KRANJČAR WAS THE HERO IN ISRAEL
MATCH GOALS
CROATIAN FANS IN ISRAEL: “MAMIĆ, MARKOVIĆ, SREBRIĆ. UNDERTAKERS OF CROATIAN SOCCER.
BILIĆ DIDN’T LOOK TOO HAPPY AFTER THE GAME
THE GROUP THROUGH 3 GAMES
SCROLL RIGHT FOR PREVIOUS UPDATES
LIVE FEEDS:
ATDHE.NET
MYP2P.EU
BALKANSPORT.INFO
going for the kill comment….95% of all managers/coaches would have made the same move that Bilic made by bringing in Vuki with 15 minutes to go and up 2 goals. Maybe he should have used Dujmovic, but either way that was the right move. The only team that does not is Spain. They would have subbed David Villa for Torres. But, we dont have a Villa to be subbed out and we sure dont have a Torres to bring in. If Bilic and Mando dont screw things up, then we are here talking how we did go for the kill. The ball bounces in funny ways sometimes, that is why its a sport.
His fouls were actually good fouls as they broke up the play. Niko Kovac was great in doing that. As for the goal we gave up. Vuko could have done more, the blame is more on Pranjic and Corluka. Pranjic showed why he wont be able to play that position against better teams.
Also, there was a comment above……….the national team is not as strong as it was in '98, 2002-2008. N
Outside of the 98 WC squad and 08 Euro squad, the national team from 2000-2006 was not strong. This team is either the same or slightly better than those squads from 2000-2006. Go back and look at those rosters and the fighting between teammates and explain how those teams were stronger. They were not. We played in weak to average qualifying groups (like this one) and did nothing once we got to the main competition. 2002 WC, 04 Euro and 06 WC……we did nothing.
@Blackzodiac032
I think you missunderstood me. What I was trying to say was that Vuki:
1) is useless for this game as Israel dont have 1 scoring threat on their team(w/o Benayoun)
2) Did more harm than good in 15 minutes of play.
3) When you go "for the kill" you dont insert Vukojevic, as this guy couldnt score in front of an empty net.
@Denis Svirčić
"Vuki came on in the 78th minute… pickd up a few fouls… Israel scored in the 83rd… and picked up a yellow in the 90th.."
-What are you trying to state here from what you quoted? You notice Slaven throws Vuko in at the 78th and Croatia concedes a goal within three minutes, no good.
"Sleven needs to go for the kill in this situation. Show the world that Croatia is ready to play. Not this bunker against Israel in the late stages of the game."
-With throwing in Vuko (a CDM) would help "going for the kill"?
Part III
@Dan
"But in reality I expected a performance like this, just not tge sucessful score line."
Were you really scared of Israel. Thats Israel without Benayoun. Thats like taking Lebron James off of Cleveland. Israel without Benayoun are like a Wales. Even though Croatia is in somewhat of a crisis, no way we lose to Israel without Benayoun. It just doesnt register.
"We should have come out at half time with a mentality that it was still 0-0, not in the relaxed manner that we did. If we played any decent side with this team we would have got smashed."
I agree with the first sentence. However, what is your definition of "decent" ? Would we lose against North Ireland, Norway, Ukraine, Russia? Those are all decent sides in my book. I think we wouldnt lose to either. We are a tournament team, the end. We are a top 16 team in Europe. Thats not bad. Occasionally we will get a result against Germany-Holland-Spain-England.
"it wasn't luck that we defeated England 2 times last euro qualifiers"
What do you call that strike call on Robinson in Zagreb?
@King Bronk
"The line up was great…Pranjic and Rakitic are fine in those midfield spots. You lose a little defence but you gain a lot of skill, speed and finesse going forward."
I agree with oyu on this lineup. Against Israel without Benayoun, no need for a defensive midfielder.
@MIshko
Where are you from in LA?
"The Brazilian Edwardo needs to be replaced by Klasnic."
Klasnic? really? hasn't played all year for Bolton.
@Vlad
" i honestly believe if we didnt get that penalty shot i dont know if we would have scored a goal at all."
Im really surprised and at the same time disappointed to hear this coming from you. Do you all really think Israel is that good? Am I blind or something? We can play half-assed and still beat Israel without Benayoun.
"Kranjcar played one good game in the last four years lets crown hime the knew zidane once again."
I agree. 1 good game against a mediocre opponent.
Steve V
"Let me start off by saying I was ready to call for Bilic's head if we lost today. But I think he put out the best squad and formation today given the circumstances. "
I agree. For once Bilic did good with his formation. Benched Vuki, then opted for a no defensive Mid formation, clearly stating that hes going for the win.
@NateStadamus
"Great picture of Bilic. Glad to see he isn't satisfied with the performance."
I think Bilic was remotley satisfied on the performance. However, this win wasn't something to celebrate. Croatia is superior to Israel minus Benayoun.
@Ziva istina
"This formation did OK today, but if we play Pranjic and Rakitic together in the defensive midfield role or at least in a role where they have significant defensive responsibilities, well, we will be in trouble."
I agree. Bilic made the right call. We dont need a DM against teams without a scoring threat.
Part II
@Alex
"Can you imagine looking like this(today) v a good opponent?!? It would be England all over again."
I agree. England would have put away at least one of those first breakaways against Runje.
We are a tournament team, however, nothing more.
"Aside from the luck of the penalty and good play from Kranjcar, we'd have likely lost."
Do you really think we would have lost to Israel? They played with heart, ran around more, however, talent beats heart 9 times out of 10. Lets not forget Rakitic's shot off the post. Should have been 1-0 already in the 20th minute I believe. No one on Israel can drill a shot on target like Rakitic.
"The fact is, the sr NT hasn't had a really good, convincing, competitive performance since July 08"
I agree. However, the national team is not as strong as it was in '98, 2002-2008. No Niko Kovac, No Robbie Kovac, No Eduardo(before the injury).
"All that seperated us from a loss today was an Israeli brain fart and a good Kranjcar curled-shot."
I disagree. Isreal couldn't score on an empty net. You can argue that Croatia would have lost to a better opponent. Just like Italy would have lost to a better opponent if they played someone better than N Ireland. Italy looked like shit.
@Andrej
"Before this game Israel lost only 2 times at home in 10 years."
This stat is irrelevant to your argument in my opinion. What are you trying to say with this statistic? Is Israel all of a sudden on England-Spain-Germany-Holland level at home?
