The HNL is alive and well at this year’s World Cup! Hajduk Split’s Marko Livaja already scored a goal in Croatia’s second match versus Canada. Yesterday, it was Dinamo Zagreb’s turn to represent in the BIGGEST WAY POSSIBLE.
Let’s start with the equalizing goal against Brazil in the 117th minute. It was Dinamo’s Mislav Oršić who received the ball on the left flank, dribbled into the box, and found club teammate, Bruno Petković, waving to him for service. Oršić, who came into the match three minutes earlier – and was originally slated to miss the Brazil clash with a virus – played a perfect pass to Petko. Petković left-footed the shot from 17 yards out to tie the game up at 1-1; albeit off a deflection. But who cares? Petković was having an awful match up to this point and should have been subbed off earlier as he came in for Kramarić in the 72nd. However, in Dalić we trust, as all of his substitutions in the Brazil match paid dividends.
But it was Dinamo Zagreb goalie, Dominik Livaković, who stole the show against Brazil. Look, I have absolutely SHIT on Livaković for the past two years and did not want him to be Croatia’s goalie this World Cup. But you have to give credit where credit is due and Liva has officially shut me up. Liva became a man this month at the World Cup and is not done yet. Livaković earned ‘Man of the Match’ honors in two straight games for his penalty shootout wins against Japan and Brazil. On top of that, Liva stood on his head to block 11 Brazilian shots across 120 minutes; only conceding once.
Liva now has to be on the 2-man shortlist for World Cup the ‘Golden Glove’ award, which is given to the tournament’s best goalkeeper. Liva has two penalty shootout wins to go along two clean sheets in five matches. Morocco’s Yassine Bounou has only played in four matches but has only conceded once with three clean sheets to his name. He also won a penalty kick shootout vs. Spain in the Round of 16. Which goalie has the better stat line this tournament? You have to give it to Livaković with two shootout wins and 11 saves versus Brazil. Plain and simple.
All three Dinamo players should have increased their market value in helping Croatia oust Brazil from the World Cup. Let’s see if any of them move this winter, especially looking at Oršić and Livaković.
The old never give up on a nogometaš before 28 rule !
Late bloomer Livakovic!!
Budimir better to start.
Petković comes on for him.
Croatian media speculating Petkovic to start up top. I’m not opposed to it.
Petkovic is really not good… i hope this is wrong
I dunno, people keep saying this about Petko bue he almost won us the match. That beauty of a pass to Broz which was nearly a goal could have won us the game sooner.
I don’t think that is a fair assesment of Petko personally. He did great from what I saw.
Did he lose the ball a few times sure but we were playing Brazil.
Lmao how so?
Which jerseys for our semi? Is there too much white on their and our home to both be worn ?
It’s probably out there in the either already, but I’d guess we wear white and they wear blue? Our blues are to close to their whites…
I could be wrong, but my understanding is whichever team is considered the home team gets first pick.
I think that is Argentina, which would go with their traditional white/blue. That should mean we would need to wear our black/blue.
We don’t have black/blue anymore … we have blue/light blue
I thought it also depends on available color combinations, Maybe that would be ok against Argentina’s white/light blue but seems like it could be an issue
Livi not Liva! Is his nickname
The vast majority of us trashed Liva for his play (justifiably). He’s stepped up and played with confidence which is amazing to see. I’m super happy to see the deer in headlights look relaxed by focus and smiles.
Lovren is another. He’s been solid for us this tourney as well. I thought he was done but he’s shown he’s got enough left for this tourney.
Another huge surprise has been the playing Juranovic. He was excellent last game. Aside from first half of the Canada game, he’s been our right side attack. Which makes me wonder if he would be a good right winger for us. We have plenty of good CBs that if we moved to a 3-5-2 or some variation of it with 3 at the back, we could solve the winter problem.
Dalic has done a tremendous job incorporating some youth while managing the and relying on our vets. He even mentioned in an interview he doesn’t ask where players have been and micro manage them Kovac style.
I’m just so proud how hard we have played and how we’ve fought with class and sportsmanship. We never wilt under pressure and show so much heart!
I couldn’t be more proud to be a hrvat!!
One good thing about England getting bounced is we won’t have to see the Fox Sports pregame human interest segment on Harry Kane where they bizarrely try to tie some of his success to his friendship with Tom Brady. I realize they are trying to get Americans to like this sport, but what a pathetic reach.
