Looking to build off their silver medal in last year’s competition, Croatia is set to face Portugal, Poland, and, Scotland in the group stage of the 2024-2025 UEFA Nations League tournament. Top two nations in group stage will qualify for the quarterfinal round in March of 2025. The semis and Final will take place in June of 2025.
It’s safe to say that the Vatreni find themself smack-dab in the middle of the difficulty spectrum, with two wins against Poland and Scotland favorable on paper. While Portugal is the only powerhouse nation that Croatia has never defeated, it just had to be in the cards at some point, right? The boys will also get a taste of the Portuguese in a friendly matchup ahead of Euro 2024 on June 8th.
All time, Croatia is 3-1-1 against Poland, most recently beating them 1-0 back in 2008. The Vatreni sit at only 1-3-2 against Scotland, yet are coming off a legendary 3-1 victory over the Tartan Army at Euro 2020. Croatia’s 0-1-6 record against Portugal is a feat the lads would love to tidy up this time around, but it won’t be an easy task defending the Navegadores’ mighty attack.
Croatia’s success in the group stage will heavily depend on Luka Modrić’s status with the squad. Will he enter international retirement following this summer’s Euro, or does he have a couple more years left in the tank?
Remember folks, when we asked him in Los Angeles if he’d be with the team in 2026, he never said no.
The Euro 2008 game vs. Poland was similar to Euro 1996 game vs. Portugal – in that – we rested 8 starts (both Kovac brothers, Simunic, Corluka, Srna, Modric, Kranjcar, and Olic) – never understood this resting players during a major tournament – you want the chemistry to build / grow as tournament progresses (it’s not like they don’t get enough rest b/w the matches – they are spaced out) – silly stuff from us twice – who knows how things would have turned out for us in both those tournaments if we fielded the full “A team” in the 3rd games
We did it against Spain in Euro2016 and Argentina in 1998.
I’m content with this group. Portugal have been a bit above average since their Euro Cup victory in 2016. They made one quarter final of a major tournament since then. I just think they are more structured than us. We’ve played Brazil, Argentina, Spain and England the last two major tournaments. I don’t think their competition was anyone where close to that. Poland is on the brink of collapsing. I’m even surprised they got out of the group stage the last World Cup. Scotland will be a bigger threat in my opinion than Poland.
My picks as dark horses for this Euro Cup
Hungary
Ukraine
Croatia
I am going with a double darker horse pick. Slovenia vs Croatia Final. Don’t even though if that works out with the brackets. Oblak/Sesko vs Livakovic/Modric
Ain’t no Slovenia in this thing.
CC was picking dark horse results for Euro 2024, I responded in kind.
Group C :Denmark/England/Serbia/Slovenia :
Kvartuc, half of Canada will be in LA for kolo this weekend. Will you be there?
What’s going on in LA? Not on my radar.
I was always was a proponent of making this website more broad based topically regarding all aspects of Croatian culture, Denis’s spirit and influence is dearly missed.
There is more to Croatia that just the sport of soccer, especially when the only solution to keeping up the quality we desire, is to recruit Brazilians, and ex-pats, and then label it Croatian soccer.
I know, as they say, the only thing that says the same is change. So sad sometimes.
Preserving Traditions Forever”
2024 – 16th Annual Croatian Cultural Extravaganza- CONCERT
Tickets: https://svetiantekoloclub.square.site/
New Location
2/10/2024 seating at 1:30pm
What hole do you live in? One of the biggest diaspora events in your own backyard and you’re oblivious. Your comment speaks volumes.
nothing Croatian related gets by you, does it? Epic ZDS lifestyle failure!!!!!!
Zadar took us to the Dance, Going home with Manhattan Beach!
Ante, Don’t feel bad, it is the story of every Croatian immigrant.
Try to pop by one of the events. I’d love to meet you in person and shoot the shit over a beer.
