2018 FIFA World Cup Semi-Final Analysis

And then there were four… As footballs ultimate international competition begins to wind down the surviving nations were preparing for some of the largest games in their careers. The semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup grouped France against Belgium in the first play-off, and Croatia against England in the second. The footballers now filled with nerves, their countries now filled with excitement and the footballing world overwhelmed with anticipation. Football’s four biggest international heavyweights now stepped forth to put everything on the line in hopes of acquiring football’s most coveted prize.

France 1-0 Belgium

The first semi-final brought together a long-term footballing giant in France, against a now golden generation of Belgians who were coming closer and closer to having their name etched into the history books. The encounter took place at the Saint Petersburg Stadium on the evening of the 10th July 2018, as a captivated audience watched on in eager anticipation.

The first chance of the match came Belgium’s way through a familiar duo, fifteen minutes in. Kevin De Bruyne drifted out to the left-hand side and in doing so dragged Raphael Varane and N’Golo Kante out of position. Eden Hazard swept into the space behind the unsuspecting Frenchmen and eagerly demanded possession, which De Bruyne promptly delivered. Hazard opened up his body, to let fly off his less preferred left foot, but his effort flashed across the face of Hugo Lloris’ goal and out for a French goal-kick. Less than three minutes later it was France’s turn to give the Belgians a scare. A challenge between Kevin De Bruyne and N’Golo Kante on the edge of Belgium’s penalty area sent the ball bouncing in the direction of Blaise Matuidi. Matuidi quickly turned and volleyed the ball powerfully towards goal, but in the end, it proved to be a straight forward save for Thibaut Courtois.

Belgium kept the intensity high, as Eden Hazard continued to prove to be a nightmare for Benjamin Pavard and the French defence. This time, in the 19th minute, he kept close control of the ball and cut in onto his right foot. He put his boot through it and sent the ball flying towards the top corner of the French net, but Raphael Varane reacted quickly and got his head to it in order to send the ball sailing marginally over the crossbar. 22 minutes in, Belgium once again stacked the pressure onto the French, when a poorly defended corner allowed the ball to land at the feet of Toby Alderweireld who swivelled and shot. Hugo Lloris saw it all the way, to reach across his goal and punch the ball to safety, much to the relief of the French. In the 39th minute, Kylian Mbappe cut in towards goal from the right wing and delicately laid the ball into the path of the relentlessly overlapping Benjamin Pavard. Although on an acute angle, Pavard found himself one-on-one with Courtois and tried to bury the ball into the bottom corner. The Belgian shot-stopper would emerge heroic once again, managing to scramble his leg across to deflect the ball away.

Into the second-half and France’s half-time team talk brought them huge success in the 51st minute. Antoine Griezmann curled a corner in towards the near post of Belgium’s goal. Samuel Umtiti emulated fantastic attacking prowess to first lose his marker Alderweireld, and then outjump aerial threat Marouane Fellaini to reach the cross and head it past Courtois. France now led 1-0 against the Belgians. The goal gave France the boost they so desperately needed, as they started tuning up some wonderful football. Shortly after Umtiti put France ahead, Lucas Hernandez drove the ball out wide and cut it to Blaise Matuidi. He used his first touch to lay it straight back off to Kylian Mbappe who produced a roulette pass into the path of Olivier Giroud. Giroud though, was unable to finish off the move, as Moussa Dembele slid in hastily, but fairly, to extinguish any potential danger for Belgium.

Belgium began looking to the bench for inspiration through Dries Mertens shortly after falling behind. Less than five minutes after his introduction, Mertens was proving to be a menace on the French goal. He put in a heavy cross from the right wing which landed on the head of Fellaini, who was only able to direct it just wide of the French goal. As time ticked down, Belgium threw everything they had at the French. Hazard tried to dribble into the French area but was met brilliantly by Raphael Varane who put in a perfect crunching tackle. The loose ball fell perfectly to Axel Witsel who was twenty yards away from goal and let off a thumping effort. The shot was too close to Lloris, who managed to palm it away. In the 89th minute it looked as though Lukaku may get on the end of Kevin De Bruyne’s driven long ball but Varane managed to obstruct his view, which saw the ball narrowly miss his head and bounce out.

