Russia-Croatia. You'll have to forgive me for being emotional...

Russia-Croatia.
You'll have to forgive me for being emotional here.
This game was everything the World Cup has always been for me. A great outpouring of national pride expressed in the skills and endurance of the players and the passion of the supporters.

Strange thing happened as the camera panned across the faces of the Russian players as the game was about to start. I thought these could be the faces of the young men who two hundred years ago faced the as then unbeatable armies of Napoleon in places like Austerlitz and Borodino and in the end prevailed.
They didn't prevail tonight but they did Russia proud.

It was a wonderful game and plucky little Croatia live to fight another day.
All the best to them.