World Cup Final: The Man in Charge

Today’s referee is the Argentine Nestor Pitana, a veteran official with slicked back hair and the look of an Argentine army colonel. He generally brooks no fools but most assuredly wants to stay out of the action today.

The video-assistant referee is an Italian, Massimiliano Irrati.The teams are coming out of the tunnel. Almost time. Anthems next ....

Bring On the Checkerboards!

Some good news: France will be in blue today, allowing Croatia to wear its fantastic checkerboard jerseys for the first time since the group stage.