THE WORLD CUP FINAL HASN'T STARTED YET BUT I JUST WATCHED IT.

_Pixabay

How I got to Russia is a long story, a story too short to voice out. I literally disappeared from my present location and appeared in Moscow. How the disappearance and appearance happened is something I can't tell. But, I can remember sitting close to a Russian lady somewhere in Moskva few hours before the match.

She was on a call, the long hours she spent on it made me suspected her boyfriend was the caller. I kept staring at my watch for the umpteenth time and checking if my ticket is still intact. Luzhniki stadium wasn't allowing anybody in yet, it was still too early.

The city was filled with Russians, French and Croatians. Whoever said football doesn't unite us could as well explain what united means. The Russians looked more happy, I had to check my ticket to see if they were in the finals. Perhaps, playing the biggest tournament in their country was enough to give them joy.

The lady beside me was singing this time around, she was done with the call and I kept wondering if it's possible not to keep mute for a minute. People started rushing towards the stadium, it was time for the big match and I matched forward too. I got to the stadium, found myself a spot and the lady sitting beside me was the one that sat with me earlier. But this time, she was with a French guy. I was right after all, the French guy was the one on the other line.

The football players started coming out and there were chants from fans. Soon, both teams sang their national anthems, took pictures together and stayed at their halves of the field. Then, the match started.

The first ten minutes was a bit boring, nothing really happened except Antoine Griezman's long range shot that went straight to the waiting hands of Danijel Subasic. The French side looked like the better team, they were quite fast and calculative.

Ante Rebic got a big chance in the 32nd minute and played it wide, that would have been the first goal of the match. But, there wasn't a goal from both teams in the first half. Only few chances from both teams. Croatia held the possessions while France got the chances on goal.

There was a fifteen minutes break, so we all had to wait, continue chanting or discuss about the match. The French guy finally looked at my side after several minutes of talking with the lady.

"Which side are you on brother? My side?"

I wanted to be sure he was talking to me so I raised an eyebrow. He smiled at me, I smiled back and gave him a reply I seemed as perfect.

"I just came to have fun, the best team will win eventually."

I guess he was disappointed. Perhaps, he noticed how angry I was when Kylian Mbappe missed a big chance earlier. We got talking, although it was more like a question and answer section and the Russian lady looked on. The interaction ended when the players returned to the field for second half.

The stadium was filled up and the noise from every angle could make a deaf man hear. Watching the supporters of each team was enough to make my day. The relieve, excitement and disappointment on their faces made me remember the matches I watched on TV. How the cameramen picture them and the match for viewers is still a mystery to me.

In the 54th minute, Luka Modric took a direct free kick that almost went in but he was denied by Hugo Lloris. The Croatians had to take a corner kick, Modric took it and it went straight to Mario Mandzukic's head and into the net.

The noise that followed suit made me held on to my ears. I clapped at the brilliancy of the goal and I could sense the French guy was staring at me. The French side were the favourites to win but it wasn't looking like it.

The goal from Croatia made the French team angry. They lost every possession afterwards, the French strikers became too hot for them and eventually they got an equalizer.

Kylian Mbappe scored an amazing goal to level the score line. I clapped again and this time around I looked at the French guy, he was smiling, few seconds later, he was almost crying. I'm sure he made a bet with a Croatian.

No goal came from both teams till 90 minutes was reached. Another 30 minutes of play would decide a winner. There was another lady sitting at my right hand side, she was a Belgian. She was fluent in English and we related well. Her best player is Paul Pogba, hence, she was supporting France.

The first half of the extra time was way too boring, the players were already tired. The second 15 minutes got interesting, there good chances from both teams. France had two clear chances and Croatia missed one. The game ended 1 - 1, and a penalty shoot out was the only thing that decided the winner.

This time, the supporters were praying silently. Anything can happen from a penalty spot. The Croatians had experienced this twice and they came victorious. The French side looked tense.

Antoine Griezman started the penalty shootout with a goal, Ante Rebic scored his to level up.
France missed a penalty, the Croatians scored theirs and they were left with only one penalty to decide their fate.

Ivan Rakitic was meant to take the last penalty for Croatia. He hasn't lost a single penalty for the team and we could tell how difficult it was for him, this penalty meant a lot.

Hugo Loris was too confident, he kept moving left and right with the hope of catching it. Rakitic ran forward, took a shot.....

Then, my brother woke me up!

_Pixabay

I couldn't tell if he scored or not. I tried going back to bed to continue the match but it seems I have to be in Russia for real this time around.

---

That was how I watched the match and couldn't decipher the winner.

That's my prediction, a penalty shootout will decide who lifts the trophy. It's just few hours away and I'm hoping my dream comes true.

---

It's @afolwalex, your number one sport analyst.