Tag Archives: World Cup 2018

World Cup 2018 – individual awards

Posted on by
Reply

acf468184fd8b49fe3c558410bb6205b_crop_north

Although the World Cup came to an end last weekend, where France went on to beat Croatia in the finals, a large number of football fans are still talking about the prestigious competition as a whole and are massively debating about which players deserve to win which award at the end of it.

With no further ado, here are EuroFantasy League’s individual awards per position…

Goalkeeper of the tournament

Thibaut Courtois. It wasn’t a straight forward decision with who was the best goalkeeper throughout the World Cup campaign, especially when the likes of Danjiel Subasic, Guillermo Ochoa and Jordan Pickford produced a number of solid performances. However, Thibaut Courtois showed why he still remains as one of the best shot-stoppers in Europe despite his lack of development in recent years.

The Chelsea goalkeeper was top notch from start till end, and if it wasn’t for his incredible number of saves in the Quarter-finals against Brazil, Roberto Martinez’s men would not have gone on to finish in third-place this summer. Also, if his dominant displays were watched by a certain individual called Florentino Perez, Thibaut Courtois’ potential move to Real Madrid could be quicker than many think.

Defender of the tournament

Raphael Varane. France became known for how complete and dominant their midfield is and how many fine superstars they have in attack. But, one department that does not get the appreciation it deserves is the defence, an area that was brilliantly ran by Raphael Varane.  The Real Madrid centre-back was there when his side need him the most as he stepped up as a leader without the armband.

In the World Cup final, Varane made a monumental interception that prevented Ivan Perisic from going one-on-one against Huge Lloris, which could have allowed Croatia to level up with France just ten minutes into the second half. On top of that, Les Blues had two young and rising full-backs in the backline, meaning that Varane had to remain consistent with his duty whilst guiding both players.

Midfielder of the tournament

Luka Modric. It’s never easy for a midfielder to be on top of his game and on top of the opposition from start till end on a weekly basis. On the other hand, Luka Modric showed how a midfielder can be purely effective in all ways and how an ageing player can store his energy whilst using his stamina to the best of his ability. If it wasn’t for him, Croatia would not have reached past the Quarter-finals.

Having proving himself at club and international level, there is no doubts at all that Luka Modric will go on to be regarded and mentioned as one of the best central midfielders of all time. The Zadar-born star superbly remained cool, calm and collected whilst carrying his country forward game by game, even when his side were struggling to gain momentum or were a goal down to the opposition.

Forward of the tournament

Eden Hazard.  Within this area, many football fans would potentially pick the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe or Harry Kane. Though, the most ideal pick had to be Eden Hazard, someone who was constantly creating chances for Belgium. Despite playing under a defensive-minded coach in Roberto Martinez, the dazzling winger still came up with three goals and two assists.

Even when he was marked by a few players from the opposition, the Chelsea attacker would somehow find room and space to dribble into. Hazard went on to completing 40 successful dribbles and 15 key passes in six games, which is seriously impressive for a player that was heavily relied on. In the end, his commitment and performances was seen and praised by everyone around the world.

Play the most challenging Fantasy World Cup 2018 game here www.fantasy-worldcup.com

Four well-known players who failed to impress at the World Cup

Posted on by
Reply

De Gea

As the World Cup has now come to an end, many football fans will be filled with pure joy or sadness as 32 countries went on to play in the most prestigious international competition there is to play for.

Many young talents received their ideal chance of shining on the grandest stage of them all in Russia, whilst a number of well-known players failed to show their skills and quality this summer.

With no further ado, we now look at the four individuals that had a poor World Cup at a personal level and did not replicate the performances they were producing at club level in recent years.

David De Gea – Spain

Manchester United’s David De Gea, who is seen as the best goalkeeper in England and the whole of Europe, had a poor World Cup at a personal level as he could not produce the crucial saves that he makes on a weekly basis at Old Trafford. However, his team-mates and most importantly the manager, kept faith in him and had had his back as he started in all of the side’s fixtures.

De Gea’s first error of the competition came in the opening fixture, where it allowed Cristiano Ronaldo to score his second goal of the match during an entertaining and thrilling draw between Portugal and Spain. Also, he was criticised and personally targeted following the side’s penalty shoot-out against Russia in the last-16, where he failed to save any of the four penalties he faced.

