1. Which Perišić are we going to get?
2. Will Dalić go back to the 4-4-2?
3. Does Kovačić still have a spot in the Croatia starting XI?
3 Pressing Questions For Croatia vs. France Nations League
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Heaps of youth matches on Maxsport 1 today for those interested.
U21 play Australia U23 in Doha. This is essentially a new squad of ours so playing against older opponents will be interesting? most likely a loss ?
U17 play against Ukraine and U19 against Holland both in Elite Group of qualifiers.
It will be interesting this weekend to feel what it’s like to root for a national team as good as France is. Haven’t experienced it before
I have mixed feelings about these matches against France.
On one hand I would like Croatia to win and eliminate France, however we then get a tougher WC qualifying group with Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan. First match would be away to Ukraine in early September followed 3 days later at home against Iceland. Lose to Ukraine and we could be on to the play offs?
My odds of us winning this group is 51%.
I would settle for two draws and a loss on penalties to France, meaning that in early June we first play Gibraltar away and 3 days later we have Czechia at home.
My odds for winning this group is 60%.
If we play Ukraine I think the game would be held in Munich because if the war . We have large presence in Germany . That would take home field away from them . I want nothing more for us to beat the French . They killed us twice in two world
Cups . Games we should have won.
France was the better team in 98, but 2018 I agree there were some terrible calls by the ref in that game. I still think Croatia should have been World Champs in 2018.
I would not say France was the better team . We had the game in hand in 98. We could have won that game, we did not play attacking football . Boban lost the ball or perhaps purposely lost the ball to give the French the game . They scored . that was it. We were equally matched . Dalic made critical mistakes in 2018. And yes some bad calls by the ref. The French are definitely on our bucket list
Boban lost the ball on purpose ???
Go watch Croatia FIFA doc – you’ll learn that Boban was totally sick but still played and at half time told them he couldn’t feel his feet but still went on – because of his love for Croatia
If Boban wasn’t sick that game (or someone else played for him) we could have beaten France
I think it came up, but if Luka Sučić is injured and can’t play then who did Dali call up in his stead?
Also, what is everyone’s thoughts about Moto? I don’t know much about the guy.
Sorry Moro?? Stupid auto correct!
He’s keeps getting called up by Dalic and nobody knows why. He is a bench player at Bologna FC.
No replacement for Luka S
Dalic has 2 less players vs France last Anonymous checked
Sure there is some Dalic 4D chess at work
Fewer, not less. Genius.
Stimac vs. Gattuso celebrity boxing match – here we go !
x.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1901958331586978258
Budimir looks like he’s pregnant in this pic (or at least has a big pot-belly)
Dalic please fix Budimir’s posture and teach him to stand tall/up properly
x.com/HNS_CFF/status/1901956862309740982/photo/1
That picture shows everyone standing around thinking….”what is Moro doing here?”
It seems anecdotally/broadly that where there is a father and mother split b/w one being Croat and one being Serb – that what we see is the offspring typically ends up favouring/following the paternal ethnicity identity ?
Modric (Croat father / Serb mother)
Prosinecki (Croat father / Serb mother)
Sinisa Mihajlovic (Serb father / Croat mother)
Djokovic (Serb father / Croat mother)
There are counter-examples Drazen Petrovic and Subasic (Serb fathers / Croat mothers) but can’t think of any Croat father / Serb mothers that identify as Serbs
Thoughts ?
Nonsense.
Modric is not half serb.
Disgusting that you’re peddling that “Modric half-Serb” nonsense.
Modric would slap you himself.
@Eric and @Maminjo
You’re missing the point getting bogged down by one example
It was a genuine general question and was curious if others found this offspring following paternal ethnicity too – that has been Anonymous observation
But since you brought it up
Who was Modric’s uncle (mother’s brother) and what role did he have in the war ? Wasn’t he compelled/required to testify at the Hague but said he didn’t want to as his sister was living in Croatia and married a Croat ?
If that’s wrong / propaganda please correct Anonymous !
@CroatianPerson85
Place of birth / where you grew up has zero barring on ethnicity
If as eg two Croats had a child born in China and they lived there – would the child be of Chinese ethnicity ? Obviously not !
Dude serious lol? Petrovic is from Sibenik and Subasic from Zadar, no where near the % of Serbs that lived in and around Vukovar during the war or proximity to Serbia or major Serb cities. Zero comparison.
I find it hilarious that you bring up Subasic being half Serb. There are people of the Eastern Orthodox religion that consider themselves to be Croatian and pretty much have very little to do with Serbia like his father, a Serb would never let their kid be raised as a Catholic.