Once about time you sang Believe in Love with Oliver Dragojevic in San Pedro. Denis did a great interview with Mate Buli, the best. Remember those Days. Now all I sing is Van Morrison’s” I don’t Feel it Anymore”. M-CS-G-A. Your vision won out unfortunately.
Ima pun kurac folklornih skupina iz SAD koje stalno dolaze u HRV. Ljudi vamo su svjesni da postoju ali ovaj tip nema pojma da su tu u njegovom gradu. Ovaj nije Hrvat. Nego, on je Amerikanac
ASS-imilation will not be denied its victims. We are doomed, they day we lay foot. I am an American, like it or not, but will love and honor Croatia forever. Ignore me, I am calling the Kettle black…. it happens.
With 15 million new poor uneducated immigrants every 3 years thru our southern border, country is changing fast. Resemble a 3rd world country already. People live on the streets.
1775-1955 = Zero US Debt
1955-2024 – $35 Trillion Debt
The trend does not look good. Consider yourself lucky. Figure out how to make it work over there if you can.
Davor has gotta be the most negative, snarky guy on this whole chat. I honestly don’t know why you’re here? Have never seen you say something positive. Hope your doing okay personally man
We play Portugal in a friendly just before the euros and now twice in the following year.. this will be a great challenge for us who really struggle against the chops while it’s the opposite against the wops where we have dominated them historically…
Is it really fair to say we struggle against Portugal though?
If we’re being honest, we’ve only played ONE serious game against them (when both sides were invested in the match)…and that was at Euro2016 when the game went into extra time (and Portugal played a dirty fouling game that the ref allowed them to play). It was essentially a draw, with Portugal fearing us (as we were the favorites) and them being allowed to play a certain way against us to narrowly win.
The Euro96 match was just Ciro clearing the bench (because we already clinched the quarterfinals) and Portugal was playing at full strength because they needed a win. Denmark was upset with us after that game because we didn’t take it seriously and they needed us to take points from Portugal.
You could argue that our two Nations League losses should be counted, but that was also during that weird stretch where Dalic was just experimenting randomly and throwing away Nations League games like they were nothing. We literally had guys like Skoric, Jedvaj and Rog starting for us against Portugal trying to contain Ronaldo.
Everything else were meaningless friendlies.
Portugal has been on fire this past year, so it will be a great test for us. If we actually take these games seriously this time (which I think we will) it will be two good games that will decide who tops this group. Let’s face it, Scotland and Poland don’t stand a chance.
I reckon this current Portugal side is superior to their team from 2016.
We were the better team in 2016 and unlucky to be knocked out by them in extra time. I would not be underestimating Scotland who have a very strong team. Scotland play high tempo, physical game which traditionally does not suit us. We are slight favorites to progress with Portugal out of this group just ahead of Scotland.
Scotland were bad at Euro2016. We had a bad tournament too, but easily beat them 3-1 when it mattered.
Scotland play hard, and it’s been paying dividends for them against weaker opponents…but outside of that one win in Spain (early in qualifying when Spain were probably coasting) they haven’t beaten anyone notable to be given the title of being a ‘strong’ team.
They are a ‘hard working’ team, but in my opinion, they are not a strong team.
Since that Euro2020 match against us, they went on to miss the World Cup 2022 by losing to Ukraine in the playoff (at home in Scotland). Ukraine then lost to Wales anyway and didn’t qualify themselves.
Scotland did well to qualify for these Euros…but again, they play hard and beat a bunch of mediocre teams.
The one Spain win is their only win against a good team. It’s a good win, but I’m not sold on them just yet.
There are a lot of teams that have these sudden good qualification runs (and the media pumps them up) only to do nothing at the tournaments. Austria has done this a couple of times too.
I think this group is a two-horse race between Portugal and Croatia.
Scotland will beat out Poland for third, and will try to take points from one of Croatia and Portugal (to play spoiler) by drawing one (or both) of them. But I can’t see them outright “winning” games against these two.