Javier Mascherano – Argentina

Not many were expecting Javier Mascherano to play a regular role for Jorge Sampaoli’s side throughout the competition due to his poor positional awareness as well as the decline he has experienced in recent years. Though, the 34-year-old surprisingly started in all four of Argentina’s games as he went on to construct some unconvincing displays whilst being a passenger in midfield.

After having such a below-par campaign compared to his old and usual standards, it’s not a surprise to see the former Barcelona and Liverpool player retiring from international football. Four years ago, Mascherano played an influential role in helping the side to reach the World Cup finals, but he could not do the same this time around as he looked past his best and totally confused on and off the ball.

Jerome Boateng – Germany

Germany were seen as one of the main favourites to win the competition, especially as they were the current champions of the world before the tournament had kicked off in Russia. Many football fans will state that the likes of Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller had let the side down, when in fact, it was Jerome Boateng and the rest of the defence that could not handle the pace of the opposition.

Against Sweden, Boateng let the team and himself down, when he made two unnecessary fouls which led to him being sent off at a time his side needed him the most. Although the team went on to beat Sweden, it was more down to some late brilliance and due to the help of the video assistant referee. Overall, the 2018 World Cup will be one campaign that the defender will want to forget.

Neymar – Brazil

It’s quite difficult to analyse Brazil’s time in the World Cup as they did not take it up a notch after the group stages, and it followed with them not having the composure and mentality to go on to beating Belgium in the quarter-finals of the competition. Tite’s men and the whole of Brazil had huge expectations in Neymar, who simply did not come up with the goods in the final third of the pitch.

On top of that, his antics of rolling around the pitch and diving from time to time summed up his average performances throughout the competition. The Paris Saint-Germain star was hyped up as the key man who would bring some excitement to the World Cup and help Brazil to take the trophy back home, however, that was not the outcome as he only scored twice from 26 attempted shots.

Euro Fantasy League Podcast – #23 – Enrico Passarella on Ronaldo/Juventus Deal

Posted on by
Reply

EuroFantasyPodCover700x300

The lads are joined this time by Enrico Passarella (@Guardalinee) to discuss Cristiano Ronaldo‘s transfer to Juventus, Antonio Conte’s future, the Serie A season ahead and more.

The lads also round off the World Cup chat with a bit of discussion about France as champions, Kylian Mbappe, how proud Croatia will be and Dave (as usual) makes his feelings about England well known.

Continue reading →

Four players that will play a defining role for France in the World Cup final

Posted on by
Reply

France are slight favourites to win the World Cup on Sunday despite possessing considerably more talent than their opponents Croatia. This is primarily because their coach Didier Deschamps has consistently deployed conservative, defensive tactics this summer – which could play right into the hands of a resilient Croatia side that will be able to get Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic on the ball pretty easily.

It’s unlikely to be an end-to-end classic, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be a fascinated match. The French have everything to lose – Deschamps will be heavily criticised for his negative playing style should they fail to lift the trophy – while Croatia must be starting to feel like this is their year.

Here are four France players that could decide the outcome at the Luzhniki Stadium:

 

N’Golo Kante

The standout player of the 2018 World Cup has been N’Golo Kante, and yet, predictably, his performances have gone unnoticed by many. He has completed more ball recoveries (48) and interceptions (19) than any other player at the tournament, reflecting his importance as the beating heart of Deschamps’ defensive football.

Kante will be tasked with tackling Luka Modric, Croatia’s star midfielder, making the Chelsea man easily the most important player on the field. Not only will he look to pluck the ball from Modric when Croatia counter, but he will also need to shuttle quickly to the flanks to cut out Croatia’s long diagonal passes towards their full-backs.

He is vital going forward, too. Kante’s ability to wriggle away from danger and play an incisive forward pass has ben a crucial part of the transition from defence to counter-attack for Leicester City, Chelsea, and now France. If his side lift the trophy on Sunday, it is almost certain Kante will have been the standout performer.

 

Kylian Mbappe

France’s conservative tactics could draw Croatia forward, leading them straight into the same trap that exposed Argentina to the pace of Kylian Mbappe in the second round. The 19-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward has been unstoppable during the kncokout stages, driving through the heart of the opposition to terrifying effect. Croatian fans, coaches, and players will be enduring sleepless nights worrying about Mbappe.

Dejan Lovren and Domagoj Vida are probably having nightmares. They were terrorised by Raheem Sterling in the first half of the semi-final against England, largely because the Croatian full-backs held high starting positions (thus exposing the centre-back pair). Lovren and Vida are far too slow to cope with Mbappe. It is a mismatch that could settle the World Cup final.

