Croatian super-midfielder, Luka Modrić, has made UEFA's 'Ten Best' list for Euro 2008. This is the first time a Croatian has made the all-tournament list since Davor Šuker did it in the 1998 World Cup- the same year he also won the Golden Boot award.
Croatian press have praised Modrić for his results this tournament and have made it clear that Tottenham have made an extremely smart decision in buying the former Dinamo Zagreb star. Modrić will start playing for his new club when the English Premiership season starts up this August.
Goal.com has the complete story which includes the other 9 members of the Euro 2008 all-tournament list.
ESPN has reported that UEFA will undergo an investigation to whether Croatian fans had Nazi-style banners in Vienna during the Turkey quarterfinal match. They will also breakdown Croatian chants that were sung during the game to hear if any religous or war-related material was aimed at the Turk supporters.
Now, I did not see any banners of 'Nazi-style' in the stadium of what they showed on television, but once again I was not there in person even though I know what to look for. I would also like UEFA to define 'Nazi-style' for me. Sure Croatia doesn't have the best-mannered fans- the world knows that already. And yes our fans have done some pretty silly stuff. Example: Tearing out seats from the stadium and throwing them at Maltese police after a 1-1 draw in Malta in 2005.
It's called trash talk UEFA. Every fan in the world of any team has taken part in it. That's probably the best part of being a fan. TALKING TRASH! And sure UEFA's motto during this year was 'Say no to Racism', but I'd like to know exactly what they come up with in this little investigation that they have for our fans every single tournament.
But the person to ask is Denis, who was there in the flesh. So when he gets this I hope he fills us in on the details. In the meantime, I want to hear from you guys to see what you all have to say about this shallacking on Croatian fans.
...Well, kind of. Italian newspaper, 24 Minuti, mistakingly used a picture of Slaven Bilić to convey a Macedonian murderer this week. Wow. What a horrible week for the Croatian coach. First, you lose a heartbreaker in penalties to the never-say-die Turks; and then you find out you're on the front page of a huge newspaper which is condemning you a murderer. I hope Bilić got some laughs when he first read about this. The full story can be read on Goal.com.
CroatianSoccerReport.com was created for the purpose of getting the important news to the Croatian soccer fan without them having to search the Internet aimlessly. It's all here with one click. In recent months, it has also turned into a place where devout and extremely loyal supporters of the team can come and voice their thoughts and opinions on the team and how they are playing.
This has been one of my favorite things about the site. To see all these educated people on the game of football and the Croatian national team voice their opinions and have their ideas bounce off each other. Well with that, I would like to share with you a comment that loyal CroatianSoccerReport.com reader, John Prpić, left us after the Croatia-Turkey match. I thought it was genius, well-written and could not put it better in my own words. I welcome these kind of high caliber rebuttals and thoughts in the future from all our readers. Thank you once again John; for the beautifully written comment and the opportunity for us to run it.
Croatia got 'snake-bit' in one of the most memorable games on record.
People will be talking about this game for a long time to come. I don't know that I have even seen such a goal, regardless of the dramatic timing of it. The sheer force of the shot, the deflection, two defenders in front of the ball, and then to the top corner. All with the last kick of the game. Wow.
Everyone knows that Croatia was the better team despite the fact that they did not perform optimally. Although, here we must also give Turkey credit, as they did very well to neutralize Croatia's many strengths.
However, the better team does not always win, as the Turks have dramatically proved in their last 3 games. That's ok; let them have their day in the sun, as Croatia's will surely come down the road. The fates are fickle, no doubt, but they are also not indiscriminate. Croatia's involvement in such a "fated" match signifies to me that the fates have identified Croatia for bigger achievements down the road (i.e. in the upcoming World Cup). This type of loss, surely signifies that bigger things are in store for this team.
Also, although the Turks were unbelievably lucky, let's also give them credit where credit is due. Their strategy was perfect and largely nullified Croatia's midfield superiority.
Terim taught Bilić a lesson in coaching strategy last night, and being the bright and unassuming individual that he is, Bilić and his staff will surely realize this in the next few days, and be stronger for it, in the future.
First of all, Terim knew exactly what Croatia would field for the game. Croatia's strategy for the game was too predictable and transparent. Terim knew that Croatia would field it's "Germany line-up", and prepared for it masterfully.
Bilić had no plan "B". Surely he believed that he didn't need one, and he was right, except for the intervention of fate. He will now realize that you must not give fate a chance to intervene. And if fate does intervene, one must intervene right back. Case in point, see Terim's substitution of Nihat after Klasnić's goal, which served to create the last minute of extra time, in which Turkish luck came to the fore.
For example, before the shootout, Bilić might have gathered the team, and stressed the context of the situation. He might have told them that actually they were in the perfect situation, and that if someone had told them before the tournament that all they had to do was execute penalties against the Turks to advance to the semi's, they would've readily accepted the chance. Nonetheless, this is much easier said than done, but with experience, this type of leadership develops, and becomes a natural instinct.