Also, Israel was without Benayoun, their only star player. So this stat is thrown out the window. Israel havent played without Benayoun in those 10 years.(Ok, maybe a few times)
"They know this is a great chance to qualify and they bunker on us! They are satisfied with a point against us and thats what they play for"
I disagree. Isreal wasn't playing for a point at home. For Israel to qualify, they must play for a win at home.
"they are not Latvia or Malta they are better!"
Do you expect us to jump for joy after we beat a team thats better than Malta and Latvia?
Im interested to see how Greece fares against Israel on Tuesday. Once again, it will be a huge upset if Israel squeak out a point. Greece 2 Israel 0..
"Instead of us all celebrating its a fight on here after we win its just pathetic. "
I agree with you. A win is a win. 3 points. Overall a B grade for the repka.
@anonymous
please sign in…
"good result for the U21s, considering we are mostly a HNL team against guys from Barca, Real, Valencia etc…Also the best players were absent (Lovren, Rakitic, Perisic, Jajalo). Though it will still be tough"
I agree. 2-1 is a great result. We need 2 goals in Varazdin to send this one to OT, as Spain wont get shutout. Thats our only hope.
@JP
"Most importantly it shows how "not good" Srna is, and how well the team performs without him. Addition by subtraction!"
I agree with you. Not big on Srna, especially in defense. I would however like to see him with Ilicevic in the midfield.
"Let Dudu feed Olic"
Yes, pointless of Olic feeding Dudu. Olic dribbles with his head down.
Part I
All in all a B grade for Croatia.
Positives:
1) Croatia got the result they were looking for… obvioulsy Bilic was bluffing with "I would be happy with a draw" after opting to play without a DM.
2) Bilic fielded the right team with the players that were available.
3) Vedran Runje… excellent game.
4) Strinic, search is finished for left back.
Negatives:
1) Not able to "kill a wounded animal" at halftime. Israel have no choice but to open up at halftime being down 2-0 at home.
2) Olic is useless in midfield. He dribbles with his head down. Eduardo should have been in mid feeding Olic
3) Vuki was struggling against Israel. Bottom line, Vuki can not play the solo defensive midfielder role. Unless Bilic goes with 2 DM against the SPains, Hollands, Germanys… Vuki is useless. Dujmovic has more to offer. Vuki runs around like a chicken with its head cut off
4) Against a better team, Croatia would have been down 1-0 after 10 minutes.
5) No killer instinct from Croatia. No heart. It looked like players were more concerned about getting injured.
Bottom line, yest he national team has plenty to work on as a team. we dont have Niko and Robbie Kovac anymore. we dont have a "world class" Eduardo anymore. Luckily we have a mediocre group, and we should qualify.
@Ante B,
"Watching the game with the CSR boys-eventful…but will somebody tell the boys to stand the fuck up instead of watching it like a kazalisna publika?"
Finally, we gotcha on tape. Was I the only one that wasn't nervous about this game?
"Malta manager has said that he's "figured out the Croatian defense" and will "squeeze us from the opening whistle." This might be so, however, I dont see this lasting longer than 10 minutes. After this Israeli 'blitzkrieg' Croatia will score twice, first coming from a Rakitic free kick in the first half, second goal coming from Olic in the second half. Israel will get one back and put the pressure back on Croatia, however, little too late. 2-1 Croatia
U21 Spain 2-1 over U21 Croatia… Not a bad result considering the return leg is in Croatia. I'd take a 2-1 defeat.
November prediction, Croatia 5-0 Malta"
OCTOBER 8, 2010 12:32 AM
This is why I sat down for the second half. At halftime I said, "the second half is going to be boring."
I need to start selling my picks.
Dennis Fistonić
"I want to see a killer instinct to put this team away."
This game should have been easily 4-0 for Croatia. Israel was a wounded animal, and Croatia backed off instead of going for the kill.
Down 2-0 Israel had no choice but to open up and gamble to get back in this game. Croatia sat back and kicked the ball around hoping to kill the clock.
Blackzodiac032
"Why the fuck did Slaven put Vuko in"
Vuki came on in the 78th minute… pickd up a few fouls… Israel scored in the 83rd… and picked up a yellow in the 90th.. Sleven needs to go for the kill in this situation. Show the world that Croatia is ready to play. Not this bunker against Israel in the late stages of the game.
NateStadamus
"Luckily we don't have any major threats in our group, otherwise we could be in trouble"
Line of the week. I agree. Take a good long look at our group. Croatia should finish this group undefeated. If we dont top this group, we dont deserve a Euro place……….
@Rob
"Also, I'm really missing Niko Kovac…my favorite player of all-time!"
– Agreed, he was the backbone of our center.
@Anonymous said
"I think there needs to be some fresh faces in the squad, something Bilic did way back in 2006."
-Subašić, Vida, and play Lovren, Schildenfeld, Bilic a little more often. Slash Vukojević playing time.
"The same old guys aren't working,"
-That is very true, I believe a few of the "regulars" feel that their position on the national squad isn't in danger so they just play and not "work" for a win.
"I even don't mind Mandzukic playing even though there seems to be a negative attitude about him here. He may not play much at Wolfsburg, but I'll say he is better than Olic"
-Better then Olic? I had to disagree with that, I don't mind Mandzukic though I would like to see him placed in a CAM position with Olic and Jelavic. All three are very physically strong players.
"just to add from my previous post….I basically want high energy guys, guys who will run and play their asses off."
-Olic is usually a work horse, runs his ass off most games.. Though I would like to see that every game from him since he is very capable of it.
@ Zach G
-Change the music, here are a few good songs to try out:
Linkin Park Crawling Remix (favourite)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haVk06ZElF4
Croatian Piano Trance
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nx5WlNq-Gck
Can rip this son and convert into MP3 format if you would like
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6NLpJrn1Zk
If you want any help I have no problem.
@ Zach G
Nice video mate. One thing though, is Offside, no Offsides.
just to add from my previous post….I basically want high energy guys, guys who will run and play their asses off. I get the sense in watching these guys, some are completely lazy and lose concentration too easily.
Maybe the U19s and U21s spoiled me, but I will say the U21s excite me more than the current crop of "A" team guys, even if they do lose to Spain
While the performance was not pretty, I think we set ourselves up to control the group. As long as we win in Georgia, at take care of business at home, we should win the group. Hopefully as the qualifying campaign drags on, some of the U21s are incorporated into the squad. I think there needs to be some fresh faces in the squad, something Bilic did way back in 2006.
