...the reigning Croatian champions are still in the the thick of two competitions. How? I have no idea. Despite selling Livaković, Šutalo, and Ivanušec in the summer, which is basically half your squad, and playing without Bruno Petković lately, Dinamo are somehow only trailing their Prva Liga and Conference League competition by small margins. Although Dinamo have already … [Read more...] about Despite Dinamo’s Terrible Form…
Vlašić Nets Winner vs. Sassuolo; Kovačić, Gvardiol Cruise Against Young Boys
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Nikola Vlašić scored his first Serie A goal of the season Monday night against Sassuolo in a 2-1 Torino victory. Vlašić came off the bench in only the 9th minute of play and would score the winner with a low, right-footed shot just inside the far post. Sadly, it's already November and the former Hajduk Split midfielder only has one goal in nine league matches. Vlašić was once a … [Read more...] about Vlašić Nets Winner vs. Sassuolo; Kovačić, Gvardiol Cruise Against Young Boys
Croatians Around Europe 10: Budimir Bags 2nd Brace In A Month, Sučić MOTM For Salzburg
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Ante Budimir bagged his second brace since October 20th in a disappointing 4-2 loss to La Liga leaders, Girona, on Saturday. Budimir leveled the match for Osasuna in the 25th minute as he picked up a loose ball in front of the net and cooly slotted the ball high for the equalizer. In the 55th minute, Budimir would give Osasuna a 2-1 lead with a sharp header just inside the far … [Read more...] about Croatians Around Europe 10: Budimir Bags 2nd Brace In A Month, Sučić MOTM For Salzburg
Why Not Roko Šimić?
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With Croatia's current problem at the #9 position, why didn't Dalić call up 20 year-old Red Bull Salzburg striker Roko Šimić for November's Euro 2024 qualifiers against Latvia and Armenia? I'm not asking for the kid to start or even get any minutes with the senior side in either match, but why not let him hang with Modrić and company and get groomed properly? Šimić is … [Read more...] about Why Not Roko Šimić?
2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup: Clever, Clever FIFA
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The 2034 World Cup was awarded to Saudi Arabia this week. The Athletic put together a tight, yet semi-objective article following the announcement. (It's a decent and short read) So how the hell did we get here with Qatar, another Middle East nation just hosting the 2022 World Cup? Unfortunately, we live in a world where bottom line will always trump tradition, and FIFA … [Read more...] about 2034 Saudi Arabia World Cup: Clever, Clever FIFA
Dalić Shuffles Squad For Final 2 Euro Qualifiers In November
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Ivanuśec, Moro, Kramarić, Sučić, Pjaca, Budimir have all been called up to play against Latvia and Armenia in Croatia's final two Euro 2024 qualifiers in November. That means somebody has to be left off the squad. Vlašić, Barišić, Brekalo, Musa, and Beljo have all been cut from the November squad list. I'm a bit surprised Beljo got the knife as Croatia are still thin in the … [Read more...] about Dalić Shuffles Squad For Final 2 Euro Qualifiers In November
Croatians Around Europe 9: Modrić Assists Winner In 500th Real Madrid Match, Ivanušec Returns
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Luka Modrić made a huge difference in El Clasico Saturday, whether he wanted to or not. Modrić came off the bench in the 63rd and would "accidentally" assist Bellingham in injury time to steal all three points from Barcelona in El Clasico. Modrić received a 7.0 rating from Goal.com as he was "Part of a double-substitution with Joselu, coming on in place of Kroos, and played a … [Read more...] about Croatians Around Europe 9: Modrić Assists Winner In 500th Real Madrid Match, Ivanušec Returns
Dinamo Lose 2nd Straight Conference League Match
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Full transparency: I was only able to watch five minutes of this match so I can't comment, but I was shocked to see Dinamo Zagreb, the reigning Croatian champions, losing to a mid-level Czech side after losing to Ballkani (Kosovo) in their previous European match. Dinamo had 64% ball possession and five total shots against Viktoria Plzen Thursday night at Maksimir but … [Read more...] about Dinamo Lose 2nd Straight Conference League Match
Modrić MOTM In 2-1 Real Madrid Win Over Braga, Šimić With Hockey Assist vs. Inter Milan
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Luka Modrić showed up big Tuesday night in Real Madrid's 2-1 Champions League victory over Braga. He played the full match and was awarded MOTM honors from FOTMOB with an 8.2 rating. He didn't make it to the score sheet but he did supply the following stats. Not too shabby after a disastrous international break. Both Roko Šimić and Luka Sučić got the start for Red Bull … [Read more...] about Modrić MOTM In 2-1 Real Madrid Win Over Braga, Šimić With Hockey Assist vs. Inter Milan