Also in hindsight, Bilić might have fielded a novel variant in the first half, with the simple goal of nullifying the Turkish preparations, while keeping his "Germany variant" for the second half, if needed.
Further to this point, it was obvious from the get go (with the Turks effectively playing 5 in defense) that they were worried about the Croatian attacking prowess.
After the 1st half, it was obvious that the Turks pulled-in defensively, even further, and were at that point playing to get to penalties. At this point, and for the rest of the game, Croatia played into Turkish hands, by continuing to run at them. This is where plan 'B' was needed, not in terms of substitutions only but in terms of the plan. The only way to counter this is to mimic the strategy, and draw them forward, and at the same time not expend energy fruitlessly.
Anyway, I hope that Bilić and Co. realize this on their own, but if not, we need to send them the link to this site.
Final note, R. Kovač, & Joe Šimunić played "out of this world".
Anyway, I'd love to hear any of your comments on my analysis.
I write to you now as I have come across some new information. I watched the game on ESPN in America, and when coach Slaven Bilić was screaming at the 4th official at the end of the game; and then later at the referee, it was not because of an added time issue. This is something either ESPN broadcasters didn't catch or didn't report. Bilić wanted to make his third and final substitution after Klasnić's goal. He was caught in celebration so waited for a dead ball to make the move. When Croatia was flagged for an offsides, that is when the 4th official should have notified the referee. If you catch a replay, you can see Bilić, a Croatian sub (looks to be Nikola Pokrivač) and the 4th official standing at midfield when the offsides whistle was blown. Turkish goalie, Rustu, quickly launched the ball down field instead which resulted in the equalizer. If you watch when Bilić charges the 4th official after the Turkish goal was scored, you can see that the official has the electronic substitution board in his hands and had already used it to put up the extra time moments before. COMPLETE REFEREE ERROR!!!
The game is over, it is what it is, and I'm not trying to justify a Croatian win here. Like I said before, that game should have never even made extra time. Croatia should have won in regular time. But I do want to hear what all of you have to say about this.
I hope that all the Croatian supporters around the world are doing well while coping with Friday's loss. It happened, we'll be better because of it and I'm already awaiting Eduardo's return and the start of World Cup qualifying.
Well, this is it until world cup 2010 qualifiers in September. Hopefully, all of you have enjoyed the Euro and CroatianSoccerReport.com
Croatia-Turkey
After the victory over Poland, everyone in Zagreb pictured us fighting with Germany for a place in the final. Croatians were predicting scores of 2-0, 3-0, and even 4-0. Remember before the Austria game, many of you had the same thoughts.
I predicted 2-1 for Croatia before the match. On paper we are superior to Turkey and Austria, however no one wins without scoring.
If you would recall, on Monday, June 16th, under "Where is Eduardo???" post, I replied,
If Petrić wakes up, we make the final. However, Olić, Klasnić, and an inexperienced Kalinić, we wont score more than once. Igor Budan is also finished for the tournament.
Klasnić played well in the limited amount of time he recieved. However, a great striker would have scored three times against Poland. Klasnić had half a dozen scoring chances against Poland and didn't convert.
Before the game, I figured it would take 2 goals to come out victorious.
Who to hold responsible?
This is a dificult question. With a little luck, Croatia would be in Basel preparing for the Germans.
I would blame Petrić for not showing up. Olić gave 110% and fought every second he was on the pitch. However, it just was one of those days. I would blame Croatia for getting an offsides call the last second of the game. The ref, made the right call. Bottom line, if Croatia can't hold Turkey for a minute after the goal, they don't deserve to advance.
I feel for the Croatian defense and Niko Kovac. Once again, they were unbelievable.
Once again, I am over 24 hours late in bringing you time sensitive information. However, finding an internet cafe in Vienna at midnight is a difficult task. Also, for some reason, this computer won't allow me to upload pictures, so I guess photobucket is my only option. By clicking on the picture, you will be redirected to photobucket.
Where to start. So much to say, have to organize my thoughts.
Ante has done an excellent job with the preview, summary, and final thoughts on the game. I will try to fill you in on events that ESPN failed to catch.
Hours before the match, Croatian and Turkish fans got into it in front of the Cathedral on the main square. Chairs, beer, cups, and other objects were thrown at 'enemies.' Fortunately, Austrain police was quick to the scene, arresting a few suporters from both sides.
Thousands of Croatian fans flocked to the stadium. For some reason, my eyes are peeled for the women in attendance.
We sat in a neutral section, however, 10 meters from the Turkish section of the stadium.
For some reason, I was a nervous wreck for this game. As time went by, a little man sitting on my shoulder watching the match whispered "penalties." I couldn't see us breaking the Turkish stranglehold, and more importantly, I couldn't picture Ivica Olic putting one in the onion bag.