The same old guys aren't working, I know Croatians love nostalgia, but its time to let go of some of these players.
It might be a big risk, but I wouldn't mind brining in these energy players like Tomecak, Vrsaljko, Vukusic. They are the atypical Croatian players, they actually run and have some energy. I even don't mind Mandzukic playing even though there seems to be a negative attitude about him here. He may not play much at Wolfsburg, but I'll say he is better than Olic
well done croatia hrvatska.a win is a win..best wishes from sydney ZAP
Also, I'm really missing Niko Kovac…my favorite player of all-time!
If healthy, this is what I would like to see attempted as our formation:
4-2-3-1(4-5-1)
Runje
Corluka Schildenfeld Simunic Strinic
Srna Pranjic (or Dujmovic)
Rakitic Modric Kranjcar
Jelavic
Rakitic and Kranjcar are the only ones who take cracks at goal from distance, both can lob in some crosses from midfield for Jelavic to latch on to. Srna would be more defensively responsible than Rakitic was in the DM role, and it frees up Rakitic to create offensively. Srna can contribute with some lob shots from distance and overlapping runs. Modric is really pissing me off these days as he is never a threat to take a crack at goal, and Dudu looks done. Other option would be to keep Srna at RB, kick Corluka inside and drop Schildeneld to the bench. Then put Dujmovic or Vukojevic (gag) in Srna's RDM spot.
I just feel that midfield is Croatia's deepest position and they should get as many quality guys out there as they can…would this ever be tried?!? Who knows, but I'd be curious how a line-up like that would perform!!
@Allen19
Dennis F was most likely putting his lineup out for the game against Norway. No way would Ivo start regularly since he hasn't done anything on the international stage. I highly doubt he would put Modric on the bench, who is our best player. As for your ideal lineup, it would never happen. I do like it but I can't see Croatia ever not playing Olic unless he constantly blows chances. Billc loves Olic and Olic will start always if he is healthy.
"Dennis F was most likely putting his lineup out for the game against Norway."
-Even so, who else would we put up with Petric and Jelavić out, Olic yes but we need to stop playing with the favourites and expand our talent, as you can tell Vukojevic is a favourite of Slaven and that needs to stop.
"No way would Ivo start regularly since he hasn't done anything on the international stage."
-Agreed though what chances has he ever had for the Croatian international team.
"I highly doubt he would put Modric on the bench, who is our best player."
-As per stats? Srna and Eduardo have the highest stats (on the current squad), goals win games. Modric is an excellent player though I disagree with being our best player, Srna is that canidate.
"I do like it but I can't see Croatia ever not playing Olic unless he constantly blows chances. Billc loves Olic and Olic will start always if he is healthy."
-From what I have noticed is, was the lack of strength in the center back since Niko Kovac retired, Srna is a proven midfielder and has been doing great in the defender position.
they will probably give pletikosa the start for the friendly, but its not warranted. the guy us a third stringer now and will not get any playing time this year, so i am not sure he should even be called up to the repka anymore.
Also, a suggestion for CAE. Nacional (Portugal) should be added. Skolnik (u-21's) transferred there this year and has started 7 times. Also, Danijel Stojanovic and Kristijan Pavlovic are on the team
Can you guys give me some constructive critiscm on this? (It only took an hour so don't be too harsh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsGpHYL1Qmc
Blackzodiac032
Dennis F was most likely putting his lineup out for the game against Norway. No way would Ivo start regularly since he hasn't done anything on the international stage. I highly doubt he would put Modric on the bench, who is our best player. As for your ideal lineup, it would never happen. I do like it but I can't see Croatia ever not playing Olic unless he constantly blows chances. Billc loves Olic and Olic will start always if he is healthy.
@Alex
"One thing I'll say about M Bilic is he brings some passion and emotion- no one else does, that's for sure."
– I agree with that 100%, I personally would like to see Bilic on the pitch a little more.
@ziva istina
How is that vuko's fault….pranjic and corluka got burned
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6o_7MVD40dI
-Vuko didn't close in on the attacker and when close enough he hesitated, watch from 1:50 on..
@Mishko
The Brazilian Edwardo needs to be replaced by Klasnic. I don't even understand why he's a Croatian. Klasnic should be playing, the guy is the man.
-Klasnic has hardly done anything for a while, no playing time at Bolton. I would much rather see Bilic in before Klasnic.
@Andrej
I know half the people on here are not even born in croatia….
-I agree with you, though my support is no different then people born in Croatia.
@Andrej L
This would be my ideal formation;
Runje
Srna-Corluka-Simunic-Strinic
Rakitic-Modric
Olic-Kranjcar-Petric
Jelavic
Eventually work Schildfeld or Lovren instead of Joe.
-Couldn't agree more with this set up, though why not try putting Srna in a CDM position?
@Dennis Fistonić
My lineup
Runje
Srna Schildenfeld Simunic Strinic
Dujmovic (has been playing well for dinamo moskva)
Rakitic Kranjcar (let's see if he puts in the same effort) Pranjic
Ilicevic Eduardo
-What about Modric? Other then that the line-up looks solid.
What I have noticed, since Niko Kovac left (CDM) we have been off track. I truly believe we need a solid CDM and Srna could be that person.
I would rate this game 8 out of ten, we played alright though this vuko guy needs a little less playing time.
My Ideal line-up would be
Runje
CorlukaSchildenfeldSimunicStrinic Srna(CDM)
Rakitic Modric(CM) Pranjic
Kranjcar(CAM)
Eduardo(CF)
Dennis, that lineup is really awesome. I do like it a lot. I really hope Ilicevic plays but he isn't a striker so maybe put him where Kranjcar is and let Kranjcar be a CAM as someone said above. I like to see this Dujmovic guy, since people really praise this guy. I didn't like Pranjic's play at all against Israel and maybe you put someone in their for a go possibly a striker like Manzo or Mate up top then bring Ivo down. No need to start Josip in this game, but I guess that's all they have now that Lovern has to play under 21. Also, I think Pletikosa has to start this game. Give him a chance, despite Runje having the hot hand and really playing well yesterday.
Arent Ilicevic and Lovren going back to the U21's? It's more important than a Norway friendly.
Btw and what's up with HNS booking the same countries for friendlies? We've played Norway and Slovakia each twice in the last 3-4 years….
Andrej L
I have to disagree with a lot of your lineup.