 

Blaise Matuidi

Although Modric and Rakitic tend to run the game from the middle, Croatia’s most potent attacking weapon is crosses from Ivan Perisic to Mario Mandzukic. They dragged themselves back into the game against England by playing sweeping long diagonal passes into the flanks, pushing England back and opening up space to throw crosses into the box.

Matuidi has the most complex role in Deschamps’ 4-2-3-1. Nominally a left winger, the Juventus man tends to come infield to help support Kante and Pogba in their defensive duties. He will play an important part in keeping Modric quiet, then, although his job is complicated by Croatia’s crossing.

The 31-year-old will have to shuttle between central midfield and the left wing, closing down the right-back Sime Vrsaljko (who crossed for the equaliser against England) and the right-winger Ante Rebic. Rebic drifts infield to play in the half-spaces, making him particularly difficult to mark – and putting him on a collision course with Matuidi as he patrols the left side of the pitch.

 

Raphael Varane

Arguably the most impressive centre-back at the World Cup, Raphael Varane has been inspirational so far in each of the knockout rounds. His aerial prowess could give him the edge over Mario Mandzukic at both ends of the pitch (one of the game’s most important battles). What’s more,  the Real Madrid defender knows Modric inside out; Varane holds the key to keeping a clean sheet.

His leadership skills have been a surprise asset for France this summer, as has his ball-playing ability. Varane’s composure on the ball can help calm some early nerves in Moscow, as well as release Kylian Mbappe on the counter-attack with searching balls forward.

How well do you know European football? Want to challenge the best Fantasy Managers? Play www.fantasy-champions-league.com now!

What Next for Eden Hazard after Belgium’s Exit from the World Cup?

Posted on by
Reply

After having won four out of their five matches at this year’s World Cup, including being among the very few to win all their group games, Belgium exited the semifinals with a commendable performance. With the likes of Eden Hazard and Romelu Lukaku leading the Belgian attack, the two have been instrumental in guiding their nation to the semifinals for the first time since 1986.

We previously examined Hazard and the Belgian team’s progress on Euro Fantasy League and discussed their prospects on reaching the final. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be and they were narrowly edged out 1-0 against France. However, after Belgium’s third place match against England, Hazard will be contemplating his next club move.

His obvious choice will be to Spanish giants Real Madrid. After recently losing Ronaldo to Juventus, Madrid will undoubtedly be looking at a few big names, with Hazard as a favorite, to replace their Portuguese star. The latest news is that Barcelona have also indicated their intention to sign Hazard. A fight between the two Spanish giants over the Belgian could be on the cards. Yet, in an interview about his future with Chelsea, Hazard suggested it will depend on which players Chelsea signs for next season.

Hazard

The 27-year-old is considering his options carefully, aware that his next contract will probably be one of the last he signs while in his prime. For now, he is a sought-after superstar. His past six years in the English Premier League have been exemplary and he has been an extraordinary presence at Stamford Bridge.

So much so, that in 2016 he was nominated along with Marco Reus, James Rodriguez and Anthony Martial to be the face of the popular FIFA 17 game. EA Sport’s senior producer Nick Channon told the Independent that Hazard, along with the other three superstars, represent exciting, attacking football and expressed his excitement at the prospect of global fans voting on the face which would represent the FIFA franchise globally.

Since the FIFA franchise’s inception in 1994 there has been an influx of soccer games vying to tap into the lucrative gaming market. Digital platform Foxy Bingo is well known for releasing sports themed slots that look to tap into soccer’s global fanbase. Their ‘Striker Goes Wild’ game is designed to target soccer’s online mobile gaming community and fans of the beautiful game. This only goes to show how wide reaching the market is for soccer fans who enjoy the sport on digital platforms; it demonstrates why the announcement of the next FIFA cover star is considered one of the biggest events in sports gaming, and what it says about the star who becomes the latest face of the game.

While Hazard was not chosen for the FIFA 17 cover (Marco Reus was), his popularity has not waned. Still in his prime, he remains a sought-after name with Chelsea officials offering a new contract worth over $400,000 per week, to persuade him to stay. With the World Cup behind him, and the world at his feet, Hazard’s career will reach greater heights no matter where he goes, or doesn’t for that matter.

