Deflected, Goal! (12/14)

HOME - 1F-Morocco had not allowed an opponent to score (own goal was their only goal allowed) and never trailed in this WC, but 5 minutes in, 1D-France ended that with a high-kick strike off a deflected Kylian Mbappé shot.  MAR tried to go with their defensive players but a kickoff-scratch and a replacement (after what could've easily been 2-0) early in the 21' shuffled things around.  MAR had to play more attacking style forcing a couple of hard saves.  However, FRA ended Arab hopes with a 79' goal off another blocked Mbappé shot and FRA ended with their first clean sheet, 2-0, to advance to their 4th final (all in the last 7 WCs).

In the end MAR, the first African team to make the semis, can now win 3rd place on Saturday which, if the pro-MAR fans in the stadium can attest, will be a big deal for the Arab and African regions and Qatar.  They will play 2F-Croatia, another fellow Group F team and both these teams kicked off their group play with a scoreless draw with each other... hopefully, they'll let loose in the 3rd place match.

So we get an aging superstar for Paris Saint-Germain in Lionel Messi, who will be the record holder in WC matches played with 26 on Sunday, against the up and coming superstar for PSG in Mbappé.  Both have 5 goals but Messi has one more assist for the tiebreaker for the Golden Boot.  The odds are nearly 50/50 with very slight edge to FRA (5:6 vs 1:1).

Wore my authentic 2019 FRA women's away jersey (really, some of the women's designs outclass the men's) with the cool champagne color FRA logo and decided while waiting for my daughter to walk home from school, took a picture in front of a stop sign.  Didn't realize how big those signs really are.

FRA's win was picked by 34 (I wonder how many more would've picked them if FRA wasn't so injury-plagued) and overall, 12 got both FRA and ARG in their final and 50 missed both.  8 of those who got both are in the top 8 (all 8 coincidentally, picked ARG as their champ) but it is Soccerbix who leads with 123 points and will win the pool regardless of the Final outcome.  KevLo and SoccerWife are tied for 2nd with 120 points but if FRA wins, will be tied for 5th (and one will go home empty-handed).  AC in Doha, Merman, and Unlucky are currently tied for 4th (119) but if FRA wins, 2 Goals 1  World Cup, Kona Coast Uno, and Redhat Dave (17th-Tied, 107) will be tied for 2nd and those 3 will be out.

For the $40 bonus, 16 have a chance if ARG wins and 16 have a chance if FRA wins.  If you picked a 1/2 goal increment (which really helps if you are fighting for the top 5 spots as this year's possibilities show) and you were bookended above and below (e.g.,  you picked 5.5 goals but others picked 5 and 6), you won't be able to win the Bonus.  Just a unique year so many entries have a chance at the Bonus.  Also, a good chance for a 3-way ($13.33 each) or even a 4-way tie ($10.00 each).