Szymon Marciniak, the referee who officiated the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, has responded to criticism from French fans and media over the job he did during the game. The first Polish referee to officiate a World Cup final, Marciniak has been criticized for allowing an Argentinian goal to stand despite claims that he should have ruled it out.

French media has widely lambasted Marciniak for allowing Lionel Messi’s goal in extra time, stating that the referee should have topped play because two Argentina substitutes appeared to enter the field of play before the ball went into the net.

Major French news outlet L’Equipe referred to the International Football Association Board’s Law 3, paragraph 9 in their criticism of Marciniak, which states that a referee must disallow a goal if a substituted player is on the field of play at the time that it is scored.

In response to his critics, Marciniak pulled up a screenshot on his phone that showed seven French substitutes running onto the field in celebration of one of Kylian Mbappe’s goals. “The French didn’t mention this photo, where you can see how there are seven Frenchmen on the pitch when Mbappe scores a goal,” Marciniak stated.

The criticism of Marciniak’s refereeing resulted in the creation of a petition to replay the final, which has already amassed over 220,000 signatures.

The post World Cup Final Referee Responds to Criticism From France Supporters appeared first on SportzBonanza.

France was crowned champions of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League after defeating Spain 2-1 in the final at San Siro stadium on Sunday night.

While the first half of the game was fairly slow-paced, the match sparked to life in the 64th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal slotted the ball past French keeper Hugo Lloris to hand Spain the advantage.

Spain’s lead was short-lived, however, as two minutes later Karim Benzema unleashed a screamer which curled into the far corner of the net and leveled the scoreline. Just as the game looked as though it was headed for extra time, French striker Kylian Mbappe found himself one-on-one with the keeper. After a few stepovers, Mbappe cooly slotted the ball past Unai Simon to hand France a winning goal.

“We showed our character against a very strong team. We never gave up,” Karim Benzema stated after the full-time whistle. “It shows what great teams do. Never panic, be patient, and wait for the right time. We are going to enjoy this trophy and then go get the World Cup.”

France looks to be in a pole position to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They currently lead group D with 12 points; four points clear of second-placed Ukraine.

The post France Edges Out Spain to Lift Nations League Trophy appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It was the biggest match of their playing careers so far. Some experienced the intensity of a Champions League final, while others won and lost league titles.

France understood the pressure of the hopes of a nation. As host nation at Euro 2016, they reached the final and lost when nerves got the better of them. This time, in Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, failure was not an option.

The dressing room was a heady mix of nervous energy, confidence, and excitement. In moments like this, the captain or a senior pro is expected to step up and give the rousing words.

For France, it was Paul Pogba’s time. The 25-year-old Manchester United midfielder endured a torrid 2017-18 season. Critics panned his performances, claiming he cared more about his hair than football. Ex-pros doubted he would finish the campaign at Old Trafford while journalists speculated over a return to Juventus.

But in the French dressing room, he proved his value to the squad. With head coach Didier Deschamps – himself a World Cup winner as a player – watching, he delivered inspirational words to his teammates.

And with his subsequent performance, doubts about his abilities washed away in a sea of champagne.

Pre-World Cup Final Dressing Room Talk French Captain @paulpogba
Retweet & share with pic.twitter.com/hb0ZsbGOoe

— Coaching Bible (@UKCoachingBible) July 18, 2018

It’s up to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to harness this Paul Pogba during the coming season. If he does, the title hopes of the club’s supporters can be realized.

The post Paul Pogba’s Inspiring Words Before The World Cup Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.

France is the first nation to clinch the 2018 World Cup spot after a 1-0 win against Belgium. Samuel Umtiti scored a header from Antoine Griezmann’s corner at the beginning of the second half, which ultimately proved to be the only goal of the game.

France will now wait for the winner of the other semi-finals match between England and Croatia, as they look to win their second World Cup title after lifting the 1998 World Cup trophy. This will be their first final appearance since 2006 World Cup when they lost on penalties against Italy.

Although this supposed to be a high-octane clash between two attacking-minded teams, it didn’t quite turn out that way. Both teams had their chances, but neither managed to turn them into clear-cut opportunities as defenses were on the top of their game.

