For the first time in several years, there is no clear-cut favorite going into a major international tournament. Germany suffered from a World Cup hangover during their qualifying campaign. They looked shaky at times, while Spain looked dominant. France is an obvious favorite based on their squad and home advantage. Belgium and England are trendy upwards as potential contenders. A new unpopular expanded format will give smaller nations an opportunity on a massive stage. This is a wide-open tournament, as every team is examined followed by predictions.
Group A
1. France (Nine): The tournament hosts possess unbelievable balance throughout their entire squad. Despite the loss of Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann and Anthony Martial are more than capable of carrying the scoring load as clinical finishers. World-class players such as Paul Pogba and Hugo Lloris are difference makers. Most championship teams have a true box-to-box midfielder and top-level goalkeeper. France has all the capabilities of winning this tournament. In arguably the weakest group, they shouldn’t struggle at any point during group stage. N’Golo Kante and Dimitri Payet provide depth that you simply can’t find on any other European team.
2. Switzerland (Four): After failing to qualify for Euro 2012, Switzerland is back as one of the better-organized sides. Manager Vladimir Petkovic has done an excellent job of rebuilding his side. Ricardo Rodriguez and Stephen Lichtsteiner could be the best fullback duo in Europe. They make up for the lack of an imposing center back within their back four. Switzerland should benefit from a weak group, but the lack of scoring threats are concerning. Top striker Josip Drmic is injured, while Xherdan Shaqiri was underwhelming in his first season at Stoke City.
3. Romania (Two): The infamous rebel Adrian Mutu spearheaded Romania’s last tournament appearance in 2008. They currently don’t have a striker or attacking midfielder of that caliber. Instead, this is a defensive side that only allowed two goals in ten qualifying matches. They should be able to muster up some draws, but the lack of attacking options marks an early exit.
4. Albania (One): As mentioned above, the new format gives smaller countries an opportunity of a lifetime. Albania falls under that category by qualifying for their first ever-major tournament. Beating Portugal and drawing Denmark deserves credence. This isn’t a pushover side led by experienced manager Gianni De Biasi. The newcomers will put teams under pressure, before ultimately being eliminated due to a lack of overall talent.
Group B
1. England (Seven): From being labeled as predictable and dull to intriguing and captivating, England’s metamorphosis to a entertaining side will be on full display. Harry Kane, Jamie Vardy, and Dele Alli have replaced Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling as England’s great attacking hope. Joe Hart continues to evolve into a top-tier goalkeeper. The defense is concerning, but shouldn’t be completely exploited during group stage. Besides France, this is the most compelling team on paper. If Chris Smalling can lead a young backline, England can make a serious run.
2. Wales (Four): It was only a matter of time, before the “golden age” of Welsh football was going to qualify for a major tournament. Gareth Bale’s ascendance into superstardom carried them to a monumental win over Belgium. Aaron Ramsey, Ashley Williams, and Joe Allen are other notable players coming off solid seasons. They do lack a capable center forward and dependable goalkeeper. That being said, Wales has enough talent to succeed in a competitive group and win a tiebreaker over Slovakia.
3. Slovakia (Four): Slovakia’s upset over Spain was one of the biggest surprises during qualifiers. They cleared nearly every cross into the box and counter attacked to perfection. Led by playmaker Marek Hamsik, their counter attacking style can pose problems, despite not having an established striker. Slovakia’s work ethic propelled them into the tournament. Under Jan Kozak, they’ll look to pressure teams into submission. There are some defensive concerns. Martin Skrtel will need to bounce back from a poor season at Liverpool to lead an experienced backline. With Hamsik and Miroslav Stoch pulling the strings, they are good enough to advance into the knockout stages.
4. Russia (One): After the failed Fabio Capello experiment, Russia managed to beat Sweden to solidify their spot in the tournament. They are still a more defensive side that focuses on being organized and excelling on set pieces. Attacking midfielder Alan Dzagoev, who is considered as the catalyst of Russia’s success, broke his foot last month. There isn’t a budding star in their squad like Andrey Arshavin was back in 2008. In a difficult group, Russia will struggle to create chances, along with their slow defense being exploited by quicker teams such as England and Wales.