Fifty or so drunk Croatian fans sitting ten rows down and a bit closer to the Turkish section, gave the Turkish fans the bird, shouted Ustaske words, and gave the Naci salute. Turkish fans retaliated by throwing cups filled with beer. What are 50 Croatians going to do against 5000 Turkish fans. After watching a few Hooligan videos, I was afraid of a stampede. Security was quick to the scene and stood in the aisle to separate the two groups.
The venue is spectacular, gametime around sunset.
Croatian fans with balls..."Against Modern Football"
This game was more than just football. This banner was a shot at the European Union to stay out of Croatia. Also, religion and history played a major part. In the Turkish section, a Bosnian flag was seen. While in the Croatian section, a Vatican flag was waving during the entire match.
Turkey using monkey see monkey do technique
Turkish fans were chanting, "Ustaske Picke"...."Ustase Pussies" Croatian fans were chanting, "Ako san Turcin, ubija bi se." "If I am Turkish, I would kill myself."
Great free kick chance, unlucky
No goals, why we bring flairs?
Croatians are fighting for a ticket, and some clown three seats down falls asleep during extra time. Unbelieveable!
After the equalizer, the Euro was truly over for me. Flashes of World Cup 1998 Semifinal went through my head. As the whistle blew for penalty kicks, the entire stadium knew who would be victorious tonight. View of the penalty kicks
First, I would like to thank Ante for doing an exceptional job running CroatianSoccerReport.com while I am enjoying myself in Europe. I see how much work you put into this, and its safe to say that you will be reimbursed when I return my friend.
For some reason, I thought this would be easy:
1) Show up in Vienna and klagenfurt, Austria
2) Take a few pictures, video, interviews, etc
3) Post on website
However, I didn't take into consideration: finding a web cafe, enjoying myself, partying, finding a roof over my head, transportation, etc.
This was a valuable learning experience for me. I now have a better understanding of what it takes to be a reporter and writer. This is just the beginning.
I apologize to a few of you that we didn't get a chance to meet in Austria, I look forward to meeting you in the near future.
Lastly, I would like to thank everyone that has stuck with us through thick and thin. Like I said, this is just the beginning. Qualifiers for world cup 2010 are just around the corner. However, let's not by party poopers. Enjoy the rest of the Euro. There is still some great football on display.
What can I tell you guys that you don't already know? Croatia lost in penalty kicks after the most bizarre of endings. The person I feel most for is Ivan Klasnić. After all he's been through with his two kidney transplants in the past 2 years and being told he would never play soccer again in his life- he does that today. Klasnić comes on as a late sub and in the 119th minute of extra time does the unthinkable. It looked as if both teams were completely fatigued and were playing for penalty kicks but a nice cross from Modrić met Klasnić's head and ended up in the back of the net when the Turkish keeper was caught in 'no man's land'. All with only 45 seconds left to play. And then the impossible happened- Turkey equalized and took HERO right back from Klasnić.
Now let's break this down and find out why Croatia lost that game. The long free kick that the Turkish keeper, Rustu, took which led to the final second goal was due to a Croatian offsides- not by 1 player but 2! There should be no reason any of our players are trying to attack and are caught offsides with only seconds to go. When that ball finally did land, I have no idea how it could find a Turk so fast where he could get off such a shot. Croatian defenders need to find the ball and kick it into the 36th row! This is fundamentals.
But let's not get ahead of ourselves. That game should have never even reached extra time. Croatia should have blown out Turkey by at least 2 goals. Mr. Ivica Olić should never start for Croatia ever again in my opinion. At this level to miss two absolute golden opportunities is unacceptable. How he shanked that beautiful pass from Modrić in the 1st half off the post boggles my mind. Olić once again blew a chance in the 2nd half when he let the ball bounce instead of bringing it down and having his choice of goal corner to put the ball into; but he butchered the play as usual. I have no faith in Olić; Klasnić should have had more playing time as he had 2 goals in the few minutes he got to play in the tournament. Petrić didn't even show up for Euro 2008 and Croatia plain and simply had striker problems. I won't start the 'Well, if we had Eduardo it would've been a different story" debate either. We had months to prepare and that's what Bilić came up with.
Like I said before, it's a team effort and no one single entity can be blamed. I don't want anyone blaming the referee either. I looked over the tape and the time of the goal was correct. Klasnić scored at the 118:42 mark, celebrated for exactly 1 minute and the Turks also made a substitution which is timed for 30 seconds. The Turkish goal came at 121:05 so it was all legit.
Croatia played scared and conservative today. They were very laid back and weren't hungry in the game. They played for possession and didn't attack like they did versus Germany. Olić was blundering, Rakitić wasn't on his game and Krančjar was non-existent. But I think we gained more from this game than you can know. It's fantastic experience for our young players and we once again got the world's attention.