Leave it to the Kardiac kids, to make it go down to the wire. Should be 2nd to Portugal based on historical efforts to date. Let’s see how t goes.
Easy group- Poland, Scotland- garbage at best. Portugal – whatever. We have never been Portugal and Italy has never beaten us. Nice to know but odds are either way, those runs eventually end. Just want to beat Italy in Euro- that’s the big bragging game and I’m sure Italianos are getting psyched for it. Italians are beauties – love when we play them- I call for Italy own goal – their good for one of those when they play us.
We will enter the match with Italy down 0-1. The officials will push for an Italy win here guaranteed
As I stated earlier I hate the defeatist mentality but the match fixing for certain countries is real but I have the ultimate solution.
If we insure that half the team is filled with Trannys and LGBTQ propaganda, the powers that be will truly insure our World Cup victory.
🤣🤣🤣
Even better, since are woman’s team lacks a league and funding.
We can have the 1st team starters wear wigs and dominate the woman’s World Cup.
Players like Rapinoe will have to eat all their woke social justice and suffer under total Croatian domination.
Then the men can change half their genders for the men’s World Cup because they identify as being men in June, 😂
Victory my Brothers
Is it safe to assume you will not be rooting for Nigeria and their captain Musa this Sunday against Ivory Coast in the African Cup of Nations this Sunday?
Not sure who this comment is for but FUN African Fact.
Nigeria has population of over 200 million and has the highest crime rate of all of Africa.
Fellow Africans have a severe mistrust of anything Nigerian because of the level criminality, car theft, computer scams and kidnapping to name a few.
Lastly, Nigeria is separated into 27 states, in actuality Nigeria is just another form of Balkanization but at a greater level.
There’s over 371 different ethnic groups living in Nigeria. If we compare that to the former Yugo, thats 371 to 8 or 9.
So, if you ask me, who I’m voting for, the underdog Ivory Coast 🇨🇮 for the win.
Bonus African Fun Fact: Africa might have crime but they don’t have gender confusion.
Thanks for your opinion
I’m afraid of that Stu. JBI- Just Beat Italy.
Could have been a lot worse. Portugal will be tough and an opportunity to win a game against them for the first time. Scotland is also a good team that has improved in recent times. We have a negative record against them, from memory one win, two loses and a couple of draws. We have never lost to Poland so let’s hope that continues.
Correction we lost 1 – 0 to Poland, friendly in 2006.
Pretty good group i reckon, should be fun. Hopefully Scotland dont continue their good form against us and we can finally beat portugal.
Top two advance. We should get second place.
It will be challenging but doable!
This kid looking great!
https://twitter.com/TheCroatianLad/status/1755375575714218038
Hopefully a sucic baturina Zvonarek midfield can be the next best thing to the luka raketa broz combo
https://www.bavarianfootballworks.com/platform/amp/2024/2/7/24065166/bayern-munich-uefa-youth-league-fc-basel-aznou-licina-ferandez-lovro-zvonarek-asp-jensen-scholze
Praising his leadership skill
Long to go but this kids got potential with skill and attitude it seems
He may have The piece that a guy like halilovic and even kovacic doesn’t
Hmmmm, the Bayern U19s are coached by Austrian Croat (René Marić).
Interesting story.
This guy created a blog where he used analyze matches, and Tomas Tuchel saw this and brought him as an assistant when he was at Mainz.
Marić has a pretty good resumé as an assistant coach, with teams like Borussia Dortmund, Red Bull Salzburg, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Leeds United.
We’ve got ourselves some good diaspora coaching talent lately with him and Terzić.
You just read my mind Dannyj
Sounds like a future bell ringer literally. Hope all goes well. Looking forward to seeing him develop, still pretty young, we will see.
I’ll believe it when I see him scoring against the big boys. Vidovic was supposed to be our Great White Hope from Bayern and he doesn’t seem to be doing much with Dinamo.
We’ll believe ffts