively recent phenomenon, and for many years FIFA refused to record own-goals as such; a Ronaldo effort in 2002 was clearly punter in by a Costa Rican, and one credited to Rudi Voeller at Italia 90 was deflected twice by Emirati players before going in.

Rio Ferdinand was credited with a goal against Denmark in 2002 when he sent a head parallel with the goal line and it went in off a defender. I think Rooney was given one in Euro 2004 when a shot rebounded off the post then hit the keeper’s head and went in.

[multipleman78]

Referee gave a goal kick then gave a penalty following the replay. Two wrong decisions in a row. If he had decided it wasn't a penalty is he allowed to change his decision on awarding goal kick?

[ad hoc]

I honestly can't see how he could do anything but give a penalty there once it had gone to VAR. And I want Croatia to win

[ursus arctos]

Yes

[danielmak]

I get the additional way to think about hand balls: did the player make herself or himself bigger. In this case, Peresic did that but when a ball is pinging around, that would seem to make a difference. Either way, it's 2-1 and we've got some goals, which is good for a neutral.

[scratchmonkey]

Conversely, I think it was a horrible decision, although I'm heavily biased by Sam talking about how horrible Pitana is.

[anton pulisov]

Jammy fuckers

[Sean of the Shed]

There hasn't been three goals in the first half of a World Cup final since 1974.

[Ray de Galles]

One shot from France, the penalty.

[Wouter D]

I honestly can't see how he could do anything but give a penalty there once it had gone to VAR. And I want Croatia to win

Agree.

[Ray de Galles]

What was Griezman's goal celebration supposed to be? The Arrested Development chicken dance?

It’s from Fortnite.

[Ray de Galles]

It’s from Fortnite.

My 11 year old son wants me to add it’s called “Take the L” from Season Three Battle Pass, Tier 31, blue/rare emote.

[anton pulisov]

Croatia are playing them off the park. Fantastic performance. Now finish them.

[Jah Womble]

My 11 year old son wants me to add it’s called “Take the L” from Season Three Battle Pass, Tier 31, blue/rare emote.

Ah yes, that was on the tip of my tongue.

[Ray de Galles]

Aye, this is one of those curious popular versions of the law. There is nothing there to suggest it's OK to kick a player as long as they're "already going down" or such.

He didn’t kick him, they collided. It may have been a foul but there’s an argument that they wouldn’t have collided had Griezmann not already been diving.

[Satchmo Distel]

If France win the trophy, it will be because their defence was the least error-prone of the teams in the tournament, especially from set-pieces, which have supplied a disproportionate number of goals by the standard of past tournaments.

[jwdd27]

I'll need to google that.

I have Googled it and I'm not much wiser. Computer games have seasons now?

[Ray de Galles]

I was pretty much a neutral before the game but the relative performances of Croatia, France and the officials so far have me roaring for a Croatian win now.

[ursus arctos]

Though they seem much more nonplussed by Croatia than they have previously.

[Wouter D]

Aye, this is one of those curious popular versions of the law. There is nothing there to suggest it's OK to kick a player as long as they're "already going down" or such.

It's a dive. That is a free kick to Croatia. The dive comes before the clip, so it could never be a free kick to France. The goal shouldn't stand, therefore fuck Griezmann.

[ad hoc]

France have a very English way of playing don't they? (Albeit with better players). Front line of a big bloke and a very fast bloke. Lump it forward for either a knock down or a sprint behind the defence.

[Ray de Galles]

The BBC Goal of the Tournament shortlist at half time has made me really sad that France appear to have sent the team that beat Argentina home and replaced them with these guys they have out today.

[danielmak]

Conversely, I think it was a horrible decision, although I'm heavily biased by Sam talking about how horrible Pitana is.

Sam has seen him way more than I have, but what I have seen in the Libertadores and Sudamericana, he does a good job. But I was reminded to chase down as section about The Ref in Galeano's Football in Sun and Shadow: "Sometimes, though rarely, his judgment coincides with the inclinations of the fans, but not even then does he emerge unscathed. The losers owe their loss to him and the winners triumph in spite of him. Scapegoat for every error, cause of every misfortune, the fans would have to invent him if he did not already exist. The more they hate him, the more they need him."