4TH ROUND HNL RESULTS

Dinamo Zagreb [6-0] Cibalia Vinkovci

HNK Šibenik [1-0] NK Zadar

Inter Zaprešić [3-2] Croatia Sesvete

NK Osijek [2-1] Varteks Varaždin

Slaven Belupo [2-0] NK Zagreb

NK Rijeka [3-1] Hajduk Split

Questions and Comments...

Mario Mandžukić had a hat trick for Dinamo as they bounced back with a nice win after the loss earlier in the week to Shakhtar Donetsk in Champion's League. The loss was Dinamo's first since Varteks defeated them on February 23rd.

Croatia Sesvete do not appear to be this year's 'bottom of the barrel' club as Međimurje was last year; who they replaced. This week Sesvete only lost by 1 goal again.

What is going on with Hajduk?!...It's their second loss in a row as they were caught up in a very physical and sloppy match with Rijeka. 9 yellows were given out in the game as well as 2 red cards, Sharbini (Rijeka) in the 67' for his second bookable offense and Buljat (Hajduk) in the 90' received a straight red. I know Hajduk is pumped about their UEFA Cup situation, but they can't lose their sights on the Prva Liga. Hajduk now sits 10th in the table with 4 points in as many games. I know it's still early, but Dinamo becomes an uncatchable juggernaut in the Prva Liga once they get going.

What do you guys think?

SRNA & COMPANY BRING DINAMO BACK DOWN TO EARTH

Well, there goes that. Dinamo Zagreb finally lost a game. Granted it was against the reigning Ukrainian champs, Dinamo just could not find the back of the net.

It only took Shakhtar Donetsk 3 minutes to score their first goal. Croatian star, Darijo 'Beckham of the Balkans' Srna did what he does best and blasted a free kick from just outside the box past 20 year-old backup keeper, Ivan Kelava. Brazilian born, Brandao, tacked on a 2nd goal for the Ukrainian side in the 31'.

Although a 2-0 loss for Dinamo isn't impossible to come back from, especially with a home game in 2 weeks time, the fact that they couldn't muster up the all-important 'away goal' is probably going to prevent them from making group stage. The most optimistic, yet realistic, scenario a Dinamo fan can be hoping for is a 2-0 win at Maksimir, which would force extra time. Should Shakhtar score a goal in Zagreb, Dinamo will have to win by 3 goals to go on.

So what's next for Croatian soccer?...

The UEFA Cup 2nd qualifying round starts tomorrow. Hajduk Split are in Spain to take on Deportivo and Slaven Belupo travel to Greece to face Aris Thessaloniki. Should either Croatian team upset their competition, they will qualify for the UEFA Cup 1st round, where Dinamo will end up unless they come up with a miracle win in Zagreb on the 27th.

Here's some highlights from the match...

CAN DINAMO STAY PERFECT???

Dinamo Zagreb has exploded out of the gates to start the 2008-09 season. They have earned maximum points in 3 games in the Croatian Prva Liga and have an undefeated record in the first 2 rounds of Champion's League qualifying.

The real test begins tomorrow when Dinamo takes on Ukrainian champs, Shakhtar Donetsk. The meeting kicks off the 3rd qualifying round for both teams with the return in Zagreb a fortnight (2 weeks) later. The winner shall qualify for the UEFA Champion's League group stage, which is considered the 'real' start to the football season in Europe.

For Croatia, which is currently ranked the 26th best league in Europe, to send a team to group stage; would really say something about our current state of soccer, especially after a successful Euro 2008 campaign.

Roster up-date: Tadić will start up top for Balaban and 20 year-old second string goalkeeper, Ivan Kelava will start for Tomislav Butina who has a stomach injury.

3RD ROUND HNL RESULTS

Croatia Sesvete [0-1]Dinamo Zagreb

Cibalia Vinkovci [2-0]HNK Šibenik

Inter Zaprešić [2-2] NK Rijeka

NK Zadar[2-2] NK Osijek

Varteks Varaždin [2-3] Slaven Belupo

NK Zagreb [3-0] Hajduk Split

DINAMO DOMINATE DOMŽALE

Dinamo Zagreb and Domžale have a knack of meeting in the UEFA Champion's League 2nd qualifying round; and for the second straight year, Dinamo showed their superiority once again.

