match in This World Cup Tournament Croatia against
Morocco.
Nick, I'm kind of focusing on what this means. Big picture
for both of these teams. I mean, psycho dowager's Croatia,
they were outclassed by Argentina,
but no disgrace in that just came up short, but they
overachieve soda Morocco. And again, just came up short
against the reigning World Cup champs France. But no shame in
that whatsoever,
and both these teams could feel very confident and just very
Pleased with themselves going into this game, but I think
this is all about Morocco, right? In fact that they're
the first African team to reach the semi-finals and World Cup
history. And if they could finish in third place, that
would just be another big moment for them and just create
even more positive vibes
around them and they were unlucky against France, to get
knocked out at the semi-final round, but just kind of
everything caught up with them, right? And they looked a little
bit jaded, but again, both these teams
weaker squads compared to the powerhouses of
In France and you just got to
give me a huge pat on the back for reaching it this far.
Yeah, I think you're looking at a couple of teams who
will do well, just to
go out there and enjoy the moment, and I know that sounds silly,
but that's what I tuned in. That's what I'm going to be
watching. I'm going to, let's go get some guys, some World
Cup goals, right? Some guys who don't have one, the people who
want to put minutes on their resume, so to speak.
I think every nobody wants to reach the third place game
for the purposes of
not being in the final.
But going out there and being a showcase and being a yeah, we
got here. And as long as it's not five, nothing one way and
it won't be because I think Morocco
they're going to have
I probably would have favored them to win this match. If they
weren't on 24 hours, less race rest. For these legs that have
been through so much over the last few weeks. So,
and Croatia, apparently
from what we've seen out of mode, rich, and his friends in
Paris, which they could play every day for 50 days and still
look almost exactly the same. It's remarkable what they're
doing. So the glove a great game.
I just think as long as everybody is able to kind of
rally and realize, no, we didn't hit the ultimate goal,
but look what we did it should be a beauty.
So it should be celebrated, right? Andy, what both these
teams did and I think the curly shows he finished third in 98.
They were runners-up last time out, we talked
before about their incredible achievement, the six World Cups
and they've been to at least the semi-final in three of
those tournaments
just amazing on The dog story for them, but is there any kind
of favorite for you? Do you want to see Morocco when it
because of the crazy told them that they've
had or Croatia for mod Rich Paris such love and all
the veterans. They have there that have been there for so long.
I mean,
it does mean something to finish third in this world cup
and just to have, you know, some kind of reward
extraordinary end of it. But
when all is said and done both of these teams that we've said,
they've achieved so much more than we all thought they would
do at this tournament. Yeah, this is kind of the perfect
setup for
Third Place game as in it. Two teams that
that are not going to take it for granted, two teams that are
not going to say, we don't care. If we finished third, or
if we finish fourth it for
Nations and national teams with the size and just the you know
the the overall history of these two teams finishing third
place. Rather than finishing fourth place, has a massive
deal. There is a third place medal for that and that is
something
that if you are a Croatian player on this team, if you are
a Moroccan player on this team, You will have for the rest of
your entire life and and there will be 20 in a 26 of those
players
that will have those. I it is a truly special thing. I think
when you get some of these and no disrespect to some of these
smaller national teams that get an opportunity in games like
this, we don't want to see,
you know,
just throw out a Germany, a team like that. Just throw out
their backups because they don't care. That's not
the spectacle that we're going to see when these two faced off
this weekend. So I'm actually quite excited for this one.
And I would imagine that we see a lot of the same names that we
have be again, because it does mean a lots of both.
He and Nick, it's interesting. You said about like padding
the stats, a little bit, getting some goals, getting some
assist, having good fun. And I only mentioned there, this is
the perfect scenario for us as sort of neutrals. And
I think just every fan, right, we'll just be enjoying watching
these players who have excelled from Morocco or the veterans
are superstars in Christ. And when we think about that,
obviously, the mind switching. Has the Luka, Modric straight
away, and he's
come out and said, you know, I'm going to keep playing for
Croatia,
but it's probably not going to be another World Cup, right?
He's probably not going to be around in 2026
playing for Croatia.
So, this could be his final World Cup game. And I guess
maybe just the word on his impact and how close, he's
managed to drag Croatia and I think he has dragged them, even
in the loss to Argentina. He was the one
one Croatia play along with kovich. I thought really showed
Drive. Quality and belief that they could win that game even
when they look, you know, totally beaten by Argentina. So
his legacy will live long
after this tournament or recent tournaments where he's helped
Croatia so much. But it'll be fun to see him. Go one last
time at woke up of it is is Last Dance, right?
It will, I mean he's the same age as Reynaldo and it feels
like somehow he's still 10 years older than that. There
was a great meme going around. It was a picture of a guy
with a
with a Let's call it a smoking device inside the stadium, and
he looked to be in his 50s, and somebody said, this is actually
from the future, it's mode, your chin, 10 years, taking
a penalty, like,
the 2030 World Cup, and
if you want to realize how good this guy has been for so long,
all you have to do is Google mode, Richton them, and it
shows up with,
with a jersey uppuma Jersey with a sponsor, that's,
you know, you don't even remember they had on it. That's
how long ago that was and he's been a remarkable player.
And they'll be known for me.
The trivia question for me, will always be
the guy who broke the Ballon d'Or streak.
That seemed to be
probably going to last another five years, and
yeah, remarkable player. And
if it wasn't for this generation, you'd have to think whose,
you know, who else is in the discussion for their national
team
from our generation
as out-and-out, the guy,
absolutely. And Andy, I know you're a huge Madrid fans.
From his time at Tottenham, the team you support, and it's just
a magician, right? Like Nick mentioned it there. He's such
a Talisman for that team. And just,
yeah, it's going to be sad to see him sort of, Leave
the World Cup stage, but he's given us so much, and
it's just a joy to watch his knee every single time. So,
consistent just choose this class, I guess. So A final word
on Luka. Modric for Croatia.
Yeah, real simply he's one man out there on the field but
When he's on the field and especially when he's on
the ball, it feels like he's controlling all other 21
players as well. And there are very very few players in
the history of the game that have that kind of that gravitational
pull. And and just that influence on the game, their
team, the other team
he just Maestro. I know he is just directing everybody from
both sides where exactly he wants and where he needs some,
putting the ball. On the right side of the player who's
receiving the just, every little tiny detail,
That could exist in being that playmaking and connecting
midfielder, he is just absolutely perfect. And and
tunics Point done it for such an incredibly long time. All
the Champions League trophies,
you know, a World Cup semi-final, a World Cup, third place,
potential metal.
It's just an absolutely legendary career. And, you
know, it's,
it'll be sad to see Croatia to World Cup without him in four
years time assuming that they get there.
Absolutely. But we will enjoy seeing them one more time as
they take on Morocco and Car patching up some of their
injured players, obviously that impacted them hard and
the semi-final against France. But both Croatia and Morocco can
hold their heads extremely high as
they go into the third place match
and over at pro soccer talk on, NBC sports.com will keep you
update or latest team news preview information, how to
watch info,
and then reaction and Analysis. As well as we get down to
handing out that bronze medal, to the third place, team in
the world cup. And,
you know, I don't know if this is possible, but I would,
Try and share it between those teams. I think they both
deserve it for everything. They given this tournament but
someone's gotta win it. Someone's gotta
have that and I think we're going to see quite the game
between Croatia Morocco and there's going to go all out. So
it's going to be a lot of fun
for us to witness.