Group C
1. Germany (Nine): A shaky qualifying campaign by their standards doesn’t affect Germany’s status as one of the favorites. They have a plethora of attacking options led by Thomas Muller, Mesut Ozil, and Mario Gotze. Manuel Neuer is undoubtedly the best goalkeeper in the world. His command of the box makes up for a defense lacking pace. Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng can be caught out of position, while Philip Lahm’s replacement has yet to be found. Germany still has plenty of firepower and talent to win a second consecutive major tournament. The back four is a bit vulnerable, while Marco Reus will be greatly missed.
2. Poland (Six): In a tournament lacking dark horses, Poland classifies as an ideal choice. A world-class striker will always boost a team’s upside. Robert Lewandowski’s ability is well documented, but the players around him deserve recognition. Holding midfielder Grzegorz Kyrchowiak played an integral part in Sevilla’s successful Europa League run. Borussia Dortmund’s Lukasz Piszczek is one of the better right backs in the world. With a rapidly improving squad, they are primed to make a decent run. Beating Germany in a qualifier should give them major confidence to beat any team on any given day.
3. Ukraine (Three): One of the more unpredictable teams based on the uncertainty with star winger Andriy Yarmolenko. Kicking fellow teammate Taras Stepanenko during a match between Dynamo Kiev and Shakthar Donetsk sparked major controversy. Both are key players within their midfield. Playing in a difficult group doesn’t bode well for their chances either. Despite the turmoil surrounding their country and domestic league, Ukraine will benefit from the expanded format and sneak into the knockout stage.
4. Northern Ireland (Zero): Similar to Ireland in Euro 2012, this isn’t going to be a kind experience for Michael O’Neill’s side. They simply don’t have the talent to compete against Europe’s better teams. Northern Ireland benefitted from Greece’s collapse to qualify for the tournament. Now they’ve been inserted into an extremely challenging group. Kyle Lafferty’s seven goals in qualifying won’t matter against better opposition. Steven Davis and Jonny Evans are coming off excellent seasons in the Premiership, but don’t have the support around them. “Enjoy the ride” is going to be a common phrase for Northern Ireland during their quick stay.
Group D
1. Spain (Nine): The reigning European champions are undergoing a transitional phase. They still have plenty of leaders in Gerard Pique, Sergio Ramos and Andres Iniesta. Questions are still lingering about them following their dreadful World Cup performance. The surprise exclusion of Diego Costa leaves some questions up front. Although Alvaro Morata has shined in big moments, can the Juventus striker handle a major workload? Juventus mainly used him as a spark off the bench. How he manages to link with Spain’s star-studded midfield and play 60 minutes (at minimum) will be crucial. Spain may not be intimidating as they once were, but this an ideal group for them. No team should pose a considerable threat to their midfield full of playmakers and compact defense.
2. Croatia (Four): In an expanded format, expectations should be higher for such a talented team. That hasn’t occurred with chaos surrounding the federation and management. Nobody knows what to make of manager Ante Cacic. The fiasco with Dejan Lovren has also increased ongoing tension. With a midfield consisting of outstanding players and Mario Mandzukic leading the line, they are more than capable of reaching the knockout stage for the first time since Euro 2008. Despite questions across their defense, it has been players like Ivan Rakitic that have underperformed in major tournaments. Luka Modric carried Croatia to near upsets over Italy and Spain in Euro 2012. Rakitic needs to start making bigger contributions for them to cause a major upset.
3. Turkey (Two): The always-unpredictable side is back, after not qualifying for a major tournament since Euro 2008. With past success against Croatia and Czech Republic, they will receive added pressure to perform well. Arda Turan and Hakan Calhanoglu are a lethal duo. Besides Payet, there isn’t a more deadly free kick specialist than Calhanoglu. Turkey’s lack of striker options and questionable central defense will eventually cost them. Facing more balanced teams such as Spain and Croatia will leave them shorthanded. Thanks to goal differential purposes, they will be the last third place team to avoid elimination.
4. Czech Republic (One): After being a European powerhouse during the 2000’s, Czech Republic is looking to rebuild from the golden era. Only Petr Cech and Tomas Rosicky still remain from those memorable teams. No young player has truly emerged, despite winning their qualifying group over Iceland, Turkey, and Holland. It can’t be ignored that they conceded 14 goals during qualifiers. In a group filled of world-class midfield players, Czech Republic won’t be able to build off their successful qualifying campaign. If any group can be considered as the group of death, Group D makes the strongest case.
