GARETH BALE: (WALES): Brought Real Madrid’s winning mentality to the Welsh team on their first major tournament appearance for 58 years.
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Writing for Mail Online, former ref Graham Poll said Clattenburg helped keep a “poor game flowing” while Howard Webb – who refereed the World Cup Final in 2010, wrote in the Times how he had managed to handle the pressure of such a huge occasion. The Portuguese side were more efficient.
They were later to begin a parade through the city. Under the most intense spotlight of his worldwide career, fans of irony would have enjoyed the fact a distracted moth threatened to gatecrash his moment. Despite his impressive statistics, De Bruyne also attracted criticism from some quarters for looking exhausted and could not add to the 16 goals he scored during his club campaign.
No, according to their much lauded coach it was the teams faith and belief that has carried them through a near constant criticism throughout the tournament to claim the biggest prize in European football.
Defeat was all the more painful for France after they had struck the post through Andre-Pierre Gignac in the last minute of normal time and had generally created the better chances in what was a cagey final at the Stade de France.
Ronaldo was given a standing ovation by French supporters as well as his own fans, while Payet was subsequently booed each time he received the ball as well as when he was substituted by France head coach Didier Deschamps in the second half.
Ozil was another key cog in the German team which will feel aggrieved at not having got past France to reach the final.
The rise of centre back Samuel Umtiti, 22, who won his first three caps in the tournament and showed maturity beyond his years, is another reason for Deschamps to hope for great things to come. With nearly 400 successful passes, Manchester United’s interest in Pogba is understandable. Portugal finished third in their group which is not that impressive. The games were against Croatia and Poland.
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It could be an uncomfortable few months ahead for Eder, the unheralded striker who will return shortly to French club Lille after breaking French hearts with his 109th-minute goal. As for the highest-placed England player, Chris Smalling fared best at 44th and Eric Dier just sneaked into the top 50 at 49th.
