Photo: Rob Uvanovic/CroatianSports.com Written by Rob Uvanović I’ve been waiting my whole life to watch the Croatian national team play live – and by traveling to Euro 2012 with my father and having the privilege to watch all three Croatia matches, we were both able to check something off our bucket list. As a Croatian-American that grew up in the US, the Vatreni have … [Read more...] about EURO 2012: A Final Look In
Soccer
Srna Starts Season with Silverware
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Photo: Shakhtar.com Darijo Srna captained his Shakhtar Donetsk team to a 2-0 win over city rivals Metalurg Tuesday night in the Ukrainian SuperCup. Srna played all 90 minutes while Eduardo watched from the bench as an unused sub. But what can we expect from these two Croatians in the upcoming campaign? The 30 year-old Srna can only hope for a kind Champions League draw on … [Read more...] about Srna Starts Season with Silverware
A New Era Begins…
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Photo: Crophoria.com Vlatko Marković's 12-year reign as HNS president is over. The 75 year-old Marković began his tenure in 1999 and will now hand 1998 World Cup Golden Boot winner Davor Šuker the keys to the HNS bus. Although Croatia's all-time leading scorer (45 goals) has minimal management experience at age 44, Šuker has played in some of the best systems in the … [Read more...] about A New Era Begins…
EURO 2012: After the Dust has Settled
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Photo: AP WHAT WE LEARNED: -We could very well be witnessing the greatest team in football history...and Spain can make that official, without a doubt, with a win at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil -Ronaldo can carry Portugal by himself (the non-penalty take will only make him stronger) -Teams that have the talent, but also mental blockage, that prevent … [Read more...] about EURO 2012: After the Dust has Settled
Good Showing at Euros Brings Big Deals for Vatreni
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It didn't take long for somebody to snatch up the 26 year old after his inspiring performance at Euro2012. A price has not been put on Mario Mandžukić's head, but we know the deal will last until 2016. Many Hrvati were expecting a Crottenham Hotspur in Wolfsburg, but the trade frees up space for Lakic and Olic to play side by side for a struggling Wolfsburg … [Read more...] about Good Showing at Euros Brings Big Deals for Vatreni
Aleksandar Holiga on Tap
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Photo: The Guardian So who exactly is Aleksandar Holiga? He is an independent Croatian football writer who often contributes to FourFourTwo and The Guardian. On June 26th, 2012, Holiga posted "Euro 2012: The problem with Croatia's nationalistic fans starts at the top" in the Guardian's sports section, citing all the problems he has with Croatian fans during major … [Read more...] about Aleksandar Holiga on Tap
EURO 2012: What We Learned
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Photo: Mirror Written by Vedran Ćavara Something funny happened during Croatia's 2012 EURO campaign: our expectations were suddenly raised, and the team made us proud. Here are a few observations I've made. Feel free to disagree. -Slaven Bilić made this team into a bona fide unit that played within themselves. They worked hard for each other and defended as a … [Read more...] about EURO 2012: What We Learned
What Could Have Been
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Photo: Facebook.com/priznajem.HRVATsam Croatia was one Ivan Rakitić header away from not only clinching a spot in the Euro 2012 quarterfinals, but dethroning the current Euro and World Cup champions, Spain, all in the blink of an eye. With Italy expected to win against the Irish, Croatia knew they needed a result and had to play a near flawless game against the Spaniards … [Read more...] about What Could Have Been
Croatia Bow Out in Proud Fashion
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Photo: Jutarnji There's little to say after the Croatia-Spain match Monday night. Slaven Bilić managed a tactically perfect game against the world's best. He brought in defensive minded Domagoj Vida, taking out striker Nikica Jelavić. Spain had few real opportunities on goal, and as well as could be expected, both teams entered their locker rooms tied 0-0. It was then … [Read more...] about Croatia Bow Out in Proud Fashion