Dinamo started off hot and only needed one half of soccer to get the away result they were looking for. Ivica Vrdoljak opened up the scoring with a goal in the 11th minute. Shortly after, Brazilian born Sammir, tacked on another one in the 21'. Finishing off 1st half festivities for Dinamo, Josip Tadić stuck a fork in Domžale's hopes of reaching the next round with a goal in the 40th minute.

With a 3-0 lead at halftime, the rest of the game was merely a conservative training exercise for Dinamo. They succeeded as the score remained the same for the rest of the match. Only a disaster in Zagreb on August 6th would prevent Dinamo from reaching the final qualifying round, which contains some of the 'big boys' of European club soccer: Arsenal, Liverpool, Juventus, Marseille, Barcelona and Schalke 04 are some of the teams that Dinamo can face. They were eliminated by Werder Bremen last year.

Hajduk and Slaven Belupo play the second leg of their UEFA Cup 1st qualifying round games tomorrow, July 31st. Both teams should cruise as they have 4 goal aggregate leads on their Maltese foes.

...AND THEY'RE OFF!!!

The 2008-2009 Croatian Prva Liga season kicked off Sunday without a hitch. Newly promoted club, Croatia Sesvete, showed promise with a 1-1 draw versus NK Osijek in their first ever 1st League (Prva Liga) game. Sesvete will be playing their home games at Kamen Ingrad Stadium in Velika this season due to their usual stadium, Stadion SRC Sesvete, not meeting Croatian Prva Liga stadium requirements.

This requirement policy of minimum conditions having to be met for stadiums was brought upon due to NK Zadar player, Hrvoje Ćustić's, freak accident last season at Stanovi Stadium in Zadar. Ćustić was running hard after a ball, got tangled up with an opposing player and went head first into a concrete retaining wall just 3 meters off the field. The player was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was put into an induced coma; only to be confirmed brain dead 4 days later.

Because of this tragic accident, 4 teams will not be playing at their hometown stadiums this season. Cibalia Vinkovci will be playing at Gradski Vrt in Osijek, Croatia Sesvete at Kamen Ingrad Stadium in Velika, NK Zagreb at Dinamo's Maksimir Stadium and NK Zadar at Šibenik's Šubićevac Stadium.

Here are the results for the first round of action:

Cibalia Vinkovci (0-0) Slaven Belupo

Croatia Sesvete (1-1) NK Osijek

Hajduk Split (1-0) NK Zadar

Inter Zaprešić (2-3) HNK Šibenik

Varteks Varaždin (2-1) NK Zagreb

Dinamo Zagreb (2-0) NK Rijeka

The league continues its games with the 2nd Round on August 3rd but not before Champion's League and UEFA Cup action picks up again. In their first leg, Dinamo Zagreb take on Domžale in Slovenia on July 30th in second qualifying round play while Hajduk takes on Birkirkara in Malta and Slaven Belupo plays Marsaxlokk (Malta) in the second leg of the UEFA Cup 1st qualifying round. Hajduk and Slaven Belupo both have comfortable 4-0 aggregate leads on their competition and should move on.

DINAMO CRUISES INTO NEXT ROUND

For the second consecutive season, Dinamo Zagreb will face off against Domžale (Slovenia) in the UEFA Champion's League 2nd qualifying round. Last year Dinamo easily dismissed the Slovenian champs 5-2 on aggregate. This year, they will of course be without phenom midfielder, Luka Modrić.

Dinamo secured a spot in the 2nd qualifying round by holding Linfield to a 1-1 draw in Zagreb on Wednesday. This was enough for the Croatian club to get through on aggregate because of the 2-0 win they posted in Northern Ireland last week.

Croatian international, Marijo Mandžukić, opened the scoring before the seats even got warm at Maksimir Stadium with a goal in the 3rd minute. The goal just about sealed Dinamo's entry into the next round- but not without a fight. With hope looking bleak for Linfield, they managed a goal in the 54' by midfielder Michael Gault. That's all Linfield could muster as they have been eliminated and sent home on a sour note.

The dates have not yet been announced for next round tie with Domzale, but we can expect them to play on July 30th in Slovenia.

Stay tuned for more news on upcoming matches which include Hajduk and Slaven Belupo in UEFA Cup action.

