It's the big day! The culmination of a massive journey - this is the 1139th match covered by this year's DWC series! I've watched every goal from every game, which deserves some kind of medal.
All this frantic FM18 action has led us to this final - let's see how the teams got there:
All this frantic FM18 action has led us to this final - let's see how the teams got there:
The first team to secure their place in the final was Brazil, who held their nerve to see off Italy on penalties after a tight semi-final. They are to face Spain, who boast the scariest squad in the competition, and will be heavy favourites after two massive wins in their last two games. However, they too had to gamble with penalties in their match against Germany. A knockout-round aggregate score of 8-1 to Brazil and 10-2 to Spain suggests that Brazil are potentially capable of keeping up with the Spaniards. So, who will become the second-ever champions of the Draft World Cup?
Team news
Brazil have a selection dilemma. Paolo Guerrero up front has been poor, with only one goal to show for his efforts this tournament, and an average rating of 7.08 hugely bolstered by being present as his teammates thrashed Ghana and South Africa. But it may be that his presence has been helping the likes of Luan and Everton Ribeiro shine. Joao Brasil elects to keep Guerrero up front (not his first reprieve this summer), but with an eye to a change later on.
Meanwhile, Spain has nobody they’d like to drop, but they do need to make a change as Luis Suarez’s semi-final injury rules him out of the final. The options to come in are Isco, Bale and Iniesta, none of whom have particularly pressed their case in previous showings. Alternatively, Philippe Coutinho or James Rodriguez could be given their first DWC finals start. Ximena Espana goes with Coutinho to play behind tournament top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Team news
Brazil have a selection dilemma. Paolo Guerrero up front has been poor, with only one goal to show for his efforts this tournament, and an average rating of 7.08 hugely bolstered by being present as his teammates thrashed Ghana and South Africa. But it may be that his presence has been helping the likes of Luan and Everton Ribeiro shine. Joao Brasil elects to keep Guerrero up front (not his first reprieve this summer), but with an eye to a change later on.
Meanwhile, Spain has nobody they’d like to drop, but they do need to make a change as Luis Suarez’s semi-final injury rules him out of the final. The options to come in are Isco, Bale and Iniesta, none of whom have particularly pressed their case in previous showings. Alternatively, Philippe Coutinho or James Rodriguez could be given their first DWC finals start. Ximena Espana goes with Coutinho to play behind tournament top-scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Here we go then, the final of the 2018 Draft World Cup! Guerrero kicks it back, and we’re off! Brazil start well and a fine ball by Arthur finds Ribeiro sneaking behind Marcelo, but the Real Madrid man is able to get back and put it behind for a corner – which comes to little.
A clattering challenge from Fagner earns him a 2nd-minute yellow card, not ideal when you’re up against an in-form Antoine Griezmann. Soon after Spain have the first half-chance of the game, when Luka Modric picks up a clearance and feeds it to Lionel Messi in the box. The Argentine twists and turns to get a shot away, but it’s high and wide. From the kick-off Spain win it back, and get it forward quickly. Toni Kroos’ pass to Griezmann is head-height for some reason, but Griezmann is able to brilliantly cushion a head across the box to Ronaldo, who makes no mistake to notch his 10th goal of this DWC – Spain lead!
A clattering challenge from Fagner earns him a 2nd-minute yellow card, not ideal when you’re up against an in-form Antoine Griezmann. Soon after Spain have the first half-chance of the game, when Luka Modric picks up a clearance and feeds it to Lionel Messi in the box. The Argentine twists and turns to get a shot away, but it’s high and wide. From the kick-off Spain win it back, and get it forward quickly. Toni Kroos’ pass to Griezmann is head-height for some reason, but Griezmann is able to brilliantly cushion a head across the box to Ronaldo, who makes no mistake to notch his 10th goal of this DWC – Spain lead!
Brazil are really struggling to keep the ball, and after losing it soon after kick-off Spain hare away. Coutinho has a sight of goal, but his shot is pushed behind by Vanderlei. From the corner Spain get the ball into the box, where it runs loose before falling to Messi – but he can only find the side-netting.
Lucas Lima is dropped back into central midfield as Brazil realise their attacking play isn’t getting them anywhere, and Spain’s period of pressure is slowly ended. Brazil are in a position where they need to make as few errors as possible, but one catastrophic one may well have ended their hopes prematurely... Petros flies in with two feet on Coutinho and sees red! It’s only the 28th minute, and it’s already hard to see how Brazil can get back into this game now!
Lucas Lima is dropped back into central midfield as Brazil realise their attacking play isn’t getting them anywhere, and Spain’s period of pressure is slowly ended. Brazil are in a position where they need to make as few errors as possible, but one catastrophic one may well have ended their hopes prematurely... Petros flies in with two feet on Coutinho and sees red! It’s only the 28th minute, and it’s already hard to see how Brazil can get back into this game now!
Brazil defend manfully... for about 8 minutes until Coutinho doubles Spain’s lead by poking in a loose ball in the box.
A Messi shot over the bar excepted, little happens in the final 10 minutes of the half, and we reach the break with Spain two goals and a man up. Brazil have to do something, and what they do is replace Guerrero with Gustavo Scarpa, and switch to a 4-4-1 with Luan up front.
Brazilians will surely have fond memories of Kroos after that infamous 2014 semi-final, and he further endears himself to them by getting Spain’s third goal 28 seconds after the restart with a powerful shot from just inside the box. To be honest, this is not how I’d hoped this showpiece would go.
