Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Monday 16 July 2018
Young, joyful France beats Croatia 4-2 to win 2nd World Cup

By GRAHAM DUNBAR scored. Pogba played
Associated Press a disciplined role in Rus-
MOSCOW (AP) — Taking sia, but his natural joy was
turns sliding across the rain- evident celebrating his
soaked turf holding the 18-yard (meter) shot, and
World Cup trophy tight, leading the champagne
teenager Kylian Mbappe shower for Deschamps.
and the rest of France's But it was Mbappe who put
players acted like the the match out of reach with
youthful bunch they are. a furious passage of play in
Nothing, not a Pussy Riot the second half. In the 59th,
protest nor a postgame a run from Mbappe started
downpour that soaked Rus- a play that ended up with
sian President Vladimir Pu- Pogba on the edge of the
tin, was going to stop the penalty area. With his sec-
party. ond attempt, the midfield-
It carried on long after a er curled his shot beyond
thrilling 4-2 win over Croa- Subasic.
tia on Sunday. In the locker Griezmann scored from
room with French President the penalty spot in the 38th
Emmanuel Macron striking minute fully four minutes
poses with players, then a after his corner kick was
champagne-spraying, wa- France's Benjamin Mendy celebrates with the trophy after the final match between France and knocked out of play by
ter-splashing interruption Croatia at the 2018 soccer World Cup in Moscow, Russia, Sunday, July 15, 2018. Ivan Perisic's arm. The ref-
of the coach Didier Des- Associated Press eree ruled it handball only
champs' news conference. after a video review, just
"Sorry! They're young and be very proud," forward testers who ran onto the to award medals to the as the first thunders claps
they're happy," said Des- Antoine Griezmann said. field. Russian punk band players in a ceremony soon boomed around the sta-
champs, like a proud fa- "The World Cup, it's a lot." Pussy Riot later took credit drenched in rain and joy. dium.
ther. The 19-year-old Mbappe for the incident — watched As thunder pealed and "In a World Cup final, you
Deschamps had good rea- became only the second from the VIP seats by Putin, lightning cracked, FIFA do not give such a pen-
son to indulge them. His teen after Pele to score in a whose government once president Gianni Infantino alty," Croatia coach Zlatko
team is mostly aged 25 or World Cup final. jailed members of the ac- handed France captain Dalic said.
under and can return al- Mbappe had just shown tivist group. Charges were Hugo Lloris the gold World France took the lead in the
most intact to defend their his electrifying speed in the filed against the group Sun- Cup trophy. 18th when Croatia's tallest
title in 2022 in Qatar. 52nd minute when play day, too. Gold confetti stuck to the outfield player, 1.90-meter
"Our children are going to was held up by four pro- Putin was later on the field soaked Les Bleus as they (6-foot-3) forward Mario
paraded the trophy around Mandzukic, rose to meet
the Luzhniki Stadium, a final Griezmann's free kick with
act of an enthralling tour- the top of his head. He de-
nament in which Croatia flected it past his own goal-
reached its first final while keeper.
powers Brazil, Germany Perisic and Mandzukic both
and Argentina went home scored for Croatia, first to
early. equalize in the 28th minute
About 12 minutes after a and later as a consolation
protester gave Mbappe goal in the 69th, embarrass-
a double high-five on the ing Lloris with a flicked shot
field, Mbappe sent a right- as the France goalkeeper
footed shot from 25 yards tried to dribble the ball out
(meters) past goalkeeper of his goalmouth.
Danijel Subasic . The goal But the three-goal lead was
put France up 4-1, closing too much for the red-and-
the door on Croatia who white-checkered squad
had been the better team that made a habit of com-
until Mbappe took control. ing back at the World
The only other teen to score Cup — and played three
in a World Cup final was straight 120-minute games
Pele, who was 17 when Bra- before the final.
zil beat Sweden 5-2 in 1958. "We were dominant, we
Mbappe, who plays for had control," Dalic said
Paris Saint-Germain in the through a translator. "What
French league, was born we've had in terms of luck
months after France won its over the tournament, we
only other World Cup title in lacked that today."
1998. Deschamps became only
"I have a whole story to the third man to win the
write," Mbappe said. "This is World Cup as a player and
just the beginning." a coach. He joined Mario
Paul Pogba and Griez- Zagallo of Brazil and Franz
mann, France's two other Beckenbauer, who cap-
key creative players, also tained West Germany.q