France 4-2 Croatia
With twenty minutes left on the clock and the score well out reach, France stopped attacking altogether. I'd hate to break it to you, but the World Cup may have been decided on shoddy goalkeeping. Even at 4-1, the game dragged on with lots of clutching and grabbing, most of it out of frustration.
Both sides placed the hopes of their respective Nations squarely on their shoulders. They can walk away proud knowing they gave it their all. Even unforced errors by Danijel Subasic and Hugo Lloris won't completely invalidate their heroic performances throughout the tournament.
Casual fans of the sport may forget the rundown of play, but they will remember the four masked men that invaded the pitch in the 2nd half. The referee was forced to halt the match with Russian President Vladimir Putin watching from a safe distance. Feminist punk outfit Pussy Riot eventually claimed responsibility for the pitch invasion. It wouldn't have been a Russian spectacle without a tiny bit of political turmoil.
If you live next to French-expats like I do, I'm afraid you won't hear the end of it. On talent alone, France has earned their place in the gallows of footballing history. Tune in here for a live feed of celebrations in Paris.