90 minute game and clock is still running at 108
Does anyone ever know when time is over this review is crazy
I've explained this many times over the years. It really isn't all that difficult. But it's different than what happens in a lot of other sports, hence the confusion.
Each half is 45 minutes long, and thus the game is 90 minutes long. During each half, the ref tracks how much time is spent on goal celebrations, dealing with injuries, etc. The game clock never stops. However at the end of each half, the ref adds time based on how much time was tracked for non-playing actions. So at the end of the 1st half (i.e., when 45 minutes is reached), the ref adds X minutes (let's use 5 minutes as an example for this explanation). The 5 minutes that is posted isn't exactly 5 minutes. It means the added time is at least 5 minutes, but less than 6 minutes. So in this example, the clock will run from 45 minutes to 50:xx minutes. However, when they start the 2nd half, the clock will start at 45:00 and run to 90.
Two additional things also come into play. First, if there are stoppages for injuries, goal celebrations, VAR reviews, etc. during the added time, the ref again keeps track of that and will add that to the "added time." Second, you never stop play when a team is on an offensive thrust, until the offensive team kicks the ball out of bounds or loses possession of it.
So at the end of the Croatia - Portugal game, there was all kinds of time added to the "added time," as there were goal celebrations, VAR reviews, a substitution, and i believe (not certain) a yellow card. The ref is in communication with his crew (the 4th official often helps track the stoppage time), so the entire crew knew what the initial added time was, and how much time was added to that for the aforementioned stoppages.
FWIW, this timing approach is not used in the USA for high school or for college soccer. In those games, the clock is stopped on each injury, and after each goal, and when a player is carded. Depending on the situation (too complicated to explain in a few words), the clock may or may not be stopped for substitutions, and can be stopped for unusual events that cause play to be interrupted. Lastly, play is stopped when the clock gets to 0:00, regardless of whether a team is on an offensive thrust. This approach does make it easier for fans to know exactly how much time is left in the game. As for the players and the coaches, they do fine with either approach, as they are used to it, and can also ask the ref how much time is left.