#1 Why would u not want Schildenfeld in there when he has done nothing to warrant the removal of his name in the lineup? Corluka has been playing like crap for the past 3 months for both club and country.
#2 Rakitic cannot play defensive midfield. I like the guy, he's an attacking midfielder and should be pushing forward instead of playing defense. Israel didn't have 1 playmaker… We got away with not having a legit defensive midfielder.
#3 Petric, really? What has he done lately? And why the hate for Mate Bilic? Atleast when he comes into the game he busts his ass and puts in work.
Plus, Jelavic out for 4 months.
My lineup
Runje
Srna Schildenfeld Simunic Strinic
Dujmovic (has been playing well for dinamo moskva)
Rakitic Kranjcar (let's see if he puts in the same effort) Pranjic
Ilicevic Eduardo
Ilicevic needs to be played against Norway. Plain n simple.
I told you guys that Rakitic could play that CMF role. The problem is that we were struggling to move up the field with Pranjic and Rakitic. Put Modric in Pranjic's spot and he can create. Modric needs the ball more and he wasn't getting it up there. Let Kranjcar take his spot(CAMF) where he is best at.
This would be my ideal formation;
Runje
Srna-Corluka-Simunic-Strinic
Rakitic-Modric
Olic-Kranjcar-Petric
Jelavic
Eventually work Schildfeld or Lovren instead of Joe. Bilic played like shit and I hated on him earlier. Can't believe he missed that opportunity. Vuko was nowhere to be found and made Pranjic have to cover his position on the goal. Mandza at least played with some toughness.
Lucky to have won it and hopefully, we start playing better with the other guys back.
And one of the professors here posted that Mandzukic was not going to play in Israel. Well he did, and he didn't deliver.
first 15 + plus last 10 + 25 minutes…..nearly a third of the match, how is that domination.
good win, needed win…got the result and we are in control of the group….we in good shape.
I forgot to add one more point, don't you guys realize that Croatia plays down to competition when healthy. Obviously they were outclassed by England, but say in the Euro Cup. They were just out of it against Austria, but then look how they stepped up against Germany few days after. Then in much recent memory was after Ukraine got up to 2-1 in Zagreb, didn't you see how Croatia attack and dominate the last 25 minutes. I think Croatia just got lazy on the goal and it could have been avoided. I blame Schildenfield and Pranjic for the goal. I know Corluka missed the tackle but it was a tough angle. Still other than the first fifteen minutes and last ten minutes, I think Croatia dominated this game.
about the experimentation: the problem with Bilic is with the friendly matches. He uses the same 14/15 guys even in friendly matches. I actually can't wait for the Norway match, but if I see guys like Olic, Srna, Strinic, Vukojevic play that match then it won't be necessary to watch
I mean whats the point of calling up Ilicevic, Bartulovic, Gabric, Buljat if they never play (I know some of these guys aren't world beaters, but Bilic called them up and they should get a chance at least in friendly matches)
What's with the moaning. 2-1 away in Isreal is a really big step in the right direction when it comes to trying to qualify. I didn't see the match as had a ultra shit week and its suddenly wasn't important in comparison. But i was cheered up a lot when i saw the score. Its a really strong win. Maybe they didn't play as you'd like but it was a bold selection and well done to Bilic for trying it.
On this occasion i'm not being down on anyone. I think this is job well done. Forget how we got the result. we got it that's all that matters.
Well game thoughts…
I don't have much faith in Eduardo. He was mostly invisible and isn't much of a threat anymore. Hopefully Jelavic develops by Euro 2012 cause Eduardo looks pretty useless. Olic was alright but really wasted chances and delivered poor crosses. He took one for the team with that shot to the dome.
Manzo played a bit better, but still didn't care for his play. I rather him play than Mate Billc who is a complete waste of space. How he didn't shoot to make that 3-1 was a joke. He had a nice free kick, but to me he does nothing.
Modric continues to be too conservative. He could have easily took a shot from just a bit outside the box but instead gives it to Olic who does nothing. Modric was solid but really needs to start shooting. His pass to Kranjcar was clever for the assist. Speaking of Niko, well he came to play. After a month off, he was perfect out there despite a silly yellow card. He had a great ball to Olic in the 2nd half but really was spot on. His dribbling was top notch at one point juggling it five times before dishing it. His 2nd goal was very fluid and well taken. Good to see Niko play well after getting so much heat. I was the only one to stick by him and he showed you that he still can be a big time player. Also hope that he continues to keep up with the hustle. I hope you watched that Harry.
Rakitic was pretty poor out there. He lost one ball in his own half early on and was really late on a few balls along with a few really bad shots. While his post shot was really impressive, he failed to do much else. Pranjic is another guy that is struggling and attributed to nothing. He had a few headed clearances but was beat on the goal pretty badly. Not sure if he is going to last in the lineup. Vuko came on late in the game got booked. Please UEFA suspended for the six years, it be great.
The defense looked shaky early on then buckled down. Simunic seemed to play the game too lightly despite a few good clearouts. His passes to Runje were way too close for comfort, he needs to get more power. Schlendfield wasn't that bad but should have done better on the goal. He watched it go in instead of putting his foot in. He has potential, but don't know what to expect. Corluka was good for the most part, except for that awful marking on the great long ball. The speed got Corluka badly. Other than that, he held his own and showed some speed. He made things happen and added a couple of moves. Corluka did miss a slide tackle on the goal, but I think Schlidenfield should have done a lot better. Strinic was decent and improving.
I am all on board for Runje. The guy continues to play really well and shouldn't give up his starting spot anytime soon. He made some huge saves and played well. I love Stipe, but Runje stepped up big time today.
Overall solid win, although for the first twenty minutes I was a bit worried. Croatia needs to take more long shots as it seems only Rakitic is willing to although you know Niko will fire one up. Eduardo looks useless up front and may need to make a few changes. I wish I can see the Norway game, but I got my own game so will see highlights. Still should be happy with this win boys as you got to take it. Hopefully Croatia starts using their chances better. That game against Georgia could be really important come March, should be interesting. One last note, Scorpicos was rockin like it was no tomorrow. I watched it with my cousin husband and his friend also of course caught most of the game with CSR's finest Ivica. Great to see you Ivica and had lots of fun.
@anonomyous http://www.justin.tv/ginger_bloke5/videos
I thought our performance was on par with expectations. It wasn't great but we got the job done. Gave up too many breakaways though. Olic really didnt do much.