Brazilians will surely have fond memories of Kroos after that infamous 2014 semi-final, and he further endears himself to them by getting Spain’s third goal 28 seconds after the restart with a powerful shot from just inside the box. To be honest, this is not how I’d hoped this showpiece would go.
Brazil’s first chance of the whole match comes soon after – Luan chases a ball down the flank, and holds it up for his teammates. It eventually comes to Arthur on the edge of the box, but his vicious strike is well-parried by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. From the corner Geromel heads over from a tricky angle.
A needless trip on Luan by Modric earns him a yellow card. And with Spain in such a strong position, he is almost immediately replaced by Sergio Busquets to ensure Spain maintain a numerical advantage. It’s a time for changes, in fact, as Brazil replace Ribeiro with Elias whilst Spain bring on Bale for Messi. One of Bale’s first actions is to try a rabona cross, which is mishit (with a silent ‘mi’) and dribbles through to Vanderlei.
Brazil promptly lose the ball, and a Spain counter-attack ends with Griezmann hitting the crossbar. Brazil replace Lucas Lima with Diego Souza, just in time to see Bale add Spain’s fourth with a simple header from Coutinho’s cross.
Iniesta comes on for Griezmann for the final 10 minutes. Spain are having enormous fun, with Ronaldo and Bale in particular simply trying to score from as far out as possible. Diego Souza picks up a yellow card in the 93rd minute, and seconds later it’s all over! SPAIN WIN THE 2018 DRAFT WORLD CUP!
Obviously, we all wanted to see a close final, even if Spain always seemed like worthy winners. It was a truly brilliant achievement for Ronaldo to reach 10 goals for the tournament – something not managed in the actual World Cup since Gerd Muller in 1970. But the big story on the day was the performance of the unexpected selection, Coutinho. With one goal and two assists – as well as an astonishing 86/87 passes completed, he very deservedly claimed man of the match.
Tournament results
Tournament review
Due to time pressures and FM18 not being great at uploading clips, I'm just going to rattle through the tournament awards here, just like FIFA do for the real World Cup:
Golden Ball (top goalscorer):
Golden Boot (best player):
Golden Glove (best goalkeeper):
Best young player:
Kylian Mbappe (FRA) - a lack of plausible alternatives made this an easy choice. The first person or team to win the same award at a DWC as they did at the real event, Mbappe was excellent for France, with four assists in four games. Even in the disappointing defeat to Argentina he was his side's star man.
Team of the Tournament:
Due to time pressures and FM18 not being great at uploading clips, I'm just going to rattle through the tournament awards here, just like FIFA do for the real World Cup:
Golden Ball (top goalscorer):
- Cristiano Ronaldo (ESP) - 10 goals in 7 appearances
- Edinson Cavani (FRA) - 7 goals in 4 appearances
- Alvaro Negredo (TUR) - 7 goals in 5 appearances
Golden Boot (best player):
- Cristiano Ronaldo (ESP) - average rating of 8.24, leading Spain to victory in his characteristic way.
- Luan (BRA) - despite an average rating of only 7.47, his six goals were instrumental in Brazil's shock run to the final.
- Robert Lewandowski (GER) - average rating of 8.20, scoring a hat-trick in the tournament's opener and notching an impressive 6 goals in 4 games.
Golden Glove (best goalkeeper):
- Rui Patricio (POR) - average rating of 6.88, 2 goals conceded. Wolves' new signing went through the group stage unbeaten, and only conceded goals in games against England and Italy. He was even terrific as Portugal went out, saving 4 shots in the shootout.
- Buffon (ITA) - average rating of 6.86, 7 goals conceded. How thrilling to see him at a World Cup this summer. Despite an average of 1 goal conceded per game, he shone in shootouts, leading Italy to two victories in three, with a remarkably 8 penalties saved in the process.
- ter Stegen (ESP) - average rating of 7.11, 2 goals conceded. The Spain keeper loses a few marks for having little to do behind a superb defence.
Best young player:
Kylian Mbappe (FRA) - a lack of plausible alternatives made this an easy choice. The first person or team to win the same award at a DWC as they did at the real event, Mbappe was excellent for France, with four assists in four games. Even in the disappointing defeat to Argentina he was his side's star man.
Team of the Tournament:
Goal of the Tournament:
Giuliano (TUR) vs. Greece - the attacking midfielder kicked a feisty rival match into action with a ridiculous overhead kick as the ball was sailing away beyond him.
Marek Hamsik (ITA)vs. Brazil - as the Italians appeared to be slipping to a 1-0 defeat in the DWC semi-final, up steps the Slovakian to wallop a first-time shot from range into the corner. Of course, Italy still lost the shootout...
Hakim Ziyech (NED) vs. Thailand - curiously, on the same day as Giuliano's goal, Ziyech typified a searing first-half performance from the Dutch by rounding off a beautiful team goal.
Giuliano (TUR) vs. Greece - the attacking midfielder kicked a feisty rival match into action with a ridiculous overhead kick as the ball was sailing away beyond him.
Marek Hamsik (ITA)vs. Brazil - as the Italians appeared to be slipping to a 1-0 defeat in the DWC semi-final, up steps the Slovakian to wallop a first-time shot from range into the corner. Of course, Italy still lost the shootout...
Hakim Ziyech (NED) vs. Thailand - curiously, on the same day as Giuliano's goal, Ziyech typified a searing first-half performance from the Dutch by rounding off a beautiful team goal.