Colombia lost their composure and let themselves down

Posted on by
Reply

700844-engcol-10-reuters

After somehow succeeding past the group of death, it was not going to be easy for Colombia to go on to beating England in the Round of 16, especially without their key player in James Rodriguez. Whether the side had beaten Gareth Southgate’s men or not, they would have been more than happy to have reached past the group stages as well as take the Three Lions all the way to penalties.

Colombia coach, Jose Pekerman, kept the starting XI more or less the same, with the side setup in a 4-3-2-1 system as captain Radamel Falcao led the line as the lone forward. Meanwhile, Juan Cuadrado and Juan Quintero started behind the Monaco forward, who went on to show their movement and pace from time to time but failed to most importantly be effective in the final third.

Just in front of the defence, defensive-midfield Wilmar Barrios started at the centre of midfield with the likes of Carlos Sanchez and Jefferson Lerma alongside him. Despite doing more than enough in their own half to keep the England attackers quiet and to take the close game to penalties, they did not give their all to help produce forward passes and clear cut-chances into the side’s best players.

In defence, Arsenal’s David Ospina carried on his duty as the national team’s goalkeeper whilst the defence consisted of Johan Mojica, Davinson Sanchez, Yerry Mina and Santiago Arias from left to right. The backline of Colombia were aggressive and ruthless from start till end, which became one of the main reasons to why England sat deep and decided to defend their lead in the second half.

Throughout the chaotic and historical night in Moscow, England had the more positive and attacking approach on and off the ball whilst Colombia’s aim was to nullify the opposition on an unconvincing level the led them to making several inappropriate and badly chosen fouls. The good news for Pekerman’s side is that the intentional fouls were actually gone without any punishment and the team were lucky to still have 11 players on the pitch from the first minute of the game till the end.

10 minutes into the second half, England received a penalty from the referee as he caught Carlos Sanchez pushing Harry Kane around in the penalty box as the side’s corner was delivered in by Kieran Trippier. The Tottenham Hotspur hitman stepped up to take the penalty and smashed it down the middle, as David Ospina misjudged the timing of the ball and dived completely the wrong way.

The remainder of the match was purely unconvincing from England, however, Colombia took their game up a notch as Pekerman went all out by bringing on the likes of Carlos Bacca and Luis Muriel from the bench. This positive change allowed the side to have more possession in England’s half as well as allowed the team to have some players to target in the box through crosses and passes.

During the final moments of added time at the end of the game, Juan Cuadrado’s cross from the corner was perfectly met by the head of Yerry Mina, which had the ideal pace and power that even Kieran Trippier could not prevent it from going past him and into the back of the net. Once it went in, the English supporters were totally shell shocked as the Colombian fans sang loud and proud.

Extra time was not much to be mentioned about as both sides chose to play it all safe and only take risks from potential set-pieces and dangerous areas. Other than that, the 30 minutes of extra time quick flew by and the nerve-wrecking time had come where the chosen players had to step up and take part in the penalty duties.

The night ended in disappointment and frustration for Colombia as a whole nation as they were eliminated by England, who were actually better on the night and were here to play football and not an aggressive sport. Jose Pekerman’s men will certainly regret a number of key moments in the game, where they chose to mentally and physically drain the opposition instead of attacking with the intention of winning the game.

Overall, Colombia should seriously be happy with how far they came in the 2018 World Cup, and they should be excited and thrilled with the number of talented players they have within the national team. All they need to do now is, find a manager with the perfect philosophy and style of play that will replace Jose Pekerman.

How well do you know European and world football? Want to challenge the best Fantasy Managers? Play www.fantasy-worldcup.com now!

Mexico eliminated by Brazil, but bow out with pure pride and vanity

Posted on by
Reply

BRAZILjpg

Ahead of the Round of 16 fixture at the Samara Arena between Brazil and Mexico, the main focus was on the former and how they would perform, due to the fact that the likes of Argentina, Portugal and Spain were eliminated from the competition over the last couple of days. Meanwhile, many were keeping an eye out on the latter, who are blessed with an energetic and fearless squad.

Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio had full faith in his team, keeping the same front three of Carlos Vela, Hirving Lozano and Javier Hernandez that started in the group stages. In midfield, Rafael Marquez started at the centre whilst Andres Guardado and Hector Herrera played alongside him.