I watched the u-21 match and i gotta say, we were very lucky to only lose 2-1. Vida did well on Bojan though.
The u-19's beat latvia today to clinch making the elite round. They tied Faroe Islands in their
1st game (ranked 138th in the world). They play Italy in a meaningless game on tuesday. I don't think any of these guys will be on the u-20 WC squad.
Not sure if I already mentioned it but the u-17's tied Greece last saturday to make it to the elite round.
Israel@Greece on Tuesday should be interesting (as well as Norway v Croatia)
i' m more inclined to side with Andrej regarding this game. Good team effort, nothing great or spectacular. But, after reading some of these posts, I have to ask, what do you guys want. We are not Spain!!!! Some guys claim Bilic does not experiment enough (so, you really want him to experiment in important qualifiers) and some claim he experiments too much. So, which one is it???? Reading some of the recent posts by you professors, you did not have room for Kranjcar in your line up today. Well, Bilic did and he delivered.
This formation did OK today, but if we play Pranjic and Rakitic together in the defensive midfield role or at least in a role where they have significant defensive responsibilities, well, we will be in trouble. Hopefully, Bilic can see that. We can win this group playing these guys in that role, but if we play a tier-one team, we are in trouble.
I see some of you guys mentioning this performance was no where near the level of the win 4 years ago. That was not a great game either. Yes, we were dominant on offense, but we had plenty of holes on D back then as well. Its funny how 4 goals can hide the flaws, even back then.
As we move forward, if some of you are expecting absolute dominance, then I dont know what to tell you. It wont happen. We are a decent side, with some individual flair, but we are not going to play lights out.
Guys, is there a place where I can download the game and watch it? Unfortunately, I was out all day and could not see it 🙁
just like too ad one comment andrej, one thing is not playing attractive soccer and having a game plan and going out here and doing the job. In my opinion ya we got the job done today, but we played very poor. When greece go out they plan to play that system, when spain play poorly they still look orgainized,they may night be playing attractive football but there controling every play. honestly today i couldnt tell you what we were playing. Yes i am happy with the win that is the main thing, but i honestly can say i think that was our worst game since wembley, only diffrence we were playing isreal. When i watch a game, the biggest thing i look for is how we stand on the field, i think tonight we were poor it looked very unorgainized, ya we won that is the main thing and yes its hard to judge a team during qualification but, to me this team is getting worse not better.
@ andrej don't worry it mate if no one had opinions this site would be nothing. You know what they say, 'opinions are like assholes, everybody has one!'
Nate,
Ya, Inter Milan and Jose Mourinho and now Real Madrid…neither are fun teams to watch when he coaches them but it wins them games. He is a tactician he wins games because of it and his football is nowhere near as entertaining as Bayern or Barcelona. Inter bunkered against Barcelona last year I was embarrassed for them to have that kind of talent and to play like that…but it won it for them.
I am not encouraging us to play this kind of game I am just saying if we are going to play possession we are going to have to take some risks then we are and when we push forward and lose the ball and get countered its nice to see that we can rely on Runje he is proving his worth. Since Belarus he has been top notch and I doubted him but I see Plentikosa doing no better then him. I do think we have good players in midfield to Rakitic, Kranjcar, and Modric but today only 1 showed up and played to their potential….
I look at it this way. We had a great result and a poor performance. But for the first time in a long time i do feel that Bilic was spot on in fielding the right players…and from that I do think he can take todays match and analyze what needs to be changed because as I can see it Georgia will play this way against us too and they have got results already…
also, i am no fan of bilic and i do think there needs to be a change in the near future but i was just saying he deserves some credit because he said he was going for a win and got it. when he has said that before he went out in 442 with pokrivac and vuko in cm spots and ect…today he didnt play a natural defender in midfield. This is first time i have seen us do that and i like it he finally showed some guts. It didnt look beautiful but if you are him and you are on the road it takes guts to put out a full attackin lineup because it could be disastrous regardless of you rate Israel…and yes we are a better team but they are far from a bad team. I would like to see this lineup more often…Yes bilic experiments far to much but i really do think this 11(maybe with srna back in RM) if given a run of games could be successful.
Ha! Great picture of Bilic. Glad to see he isn't satisfied with the performance.
Andrej,
I get your point about Greece. They are the best there is at what terrible teams do, bunker down and get a late winner on a counter attack. Wait I take that back, that's Italy.
I started watching Croatia in 96, but I was young and didn't understand tactics then.
Croatia does have an identity. We are known for producing great attacking players, and that goes back to the Jugoslav days.
Alex,
Its fine I deserved some of it haha
Like you state we have not lost a game in those qualifications..we have not lost a game here either and people are crying…Like on paper Spain won WC 1-0 in ugliest fashion possible but hey they still won….. They win not good enough they lose not good enough. Thats the kind of people we are we expect things. We didnt make WC simply because we werent good enough….Its not 1 match its a campaign. We are in 1st and thats where we need to finish in this group I would be worried if we tied or lost but a win puts the pressure of us and lets us play with a some confidence.
The last thing I'll say on this matter is that I'm not comparing the Croatia NT to Brasil or anyone else except itself; I'm comparing the NT to its previous performannces (both senior and jr). The fact is, the sr NT hasn't had a really good, convincing, competitive performance since July 08!!!!!! That's 2 frickin years, Andrej!!!' 2 years….This is a problem, especially when we're stuck with the coach who's presided over this wonderful era of mediocrity. All that seperated us from a loss today was an Israeli brain fart and a good Kranjcar curled-shot.
Not good enough….
Allright, Andrej
I didn't see you're apology until after I posted the last message, so I also apologize for the harsh words
"we have never dominated and(sic) qualifying campaign until 08'…"
What?!? We were undefeated in both the '02 and '06 qualification campaigns.
If you're going to pull the "if some of you are old enough…" bs, at least know what the fuck you're talking about…
Dan and Alex,
I am sorry I made it personal I just came on here thinking we will be talking about our win and I come to see just a lot of negativity. We are all entitled to our opinions and what I said was harsh and unnecessary.
