Women's Swimming & Diving | 7/14/2018 10:52:00 AM

Three billion people typically watch the World Cup finals, and the heavily-anticipated battle between mighty France and scrappy Croatia should have fans glued to the edge of their seats. France and Croatia both have beautiful beaches and passionate fun-loving people, but the similarities basically end there. France is a centuries-old nation whose cultural footprints are felt from North America to North Africa and down to Southeast Asia. Croatia meanwhile has only been independent since 1991, and has four million residents in a country the size of West Virginia.
 
So if you're undecided on who you're pulling for Sunday, two DU swimmers, rising sophomore Charlotte Simon and 2018 graduate Anton Loncar, are here to make their case to you.
 
Interviews lightly edited for space and clarity.
 
In the blue corner...France
DenverPioneers.com: Charlotte, give me two sentences on why DU fans should cheer for France on Sunday?
Charlotte Simon: The French team is the youngest of the World Cup. 1993 is the most represented year of birth in this French team, and they have this mentality that everyone loves, between concentration, cohesion and friendships. They have fun playing and we have fun watching them.
 
DP: I know 1998 was before your time, but if France wins the World Cup, will this again be a massive event in your country?
CS: I can't imagine what would happen on Sunday if the Blues manage to win the World Cup. Since the beginning of the World Cup, football has been the main focus in France. Newspapers, television, everyone is talking about it! Everyone is watching and is cheering for them, this is amazing.
 
DP: Where will you watch the game?
CS: I will watch the game at the airport! The game is at 5pm in France and I am coming back from a swim meet in Spain with my team. Our coach changed the time of our flight to make sure we can watch the game!
 
DP: What does this French team have, that Croatia will find very difficult to stop?
CS: Croatia is going to be more tired than us. Although the Croats were probably the most impressive team in the group stage, they then needed two penalty shoot-outs and a new face-to-face extension to defeat England. With a day of recovery less than the Blues since the semifinal we can think than the Croatians could lack freshness... We also have 3 really good players in attack. Mbappé is going to be the fastest on the field, and Griezman can be anywhere. The Croatians are going to need to be really careful.
 
DP: If you could give a tour of DU to French Coach Didier Deschamps, where around campus would you take him? And what do you think his impressions would be?
CS: This is a hard question because I don't really know Didier Deschamps. I guess I would show him the football field, the weight room, and the [other Ritchie Center facilities]. I'm sure he would be really impressed because we don't have [university athletic departments] in France.
 
DP: Do you think he would try the off-campus Chipotle?
CS: I don't know if he would like it but he would definitely try it. He looks like the kind of person who is not scared of trying new things! 
 
And in the red and white corner…Croatia
 
DP: Anton, give me two sentences on why DU fans should cheer for Croatia on Sunday?
Anton Loncar: I can do it in one, Who doesn't want to cheer for the underdog?
 
DP: What is it about the red and white checker pattern that Croatians find so awesome? 
AL: The fact that it is so recognizable and unique. It definitely helps with the whole "Putting Croatia on the map" thing. 
 
DP: And then along those lines, for people who don't know much about Croatia…what are three awesome things about it that people should know?
AL: It is located just across the beautiful Adriatic Sea from Italy, has thousands of Islands, a vast coastline, tons of rich Roman and Austro-Hungarian history, and friendly and hospitable people. 
 
DP: If the Vetrani (nickname for the Croatian national team) win the World Cup, would you say this would be the second most significant thing for the country after independence in 1991?
AL: I would definitely say it would be up there, although Gold medals at the Olympics and World Championships in Water Polo, as well as many other Olympic Golds in sports like Alpine Skiing and Javelin, are nothing to scoff at either. 
 
DP: Where will you watch the game?
AL: My teammates and I from my swim club reserved a few tables in a bar downtown Zagreb close to the square. 
 
DP: Vetrani fans are pretty famous at this point for lighting celebratory fires. If Croatia wins it all Sunday do you have a pack of matches handy?
AL: I prefer to go the roman candle route, but post-victory celebrations are indescribable here. It is truly an experience like no other.  
 
DP: What do you feel is special about this Croatian team?
AL: We were definitely an overlooked dark horse team coming into this World Cup. As we continued to topple teams from countries that assumed they could beat us, our motivation to prove everyone wrong just kept growing. This desire to "put Croatia on the map" is something that no French team could ever possess.
 
DP: So Croatia, a tiny nation, sends soccer players to Spain and Germany, basketball players to the NBA and is a factor in other sports such as alpine skiing, water polo and team handball. What is it about this small country that produces such athletic excellence?
AL: Croatian athletes all seem to have one thing in common: the desire to prove themselves in the face of doubt. Croatian athletes are almost always overlooked and considered to be underdogs, and we all share a desire to emerge victorious despite it all. This is a fire that can't be put out and is the secret ingredient that other athletes don't always possess. Along with this, Croats in general [especially those from the coastal Dalmatia region] have crazy good genetics. The average height is like 6'3 and sports are extremely important to Croats. 
 
DP: What does this Croatian team have, that France will find very difficult to stop?
AL: Let me put it this way. People said it would be impossible to beat Messi and Argentina. We beat them 3-0. People said there is no way we could beat Russia. Check. The English team thought they were going to "Bring it home". Nope. So far every time all the "experts" claimed that the odds were against us, we emerged victoriously. Don't get me wrong, I think that the French team is excellent and should not be underestimated, but Croatia seems to have that extra gear to go to when the pressure is on. 
 
DP: If Croatian superstar forward Mario Mandžukić came to DU, where would you show him?
AL: I'd probably take him to Kaladi. Croats love to go to coffee.