France had 19 shots compared to Belgium’s nine, but it was Belgium that controlled the ball for the most part. They had 64 percent of the possession but failed to capitalize on it as their main stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard were kept quiet for the most of the match. It looked like Belgium didn’t have the same motivation as they did in the 2-1 win against Brazil since it never looked like they were the better team.

“It was a close game and it was very tight and it was going to be decided by that bit of luck in front of goal.” – said Belgium’s coach Roberto Martinez after the game. “The attitude of the players was brilliant and we couldn’t ask for anymore. We have to understand one team wins and the other loses, and we did what we could.“

The post France Reaches 2018 World Cup Finals After 1-0 Win Against Belgium appeared first on SportzBonanza.

France is one of the dark-horses to win the 2018 world cup. Les Blues have a young squad at their disposal which also includes world-class talents such as the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba and Alexandre Lacazette and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

One of the strengths of the current French team is that they have the most depth of any team heading into the tournament. They will have a world-class replacement for almost every starter that will take to the field during their first group stage game against Australia on June 16.

The French also are likely to have some of the world’s best young talents in their squad, such as Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, Ousmane Dembele, Adrien Rabiot, Bernard Mendy, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Nabil Fekir, Corentin Tolisso and Manchester United’s Anthony Martial within their squad.

Though they were runners-up during Euro 2016, France was arguably the best team during the tournament and was unlucky to have lost during the final as Eder scored the winner for Portugal in the final during extra time.

They also have the midfield powerhouse in N’Golo Kane. Though Chelsea has been below par in their Premier League title defense this season, Kante has emerged as one of the world’s best midfielders during recent years as he helped Leicester City shockingly win the League in 2015-16 and once again played a key role for Chelsea as they triumphed during the 2016-17 English top-flight season.

If France is to win the world cup, Kante is likely to play a key role for them. He has earned comparisons to French football legend Claude Makelele and is a strong defender, with the ability to make good tackles and who keeps winning and retain possession.

Manager Didier Deschamps will hope that his team would have learned valuable lessons from their final defeat against Portugal during Euro 2016 and they will be no doubt hoping to go all the way in Russia.

The post Opinion: France is a dark horse for the 2018 world cup appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Szymon Marciniak, the referee who officiated the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France, has responded to criticism from French fans and media over the job he did during the game. The first Polish referee to officiate a World Cup final, Marciniak has been criticized for allowing an Argentinian goal to stand despite claims that he should have ruled it out.

French media has widely lambasted Marciniak for allowing Lionel Messi’s goal in extra time, stating that the referee should have topped play because two Argentina substitutes appeared to enter the field of play before the ball went into the net.

Major French news outlet L’Equipe referred to the International Football Association Board’s Law 3, paragraph 9 in their criticism of Marciniak, which states that a referee must disallow a goal if a substituted player is on the field of play at the time that it is scored.

In response to his critics, Marciniak pulled up a screenshot on his phone that showed seven French substitutes running onto the field in celebration of one of Kylian Mbappe’s goals. “The French didn’t mention this photo, where you can see how there are seven Frenchmen on the pitch when Mbappe scores a goal,” Marciniak stated.

The criticism of Marciniak’s refereeing resulted in the creation of a petition to replay the final, which has already amassed over 220,000 signatures.

The post World Cup Final Referee Responds to Criticism From France Supporters appeared first on SportzBonanza.

France was crowned champions of the 2020-21 UEFA Nations League after defeating Spain 2-1 in the final at San Siro stadium on Sunday night.

While the first half of the game was fairly slow-paced, the match sparked to life in the 64th minute when Mikel Oyarzabal slotted the ball past French keeper Hugo Lloris to hand Spain the advantage.

Spain’s lead was short-lived, however, as two minutes later Karim Benzema unleashed a screamer which curled into the far corner of the net and leveled the scoreline. Just as the game looked as though it was headed for extra time, French striker Kylian Mbappe found himself one-on-one with the keeper. After a few stepovers, Mbappe cooly slotted the ball past Unai Simon to hand France a winning goal.

“We showed our character against a very strong team. We never gave up,” Karim Benzema stated after the full-time whistle. “It shows what great teams do. Never panic, be patient, and wait for the right time. We are going to enjoy this trophy and then go get the World Cup.”

France looks to be in a pole position to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They currently lead group D with 12 points; four points clear of second-placed Ukraine.

The post France Edges Out Spain to Lift Nations League Trophy appeared first on SportzBonanza.

