Russia 2018 Best XI

4-4-2 Best XI

GK – Schmeichel – Apologies, to Subasic, Courtois, Akinfeev, but gotta give it to Kasper for his heroics vs Croatia. LLoris did make that one nice save against Belgium too, but that boner in the final..also de Gea..7 shots 6 goals, case and point that keepers have dips in form too i guess, but doesn't bode well for him handling the media/pressure of Real (Agreed, Cortouis was super shaky b4 Brazil match so have no clue y everyone is saying he was the best)

RB – Meunier – What  tournament for right backs!! I could have gone with Trippier, Pavard (a center back for Stuttgart!) Vrsajlko but I’ll give it to Meunier because of how much Belgium missed him against France, they weren’t the same team at all. 2 yellows in 5 games? Suspension rule too harsh. (Trippier for me easily but Meunier I can see)

RCB – Varane – Best CB in the world right now? Maybe his Sergio Ramos gets the edge for his black belt in the dark arts, but not sure Varane put a foot wrong all tournament. (!! and def mention that he was prob 100 for 100 in aerial duels)

LCB – Ignashevish – Going with the sentimental pick and the 39(!) year for his turnaround after he scored the OG vs Spain with his heroic performance against Croatia. Buried two pens like a champ too. Maguire, Walker, Gimenez/Godin, and Miranda for his outdueling Lukaku 1 v 1 all get honorable mention. (tough call, could also mention the other Croatia CB that wasn’t Lovren, or Mina)

LB – Hernandez/Strnic  - Not quite the wealth of options as RB, but nothing to choose from between these two finalists. Hernandez more than justified Dechamps picking him over Mendy and had a great final. (no clear choice here for me, Uruguay and Sweden LB’s stood out too)

CM – Kante – We all know about the GOAT, he’ll be at Real soon enough. (arguably best player of early stages but form dipped as tourney went on, still easy choice w Modric)

CM – Modric – Bittersweet golden ball winner was the best and most consistent player in the tournament by a country mile (save Hazard). Maybe it says more about England’s rag tag squad that he had easily his worst game against them and was still comfortably best player on the field. To have his penalty saved in the 116th and then be the first one to take it in the shootout vs Denmark. Cojones. (could argue that Perisic was best player in that game so wouldn’t put ‘easily’ but yes to the rest)

LM – Quintero – Any type of football post-James Colombia tried to play was through him. How long before he’s at Real? Inui hon mention. (Perisic gets nod for me but Quintero was filthy when he played, Coutinho may deserve a mention here) 

RM – Mbappe – Deserved the golden ball love for his performance against Argentina alone. How long before he’s at Real? (!!)

No 10 – Hazard – What a monster. Wish more was made of the contrast between Neymar’s antics and Hazards non-antics. How long before he’s at Real? (W/ Modric and Varane as best player of tourney)

No 9 – Giroud -  Michael Cox was on the money saying that the international game (a little slower, more direct) suits players like Giroud. No goals, but instrumental to France’s run. (hardest call of them all but wouldn’t give it to Giroud as his finishing was abysmal, Lukaku/Kane tore up shitty squads then couldn’t perform in the big matches, Suarez/Cavani were great but didn’t go far enough/got hurt, sadly would go w Mandzukic here for his work rate AND important goals (or put Mbappe at forward and add Perisic to midfield)

Coach - DeChamps silencing the critics. (Iran/Croatia/Sweden coaches poss deserve mentions)

(too much mentioning of Real!)

Top moments:

·         Entire second half of Belgium Japan, from Inui’s perfect strike to Lukaku’s dummy

·         Belgium beating Brazil, Hazard drawing fouls the last twenty minutes to run out the clock.

·         Kane’s miss/England’s capitulation

·         Pipsqueak Pavard’s volley saving us from watching any more of that argentine abomination.

(would mention the Portugal Spain classic to start the tourney was the sign of things to come, in a good way)

Barcelona are in trouble. Umtiti and Pique sticking their hands up for Detroit while Real just reload.

(VAR works or not?, handball in box rule NEEDS to change, maybe a mention of how this seemed to be the tourney of teams that were outplayed seemed to keep winning (most of the knockout games, every game Morocco was in, etc), the amount of truly phenomenal goals, and the changing of the guard of best player in the world from Messi/Ronaldo to Hazard/Mbappe/(Neymar when fully fit) is happening)