DINAMO FACE-OFF VS. LINFIELD AT MAKSIMIR

Dinamo Zagreb play Linfield (Northern Ireland) today at Maksimir Stadium in Zagreb in the return leg of their UEFA Champion's League 1st qualifying round affair. When the two teams clashed in Northern Ireland a week ago, Dinamo easily collected a 2-0 win with goals by Croatian international, Marijo Mandžukić, and Dino Drpić.

Dinamo will qualify for the next round as long as they don't lose by more than 1 goal. If Linfield wins 2-0, the match will go into overtime. However, Dinamo dominated the game on the 'emerald isle' and I don't see them having much trouble in Zagreb. The game will kick-off at 8:45 p.m. locally in Croatia.

Dinamo is expected to carry on and would play the winner of the F91 Dudelange (Netherlands)/Domžale (Slovenia) match. Domžale won 1-0 on Dutch soil last week. Should Dinamo and Domžale meet in the second qualifying round, it will be the second year in a row that these 2 teams have met as Dinamo eliminated the Slovenian club in 2007 on a 5-2 aggregate. That was of course with the likes of a Mr. Modrić on the 'blue boy' side.

The game cannot be seen live in America, but should you have Croatian satellite, I'm sure they will re-run it later in the day for all you BBB's.

DINAMO EFFORTLESS OVER LINFIELD

Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb overpowered Linfield 2-0 in tonight’s UEFA Champions League Qualifying match at Windsor Park. The boys from Belfast played with heart, however, talent wasn't on their side tonight. Linfield started with a 4-1-4-1 formation, which quickly turned into a 9 men behind the ball formation.

The opening goal arrived after just 19 minutes into it, from a great right foot by 22 year old Dinamo prospect, Mario Mandžukić. The ball was crossed into the box from the right and the Dinamo striker shrugged off a Linfield defender and blasted the ball into the upper left corner of the net.

Aidan O’Kane had Linfield's only chance 29 minutes into it, however, his fierce drive from the right was pushed away by Tomislav Butina in the Dinamo goal.

Dinamo continued to press in the second half but Linfield keeper, Alan Mannus was superb in goal.The pressure finally got to the boys from Belfast in the 90th minute when Dino Drpić scored to make it 2-0 for the 'Bad Blue Boys.' Linfield conceded a free-kick on the edge of the box and Dino blasted a low shot around the Linfield wall and passsed the helpless Mannus into the net.

Player of the match was Pedro Morales, who transferred to Dinamo this summer to replace Luka Modrić. Pedro was all over the midfield, directed play, and gave Mandžukić a half dozen good balls.

Overall, a comfortable win to say the least for Dinamo Zagreb against a pesky Linfield side. Dinamo is a lock into the second qualifying round.

One final note:

The Vatican flag from EURO 2008 Turkey-Croatia match finds its way to Belfast!

**CHAMPIONS LEAGUE** DINAMO-LINFIELD

Yes, it's that time again boys and girls: CHAMPIONS LEAGUE! Well, qualifiers to be precise.

Dinamo and Linfield just kicked off in Belfast. I am watching live in Šibenik and will update following the match.

Linfield

Mannus - Douglas, Murphy, Bailie, Lindsay - McAreavey, Gault, Downey, Mulgrew, 0'Kane - P. Thompson

Dinamo

Butina - Etto, Drpić, Bišćan, Carlos - Chago, Vrdoljak - Mandžukić, Mikić, Morales - Balaban

OLIĆ WILL STAY AT HAMBURG

Hamburg striker, Ivica Olić , told German media today that he "cannot be bothered" to move clubs again and will resume playing for Hamburg at the start of the season.

The 28-year-old, a key striker for Croatia, failed to impress during the Euro 2008, and many expected a Liverpool transfer. However, Ivica is more than happy in Hamburg and vows to continue to play for the Bundesliga giants.

"I cannot be bothered to move again, I am staying in Hamburg." he told the Hamburger Abendblatt newspaper.

"My priority is not to transfer. My priority is Hamburg ," Ivica was quoted in the German Bild newspaper.

"My family is happy here and I want to give everything for this club," concluded Ivica and squashed any rumors linking him with Liverpool .