I am asking you right now to prove me wrong any single one you who are not satisfied I want you to show me a string of results since 98' where we have been this team that i keep hearing about. I know we had a good campaign in 08' but if you watched the matches not all those were pretty wins either. I really am curious what I have missed over this time that i have watched us play. I am happy with this win because its a win. The croatian media makes me sick they are already criticizing the players and coaching after a win!! This sure as hell will not be a way to bring and confidence back to anyone. I came on here to be happy and talk about the win and its been 75/25 more negative then anything. But if you think I am wrong and you guys truly think we are up there with Brazil and the rest of the top teams in depth and results go on and look it up and show me facts. I am telling you I have watched for to long now and I dont remember this period of time where we were a dominate force. We have always been good team but some of you act like we have always been a top team and results like this are not acceptable…? I will take a win any day. If you are not happy will you write what you would have done because i am just curious…these were the best available players who were just off form at the same time..
Nate,
First of a terrible team does not ever win a tournament. Greece isnt a bad team in fact they are the best team in the world at what they do. It won them a tournament and as much as I hate to watch it and it truly does make me go to sleep it works and has worked for them in 04'. Croatia does not have any identity and that is what our problem is…Yes, we have great players but to much in a similar position…and tactically it is hard to fit them all in to a formation. With 2 or 3 injuries we dont have adequate cover…imagine if kranjcar, modric, and simunic were injured do you feel 100% about their replacements…I dont.
The results speak for themselves as to where we are as a team right now. We have been worse much worse but we have been better too. If some of you were old enough or actually watched Croatia before 06' you would realize that this string of results is nothing uncommon. We have never dominated and qualifying campaign until 08' and even in some of those matches we won the games as we won them today.
All I am saying is quit day dreaming….We are a good team but not as good as some of you think. I am in no way saying their isnt room for improvement but we should celebrate this win. The players and fans confidence is down and if we put a string of wins together ugly or nice looking it will bring back that confidence. Serbia lost to estonia…Armenia beat Slovakia…N. Ireland tied Italy…Luxenburg tied Belarus…Moldova only lost 1-0 to the Dutch…. I mean upsets happen its not uncommon and its not the end of the world. Croatia didnt get upset we won! It wasn't prettiest win but it was a win! We are in good position right now and we can afford a slip up in a worst case scenario…god forbid.
Apologies for the Mike Lupica Fragmented sentence analysis.
A couple of quick observations. Let me start off by saying I was ready to call for Bilic's head if we lost today. But I think he put out the best squad and formation today given the circumstances.
I think Strinic played very well today. I think we have our starting LB for awhile now, and that position was one of my concerns.
I was impressed with Kranjcar considering I didn't want him starting a week ago.
Modric seemed mediocre at times. But I'm very confident in him for the future.
I can't help but think if Mandzo or Bilic managed to score what should have been the third goal, no one would be complaining.
What I am concerned about going forward is;
Where and how does Petric fit in once he comes back from injury? I am not so secretly hoping he gets little playing time for Hamburg and it takes him out of the running for a starting spot.
Also, what about Srna? I'm willing to go forward with a Srna-less lineup. But I can't see Bilic dropping our "captain" from the starting lineup just because we were successful in Israel without him.
Squad selection. Mandzo got into the game in the second half as I predicted and I'm not a big fan. If he remains on the bench at Wolfsburg, he better not get a call in November or 2011. Come to think of it, I don't care if he gets called up for Malta.
Hey allen Kranjcar played one good game in the last four years lets crown hime the knew zidane once again.
I'm sick of everyone saying Croatia don't have the quality and depth to beat the top countries. I have to argue that enough already with non-Croatians.
The fact is, even terrible teams have a chance at winning the Euros (Greece), and our team isn't terrible. We have more quality in attack than all but a few nations in Europe, and our defense has the ability to shut teams out.
The biggest problem I see is our players made the wrong decision too many times. If Spain taught the world anythng this summer, it was that if you keep the ball you don't get scored on. Too often we gave up posession in midfield, resulting in quick counters and one on ones with Runje. Defenders where caught out of position and slow to recover.
On attack we didn't have the killer instinct. Great through balls were played out right to Olic, but he would take it wide and cross rather than going to goal. The best example of course was the failed break away that would have ended the game.
The good news is we are top of the group and have plenty of time to fix things before our next meaningful game.
I have to agree with Alex and Dan, most important is we got the win. But was one of the worst soccer games ive seen us play in some time, there was no midfield, i honestly believe if we didnt get that penalty shot i dont know if we would have scored a goal at all.Not trying to be negative, or trying to put bilic down i just honestly think we played bad. I will say runje played well.
Andrej,
I've given you numerous specifics on how/why our performance was poor; you reply by giving personal insults and generalities (eg "Israel hasn't lost at home in…"). Then you have the nerve to say that I don't have anything to say… Incredible…
Dan,
My sentiments exactly. Our form with Bilic has deteriorated. That's not a reassuring sign. Especially when you look at the intensity with which the u21's play with; It begs the question, "why don't the seniors play with that (intensity)?!?"
Instead of us all celebrating its a fight on here after we win its just pathetic. Set realistic goals that is all I am saying!! Winning every game is not realistic looking like Brazil is not realistic winning 3-0 on the road isnt realistic against a team that only croatia has beat 2 times in 10 years on their field. These are all not realistic goals Bilic did what he said he was going to do and went for the win and he showed it by fielding the attacking players… I mean they didnt preform that isnt his fault…you guys are calling names like Dujmovic and Klasnic but like I said they are just options for any of those guys its not like they are going to be that much better then any player on the field its all options. We dont have a lot of depth where its a game changer coming in from the bench our healthy starting 11 is as good as it gets….
Take that haters, Kranjcar was man of the match and played really well. He was moving and how about his amazing dribbles. I hope Harry was watching.. more on my thoughts when CSR put the full recap out.
Dan,
You said it perfect we have our "patches" of success because we are inform and healthy and on top of our tactics. The key word is PATCHES…you guys expect us to be consistently on top!!! We are not the country we dont have the population to produce non stop success in every position. We have an overload of midfield attackers but lack in defense everywhere. We dont have a top notch striker…yet you guys expect us to be wooping teams left and right… Bilic couldnt have done a better job in selection today…it was the players fault for not preforming to their best but it was Bilic who got it right by fielding these players. You want goals and a win this is a team you field….Its as attacking as we can pretty much get. We went for a risky win and we got it! It wasnt beautiful but it was enough. We play our best football againt biggest teams because they play open. Teams in our group respect us to much to come out and do anything but counter us. This is why we have success against Germanys and ect.. they will let us play end to end. Its common sense i would think. I am telling you I have watched us play and we are at a big low right now one of the worst i have seen but if you look at results in the last 12 years we have lost to lesser teams then this! We are prone to it and we are not good enough to be on the top.