Actual Serbs from Croatia are that actor Rade Serbedzija who refers to himself as a Srbin from Lika. That Canadian/Serb actress Stana Katic who says “My parents are Serbs from Croatia. I call us Dalmatian because that’s the part of the planet that we are originally from”. They are the people that still believe in a big Serbia and will use terms like Dalmacija and Lika to disassociate themselves from Croatia.
Most people people of mixed heritage especially where there’s friction lean heavily to one side and usually overcompensate. Djokovic is an ultra Serb but he’s the first generation born in Serbia, his father was born Kosovo and his grandfather was born in Montenegro his mother’s side of the family lived in Belgrade where she was born. Her parents were Jugos.
Most of Modric’s mothers family live in Serbia so that’s indicative of their leanings.
Perisic is in good form and will play most likely on the right wing like with PSV ?
I have a feeling that he will get a mixed reception from the crowd in Split ? hopefully booing and whistling will be in minority? we need to move on from what happened with Hajduk and Perisic, after all he is one of our all-time greats.
We’ll play 4 at the back with Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic and Gvardiol most likely getting the nod. I would not start DCC because he has been warming the bench for the last two months or so. Juranovic has played last 4 or 5 matches for Union Berlin, so he is a chance to come on for Stanisic in the second half ? or start ?
Kovacic has been our best player for the last couple of years and as our future captain he needs to start every match we play.
Livakovic played on Sunday for the first time in almost two months but despite this he should be in goal. Modric, Kramaric and Budimir should also start leaving one vacant spot in midfield. I would go for Baturina as Peter Sucic has just returned from a lengthy injury.
Formation on paper will be 4 – 3 – 3 but in reality, it will be 4 – 5 – 1 with Budimir alone upfront.
The atmosphere in Poljud has always been fantastic for our boys, however, if there are any “whistling or booing” against a Vatreni player, it should automatically disqualify Split from hosting future matches. There is absolutely no room for internal disputes or grudges when Croatia plays.
Stupid comment.
So, Rijeka shouldn’t host games? Zagreb shouldn’t host games? They have whistled national team players.
I’ve never noticed this before…who got whistled?
Livaja got heckled at Rujevica (I believe) during a training session. That’s one example which is a bit worse than whistling.
To Davor’s point I am sure that’s happened at every stadium.
Weren’t Dinamo fans chanting “Niko debela svinja” (or something like that) at Kranjcar when he transferred to Hajduk ? Anonymous seems to recall this happening to during both club and country matches at Maksimir…
I would hope that we see Budimir start.
The guy has 15 goals in La Liga, and Dalic is still not giving a straight answer as to whether he will start (despite his attempt to get Livaja in the squad).
Poor guy has to top Lewandowski in La Liga to get some minutes with us.
Dalic said y’day that based on data Budimir is better off the bench
JJ played LB in our 1-0 win in Paris 2022 (also last 2 games for club)
Stanisic Sutalo Gvardiol JJ
Livakovic confirmed
Budimir up front, but he needs service. With our recent strategy of keeping the ball to prevent the opposition from possessing it, he hasn’t received crosses to attack. He can’t manufacture a goal like, say, Suker or Dudu, so without crosses, he won’t be effective.
Pongracic does not deserve to be anywhere near the starting lineup. CB’s should be Gvardiol & Sutalo.
Stanisic – Sutalo – Gvardiol – Juranovic
Fruk wearing #17
x.com/HNS_CFF/status/1901933508236370340
Means Petar Sucic has changed his # again
He wore #13 in his first 4 caps – than #17 vs Scotland
Perhaps it’s a superstitious thing (red card vs. Scotland)
BUT
The thing is
Fans spend $$$ buying jerseys with names / #s – so not really a good look that HNS is allowing (deliberately ?) this revolving door with #s – he’s not the only one
Look how many different numbers many of the players have worn (e.g. Budimir has worn 5 different #s since 2000 #11 – previously #13, #14, #16, #17)
***.transfermarkt.us/kroatien/rueckennummern/verein/3556
HNS perhaps in it’s primitive way (similar to publishing a standby list) doing this deliberately – so poor little Ivan who loves Budimir parents have had to buy him 5 different jerseys so he keeps up with Budimir’s current #)
This is a long-standing problem – before our beloved Srna stuck to #11 – he previously wore #2, #8, #13, #16)
Sorry for detour
But the U21 play Wed. vs. Australia in Doha (than Egypt, Thailand)
Aside from the excitement of seeing Jagusic in the checkers for the first time
We will face Adrian Segicic and Ethan Alagich
Segicic, in particular, has 14 goals this season in 1350 min for Sydney FC
Kotarski with a full neck tattoo – your guys thoughts?
LOLOLOL
He looks like some gang member from Central America
Are you familiar with the term “dirty ink”? If not, read the site archives and you’ll find your answer.