THE NEW SEASON STARTS NOW

Euro 2008 is now over and it is time to put your national jersey away and pull out your club's colors for the upcoming 2008-2009 Champion's League and Uefa Cup campaigns. Don't get me wrong, World Cup 2010 qualifying starts in only two months time but for sake of argument we will stick for the club sides for now.

Dinamo Zagreb start their Champion's League campaign in the 1st qualifying round versus Linfield FC of Northern Ireland. The first leg will be away for Dinamo on July 15th or 16th with the return leg in Zagreb on July 22nd or 23rd. Dinamo is the only Croatian club team that will be participating in the Uefa Champion's League.

For the other teams that were not so lucky last year is the Uefa Cup. Both Croatian teams that managed to make the first qualifying round will be playing teams from Malta. Hajduk will host Birkirkara on July 17th with the second leg match on the 31st of July. Slaven Belupo heads to Marsaxlokk turf on the 17th with the return in Croatia also on the 31st.

VIENNA OR BUST!!!

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!

DINAMO PICKS UP ARGENTINE STRIKER

FIFA.com has confirmed that Dinamo Zagreb has signed Argentine striker, Guillermo Suarez, for an undisclosed amount from his former club, Tigre. This is a good pick up for Dinamo who just lost Luka Modrić to Tottenham.

Dinamo Zagreb has been very successful into turning their star players into top-tier transfers for the big leagues in Europe. In recent years they have managed to transfer Vedran Čorluka to Manchester City, Eduardo da Silva to Arsenal and of course Luka Modrić to Tottenham. So if you're asking yourself why this kid would go to Dinamo Zagreb from the top Argentine league, this would be my guess. If he plays well and Dinamo promotes him like they have the others, Suarez can be playing in Spain or England in a couple seasons. But Dinamo also wants to make a decent run into Champions League this season. They are always one of the stronger qualifying teams.

Dobro Došli to Croatia Guillermo Suarez!!!

And just on a side note, Croatia dropped 2 spots in Fifa rankings to #15. But you already know my thoughts on the Fifa World Rankings so I won't go on.

FROM THE RUMOR MILL.......

Here are a few rumors that came out of various newspapers worldwide....

Rumor #1

Knežević to Chelsea

Since Livorno is no more in Serie A, several others have interest in the 26 year old Croatian defender.

Rumor #2

Vedran Runje to Lyon

French magazine, Nord-Eclair, has confirmed that the 32 year old former Hajduk goalkeeper has caught the eye of French champion Lyon.

Rumor #3

Stipe Pletikosa to Manchester United

Remember people these are just rumors. Russian newspaper "Sovjetski sport" confirms that the technical director of Spartak, Jevgeni Smolenčev was in ManU's hotel the night of the champions league final, where they were talking transfer for the number one Croatian keeper.

Rumor #4

Ivan Klasnić to Betis, Spain

"I would like to play for Betis, however, I am not the one calling the shots. There is interest from other clubs in other leagues, also my wish is to play for a Spanish club. I'm still waiting for an invite from Sevilla. If this doesn't happen, then I will be have plan B," confirmed Ivan Klasnić for Jutarnji List.

Rumor #5

Ante Rukavina to Dinamo

The young Hajduk striker has never lived up to his potential and it looks like Hajduk has lost patience. Signing with the Devil is not a smart move. Ante, go to Turkey rather than Dinamo. Trust me on this one!

OGNJEN VUKOJEVIĆ ARRIVES IN KIEV ON PRIVATE JET

Croatian international defensive midfielder, Ognjen Vukojević, has flown into Kiev this morning on a private jet provided by Dinamo Kiev. Ognjen passed all physical tests, and in the presence of Dinamo president, Zdravko Mamić has signed a contract with the eastern European giants.

Slaven Bilić gave Dinamo Kiev the green light as soon as word came out that a private jet was in store. “Well, he’s not going over there to negotiate, nor on a bus. Under those circumstances, I would let him go to Kiev five days before the EURO. He will return satisfied with a smile on his face,” said Bilić after yesterday’s match with Moldova.

Vukojević added, “ I am happy to be going to a club with a long history and many trophies. I am confident that I will fit in and fulfill my potential. One day, I would like to return to Zagreb and help the club that made this possible.”