Alex,
Say something meaningful because on here you are just bitching…Say something that matters I am trying to have a constructive convo and you are just coming on here we suck we suck blah blah blah what do you even talk about to that….what do you do to improve on this then? You are such a genius then what would you do in all reality???
All I can say is that I agree with alex. If we are thinking seriously about doing something decent in euro 2012 we can't take a team like todays into a competition like that. We should have come out at half time with a mentality that it was still 0-0, not in the relaxed manner that we did. If we played any decent side with this team we would have got smashed.
@ andrej it wasn't luck that we defeated England 2 times last euro qualifiers and it also wasn't luck that that beat us twice last wc qualifiers. It's all about player form and tactics. Bilic had it right for a small amount of time during 2008 and that's why we had some success, and that's a no brainer. I'm sure that we will have our good patch of form in the future but we are no where near that stage at the moment.
Klasnic? He cant even get a game at Bolton…The simple thing is we just dont have a striker who is amazing. Eduardo is probably the last foreigner who will play for us but he did his due for us and was patriotic. I am not for or against them but mishko what city were you born in to make you so croatian? I know half the people on here are not even born in croatia….
Andrej,
I'm an idiot yet you're the genius talking about the supposed importance of midfield pace in a 4-3-3…
The Brazilian Edwardo needs to be replaced by Klasnic. I don't even understand why he's a Croatian. Klasnic should be playing, the guy is the man. Being Croatian is by blood, and Edwardo is NOT Croatian, just by citizenship and I find that pathetic.
Wait till the end of qualifying when people are fighting for 3 points and cannot settle for a tie…those games we should be dominating as it will bring open play. Its still so early and teams like Israel, Greece, Latvia, and Georgia are still fighting for a chance to qualify and they will take a single point early on to give them hope in qualifying. If they keep dropping results by playing for a win they will be out of tournament already withing 3 or 4 games. The rest of the teams have played it really smart and I cannot blame them for bunkering…it is boring but it works for them and we have not found a consistent way to break through it.
Alex,
I am not jumping on the bandwagon I am Bilics biggest critic but he did get it right. You are a fucking idiot plain and simple. You obviously dont understand that they lost only 3 times in 10 years at home. Something in you head will not allow you to understand that. There is a reason for that….Tell me since 98 when have we ever looked like this team you invision in your head? Some of you talk talk talk about Croatia as we were once a football superpower!!! I can tell you we NEVER were! You are not realistic if you are saying we were ever dominate consistently!!! Look at our results for the last 12 years we have lost to far worse teams…Get you head out your ass we had a great 08' qualifying campaign with a bit of what you want to call "luck" we finished 1st. Outside of then we have never looked like this amazing team even in all those games. So quit being a dumass and thinking we are a bigger team then we are. I dont really care because you are the people who sit and complain after a win while I just enjoy it.
The line up was great…Pranjic and Rakitic are fine in those midfield spots. You lose a little defence but you gain a lot of skill, speed and finesse going forward. I can live with that. The Israeli forward scored a great goal. It happens. Sometimes you have to give credit to the opposition. Bilic looks like he has reinvented the team. Decent job! Suggestion, perhaps leave the defence the way it was tonight and play Srna in the holding role, instead of Pranjic. Either way I can live with this current line up. The U21 side set themselves up nice for the return leg where the reinforcements will be there. Should be interesting.
Morons, Andrej?
Go watch the match from 3 years ago in Israel and then talk to me about how decent we looked today. The only thing that looked better this time around was the defensive communication. And this was basically the same players from last time. Even with the walking pace the passes were off. Aside from the luck of the penalty and good play from Kranjcar, we'd have likely lost.
What I'm saying is that we look worse than 3 years ago with the same coach and same players (mostly). That's not good and it doesn't reflect well on Bilic. If you think it's all fine and dandy then keep on deluding yourself. Just do me a favour; the next time we lose don't jump on the bandwagon whining about Bilic and acting like you just discovered something.
Dan,
You are an idiot and I am sorry but in 10 f$*#ing years Israel lost 3 times now at home. 2 times to us!!! The thing is we got a result by not play lights out in a new system. You are expecting us to be Brazil and dominate teams like 3-0 every game. That isnt realistic we are not that good of a team. Like Ziva said we are good enough to beat anyone but prone enough to lose to mediocre teams. WTF makes some of you happy…..we are playing teams who are fighting for 2nd!!! They know this is a great chance to qualify and they bunker on us! They are satisfied with a point against us and thats what they play for….We play for 3…Dujmovic? Yes man yes he will control the game and score you goals….haha that makes alot of sense you want to win by fielding defenders…
I dont mind the 433 formation but the only thing I saw that was hurting us was the lack of pace in the midfield at the 433.
I have criticized Bilic when he did bad but today I will admit he did a great job. I cant say I would have chose a 433 but it worked. Outside of Kranjcar nobody played amazing but it was a good team effort and it was especially good as its the first time we have played this kind of attacking lineup from the beginning. I do agree Eduardo does a good job feeding the ball. We are prone to allowing goals when we play this line up but as you saw with Vukojevic we allowed a goal right away. Our quality is attacking it might not win you a tournament but its good football. You cant expect us to have the same quality as the top teams but we do a good job. I am not jumping on Bilics bandwagon though he still has to go out and prove to me consistently that he can get it right….
Don't know if everyone is just blind or just stupid. This performance was rubbish. Eduardo, modric and pranjic were useless today. The reasons to why bilic put Eduardo on the wing is just unknown, chuck in dujmovic instead. We totaly shut down after half time….. As usual. Israel also had every chance to at least snatch a draw.
But in reality I expected a performance like this, just not tge sucessful score line.
Good result on the road… Most importantly it shows how "not good" Srna is, and how well the team performs without him. Addition by subtraction!
A very efficient performance from a team that was for the most part in control for the duration in a very tough environment. I agree with Ziva this is probably the best line-up that I've seen from Bilic. 4-3-3, ironically this is through luck in the sense that injuries limited the poor choices that Bilic could make. Obviously Kranjcar thrives in this formation. The next smart move for Bilic is to put Dudu on the right with Modric, instead of Olic. Let Dudu feed Olic, and not the other way around, as Olic has no creativity. Hopefully Bilic is smart enough to play this exact starting line-up from now on too.