That still didn't stop my heart from dropping when the game ended. 'This team' that I had followed so closely for the past 2 years had been eliminated by Cinderella. I was getting calls and texts from friends and family consoling me on what had happened. Like someone close had passed away and they were reminding how good they were in the past and that they did a great job and had a good life. The thing that finally picked me up was watching coach Slaven Bilić comfort Darijo Srna as he was engulfed with tears after the game. Like a father would to his son, you could see that there was true love on this team. Sure they all play professionally abroad and in leagues where only money and results matter, but this is more than just a soccer team; it's a family and it won't be the last we hear of them. World Cup 2010 qualifying begins this September and I'm sure England will be gunning for us.
The only thing we will have to wait for is to see if Nico Kovač returns as captain, as he's hinted towards international retirement, and to see if Dario Šimić makes a return for his record 100th CAP.
Stayed tuned to CroatianSoccerReport.com, as this was only the beginning.
I feel like Croatia hasn't pushed their foot to the pedal in the game just quite yet. Their passing game isn't what it's been in games past and they are very relaxed in the back. However, they have had the best chance on goal against Turkey when Modrić slipped in a beautiful pass to Olić on the 6-yard box. The ball had the Turkish goalie completely beat but went off the woodwork. Croatia should come out hungry in the 2nd half after a nice little pep talk from coach Bilić.
Croatian wonderboy, Ivan Rakitić, may not play in the Turkey match Soccernet.com has reported. He has had an ailing knee injury and if he cannot pass a pre-game fitness test, Bilić and company will have no choice but to sit the Schalke player. So if you don't see Rakitić out there, this is why.
If this were to happen, I would see Bilić starting the same 11 as he did versus the Austrians, with Olić and Petrić as strikers.
This is the expected linup for the TURKEY game on Friday. The game will be televised live in America on ESPN starting at 2:30PM (ET). Remember that coach Slaven Bilić still hasn't confirmed his starting 11, but based on reports and expert analysis, he should start the same team as he did vs. Germany.
Goalkeeper: Stipe Pletikosa
Defenders: Vedran Ćorluka,Robert Kovač,Danijel Pranjić, Josip Šimunić
Midfielders: Niko Kranjčar,Niko Kovač,Luka Modrić ,Darijo Srna
Strikers: Ivica Olić and Ivan Rakitić
There have been reports that Petrić could start in place of Ivica Olić, but I just don't see that happening. Rakitić should definitely be in there as he has shown good form and his fantastic crossing ability from the sidelines.
Turkey's squad will not look as good as they had hoped for a quarterfinal match. Their starting goalkeeper, Volkan Demirel, will be unable to play as he received a red card in the previous match vs. the Czechs. Starting midfielder, Mehmet Aurelio, also will not play due to collecting 2 yellow cards in group play. Five other Turkish starters have been reported as unfit to play due to injuries.
It should be a good game. The real tournament starts here for Croatia. One crucial misstep and they would be called a mere fluke. The wins versus Germany and England would mean nothing and all the critics would jump right off the bandwagon just as fast as they got on. If Croatia plays like they should, they should win easily. This is our tournament to win.
By now you all know that I am extremely late with the 'time sensitive' information. The next post will be mighty long, so those of you that rather prefer the 'short, get to the point, quick' story, I apologize as you will have to make an effort and spend a few extra minutes on this post.
Most of you have seen every picture on google and every video on youtube. I have looked through all of my pictures and decided to post only the rare or extraordinary footage that you wont find anywhere else. However, I will also post some videos that I'm sure is watched all over the world on youtube.
CROATIA****POLAND****KLAGENFURT
We took a 6am bus from Zagreb to klagenfurt. The atmosphere on the bus was terrible, however, a third of the bus was filled with beautiful Croatian girls.
Klagenfurt was full of Croatian and Poland fans. Once again, Croatians outnumbered the opposition 3 to 1. Klagenfurt locals fled like a Frenchman from a cap gun. The media in Klagenfurt brought Austrians such fear of Polish, German, and Croatian hooligans, that most of the locals left the country on vacation or locked themselves indoors. Women received free pepper spray.
A lone Klagenfurt Croatian welcomes the crowd outside his living room window..
What do you think? Comments?
A fellow Croatiansoccerreport.com supporter from L.A. and member of 'ludi ljudi' from the Croatian soccer tournament in L.A.
This is what we play for....
'Poljakine nisu kava prema Hrvatice'
Plenty of Austrian police on hand for this nonviolent event.
Tamburica before the match.
Croatian training...
Pregame video of Thompson...
Action from Corner
Where is England? A disappointed Leeds United fan hangs his flag. I feel for the lad.. a little...
Did I fail to mention the Croatian ladies in attendance?
Croatians are pyromaniacs... Niko stretching out... Niko, Niko, Niko..
Some of the players came out to take pictures with the fans after the match..
I will leave you with a chant...
Daj nam sise da se igramooooo...igramoooo...igramooo..
translates to... give us your tits so we can play...we can play...we can play...
The women didnt find this amusing.
Last last thing.. The fans were chanting Slaven Bilic... then chanting 'javi se...javi se' which translates to 'say hello..say hello.' After thirty seconds or so, Slaven waved to the crowd, during the match.... priceless.