Within the backline, Guillermo Ochoa continued to play between the goalposts with Jesus Gallardo, Carlos Salcedo, Hugo Ayala Castro and Edson Alvarez playing in front of him from left to right. The side were full of energy and experience from top to bottom, however, the individual quality and brilliance was not there at all as Tite’s Brazil remained on top of Mexico from start till the end.

During an eventful day in the hot and beautiful city of Samara, Mexico’s constant pressing high up the pitch and ability to counter-attack the opposition only lasted for the first half an hour of the game. In that time, Brazil showed how defensively solid and compact they can be against a team full of pace and energy, which is something that isn’t really mentioned enough about the side.

Though, Brazil took the game up a notch in the second half, as they started to increase the tempo and speed into their attacking build-up as well as their movements on the flanks. Six minutes in, Neymar gave his side the lead through a well worked one-two between the player himself and Willian, before the Paris Saint-Germain star slotted it past Ochoa into the back of the net.

Mexico piled the pressure on after conceding the goal, by bringing the likes of Jonathan Dos Santos and Raul Jimenez on from the bench. However, the fact that they only produced two shots on target throughout the match shows, how tight Brazil were in their own area of the pitch and that Mexico’s main attackers could not produce the individual brilliance that their supporters were hoping for.

With a few minutes left until the linesman had held up the board with how much time is added on, Brazil instantly doubled their lead and the Mexico players as well as their fans were quick to show how devastated and heartbroken they were from this outcome. Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino secured the side’s spot into the quarter-finals he latched on to a loose ball that was deflected off Ochoa.

Overall, Mexico were regarded as a team that would not beat the popular sides in their group and that, they were going to be leaving Russia and the competition earlier than expected. On the other hand, the North American side showed their fighting spirit as well as their passion which led them to beating the likes of Germany and South Korea, which helped them progress from the group stages.

Although the national team’s chapter within the World Cup 2018 story book has come to an end, there are a number of reasons to why the Mexican supporters should be excited about the future and what to expect from the number of talented players they currently possess within their squad.

Do you know your international players better than the next man? Prove it with World Cup fantasy football on www.fantasy-worldcup.com

Which three youngsters have been impressive so far this World Cup?

Posted on by
Reply

Aleksandr-Golovin-975269

The World Cup 2018 group stages has now come to an end, where most teams have amazingly reached to the Round of 16 within the competition, whilst the others return to their native countries, and enjoy a short break before the pre-season campaign start towards the last two weeks of July.

With the Round of 16 just kicked off, it’s time to take a quick look at some of the young individuals that have impressed their fans and football supporters around the world in their first World Cup campaign for their respective country. Some players are quite known and some are still on the rise.

With no further ado, here are the three youngsters that were incredible during the group stages…

Aleksandar Golovin – Russia

From the first group fixture against Saudi Arabia, CSKA Moscow’s Aleksandar Golovin showed his quality on and off the ball, from being able to drop deep to help his midfield to producing the key passes in the final third of the pitch. Also, his versatility is something that most managers in the world would love to see in a player, as he can play on the flanks as well as a central midfielder.

At the age of 22, he still has a couple of years left until he reaches his total peak and is already showing signs of how complete of a midfielder he actually is. Due to his recent rise and well as his consistent and please performances in the Russian Premier League last season, he has been now scouted by many of the well-known European clubs such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Juventus.

Hirving Lozano – Mexico

Mexico surprised a lot of people when they went on to beat Germany as well as qualify for the knockout stages. Given the defensive solidity that Sweden possess and the energetic and fearless players that South Korea have in their line-up, all the odds were up against Juan Carlos Osorio’s men, who were expected and predicted to leave the competition before the World Cup had even started.

However, a certain winger called Hirving Lozano, has helped his side from the flanks through his incredible burst of pace and intelligent movement in the opposition’s half. The PSV Eindhoven attacker assisted his national team by scoring a goal against Germany and providing a valuable assist in the win over South Korea, which allowed Mexico to achieve six points from their first two games.

Manuel Akanji – Switzerland

Switzerland have had the tendency to be known to have a solid defence, dominant midfield and an inconsistent attack. Due to this, the national team have constantly done well in the group stages but have failed time and time again to do well in the knockout rounds. Centre-back Manuel Akanji has been one of the few reasons to why Vladimir Petkovic’s side have been aerially dominant and very tough to beat.