With everything thrown forward, the holes started to open up in the Belgian defence, but Antoine Griezmann failed to capitalise in the 93rd minute. Belgium couldn’t win the ball back afterwards and it didn’t take long for the referee to blow his whistle to signal for full-time. France had won 1-0 and would be going through to the 2018 FIFA World Cup final.

Croatia 2-1 England

The second of the semi-finals to be played brought together the 1966 World Cup champions in England and the Croatians who have never qualified for a FIFA World Cup final in their footballing history. The match was played under lights at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on the 11th of July 2018, as the world watched in anticipation to see who would topple the other to join the French in the World Cup final.

Within the first five minutes of kick off, England were awarded a free-kick just outside Croatia’s penalty area, following a foul by Luka Modric. Ashley Young and Kieran Trippier stood over the ball, knowing that an early lead was looming should they strike it correctly. Ashley Young stepped back, Kieran Trippier stepped forward and leathered the ball into the top right corner of Subasic’s net. 1-0 up, England were off to the perfect start thanks to a pin-point dead ball finish.

Croatia’s first opportunity came in the 19th minute, when Ivan Perisic let fly from 25-yards, but the shot took a slight deflection off Kyle Walker and curved away from the English goal. 30 minutes in, England’s Harry Kane found himself with a perfect opportunity to double their lead. Jesse Lingard played him in behind but Subasic got down low to save his effort that was heading for the bottom corner. The ball fell into his path again though and he met it, took a touch to heighten the angle and then shot. Kane got the shot off but Subasic showed incredible tenacity to slide back and block it with his leg. The ball then rebounded off the post, back onto Subasic and then out of danger, much to the relief of the Croatians. Croatia continued to look dangerous going forward before half-time, but couldn’t manage to create any clear-cut opportunities to equalise.

Into the second half and it took twenty minutes for Croatia to make their presence felt going forward. In the 65th minute, Luka Modric’s cross was headed away, but not out of danger by Stones. Ivan Perisic reacted to pick up possession and unleashed a sumptuous strike towards Jordan Pickford, but Kyle Walker managed to intervene by blocking it in unorthodox fashion. One opportunity wasted, but Perisic would not be deterred. Sime Vrsaljko crossed in a pin-point ball into the area, to which Perisic made enormous tracks to reach. He leapt high in front of Kyle Walker, got his boot to it and flicked it past Jordan Pickford to level the score at 1-1.

Perisic was on a roll and less than four minutes after his 67th minute goal he came agonisingly close to putting Croatia ahead. John Stones’ mishit clearance fell to Perisic who was isolated with Kyle Walker. He dropped his shoulder, did a nice step-over to wrong-foot his opposing player and with his left foot drilled the ball into the frame of the goal. Seven minutes from full-time, Mario Mandzukic had an attempt from an audacious volley easily saved by Pickford, and with that the attempts dried up until full-time. For the 5th time in this World Cup, a game would go to extra-time.

The first-half of extra time saw both sides create one glorious opportunity each. England’s came in the 99th minute off a corner. John Stones attacked the ball and directed it towards the top corner of Croatia’s goal. Sime Vrsaljko read it well and crept onto the line to meet it and head away the danger. In added time Ivan Perisic directed a perfectly weighted pass behind England’s back four to meet the run of Mandzukic. Jordan Pickford made himself big and blocked his close-range attempt to keep the scores level half way through extra time.

In the 109th minute came the moment that the game had been building up to. Josip Privaric’s cross was blocked by Walker. The ball flew vertically, Perisic anticipated its trajectory well and out-bodied Kieran Trippier in the contest to win the header. The header evaded John Stones, and Mandzukic was alert enough to take off and latch onto the loose ball before burying it into the bottom corner of the net. The goal sent Croatians watching back at home into raptures, whilst those in the stadium had adrenaline pulsating through their veins. Spectators world-wide knew full well, that they were possibly eleven minutes away from witnessing history. The show-stopping goal was the breakthrough in this thrilling encounter as Croatia were now 2-1 ahead.

England sent numbers forward but in the end were unable to create anything that proved to be truly threatening to the Croatians. For the first time in Croatia’s history, they were through to a World Cup final.