Good Luck Ognjen. Your future looks bright and I am sure you will prosper at the ORIGINAL Dinamo!

DINAMO DUMPS "CROATIAN GATTUSO"

Croatian international, Ognjen Vukojević, will continue to play for Dinamo next year. However, not for Dinamo Zagreb, because the Croatian champions have agreed to sell the 24 year old defensive midfielder to Dinamo Kiev for a smashing 8 million euros. Ognjen will sign a four year deal sometime next week.

"I don't have anything against the east. Why wouldn't I go there," said Ognjen late Friday night from Zagreb.

Vokojević's agent, Danka Đikić, had this to say, "I can not confirm the information, the club will have to respond."

Glasgow Celtic, last week, had offered 5 million euros for his services, however, as we all know, Dinamo is all about the $$$$. Croatian internationals, Jerko Leko and Goran Sablić, have both enjoyed stints with the Ukrainian giants.

After Modrić, Čale and most likely Koch, Vukojević will become the forth Dinamo player who will say farewell to the bad blue boys.

THE FINAL TIME LUKA WILL FLY FOR DINAMO

In just a few hours time, NK Rijeka will kick off against Dinamo at the famous Maksimir stadium in Zagreb. More importantly, this will be Luka Modrić's final game in the Dinamo blue.

As a Hajduk fan, I have been waiting for this day for many years. As a Luka fan, I have been waiting for his transfer to a bigger club, where Luka can finally spread his wings and fly.

What will you remember the most about Luka and his days in Zagreb?

Good luck Luka. We at CroatianSoccerReport wish you as much success with Tottenham as you had here in Zagreb with Dinamo.

LATEST ON LUKA MODRIĆ......

Tottenham have their eyes set on next season by agreeing a £20 million deal for Luka Modrić from Dinamo Zagreb.

The 22-year-old has agreed to a five-year contract and is set to undergo a medical Sunday, completing the deal once he obtains a work permit.

Luka was at White Hart Lane on Saturday to watch the Premier League clash against Bolton.

"I'm happy to be joining such a big club," said Modrić, who will go to the European Championships with Croatia before starting pre-season training with his new club.

"It will be a real pleasure to play in the English league which is the best in Europe, with three English clubs in the semi-finals of the Champions League."

"I'm very happy that a coach like [Juande] Ramos wants me. I don't know what number I will wear, but I know that my biggest derby matches will be against Eduardo's Arsenal [FC]."

Croatia coach Slaven Bilić added: "Tottenham are definitely one of the clubs that would suit "Luka Modrić the most. I would say that maybe it is the ideal choice for him. Tottenham are a big club, they want to make a step forward and Luka will fit in very quickly."

Dinamo sporting director Zoran Mamić added: "We're very happy. Luka is leaving for an environment where he's going to progress, while Dinamo showed that we know how to do good deals."

Spurs head coach Juande Ramos may deploy Modrić as a central playmaker but he could also use him to solve the problem the club have had on the left flank in recent seasons.

Ramos met with Modrić after the 1-1 draw against Bolton.

The Spaniard added: "There are a few things like the medical that needed to be finalized."

"If it goes through we will be delighted. I've seen him several times in games for his club."

Luka was in London this morning to watch his new team, Tottenham, play to a lackluster draw with Bolton...... Luka spoke briefly with Spurs coach Juande Ramos after the game.... Luka will complete a physical on Sunday and finalize a five year deal...

Now, four of the best Croatian players have English work permits. Fire works will go off on September 8, when England visits Croatia for a world cup qualifier

GOODBYE ZAGREB, HELLO LONDON!

The Sun has reported that Croatian 'golden boy' Luka Modrić has finally been transferred. Not to Newcastle United as originally expected; but to Tottenham for the price of £20million. A 5 year deal has been put in place and baring a last minute disaster, Modrić will be moving to London after Euro 2008 in June.

After a cakewalk season at Dinamo, who clinched the Croatian title with 6 games to play, Modrić has finally been set free by Mamić to play at the next level. He should receive ample playing time in his first season with the Spurs.

I like the move and can't wait to see him in action. He shouldn't ride the pine for long if that's even the case. Luka Modrić is now the 4th Croatian international to play in the English Premiership behind Manchester City's Vedran Čorluka, Portsmouth's Niko Kranjčar and Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva.