THE 2022 FIFA World Cup Grand Finals is perhaps the greatest finals game in World Cup history.
With both Argentina and France scoring three goals apiece, leading to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, the grand finale became a spectacle that will forever evoke the emotions of fans.
Will I argue that it’s the greatest football match ever? That might be difficult to say, especially when compared to the 2005 UEFA Champions League finals between Liverpool and AC Milan.
But what definitely made this match special were the storylines involved.
Lionel Messi finally silenced his doubters who argue that he struggles in scoring penalties in the big occasion and that he is too old to win a World Cup trophy.
And the same can be said with the other players like Angel Di Maria, said to be already on his twilight years, only for him to turn back the clock in one of his biggest matches. The cameras would often pan towards him, as he struggled to hold back his tears.
Then, there’s Kylian Mbappe, who, at 23 years old, felt like he carried the entire nation in his back, leading to France’s miraculous run.
But the drama that the finals evoke wouldn’t even exist had both Lionel Scaloni and Didier Deschamps failed to make the correct tactical decisions. In fact, their crucial changes ultimately changed the scope of the game.
How Argentina outplayed France
While watching France in this World Cup, I noticed how they tended to rely on Antoine Griezmann’s playmaking prowess. Like a traditional number 10, Griezmann would connect the dots across the pitch.
This role made a lot of sense. Aurelien Tchouameni is a player that currently struggles in ball carrying duties, while Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe can truly shine with him moving around the pitch.
So in order to negate his impact, Scaloni tasked Alexis Mac Allister to mark him throughout the game, while teammates like Tagliafico, De Paul, and Molina would also hound Griezmann’s complimentary pieces, specifically the wide players Mbappe and Dembele.
This explains why France struggled to dictate the pace of the game in the first half. The entire team was pressed.

On top of the defensive pressure that limited France’s buildup phase, Scaloni’s tactical selection has been on point. The decision to select Angel Di Maria on the left flank was a massive surprise, as Di Maria has been known throughout his career as an inverted winger on the right flank.
But Scaloni's decision to place Di Maria on the left paid dividends as he nipped at the heels of both Dembele and Jules Kounde.
This is what made Scaloni stand out. He isn’t the sort of manager that one can easily predict. I personally struggled to determine what formation he will use before the game. Would he go for a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2? It turned out he went for the latter.
Then, of course, Lionel Messi’s positioning in the central areas ultimately dictated the first half. He would drop deep, Dayot Upamecano would chase him, and opportunities would open up for La Albiceleste.

This also caused confusion in France’s deep pivot areas. If you watch the previous matches, France's play pinned on Tchouameni being the lone pivot. Messi, alongside Julian Alvarez and Mac Allister, in that area completely overwhelmed the 22-year-old defensive midfielder.

Deschamps responds
With Argentina up 2-0, it seemed all is lost for Les Bleus...until Deschamps made some crucial tactical adjustments immediately in the first half.
Given Dembele’s lapses both offensively and defensively, it was time for Randal Kolo Muani to take over his spot and become the catalyst that France needed. Joining him was Marcus Thuram, who, just like in France's previous game against Morocco, would provide defensive cover from the left flank.
Desperate to score goals, Kolo Muani aggressively pressed Argentina’s buildup play and during the second half, he and Jules Kounde would try to create opportunities in that area.
With France slowly gaining steam from the right side of the pitch, Scaloni was forced to make an adjustment. Out went Angel Di Maria, who was struggling with an injury; in came Marcos Acuna.
This somewhat nerfed Argentina’s creativity on the left flank, as Acuna lacked Di Maria’s craftiness and agility. Just look at their playstyles. Acuna is more inclined to cross the ball, while Di Maria would try to dazzle his way past defenders before providing a goal scoring opportunity.
But that wasn’t the only change that made the impact. As the match went on, Deschamps inserted Kingsley Coman and Eduardo Camavinga.
Here’s what’s common about all the players that Deschamps inserted in this match: They’re all young, energetic players who can contribute on both offense and defense.
Of course, there were drawbacks, as well. France was forced to bring Griezmann out of the game, which in turn would limit their technicality.
But with France's struggle in generating opportunities, they might as well shift gears.
It worked wonders for them as the pressing that they brought allowed France to bounce back. Mbappe is a player that shines in the open spaces and transition, and having players who can recover the ball and capitalize on his speed was what the defending champs needed. France's second goal is a testament to this.
Moreover, these players would provide the thrust that France needed. They also offered fluidity in their offense, with Les Bleus alternating their attacking players for varying matchups against Argentina's defense.
With the likes of Coman, Mbappe, Thuram, and Kolo Muani upfront, France could overload certain areas, opening up avenues to score.

The aftermath
With 90 minutes of football done, both managers carried on with their changes in extra time. For Scaloni, he opted to use Leandro Paredes and Lautaro Martinez, with the former deployed to stabilize Argentina after being harassed from France’s pressing game and to provide some deep-lying passes.
Meanwhile the latter offered some fresh legs that was needed, since Julian Alvarez spent the entire game running around, causing havoc on France’s backlines both in offense and defense.
On the other hand, Deschamps carried on with his previous antics, France decided to bring more energetic players, so in came Youssouf Fofana to replace Adrien Rabiot.
Ultimately both managers did a great job with their adjustments and tactics and they certainly deserve a lot of praise for giving us one hell of a finals match in the last month of the year.
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