I think the U21 NT is a worthwhile thread as it gives an indication of players we may see on the NT in the future. So with no further adu here are the callups for the games against Spain and Estonia: Goalkeepers: Dominik Livakovic (Zagreb), Josip Posavec (Palermo), Marko Maric (Lechia Gdansk) Defenders: Dino Mikanovic (Aarhus), Fran Tudor (Hajduk), Jozo Simunovic (Celtic), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Dino Peric (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Luka Capan (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Antonio Milic (Oostende), Petar Bockaj (Inter Zapresic) Midfielders: Josip Radosevic (Eibar), Marko Rog (Dinamo), Ante Coric (Dinamo), Domagoj Pavicic (Dinamo), Filip Krovinovic (Rio Ave), Mario Pasalic (Monaco), Ivan Fiolic (Lokomotiva Zagreb) Forwards: Stipe Perica (Udinese), Marko Kolar (Lokomotiva Zagreb) The Spain match is pretty much a 'must-win' if Croatia want to finish first and qualify for the U21 Euros, however 2nd place likely gets a playoff spot anyway Nikola Vlasic was not called up because he recently returned from injury and Gracan/Hajduk agreed to keep him at the club to regain fitness. And no Robert Muric callup either as he has only just started to get some playing with Ajax's first team, so he does not figure yet into Gracan's plans. Good to se Domagoj Pavicic on squad list too.
Under 21 beat Spain 3-0 and Estaonia 2-1. Estonia game might be a 3-0 lose as they might have played an ineligible player. Under19 qualified for Euros dominating Scotland Bulgaria and Belgium.
So the U21 team resumes their qualifying campaign in September. They are playing Sweden and Georgia in the next set of qualifying games. And the callups are good with some very good teenagers on the call up list. There are a few omissions like Mario Pasalic(returned to Chelsea after loan ended, and may be injured), Josip Radosevic(returned to Napoli after loan ended), Bojan Kezevic(Dinamo Zagreb - is getting some serious playing time in Dinamo now), Robert Muric(Ajax Amsterdam - is talented but needs to get into that Ajax first team if he wants to get a call up) and Dino Mikanovic(Aarhus GF). Dino Mikanovic has been a regular on these teams, so I am not sure if he has a knock or what (It could be also that Nenad Gracan prefers Karlo Bartolec in that RB position , so who knows). This team is currently first in their group. The squad consists of 19 players. This team seems thin at CF right now with only Perica and Maric showing show quality.
I did not realize if your not logged in that you can't see the link. So anyway here is the squad for those who are not members or not logged in: Vratari: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb), Josip Posavec (Palermo), Ivan Brkic (Istra 1961) Obrana: Filip Benkovic(Dinamo Zagreb), Duje Caleta-Car (Red Bull Salzburg), Dino Peric (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Luka Capan (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Antonio Milic (Oostende), Karlo Bartolec(Locomotiva Zagreb) Veznjaki: Domagoj Pavicic (Dinamo Zagreb), Filip Krovinovic (Rio Ave)Ivan Fiolic (Lokomotiva Zagreb), Fran Tudor (Hajduk), Petar Bockaj (Lomotiva Zagreb), Josip Brekalo(Wolfsburg), Nikola Vlasic(Hajduk Split), Alen Halilovic(Hamburger SV) Strijelci: Stipe Perica (Udinese), Mirko Maric (Lokomotiva Zagreb)
The U21 squad drew their Swedish counter parts 1-1. The starting squad for Croatia was Livakovic - Bartolec Benkovic (Caleta-Car) Milic - Coric Pavicic Rog - Fiolic Vlasic Maric. I think were in a 4-3-3 formation. Sweden started with Erlandsson, Whalqvist, Une Larsson, Dagerstal, Konate, Moberg-Karlsson, Hallberg, Olsson, Tankovic, Strandberg and Cibicki, Next game is against Georgia on Sept 06,2016
U21 played against Georgia today and Drew 2-2 . Both of our goals were scored by Stipe Perica. Looks like they played a 4-1-4-1 formation with the starters being Livakovic - Bartolec Peric (Caleta-Car) Milic- Pavicic - Tudor Rog Coric Vlasic - Perica. This team still has first place in their own hands Need a win though in the last game against Sweden(this game will be an away game) to secure first place in the group.
I didn't watch the game. Even so I still have one question in mind: How could they draw with one of the well known PUNCHBAGS?! It should be an easy win! I mean drawing Sweden is one thing, but J****A GEORGIA?COME ON!
Nenad Gracan has called up the Sqaud for the Sweden match. Its a big game for the team, if they win they finish first in their group. The squad looks solid. We'll see how it functions on the pitch. The only surprise is no Duje Caleta-Car on the squad list. Dominik Livaković, Dino Perić, Filip Benković, Ante Ćorić, Domagoj Pavičić i Ivan Fiolić (all are Dinamo players), Josip Elez (Rijeka), Nikola Vlašić i Fran Tudor (Hajduk Split), Mirko Marić (Lokomotiva), Karlo Bartolec (Nordsjaelland), Antonijo Milić (Oostende), Marko Rog (Napoli), Alen Halilović (HSV), Josip Posavec (Palermo), Dino Mikanović (Aarhus), Josip Radošević (Red Bull Salzburg), Marijo Pašalić (AC Milan) and Stipe Perica (Udinese Calcio)
For the U21 match these 3 players Domagoj Pavičić, Ante Ćorić i Ivan Fiolić have been dropped due to injuries. In their place Filip Krovinović, Josip Mišić I Josip Brekalo have been called up. Also the goalie Josip Posavec is injured so he is replaced by Ivan Filipović
Thanks. I think people forget that we are the reigning u21 champs. Our youth is great while mens team sucks.
Croatia ignores often youth teams, they mostly end as seniors too early. But media followed this campaign with Sweden and Spain. Pretty dramatic ending. Croatia was in Pot C, Sweden in Pot B. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_UEFA_European_Under-21_Championship_qualification Crucial match was against Spain, at home. Croatia lost 2=3. But they have won in Spain 0-3. Very strange. Also, draws against Sweden at home...strange draw against Georgia, underestimated opponent for sure. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_UEFA_European_Under-21_Championship_qualification_Group_6
Well sweden has a lot of players from eastern european heritage and the immigrant culture has helped our team indeed.
In the U21 team, I see only few non-Swedish players: Tankovic, Rakip, Asoro, Cibicki, Isak. I think that Scandinavian football became weaker in senior competition. Sweden had great team in 90's: Ravelli, Roger Ljung, K. Andersson, P. Andersson, Roland Nilsson, Ingesson, Dahlin, Bjoerklund, Brolin, Schwarz, H. Larsson. Later came Daniel Andersson, Freddie Ljungberg, A. Isaksson, Myallby, Kallstrom. Yes, a lot of Eastern and Central Europeans came in Sweden, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is of Bosnian Romani, Croatian heritage, Teddy Lucic Finland - Croatian heritage. Many of them came as refugees, Bosnian Muslims, Albanians of Kosovo, Sandzak people. A lot of teams has immigrant touch. European football is in crisis, few countries play attractive football (Spain, Germany, Portugal, France, Belgium), others mostly struggle.
Sweden was great in 30's, 40's and 50's, they were 3rd, 4th, 2nd. This event was probably interesting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_Football_Championship I remember USA 1994, but I don't remember EURO 1992, too young. I know that Brolin had great moments in EURO 1992.
I have seen his celebration often on TV football memories. I guess, ice hockey is much more important in Sweden, same as handball. Sweden - Croatia 4-2
So we did not qualify for U21 Euro's as we did not finish first in the group or one of the top 4 runners up(as we finished 3rd with 20 points). The players that got minutes against Sweden were: Hrvatska: 1 Livaković(GK), 2 Mikanović, 3 A. Milić, 4 Benković, 5 Elez, 6 Radošević, 7 Vlašić (od 60. Brekalo), 8 Pašalić(C) (od 71. Krovinović), 10 Halilović, 16 J. Mišić, 18 Perica. the formation they played was a 4-1-4-1 .
U16 and U17 Zimski Kamp muskih seleckcija : http://hns-cff.hr/news/15671/zimski-kamp-muskih-selekcija-u-16-i-u-17/ I will also include the list of players called up for the U16 and U17 youth teams. It is good to follow some of the youth and see where they will be in 4 or 5 years time. Za uzrast U-16 igrali su Renato Josipović (Dinamo), Ivan Brnić (Hajduk), Mario Vušković (Hajduk), Edin Julardžija (Dinamo), Mario Nikolić (Dinamo), Nino Vukasović (Dinamo), Ilan Pejić (Zagreb), Domagoj Stranput (Dinamo), Bruno Zdunić (Lokomotiva), Patrik Braun (Dinamo), Marko Putnik (Rijeka), Marcel Štumberger (Sturm Graz), Bruno Jenjić (Hajduk), Marko Bulat (Šibenik), Luka Jančić (Dinamo), Mateo Tadić (Austria Beč), Mihael Kuprešak (Osijek), Luka Hodak (Lokomotiva), Ivan Mihaljević (Unterhaching), Nicolas Christopher White (Vancouver Whitecaps), Mario Čuić (Hajduk), Filip Duspara (Old Boys Basel), Josip Francešević (Austria Beč), Damir Magdić (Dinamo), Luis Bukvašević (Fortuna Düsseldorf), Niko Janković (Dinamo), Raul Milinović (Hajduk), Marin Vujčić (Hajduk), Ivan Đaković (Šibenik), Dino Vuksan (Grafičar) i Matija Anić (Inter Zaprešić). Za selekcije U-17 nastupili su Dominik Kotarski (Dinamo), Gabrijel Galinec (Augsburg), Tomislav Krizmanić (Dinamo), Vice Baždarić (Hajduk), Toni Fruk (Hypo Limač), Filip Tomašković (Dinamo), Tin Hrvoj (Dinamo), Ivan Nekić (Rijeka), Leon Šipoš (Dinamo), Mladen Rajić (Concordia), Alois Dominik Oroz (First Vienna), Marin Pudić (Bayern), Hrvoje Čuljak (Augsburg), Ante Čičak (Old Boys Basel), Juraj Ljubić (Dinamo), Di Mateo Lovrić (Split), Petar Mikulić (Inter Zaprešić), Lovro Dobrić (Lokomotiva), Marin Martinović (Basel 1893) i Emir Murati (Milan).
Unfortunately, judging by the last results of the u17 nt, this 2000 generation is not that talented, or the scouts aren't prospecting hard enough. I just hope Bašić can do something with he has and spare us the shame of not qualifying at home...
U21 draw takes place tomorrow for the 2019 finals in Italy. the pots are finalized. Italy qualifies automatically as the host. The rest of the teams are in 6 pots, with each pot containing 9 teams. Thus we will see 9 group winners who will then go directly to the finals. You also will see four runners-up with the best records against the teams first, third, fourth and fifth in their group go into a play-off and be drawn into two ties to decide the last two qualifiers for the 12-country finals. We are in pot 2. I will tomorrow report on the draw and the players we can expect to see in this campaign and the dates of the games. Draw potsPot A: Germany, Portugal, England, Spain, Denmark, France, Sweden, Czech Republic, Serbia Pot B: Slovakia, Israel, Netherlands, Austria, Croatia, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland, Slovenia Pot C: Ukraine, Norway, Russia, Turkey, Romania, Iceland, Greece, Montenegro, Finland Pot D: Wales, Bulgaria, FYR Macedonia, Georgia, Hungary, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Moldova, Albania Pot E: Lithuania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Cyprus, Latvia, Estonia Pot F: Malta, Luxembourg, Northern Ireland, Faroe Islands, San Marino, Andorra, Liechtenstein, Gibraltar, Kosovo