I could care less about Mamic right now. What Vida did was stupid lucky to get away with just a warning from Fifa. Players are tired physically and mentally but hopefully they will have enough strength to beat the English. Dalic had a bad plan against Russia going 4-2-4 system. As soon as Brozovic came on Modric played higher up the field giving russian defense all kinds of problems. Dalic must play a 3 man midfield against England. Let them have the ball and try to break us down. England wants to play on the counter to use there speed they don't have any natural playmakers in midfield. We can beat England for sure just need to play smart and must be organized on set pieces.
Yes i agree with you tactically Dalic has messed up a few times but he has the players fighting and running giving everything they have. Not sure if they will have any legs left for England as they wasted so much energy beating Denmark and Russia teams they should have beaten in 90 minutes based on the big difference in quality.
They are all the same. Real coach is in Medjugorje, West Herzegovina. Why do they make political things...why they promote messages, pictures, slogans... Dalic just sends everything in attack, just so that no one says to him, that he is a coward. Basically, England is their first serious match. Argentina had other issues among themselves anyway. English players are in running mode very strong...Trippier acts ascentral player, but he is defender. Belgium is too great, France has 30-40 great players who are at home. Dalic was funny...he uses Croatian language, justification for patriotism, in fact he doesn't know how to speak English...he asked that translator: "Sta 'oce ovaj?" He scratches his eyes, no one gets it?? ANd his Croatian is rather strange, mix between Livno shtokavian - ikavian and Varazdin kajkavian, ekavian...na-Pravit', po-Stic', rezul-Tat....accents on second part of word, nothing to do with standard Croatian, which is much similar to that in Livno, Central Bosnia and Herzegovina. Like he is ashamed of his real dialect. Sist, Izist, Pojist, Covik, etc. From rubber boots in to Hugo Boss shoes...not so easy... He isn't from Zagorje, it screams Livno in every move. English is a global language, no problems with that. In fact, it would be nicer that we all speak 5-6 languages and travel more. In that team I respect mostly Rakitic, diaspora Croat, who could be the Lord in Switzerland 2 decades. Instead of this easy road, he picked harder battles with different managers and lobbies. All others blow in the same horn. Even Hajduk players disappointed me, they sold their jersey for money. That's why they are commentators on TV, like Pletikosa, Jelicic, Modric - Hajduk fan inside for sure, same as Kalinic, who probably left beacuse of that. Mandzukic should be on the bench, and Kalinic in. This silly division among Hajduk and Dinamo fans is very stupid. How can anyone hate other team?? Aren't they all from Dalmatia through origins.
I am just praying that they beat England Wednesday! Hopefully Vrsaljko will be fit as Vida playing right back scares me,
No, he won't be ready. Last news: doubtful. Croatia always has problems with the bench. They can't create 15-20 great players. If Subasic gets injured, Vrsaljko, Rakitic, Rebic....no one can replace them.
Vrsaljko practiced today so looks like he will play. Don't be so negative we are a small country. The fact that we have gone to the semifinals twice in 20 years is a great achievement. Hopefully this generation can take a step further then 1998 team.
Diego Simeone made pressures that Vrsaljko avoids this match. Not sure can this happen, where one club dictates everything. Uruguay is a smaller country than Croatia, but they have 2 World Cups, 3 four places, 1 fifth and 1 seventh position. They also have 15 Copa America titles. And 18 times among top 4 in South America. Two Summer Olympic Gold Medals. If we observe smaller countries, Denmark won EURO 1992, same as Greece in 2004. They talk too much about the small country. Czech Republic was 2nd at EURO 1996. Uruguay has 3,4 millions of people. Someone who has players In Real Madrid, Atletico, Barcelona, Juventus, Inter, Milan, Roma, Lazio, Bayern through decades isn't something small. It's just one sneaky excuse in bad moments. Just remember coaches like Tomislav Ivic, Zlatko Cajkovski coached Bayern for 5 years in 60's. Josip Skoblar played in Marseille six years in 60's, 70's...he scored cca 145 goals in 160-170 caps. That's not something that small country would do. Football is a tradition in Croatia. For me, it's normal thing to pass the group on every competition. Or lose at least in knock out stage. Group stages of Croatia at WC 2002, 2006, 2014 and 2010 without participations were terrible results. Every 8-10 years, Croatia can create "The Golden Generation". It's a fact: Euro 1996, WC 1998, EURO 2008, EURO 2016, WC 2018. Costa Rica is a smaller country, they have only Navas and who knows who else will have Real Madrid career in that country. Costa Rican player of the century is a Croat Rafael Ivancovich. https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Meza_Ivancovich Of course, Croatia isn't among top football countries, but it's objective to say that their influence is among top 15. Two captains of Australia were Croats: Mark Viduka, Mile Jedinak. Mark Viduka is a cousin of Luka Modric. Small football country is a country that has every 20 years one or two players in top world clubs, like Finland