This is all pure speculation, but if grant wahl, the American journalist who died under suspicious circumstances was determined to be murdered under Qatari order (if we conclude something in the next two days) would they move the semis/final? I bet they would, that would be massive for us
You mean the Qatari coroner and the Qatari police are going to announce that the Qataris murdered someone just before the finals of the massive tournament they spent billions preparing for?
No, that will never happen, but if someone with inside knowledge or an intelligence agency released evidence pertaining to murder ( I have no idea if it happened, just speculation)
Why??? I thought he was sick or something?
What’s the back story
he was wearing a rainbow pride shirt when he died, his brother is gay
So if murdered it was his homosexual brother’s fault. Does the homosexual brother even live in Qatar?
Iggy that man had balls to wear that shirt there . But he was foolish to do so. They could off Locked him up for that . I don’t think it was a big problem as people make it out to be . if it was ! easy fix , They pick you up ,take you to the airport and say goodbye and don’t comeback . Had they did that nobody in the USA would say a word. Everyone here would say he got off easy . Nobody needed to off him .
I agree but some members of the dead guy’s family posted on Twitter that it was shady af so i guess the media ran with that. They have since deleted those tweets.
He had been writing pretty negative articles outlining pretty gross human rights violations the Qatari have committed leading up to the WC as well as wearing his rainbow shirt to the press box (he was actually detained while there for wearing it )
Overall the was very anti Qatar
He didn’t die under suspicious circumstances.
He had bronchitis for days, and then had a heart attack.
The media is just doing media things again.
Ok. Laku noć.
I don’t know what happened to that man. One thing is clear, Qatar is no place too fuck around. Qatar is definitely a place to keep your opinions to yourself .
No doubt
Funny if it was a Cro v France final again ay
Good to see you own up Ante…I’m proud of you!
Gotta call a spade a spade. Livakovic has been complete garbage for 2 years. What a time to become the goalie we needed him to be.
I’ll own up all day long if our players over exceed like this. Hope he gets a nice transfer in the next few months.
It was not just Ante – id say 90% of this site were dumping on Dominick, Juranović ,mainly but God Love them – they read our shit and just laughed – thanks boys for showing us we know crap- it’s been such an amazing ride in Craptar
I’m 100 percent on camp ante here
I was calling for ivusic all day
I’m gonna take a play from the great ziva istina
He was playing “like a bust”
No one can deny it. Luka called him out on tv!
But as some of you guys have stated. Maybe it was you Slavonac, don’t count a Croat out till like 30;)
Orsic, livaja and orsic are recent proof
Liva playing like lovren at 2018 as the best keeper in the world right now;)
Two more games then I don’t care if he goes to letting in goals from the opposing end from nk babas selo 😉
I guess nothing will come of this:
https://www.msn.com/en-au/sport/football/argentina-under-investigation-for-two-world-cup-rule-breaches-after-netherlands-win/ar-AA157Ccy
But honestly whichever that Argentina cunt is who blasted the ball full power at the Dutch bench that started the fracas, that cunt should be banned. Reminded me of Otamendi and Rakitic last WC.
Love what this team is doing and it all starts with Dalic. Not enough respect given to him. A ton of negative posts these past few years against him. None of it warranted. All these players have played lights out.
Good for Dinamo they will cash in big time for sure. Hopefully they can upgrade the team.
I couldn’t agree more!
But this site is known to always have their scapegoats ready in case the team doesn’t do as well as they believe they should (it’s part of a coping mechanism they put in place for themselves), which begs the question, if Dalic, Lovren & Livakovic were so bad, why do they expect the team to do well at all?
Which leads to another question, what was everyone that spoke ill of Dalic, Lovren & Livakovic expecting from that trio this World Cup? Obviously not what they’re getting! So what do they all really know?
Hi, my name is The Real Deal, and I’ve never spoken ill of Dalic, Lovren or Livakovic.
I don’t really think except for lovren maybe did the others expect to shine this much
Real Deal,
Exactly. Begat do they know.
I find Slavonac very knowledgable but some on here hust complain and have Ben show they know zip.
Bog I Hrvati
Sami Naprid
So sell off a couple star players and how would you upgrade? Wouldn’t they just have the youth come up and rinse and repeat?
I hate to see foreigners play big roles on hnl teams personally