Croatia striker Igor Budan will miss the rest of Euro 2008 with a knee injury, coach Slaven Bilić said on Wednesday.
“He will undergo arthroscopic surgery in Italy and unfortunately he will not be able to help us for the remainder of the European Championship,” Bilić told Croatian media from team base.
“We will consider calling up a replacement but only after our quarter-final match with Turkey, should we progress to the semi-finals,” he said.
We have already lost defender Dario Knežević and midfielders Darijo Srna and Ivan Rakitić are banged up, but should be fit in time for the quarterfinal match with Turkey.
Who will replace Budan? Rukavina? Balaban? Mandžukić? Give us your thoughts.
Dario Knežević will not play again in Euro 2008. He has strained ligaments in his left knee after a collision with backup Croatian goalkeeper, Vedran Runje, early in the first half of the Poland game.
The collision looked tame at first, but when seen in slow motion replay, you could see Knežević's knee buckle and lock up just as a knee was not built to do. It could have been much worse as he has only strained it. No surgery will be necessary; but this is obviously saddening to Knežević as he played in all 3 group games and Bilić was liking his progress.
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil of course. He has been there for the past 6 weeks rehabing his left leg. Initial reports had Eduardo out until January. A quick and healthy rehabilitation now promises a possible end of July return.
So if you're wondering why 'Dudu' isn't on the Croatian bench cheering on his teammates at Euro 2008, this is why. His club team, Arsenal, open up their English Premiership season on August 16th and Croatia starts their World Cup qualifying campaign versus Kazahkstan in Zagreb on September 6th. If Eduardo plays in either of these games, it would be considered one of the greatest returns in soccer history.
How well is Croatia running right now? Even their backup team is winning games at Euro 2008. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Poland was BAD! I was actually worried about the Poland encounter and thought it would decide the group B runner-up. Not the case. Poland played like they had already been eliminated from the tournament. Our guys were playing for pride and possible spots on the team for later in the tournament- especially Ivan Klasnić.
Klasnić probably had the most to prove as he would be getting his first shot at action in the tournament and could overtake Petrić's spot in the lineup since he hasn't been looking good at all. We must remember that Klasnić was out of soccer for almost a year as he had 2 kidney transplants. It showed when Klasnić scored the only goal of the game in the second half. He fell to the ground showing how emotional the moment was for him as teammates smothered him.
As happy as I was for Klasnić for his goal and hoping that he would play great in this game so he would get more P.T. in the tournament- I just don't think his efforts were good enough in today's game. Klasnić had too many golden opportunites at goal and just could not finish. I was pulling hard for him but he just couldn't put the ball in the back of the net. Petrić once again didn't play well and I see Bilić playing Olić and Rakitić in the same roles as they did versus Germany.
I was happy with the team's efforts today. Backup goalkeeper, Vedran Runje, made some nice saves. His only slip-up occured when he came out for a clearing and ran over Dario Knežević, who injured his knee and was then subbed out minutes later for regular Vedran Ćorluka.
Dario Šimić, who earned his 99th career cap, played well in the back and turned down numerous Polish attacks. Ivan Rakitić played the entire game and was my man of the match as he controlled the midfield and put on a display of crosses which just couldn't be put away by Croatian strikers.
Niko Kranjčar and Nikola Kalinić came in as late game substitutions for Petrić and Klasnić.
Overall, I couldn't be happier with the team. We'll be fresh for the Turkey game this Friday as the team is in high spirits. Croatia can beat the Turks, where they would then play the winner of the Germany/Portugal game in the semifinal. Call me biased, but Croatia can make the Final.
NOTES: This is the first time ever that Croatia has won their group in a Euro/World Cup tournament and the first time we have claimed all 9 points in a 3-0 undefeated group campaign.
Slaven Bilić has announced his starting lineup against Poland for today's match. Remember that Croatia has already won Group B making this game a friendly; if anyhting for them. However, Poland will be playing for their tournament lives. Should they win big and have a German slip-up, they could move onto the knockout round to play Portugal.
Bilić has been quoted in numerous Croatian papers saying, "We are not stupid and are not going to risk anything." With that, here is the lineup vs. Poland.
Midfielders: Nikola Pokrivač, Ognjen Vukojević, Ivan Rakitić, Jerko Leko
Strikers: Ivan Klasnić and Mladen Petrić
So the only 'usual' starters will be Pletikosa,Pranjić, Rakitić and Petrić.
We will finally get a good look at Klasnić and see exactly what he has to offer as I'm sure he will be playing for a spot in the lineup for the rest of the tournament.
The game against Poland might not mean anything on paper for the Croatians but make no mistake; we came to play in this tournament. Bilić has already said that he would not risk anything and is not going to play any starter who has already received a yellow card. Receiving a second yellow before the semifinal round calls for a next-game suspension. He will field players who don't usually play but have given them the green light to play hard and go for the win just like they did against England at Wembley.
