Euro 2016: Breakdown/prediction for the final.

The bad news: In less than 24 hours, Euro 2016 will be over. And we will have to wait another four years to see it again. The good news: we still got one more game, baby. Let's get into who Joseph Arthur Smeltzer thinks has the edge between Portugal and France.


Back Line

Patrice Evra

Portugal has Pepe on defense, but they have had their struggles (see: 3 goals allowed against Hungary). France, meanwhile, has a solid back line led by Patrice Evra and featuring Laurent Koscielny, Bacary Sagna and holding midfielder Blaise Matuidi. Combine this defense with the goaltending brilliance of Hugo Lloris, and it's no contest.

Edge: France. 

Midfield

Paul Pobga

You got the best midfielder in the world in Paul Pogba. You've got one of the best free-kick takers in the world in Dimitri Payet. You've got the most dominant player of the whole tournament in Antione Griezmann (assuming manager Didier Deschamps sticks with the 4-2-3-1 formation).

With all due respect to Nani, France has the edge in the midfield.

Edge: France 

Front Line

It's hard to break this down since France will likely play with one player in the front while Portugal will probably play with 2. Portugal has Christiano Ronaldo, so they have the edge here

Edge: Porto

Goaltending 

Lloris is a winner. (Photo creds to www.express.co.uk

If you've watched France this summer, and if you follow Tottmahm Hotspur every other month of the year, you know that Hugo Lloris is special. He is world class, and best of all, he makes the big save when he is needed most. Rui has done well at times for the other side, but Loris is a superstar.

Edge: France

Prediction 

I'd like to tell you that this will be a great game and will be what soccer is all about and all that jazz, but in this case, I cannot. France is a better team than Portugal. They have better players, a better manager and are playing as the host nation. The fact that Portugal is in the final at all exposes a problem with the tournament format, that problem being that most of the top teams are on one side of the bracket. That's no knock on the Portuguese side; you can't control your hand,  but beating Croatia, Poland and Wales (two of those in extra time) should not make you one of the top 2 teams in Europe.

The France-Germany semifinal meeting should have been the final. That matched dripped of intensity, and I highly doubt that today's final tops that. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe France will be reckless and take their foot off the pedal. Maybe Ronaldo will score more than once (he's done it plenty before). These things could happen, but I don't think they will. France is too good and too motivated. They don't want to let the home fans down. One thing is a guarantee: whatever happens, there will be riots in the streets of Paris.


France 3, Portugal 1