with Litmanen and Hyypia, Ireland with Roy Keane, Dennis Irvin, Robbie Keane...Morocco Naybet, Egypt Salah...but if someone has 40-50 players in one decade among top European clubs, that's upper middle class. Of course, they can't compare themselves with English league, Spanish La Liga, or Italian Serie A and Bundesliga... Big Country doesn't mean tons of excellent footballers: China, India, Russia...it's all about the tradition and some level of habit, where children rather play football instead of cricket or tennis table. Croats participated in creation of football in Australia, with Italians, Greeks, similar is in USA, few clubs with Croatian name were created. Toronto Croatia was founded in 1956. Eusebio played one season there. That's not something small, or what would small country would do. Every possible website, tv show makes the same sentence: "We are a small country...what ever we do, it's great, because we are a small country"...it reminds me on brainwashing with the same audio sentence in our ears. Niko Kovac, coach of Bayern Munchen, the best club in German history and among top 10 in worlds history. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_FC_Bayern_Munich_records_and_statistics Third Croatian coach of Bayern Munchen with Cajkovski and Zebec. Tomislav Ivic coached Porto. 54 matches, 40 victories, 11 draws, 3 defeats only. 27 matches, 15 victories, 8 draws, 4 defeats. 7 defeats in 81 match. Who has similar record? Zlatko Dalic has 2 defeats with Croatia in 12 matches. France has their Golden Generation every 6-8 years. WC 1998, EURO 2000, WC 2006, with stagnation until EURO 2016, WC 2018.
Now you all see, how this term "Small Football Country" seems annoying. Not among biggest football nations, but among higher class, this seems as more correct. Very interesting match, comeback, the same 11-14 players run entire tour. I doubt that France can win, Kante, Pogba are not so creative like Modric, Rakitic, Perisic. Giroud is weak. Only Griezmann and Mbappe are extremely dangerous, with several great defenders. Entire last line is nice, same as Pogba and Kante, but they are great in transition. I liked Lloris always. Great coach, leader, he experienced final matches. I think that Croatia might win the title. Cromagnum, Leffe or Erdinger? Or both... 11th July 1998, Croatia won the bronze medal against the Netherlands. Sad that they are not on this World Cup, same as Chile, Italy...we could see more nice moments and real football atmosphere.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYSJXGZRgOc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EjL9p_875k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vR8BeZM1GmQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EW6HFO5M_8 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08iGuk1gd74 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWxDMnOyQ2Q https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FzbcnBB7-fo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXUHDpXjCKw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEDxl3Vs2Yg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZDMmpadOng
Who knows, anything is possible. Now it's the chance, it won't arrive soon. This squad won't exist in Qatar 2022. Some new players will be there.
Everything stopped in Croatia, no one is doing anything....just watching games and having fun during celebrations.
https://www.total-croatia-news.com/...f-world-football-is-inland-dalmatia-says-fifa Interesting article, recognized by FIFA...about the football, home...
Why not excellent midefield and a team with so much heart and determination. Modric is the most underrated player in world football.
Sto mogu, kada Simeone ima svoju viziju, plan. Anyway, Vrsaljko developed much stronger character, for me he is even better than Dario Srna, Dario Simic on that position. Typical Dalmatian attitude: "I don't care, what others say, speak on the field". Even Pivaric on LB started to provide some better attacking moves. But still it's questionable, how can he react in defensive roles against someone better. Strinic, experienced, well adjusted, finally he is in normal league, Serie A. Since he came in Napoli, he became much better, since 2015, 2016. I never had doubts about Lovren. Liverpool wouldn't have him, if he is really that bad. Strinic against Pavard - similar players. Pavard maybe defensive than Strinic. Hernandez against Vrsaljko - excellent duel, both have strong attacking abilities. Pogba and Mbappe might cover Perisic. Not good. But Perisic and Rebic switch sides, so Kante and Matuidi are on the other side. France sounds like a perfect team in tactical and defensive roles. Attack seems weaker than Croatian. Maybe something from Croatian inventions might be enough...like torpedo. http://croatia.eu/article.php?id=37&lang=2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cravat England and France bought a lot of neckties in the past.
Impressions: It would be better with the title, instead of second place. Entrance directed to the elite teams was almost made.
Sorry Croatia, you deserved so much better from this game!! I ********ing hate it when referees decide the game!!
Players are coming in Zagreb, live webcam broadcast. Biggest welcome ever. City chaos. https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/hrvatska/grad-zagreb/zagreb/trg-bana-jelacica.html
We played well nothing you can do when the calls go against you. We are proud of our heroes. Huge celebration today in Zagreb.