**HAPPY BIRTHDAY** DARIJO SRNA

Photo: Siniša Bužan, Darijo Srna on the phone with our very own Ante Kvartuč

Happy Birthday!

Darijo Srna

Big 27 for the Croatian and Shakhtar captain

Getting to know Darijo Srna

Who is Darijo Srna?

Dario speaking his mind in Ukrainian?

Wiki

Telegraph article

EURO 2008

~Denis Svirčić, reporting from Staples Center, California

CROATIA 7TH IN WORLD

Croatia has moved up 8 spots in the FIFA World Rankings to #7 overall after their fine display at Euro 2008. Sure they lost to Turkey in the quarterfinals; but not before winning all 3 group games, one of which was a victory over now #3 ranked Germany. Argentina has finally been dethroned as the #1 team in the world by Euro 2008 champs, Spain.

Here is a list of all the current FIFA rankings through July 2008.

CONFIRMED: KNEŽEVIĆ HEADING TO JUVENTUS

Italian Serie A giant, Juventus, have confirmed the signing of Dario Knežević from Livorno. The team announced the news Monday and are happy they signed the 26 year old Croatian who almost landed with city rivals, Torino.

Knežević injured his knee in the last group match versus Poland in Euro 2008. Although this ended his Euro campaign, the injury was anything but serious. Croatians are now playing football at the highest level of European competition. The only Croat from the national team to still be playing in Croatia is Nikola Kalinić, but that shouldn't last long either.

Manchester City, Tottenham, Arsenal, Portsmouth, Shakhtar Donetsk, Schalke, Hamburg and now Juventus are all clubs that the top Croatians play for. But will Ajax of Holland also be put on this list? Time will tell.

MODRIĆ MAKES TOP 10 LIST

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.

CROATIAN FANS IN TROUBLE AGAIN???

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.

THE SNAKE BITTEN ONES

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.

WHERE WAS CROATIA'S 3RD SUBSTITUTION?

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.

FINAL THOUGHTS.....

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.

Pictured is the future Davor Suker.

Hopefully, we don't have to wait that long.

CROATIA-TURKEY FROM MY EYES

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

Last chance by Petric

Croatian Euro Dream ends in tears.

CROATIA-TURKEY 2 DAYS LATER

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.

~Denis reporting from Krakow

SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR AWAY...

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.

HALFTIME REPORT

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.

RAKITIĆ MAY NOT PLAY

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.

EURO DARK HORSES FACE CINDERELLA IN QUARTERS

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.

LONGEST POST EVER.... TAKE A DEEP BREATHE

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.

EURO 2008 DREAM OVER FOR IGOR BUDAN

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.

KNEŽEVIĆ'S EURO DREAM OVER

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.

PICTURES WORTH MORE THAN 1,000 WORDS

'B' SQUAD DOES THE JOB

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.

LINEUP VS. POLAND

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.

Goalkeeper: Stipe Pletikosa

Defenders: Dario Šimić (C), Hrvoje Vejić, Dario Knežević, Danijel Pranjić

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.

So there you go. What do you think?