The 32-year old Dario Šimić, who played alongside coach Slaven Bilić at Euro 1996 and World Cup 1998, will wear the captain's armband vs. Poland for his 99th career cap. Šimić has said that this is an honor for him and that he will not treat this as a meaningless game. He would like to earn his 100th CAP (no Croatian has ever reached the century mark yet) during Euro 2008 in case he decides to retire from international ball after the competition.
Here are the players who will not even dress for the game due to yellow card trouble. Josip Šimunić, Robert Kovač, Luka Modrić and Darijo Srna.
Croatian players will also be wearing black bands around their arms in tribute of the 20-year old Croatian fan who passed away in Klagenfurt,Austria right before the start of the Croatia-Germany match. Police reports have said that no foul play was involved and that the young man collapsed from a pre-existing condition; causing a heart attack. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends.
We here at CroatianSoccerReport.com like to hear what everyone has to say on the world of soccer and debate to the bitter end. Well, we also like to joke around.
But I'm having a little bit of a problem with how much air time England is getting during Euro 2008. All I hear is debates on who the next captain of England should be and 'hey, there's Capello scouting the Croatia team for the next round of qualifiers.' They're getting more air time than most teams that actually made the tournament.
So CroatianSoccerReport.com 'enthusiast', Tome Coza, had a great idea and I want to roll with it. By the end of the tournament I want to have a Top '10' list of 'Things England can do this summer because they didn't qualify for Euro 2008."
Post your suggestions below and then we can have a vote on the best 10. I will then try to get it into Croatian media so they can use it for the qualifiers as we will be playing England again in September.
Ladies and Gentlemen, once again, I have to apologize for not being able to deliver this time sensitive information at an earlier time. After a diet consisting of Austrian wieners and beer, luckily, I have returned to Zagreb in one piece.
In the next few paragraphs I will try to summarize what I experienced in Klagenfurt, Austria during the Croatia-Germany game.
Luka and I left Bratislava, Slovakia at 3pm local time and arrived in Klagenfurt at 10pm local time. Our first objective was to find a hotel, hostel, or anything with a roof over our heads for the night. After a few hours of searching, we ended up at our last resort: fan camp. This organized convention like center, is the last call for fans without hotel reservations. As you can see by the picture, it wasn´t Holiday Inn. Just imagine 800 sweaty, stinky, drunk Europeans under one roof!
There were plenty of pre-night parties all over the city. However, due to fear, most Klagenfurt locals booked early vacations to France and Italy. Every Austrian woman received pepper spray in case the earth was coming to an end. This was a Bonanza ghost town, not an Austrian in sight. The very few Germans that would show up, partied with us throughout the night.
On June 12th, Klagenfurt was truly Croatian for the day. For some reason, Germans were a needle in a haystack. Croatian music was playing all day and night all over the town center, stadium, and throughout Klagenfurt.
After the match, everyone made their way down to the town center to sing the night away. What an incredible achievement for a small nation, but gigantic football nation. In my opinion, this result was third all time next to Germany-Croatia world cup 1998 and Holland-Croatia World Cup 1998.
As the national anthem played, Croatians around the world were singing as one!
Croatians from all over the world; Germany, USA, Argentina, Slovenia, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, were all on hand to support the vatreni in victory. We ended up watching the game in the town center at the fan zone. After every goal, Croatians were drenched with beer. "This is unbelievable. As a realist, I was hoping for a draw, but victory over a superpower like Germany is something that I will remember forever. We are going to the final," said Josip, a Dinamo Zagreb fan.
After a six hour train ride, Luka and I arrived in Zagreb without showering for three days, hair sticky from beer, malnourished, and fatigued. All of this just to watch Croatia play Germany with our people.
For some reason, the media is still bashing Slaven Bilić and his tactics. We should stop criticizing this genius and let him do his magic. The Poland game is pointless; win, lose or draw. Against the Czechs we will be ready, and a semifinal matchup with the Germans will be classic.
Here is a video from Vienna following the Croatia-Austria match. Tamburica was lighting up the rainy skies in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral.
Slaven Bilić has announced his starting lineup against Poland for Monday's match. Remember that Croatia has already won Group B making this game a friendly; if anyhting for them. However, Poland will be playing for their tournament. Should they win big and have a German slip-up, they could move onto the knockout round.
Bilić has been quoted in numerous Croatian papers saying, "We are not stupid and are not going to risk anything." With that, here is the lineup vs. Poland.
Midfielders: Niko Kovač, Ognjen Vukojević, Ivan Rakitić, Jerko Leko
Strikers: Ivan Klasnić and Mladen Petrić
So the only 'usual' starters will be Pletikosa,Pranjić,Niko Kovač, Ivan Rakitić and Mladen Petrić.
We will finally get a good look at Klasnić and see exactly what he has to offer as I'm sure he will be playing for a spot in the lineup for the rest of the tournament.
After doing some research, I have just found out that UEFA has changed the 'yellow card rule' for Euro 2008. In previous years, if players had one yellow card in group play it was wiped away going into the knockout phase. Well that has all been changed for this summer's competition and now should be looked at under a microscope for the Croatian team who will be playing a meaningless game versus Poland on Monday as Croatia has already won Group B. They will play the winners of the Czech Republic/Turkey match June 20th in the quarterfinal round.
The New Yellow Card Rule states that yellow cards from the group stage will now be cancelled after the quarterfinal round. It was changed so that players receiving 2 cards in the quarters and semis cannot miss the Final. This means that if any of our players who currently have a yellow card (Robert Kovač, Luka Modrić, Darijo Srna, Josip Šimunić, and Jerko Leko) get a yellow card versus Poland; they would not be able to play in the quarterfinal game. Should any of these players get a yellow in the quarterfinal game, they would not be eligible to play in the semifinal game should Croatia progress.
This is why I would only let these four starters (excluded: Jerko Leko) play the first half against Poland. We can't let one spurt of agressive play or a bad call by a referee cause suspension for our team. And we all know how Šimunić plays anyways.
Now knowing this, what would be your lineup vs. Poland knowing that none of these players can afford a yellow in the next two matches?
Do you like this new rule and does it change anything for you?
That's right boys and girls, Croatia has already clinched the #1 seed in Group B with their 2-1 win over Germany on Thursday; all done with one more group game to play versus Poland this upcoming Monday. This is the first time ever that Croatia has won their group in a major tournament and also the first time we've made it out of group play since the 1998 World Cup in France. Croatia will play the winner of the Czech Republic/Turkey game in Vienna on June 20th.
So what does this mean? Well, Croatia has never been in such a stress-free situation like this before. Not only do we get to rest some key starters due to normal wear and tear against Poland, but we also get a sneak peak at our future. Obviously, I do not know coach Slaven Bilić's plan for the game, but I would give the likes of Nikola Kalinić , Nikola Pokrivač, Anas Sharbini and Ivan Klasnić plenty of gametime to get some solid experience. I'd like to see what Klasnić's physical condition is since we haven't seen him in the first 2 Euro games.
I'm actually a bit disappointed in Bilić for substituting Petrić for Olić instead of letting Klasnić get some time with a 2-0 lead. Petrić did nothing for a second game in a row. Croatia played so much better with Ivan Rakitić in the 4-5-1 formation. Modrić ran the midfield beautifully using Kranjčar and Rakitić on the wings. Ćorluka and Pranjić played solid 'D' while making full runs upfield with the ball. Croatia controlled tempo majority of the game and was unlucky to have more goals.
As well as Niko Kranjčar played today, he could not put the ball in the back of the net. He had two amazing looks on goal putting 1 over and the other right at German goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann.
The other thing we need to fix is how to deal with these 2 goal leads. Just like in the match at Wembley, Croatia easily breaks down when having this kind of lead. Why? We stop playing two-way ball and put 9 players on defense and hope that will hold them off for the next 20 minutes or so. We play kickball and just clear it out of the zone when anything gets close instead of playing possesion and keeping the other team honest with attacking football. This is exactly how Podoloski scored his goal and it will happen again in this tournament if Bilić keeps playing this style late in the games.
Speaking of Bilić, what kind of substitutions is this guy making these days?! First, he puts in Petrić for a tired Olić instead of seeing what Klasnić has to offer. At this point in the game with a 2 goal lead, the striker is only there to put pressure on the defense when the ball is cleared anyways. Petrić did a mediocre job even at this. And then my favorite one of all-----JERKO LEKO for Srna in the 80th!- you've got to be kidding me. What has he done lately? Nothing. What did he do in the game? Nothing. I thought the ovbious choice was Vukojević, especially when he was subbed in against Austria. Maybe there's some madness behind Bilić's plan that I don't see. Please educate me on the matter if you have an answer.
All in all, it was obviously a great day for Croatian soccer. We beat the tournament favorites, secured a spot in the quarterfinals and don't even have to show up against Poland. I'm looking forward to seeing the rookies play, but we can't forget who our coach is; from what I remember, last time Bilić and company had already qualified and were up against a team that had everything to play for...we brought it and we brought it hard. I'm sure you know the rest of the story.
Tournament 'dark horses', Croatia, proved today that the two wins over England were in fact not a fluke; that last match versus a lackluster Austria team did not show our true form and that our latest string of friendlies,well, were just friendlies. Don't get me wrong, we still have room to improve and many games left. I'm just happy the real Croatian team showed up today. I won't start the 'Croatia's the best team in the world' campaign just yet like we did for England. We beat a great German team today and still have work to do against Poland should they win today.
Croatia beat Euro 2008 favorites, Germany, 2-1 in Klagenfurt,Austria to take the Group B lead all by themselves. I will get into game analysis a bit later today but just wanted to share the current scenario with my readers. If Poland fails to get the full 3 points in their game against Austria, Croatia automatically win group B and would then play the victor of the Turkey/Czech Republic game in the quarterfinals.