The 22-year-old is currently enjoying his time at Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund, who he joined during the January transfer window on a four-year deal from FC Basel. Since then, Akanji has made a number of league appearances under head coach Peter Stoger, and will be aiming to become a regular starter for the German side anytime soon. With Sokratis expected to leave in the summer, Akanji’s time to shine has certainly come.

Do you have what it takes to challenge the best Fantasy Football Managers? If you’re up to challenging the best then play www.fantasy-worldcup.com now!

Colombia survive the group of death

Posted on by
Reply

c7ff22d991db06917fbe7e40ae466ae1

After suffering a defeat to Japan in the first fixture of Group H, a lot of people were having doubts on whether Colombia would be able to pick themselves up from the floor and turn the situation around before it is too late. Also, the experts of the beautiful game were seriously shocked at their start to the competition as many had the South American side down as their dark horses of the tournament.

However, Los Cafeteros do what they do best, and they made sure that they were not going to leave Russia and most importantly the World Cup anytime soon. Once James Rodriguez returned into the line-up for the second game against Poland, the side were in full confidence and had the ability as well as the pure mentality to go on to beating Adam Nawalka’s side like it was a piece of cake.

With the goals coming from Juan Cuadrado, Radamel Falcao and Yerry Mina, the side have shown that there a number of talented players in all positions, who can go on to contribute towards the team on both sides of the pitch. Meanwhile in midfield, both Abel Aguilar and Wilmar Barrios were dictating play and keeping the Polish attackers quiet as well as helping the team progress forward.

In the final fixture of the group stages, Colombia had to make sure they picked up the three points against Senegal whilst the other match was been Japan and Poland. Despite having a slow start to the game, the side turned it up a notch in the second half and completed an incredible smash and grab victory, where Mina’s goal in the 75th minute put the team ahead and in the driving seat.

Up next, Jose Pekerman and Colombia will go head-to-head against Gareth Southgate’s England, who will have a huge point to prove as the Three Lions have been eliminated, from the European Championship or the World Cup in the group stages or the Round of 16 on many occasions. On Tuesday evening, football fans will see a thrilling match between two fearless and passionate sides.

How well do you know European and world football? Want to challenge the best Fantasy Football Managers? Play www.fantasy-worldcup.com now!

Serbia’s run in the World Cup comes to a disappointing end

Posted on by
Reply

Serbia

Last night, at the Spartak Stadium, Serbia would either go on to produce their very own chapter within the 2018 World Cup book or they would go home in pure disappointment and frustration. The team they were going up against, was a fearless Brazil side, who were aiming to finish as the leaders of Group E.

Throughout the close fixture, the South American side were more positive on and off the ball and created a number of clear-cut chances whilst Serbia were happy with defending in their own half and aiming to punish the opposition on the counter-attack. To be honest, Brazil found it very difficult to be ruthless in the final third and it was all due to Serbia’s experienced defenders stepping up.

However, Phillipe Coutinho caught Serbia’s defence off guard for a few seconds, and his well-timed pass into the feet of Paulinho was followed by the ball going past Vladimir Stojkovic and into the net. Since then, the game became much more open, which instantly led to Brazil’s second goal in the second half, where Neymar’s cross from a corner was perfectly met by the head of Thiago Silva.

Serbia created some decent chances from time to time during the game, though, most did not bother goalkeeper Alisson Becker at all whilst the rest were adventurous attempts from distance. In the end, the side only completed one shot on target throughout the game, which seriously implies that they lacked pure attacking intent from start till end and had no desire to go for the victory.

In general, Mladen Krstajic’s men were not good enough and should have no complaints about whether they deserved to stay in the competition for longer or not. The only thing that the Serbian players and the manager himself can do, is return to their country and focus on the positives and the negatives as well as work around an idea on how to play proper football that will bring in results.

Many fierce football fans in Belgrade and around the whole world were quite disappointed to see a Serbia squad filled, with the likes of Aleksandar Kolarov, Dusan Tadic, Nemanja Matic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, failing to get past the group stages and could not living up to the potentials of being the dark horses to the win the World Cup like how Colombia, Croatia, Mexico and Russia have done.

Overall, if Serbia want to do well in the future international competitions, they need to understand that all they need is a squad filled with young talents and experienced leaders as well as a clinical forward that can come up with the goals for when his side need him the most. Once they get to this stage, without a doubt they will go on to be effective and dominant on both sides of the pitch.

Play the most challenging Fantasy World Cup 2018 game here www.fantasy-worldcup.com