See how important it can be for Simunic to be involved on the corner's! He caused the penalty by being aggressive. As I've said before, and as you can see Schildenfeld is a keeper… he calms and organizes the entire back line… as evidenced by all the offsides for Israel.
U21's did admirably… our younger generations are poised for great success! Lets see if they can make a statement next game with some reinforcements.
good result for the U21s, considering we are mostly a HNL team against guys from Barca, Real, Valencia etc…Also the best players were absent (Lovren, Rakitic, Perisic, Jajalo). Though it will still be tough
About the seniors…well it is a win but I wasn't all thrilled with the performance. Though we should still be in first by the time 2011 qualifiers kick in which is all I can ask for
You guys who are crying are morons. Before this game Israel lost only 2 times at home in 10 years. They are not the strongest team but they are amazing at home. We are no Spain or Argentina we are Croatia set realistic goals! This was a perfect lineup put out and it was first time it was tried. I liked it and we didnt play amazing but we won. They bunkered and countered like greece and we broke through. Once we were up we kept calm and we did make a mistake by giving goal up but could you really expect to shut out Israel at home…they are not Latvia or Malta they are better! This is the lineup you field when you go out to win its risky but its attacking. Bunkers are hard to break through and thats how most teams play against us now and just counter….
Alex,
I do agree with you and at the same time disagree with you.
If I was the coach I'd say, "There's money in soccer, and to play soccer for money you have to show what you've got".
Kranjcar did that today. Our people have produced an amazing breed of athletes.
We can beat anyone, we do have the talent, we just have to believe it and have the heart to get the job done.
Za Dom Spremi
Btw. Good result for the u21's. It's all to play for in the return leg.
Good game?!? That was painful. Bilic has them looking like a 3rd rate South American side- it's played at almost a walking pace. They look tired and uninspired.
Just look at the difference between the u21's and the seniors- not in quality but in intent and energy. It's drastic (the difference). As well as frustrating and pathetic to see…
This is the coaches area of influence- if they're walking around with no intent and urgency, Bilic needs to change the mentality. And If he can't (say, if the players dont respect him) then he should quit. But Id imagine they do respect him quite a bit, which tells me that he's simply a poor coach.
Can you imagine looking like this(today) v a good opponent?!? It would be England all over again.
dobro smo spasilo, izgubili su zidovi haha
bravo hrvatska
Nervous breakdown-still in effect, even after the game.
I want to break something.
havent seen croatia play this good in a while. We were actually running and trying to break down their defense. Niko kranjcar stole the show tonight, even if he wouldnt of scored. He made the israeli defense look like shit. I saw some sweet dribbling moves from him…im sure harry will hear about this and give him minutes for tottenham
6 out of 10. Luckily we don't have any major threats in our group, otherwise we could be in trouble.
Too many poor tackles and wasted posessions. How in the world did we not score on our final break away?
I shouldn't be this frustrated after a win.
the commentator said it best:
"koliko muke i truda"
Boze moj dragi
Good game, almost made it 3-1.
Thank you Runje for staying on top of things.
Why the hell did he hesitate? That could have been game over.
OPEN GOAL, WTF
How is that vuko's fault….pranjic and corluka got burned
One thing I'll say about M Bilic is he brings some passion and emotion- no one else does, that's for sure.
That attempt at a tackle is why Corluka doesn't start for Spurs anymore.
And that is why pranjic is not meant to play defense mid
They better not try to let the clock run down, because that's how another goal will be let in.
AS SOON AS BILIC PUTS IN VUKO THEY GIVE UP A GOAL WTFFFFFFFFF
Here it goes…1 goal down…
Why the fuck did Slaven put Vuko in..
@Fistonic
Are you sure the defense is looking better this half?
I spoke too soon
I like Croatia's defense in the 2nd half… A lot better than in the 1st. There are no Israeli playmakers able to break down the defense. 1st half, nothing by through balls for the opposition.
Only complaint about the 2nd half, yes they are up 2-0. However, I want to see a killer instinct to put this team away. Not doing so well on the final third of the field. Im glad Bilic is in the game.. get him some more NT experience.
All in all: 7/10 performence
Not great, but no bad.
What's the U21 score?
Fisto, please look at the picture I just uploaded to FB. It'll show you what I'm working with here.
Bilic on Olic out- what took so long.
nevermind
Dennis that's actually pretty funny. I wish I could put Olic's energy into Kranjcar's talent.
BTW – Anyone noticing that the Israeli's are starting to get a little dirty?
Can anyone tell where Olic is bleeding from? Nose? below the eye?
I'm there in spirit brate…
Kranjcar actually running on the field? Who knew?!?
Nervous breakdown-currently out of order.
Watching the game with the CSR boys-eventful…but will somebody tell the boys to stand the fuck up instead of watching it like a kazalisna publika? Where's Fisto when you need him?
And yes, Cico is still a traitor but that didn't stop me from screaming like a little girl.
Mandzukic? really??
Why are you guys saying take out Rakitic/Pranjic? Defense or they looking bad?
Can't watch it, currently at work.
I said 3-0 Croatia before the game, but if we get 4 I won't be upset.
Spain back up 2-1, could see it coming.
I'd put in Dujmovic for Pranjic, I still want Rakitic in to help with the attack. If they sit back and defend they are just waiting for mistakes to happen and Israel would get at least one in.
So what's going to happen in the second half, are our boys going to protect the 2 – 0 lead or smash a few more goals?
I'm hoping they smash a few more.
I agree with Ziva… but no vuko!!!
However, no bunker mode either! Thats what gets teams into trouble. Runje is coming up big. The back 4 need to settle down.
Take out rakitic or pranjic and replace with vuko or dujmovic
http://www.atdhe.net/ the games are on here, great quality.
Kranjcar and Runje are on fire.
I'm watching the game at http://www.leestreams.com/channel2.htm
Anyone have a better online feed because they're not showing it on Directv out here in Los Angeles.
Oh yeah, great goal by Kranjcar
Our U-21's just tied it up 1-1
Skolnik ties it up just 2 minutes after Spain took the lead.
Love that away goal.
Thats what I'm talking about!!! 2-0…
(now watch us sit back and let in 2 goals…)
And now 2-0, nice finish by Kranjcar
Krancjar
1-0
This is the risk you take when you don't play a classic defensive midfielder. You have someone like rakitic unable to mark and track back. Still, I like the line up.
Pleasantly surprised that Vukojevic is not starting.