It was the biggest match of their playing careers so far. Some experienced the intensity of a Champions League final, while others won and lost league titles.

France understood the pressure of the hopes of a nation. As host nation at Euro 2016, they reached the final and lost when nerves got the better of them. This time, in Moscow’s Luzhniki stadium, failure was not an option.

The dressing room was a heady mix of nervous energy, confidence, and excitement. In moments like this, the captain or a senior pro is expected to step up and give the rousing words.

For France, it was Paul Pogba’s time. The 25-year-old Manchester United midfielder endured a torrid 2017-18 season. Critics panned his performances, claiming he cared more about his hair than football. Ex-pros doubted he would finish the campaign at Old Trafford while journalists speculated over a return to Juventus.

But in the French dressing room, he proved his value to the squad. With head coach Didier Deschamps – himself a World Cup winner as a player – watching, he delivered inspirational words to his teammates.

And with his subsequent performance, doubts about his abilities washed away in a sea of champagne.

Pre-World Cup Final Dressing Room Talk French Captain @paulpogba
Retweet & share with pic.twitter.com/hb0ZsbGOoe

— Coaching Bible (@UKCoachingBible) July 18, 2018

It’s up to Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho to harness this Paul Pogba during the coming season. If he does, the title hopes of the club’s supporters can be realized.

The post Paul Pogba’s Inspiring Words Before The World Cup Final appeared first on SportzBonanza.

France is the first nation to clinch the 2018 World Cup spot after a 1-0 win against Belgium. Samuel Umtiti scored a header from Antoine Griezmann’s corner at the beginning of the second half, which ultimately proved to be the only goal of the game.

France will now wait for the winner of the other semi-finals match between England and Croatia, as they look to win their second World Cup title after lifting the 1998 World Cup trophy. This will be their first final appearance since 2006 World Cup when they lost on penalties against Italy.

Although this supposed to be a high-octane clash between two attacking-minded teams, it didn’t quite turn out that way. Both teams had their chances, but neither managed to turn them into clear-cut opportunities as defenses were on the top of their game.

France had 19 shots compared to Belgium’s nine, but it was Belgium that controlled the ball for the most part. They had 64 percent of the possession but failed to capitalize on it as their main stars like Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard were kept quiet for the most of the match. It looked like Belgium didn’t have the same motivation as they did in the 2-1 win against Brazil since it never looked like they were the better team.

“It was a close game and it was very tight and it was going to be decided by that bit of luck in front of goal.” – said Belgium’s coach Roberto Martinez after the game. “The attitude of the players was brilliant and we couldn’t ask for anymore. We have to understand one team wins and the other loses, and we did what we could.“

The post France Reaches 2018 World Cup Finals After 1-0 Win Against Belgium appeared first on SportzBonanza.

France is one of the dark-horses to win the 2018 world cup. Les Blues have a young squad at their disposal which also includes world-class talents such as the likes of Antoine Griezmann, Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba and Alexandre Lacazette and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

One of the strengths of the current French team is that they have the most depth of any team heading into the tournament. They will have a world-class replacement for almost every starter that will take to the field during their first group stage game against Australia on June 16.

The French also are likely to have some of the world’s best young talents in their squad, such as Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, Ousmane Dembele, Adrien Rabiot, Bernard Mendy, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Nabil Fekir, Corentin Tolisso and Manchester United’s Anthony Martial within their squad.

Though they were runners-up during Euro 2016, France was arguably the best team during the tournament and was unlucky to have lost during the final as Eder scored the winner for Portugal in the final during extra time.

They also have the midfield powerhouse in N’Golo Kane. Though Chelsea has been below par in their Premier League title defense this season, Kante has emerged as one of the world’s best midfielders during recent years as he helped Leicester City shockingly win the League in 2015-16 and once again played a key role for Chelsea as they triumphed during the 2016-17 English top-flight season.

If France is to win the world cup, Kante is likely to play a key role for them. He has earned comparisons to French football legend Claude Makelele and is a strong defender, with the ability to make good tackles and who keeps winning and retain possession.

Manager Didier Deschamps will hope that his team would have learned valuable lessons from their final defeat against Portugal during Euro 2016 and they will be no doubt hoping to go all the way in Russia.

The post Opinion: France is a dark horse for the 2018 world cup appeared first on SportzBonanza.