Moscow: Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga would not have imagined that his creation would spur the nations of the worlds into epic battles every four years. When former German captain Philipp Lahm carried the FIFA Cup to the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow ahead of the France-Croatia final on Sunday, the world stood still for a moment.
The French were hoping to take home the coveted cup. So were the Croats. The Argentinians and the Brazilians were ruing the lost chances. The Italians and the Dutch were promising themselves that they would make it to the next tournament. The Indians were wondering when will their turn come.
The Croatian squad hit the ground running. The team, however, were to face disaster after disaster on the field despite being the first to take their country to the final. The immense ground support turned into a collective sigh when Mario Mandzukic's misplaced header resulted in an own goal. The hero of the semifinal against England stood in the middle of the field like a public enemy.
A later comic goal by Mandzukic came too late to revive the Croatian spirit. His teammate Ivan Perisic completed the Balkan tragedy. Minutes after scoring a brilliant equalizer, the winger made a costly mistake while defending his post against a corner kick. The French were quick to appeal for a penalty for handball.
Referee Nestor Pitana made a quick run to the sidelines and came back with a heartbreaking verdict. Antoine Griezmann did not miss the penalty. Croatia’s fate was sealed.
The second half started to a disruptive run by three spectators. One of them was tackled by a Croatian player, while Kylian Embappe obliged another with a handshake. The security personnel soon whisked them off the ground.
Paul Pogba and Embappe soon took France's score to 4. Mandzukic paid back his debt by fooling Hugo Lloris but the goalkeeper had the last laugh. Luka Modric and team joined their countrymen in desolation.
