This is an absolutely crucial week for Croatia.
The Vatreni have their toughest string of games in 2022 World Cup qualifying, and they have to play them all without captain, Luka Modrić. It all starts in Moscow Wednesday night when Croatia face Russia in a rematch of the World Cup quarterfinal. Russia had anything but a great EURO 2020 but two straight games on the road to start the week of qualifiers is no easy task. Saturday, Croatia go to Bratislava to face Slovakia before heading home to play Slovenia at Poljud in Split next Tuesday. Slovenia beat Croatia 1-0 in the group opener back in March.
The group is extremely tight through the first three matches with Croatia, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Cyprus all separated by only three points. Zlatko Dalić and company need 6-7 points from this week for it to be considered a success. A draw in Russia would not be the end of the world if we can beat Slovakia and Slovenia.
It’s all or nothing in group play as only top spot receives an automatic berth to Qatar in November of 2022. The 2nd place team has to win two additional playoff games against two separate nations to backdoor qualify.
Croatia will be without Modrić but they will have a confident Mateo Kovačić in the midfield running the show. The Vatreni may even be with a much more swaggy Nikola Vlašić as he could be traveling back to Moscow as a member of West Ham United instead of CSKA this week. Signs are pointing to him returning to the Premiership this week.
If Andrej Kramarić can find chemistry with the Croatian midfield and bang in a goal or two, we will be in good shape.
7-9 points from the next 3 matches: Absolute success!
5-6 points: not the end of the world (draws will keep other sides close to us)
4 points or less: Time to panic! Dalić needs to go.
https://www.getfootballnewsfrance.com/2021/feature-why-domagoj-bradaric-is-losing-out-to-reinildo-at-lille/
I went to the Hajduk – Rijeka game this Sunday since my flight back home got delayed and it was a ton of fun. 10/10 recommend it to anyone thats back in Croatia and has 80 Kunas to spare. Good cheap fun.
Hopefully we do better than our tennis players who all lost on day 1 of the US Open
Martić won her first-round match today, and next faces Tomljanović.
more nail biting and stress this week yay! i just recovered from the euros 🙁
modric being absent is going to HURT, but thats the hrvatski way, nothing ever comes easy. we got this!
Brekalo to Torino is official. Let’s hope he plays all game, every game.
Hello,
I want to use Saantv. Their website asks for a OBI number which I don’t have.
Is there a solution to this problem?
Thanks!
Kind regards,
Mark
Hmm, when I signed up, all it asked for was an address and a zipcode
I just put my baka’s address and it worked
It’s an eleven digit number. Just enter a random one.
Hvala, Maminjo!
Is this what you use for HNL games?
I just use YouTube for HNL games. There’s always a nice clear live stream. There’s also a Hajduk TV app that streams all the games on your phone for free.
SaaN.tv provides you with all the HRT (and other basic cable channels) in Croatia for 14 kune per month. But I think HNL games are televized on MAXTV which is a premium channel.
Just download Hajduk TV and just look for the live YouTube streams by typing the team names with “uživo”.
Might be tough to find a Hrvatski Dragovoljac vs Pula match… But you’ll get most of the games.
I have the Hajduk app but for some reason I’ve only been able to watch the Europe games and it hasnt worked. Might be user error on my part though! I appreciate the youtube tip man! Hvala!
I think that Sosa/Bierhoff thing did us good.
It seems like it woke HNS up a bit and guys like Luka Sučić, Josip Stanišić, Marco Pašalić, and (now most recently) Gabriel Vidović were all provided with caps with the senior and junior National Teams.
Apparently it is Pletikosa who has been pushing the ‘scouting’ of Croatian diaspora players and has been having talks with these kids to confirm their switch.
I really hope they try to snag Igor Matanović.
The guy is a tall and physically strong striker, who has some crazy good dribbling ability.
It will be tough because he is already on the German U18 team, but hopefully Pletikosa can pry him away from them (and teach the German FA a lesson).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=au3SXHydrjo
Can anyone confirm the possibility that Budimir will return to the team for the Slovakia or Slovenia games?
https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/sport/football/7634230/rangers-nikola-katic-hajduk-split-loan/
After lengthy injury troubles, this would be a good move for him. It might help Hajduk as well if he can regain decent form. It could land him a depth spot on the NT as well.
Vlasic to West Ham & Pongracic on loan to Dortmund. Lots of transfers and step ups for our boys in red and white. We shouldn’t lose to any of these Mickey Mouse teams. All are below average and the class doesn’t come close to ours.
Dalic couldn’t play a one string guitar- I say we get 4 points – and the wheels come off- we always have talent but not the leaders in HNS – so much of it is political and greasy activity- such a disaster and disrespect to a country full of great athletes-
I’d really like to see Čolak get a chance in one of the games. At least starting one of them. His form is just too good right now, and with Budimir out and Krama probably continuing to be Krama, shaking things up could be interesting. Pašalić and Livaja off the bench to test them out some more couldn’t hurt either.
Let’s see how Dalić plays this…
Expecting a 4-2-3-1 Dalić special with the shutdown duo of Dejan Lovren 😈 and Domagoj Vida 🛑
Let’s get some Vlašić out of position on the wing 🥵 with some line leading striker action from Andrej 😱
Can’t wait!
I know colak was hot, is he still? I forgot who said he is known for his up and downs.
But I’ll sure take a up swing from anyone right now
How has pasalic season been so far? Haven’t heard much from him on here in a while
Vida is out v russia because of 2 yellows.
https://www.ibroxnoise.co.uk/2021/08/barisic-source-comes-forward-to-clear-up-rangers-transfer/
Looks like Barisic is not going anywhere.
I think a part of us all kinda knew that Barisic was going nowhere
https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/nikola-vlasic-west-ham-transfer-news-deadline-day-b953017.html
Vlasic’s deal is official.
https://www.getfootballnewsitaly.com/2021/torino-inch-close-to-sealing-move-for-wolfsburg-star/
Brekalo to Torino. If this happens, it might help his stagnant career.
This would be great.
Juric is a good coach, and he’d be biased toward giving any Croats opportunities.
Gotta get more of our players to Torino.
pongracic to dortmund 1 year loan. if diaz wasnt playing so good, vlasic would be wearing a milan shirt rn
https://bulinews.com/news/9833/official-wolfsburg-defender-pongracic-dortmund-loan-with-purchase-option
Pongračić to Dortmund is official. It would be amazing if this worked out.
16 yr old Lovro zvonarek being heavily pursued by Bayern…Did our boy Markus profile him?
Yep, ranked him second best midfield prospect. Kids a stud, and he’s off to Munich for €1.5M (add-on fees to over €5M)
Great news
Hopefully Bayern doesn’t try to “sosa” him for Germany
Good eye Markus it’s only a matter of time before Bayern hires you to head up scouting of our Croatian youth…for a measly sum of 6 bratwursts and a case of Warstiener…they are known to be notoriously cheap!