Croatia played extremely well and were very aggressive against the Germans. They definitely dominated the chances and only took their foot off the pedal in the last 20 minutes with a 2-goal lead. This is where the gameplan went wrong as they just sat back and waited for the Germans to score, which happened on a beautiful 79' strike by Lukas Podoloski when Croatia was unable to clear the area.
Slaven Bilić has just been quoted in various Croatian newspapers that his new 'fantastic trio' will shine versus Germany. This trio includes the likes of Niko Kranjčar, Luka Modrić, and yes, Ivan Rakitić! It looks like Croatia will finally start with the much talked about 'super midfield' versus Germany with Ivica Olić as the lone striker atop. Petrić will start the game on the bench and it looks like Dario Šimić will also start in the back. Everything else will remain the same as far as the starting 11 goes from the Austria game.
We arrived to Klagenfurt the night before the game. For the most part it was pretty dead with only about a few hundred or so people out in the town center singing and dancing to Croatian music.
pregame
This morning, Croatians are rolling in by the thousands. Hundreds and maybe thousands of police from Germany, Croatia and Austria are here to make order.
A bus carrying 100s of German fans was stopped as a dozen Croatian fans laid down in the middle of the street preventing the bus to pass. Austrian police were called to the scene to beat on the Croats. A dozen helicopters are circling the rainy Klagenfurt skies.
Interviews
´´Both Croatia and Germany are very talented and great football teams, however Croatia will not beat Germany..... 2=1 Germany... Klaus from Klagenfurt`´
"The atmosphere is unbelievable. As a Croatian living in Klagenfurt, I never thought something like this was possible in a small city like Klagenfurt. Croatia didnt show up against Austria and will be ready for the elf....Croatia 2=0....." Ivan, a Croatian living in Klagenfurt, helped order us cold cuts in supermarket..
"Croatia will not lose. We are the best. Croatia only shows up against the best. 2=0 against Germany and then we lose to Poland." Mirko from Varazdin
chants
Here are some of the chants that can be heard from miles away. "bjezi te ljudi....jer ovdje igra Hrvatska".... "Deutchland, Deutchland, ...Aufedezen...Aufedezen " "U boj, U boj".... a half dozen Thompson songs..... "Mi Hrvati"..... "tj ne skoci provaslavac...hey. hey. hey."..... "ubi ubi ubi Srbina.....Srbina....ubi ubi ubi Srbinaaaaaa.."
Denis Svircic reporting from Klagenfurt for CroatianSoccerReport.com
This is the expected linup for the Germany game on Thursady. The game will be televised live in America on ESPN2 at 11:50AM (ET). Remember that coach Slaven Bilić still hasn't confirmed his starting 11, but based on reports and expert analysis he will make two changes from the Austria game.
Midfielders: Niko Kranjčar,Niko Kovač,Luka Modrić ,Darijo Srna
Strikers: Ivica Olić and Ivan Rakitić
So if this in fact is the lineup, Dario Šimić would gain his 99th CAP in place of Danijel Pranjić and Ivan Rakitić would replace the struggling Mladen Petrić .
I'm sure Bilić is dreaming of his starting 11 as I write this; let's just hope his decision doesn't turn into a nightmare for the Croatians later today!
KICKOFF IN KLAGENFURT,AUSTRIA IN LESS THAN 12 HOURS!!!
We are now less than 32 hours from the Croatia-Germany clash in Klagenfurt and there's some important decisions to be made by coach Slaven Bilić. The question all Croatian fans are asking is what two strikers will play up top as well as whether Ivan Rakitić will be in the plans for the big game. There have been reports on Euro2008.com that Bilić will sit Pranjić for Simić and he will also be moving the entire strike force around because of Sunday's subpar performance.
This is good news in my eyes. I'd like to see Klasnić start up top and have Rakitić play an offensive midfielder role and leave Petrić and Olić on the bench. I just need to email Ivan Klasnić and make sure he wears his Werder Bremen jersey under his #17 Croatia and make him believe this is just another BundesLiga game. With all the Germans involved in this game and all the Croatian ties back to Germany, I think it just might work and we could see him score 2 goals or something like that; because we all know that he only shines when playing in Germany.
In other news, the Hrvatski Nogemetni Savez (HNS) was fined 8,000 Swiss Francs for inappropriate fan behavior. Croatian fans managed to sneak in flares and light them after the Modrić penalty as well as a fan running onto the pitch near the end of the game. As much as I find this funny because this fan made a security guard look extremely silly as he slipped; this does nothing for Croatian soccer and their pursuit of hosting a Euro tournament in the near future.
Here's the videos we promised you of Denis and friends. They consist of the pre-game train ride from Zagreb to Vienna and the after match celebrations in downtown Vienna. Enjoy!