Group E
1. Belgium (Nine): When it comes to current golden generations, Belgium surpasses everyone on paper. With a somewhat favorable group, their attacking options need to showcase their excellence. Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku, and Eden Hazard form a ferocious trio. Despite struggling with injuries and poor performances, Hazard was extraordinary for Chelsea during the final month of the season. In order for Belgium to seriously challenge France and Germany, Hazard can’t be anonymous like he was against Argentina in the quarterfinals of 2014 World Cup. Belgium should breeze past this group. Despite questions surrounding their full backs, that potential flaw shouldn’t be exploited in a group featuring teams with limited pace. The strong partnership of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen will keep them well-organized.
2. Italy (Four): No team has suffered more from pre-tournament injuries than Italy. Marco Verratti and Claudio Marchisio is the nucleus of their central midfield. Both players will miss the tournament, which leaves Antonio Conte scattering for suitable replacements. Mainstays such as Daniele De Rossi and Thiago Motta will likely be called upon. Attacking cleverness is replaced by defensive fortitude. While a strong defense is vital, Italy doesn’t have a true dependable scorer or playmaker. Life without Andrea Pirlo is going to be difficult. Unless someone like Simone Zaza or Stephen El Shaarawy breaks out, Italy doesn’t pose a serious threat against the best teams. A strong cohesive Juventus-filled defense led by Giorgio Chiellini will drive them into the knockout stage.
3. Ireland (Two): After easily being the worst team in Euro 2012, expect improvement from the Irish. Martin O’Neill has been an upgrade over Giovanni Trapattoni. A more defensive-counter attacking style has gotten the best out of players such as Robbie Brady and Jonathan Walters. O’Neill’s successful philosophy was on display by Ireland upsetting Germany last October. Despite Robbie Keane nearing the end of his career, Shane Long has replaced him as Ireland’s most potent striker. Long isn’t a deadly finisher like Keane, but makes up for it with his outstanding work ethic. The Southampton striker never stops running and constantly puts pressure on opposing defenses. They match up well against Italy and Sweden, as both sides lack pace and flair in their midfield. Unfortunately for them, they suffer from the same issues as well. That will prevent them from going any further in the Euros.
4. Sweden (One): The anticipation surrounding Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s final international tournament doesn’t conceal Sweden’s evident flaws. A squad featuring declining and untested players will be exploited in this group. Depending on midfielders such as Kim Kallstrom and Sebastian Larsson shows the country’s lack of growth. This could be Sweden’s last tournament appearance for a very long time. Ibrahimovic’s one or two moments of brilliance won’t overcome their inefficiency at nearly every other position.
Group F
1. Austria (Seven): It’s only a matter of time before the biggest darkhorse makes their mark. After being the worst team in Euro 2008, Austria is starting to build a squad full of quality players. David Alaba is arguably the most versatile player in the world based on his experience at center back, left back, and center midfield. Marko Arnautovic was sensational for Stoke City this season. A defense led by Leicester City’s crafty left back Christian Fuchs and defensive mainstay Aleksandar Dragovic balances out the squad. This is a dangerous team that can hit teams on the counter, yet control possession effectively. In a wide-open group, Austria will shine with their surplus of talent in the midfield and solidarity in defense.
2. Portugal (Five): With the best European player in the world, Portugal is always a threat. Cristiano Ronaldo’s fitness is a concern going into the tournament. He didn’t look right in the Champions League final. With an aging defense and lack of playmakers up front, they need their captain more than ever. Renato Sanches is expected to be one of the breakout players of the tournament. Young players like him and Andre Gomes need to inject pace and control into an older midfield. This is still a talented squad capable of beating most teams. Putting too much pressure on Ronaldo and not having other goal scorers will likely prevent them from reaching the semifinals again.
3. Iceland (Four): The feel-good story of Europe is making their first appearance in a major tournament. After beating Turkey and Holland, nobody is disputing Iceland’s status as one of the better teams in Europe. Gyifi Sigurdsson is the most underrated attacking midfielder in the world. Alongside captain Aron Gunnarsson, the Swansea star is the impetus behind Iceland’s attack. They do have questions marks at goal keeper and within their defense. As mentioned above, this is a wide-open group of attacking teams with no true favorite. That will push them into the knockout stage to continue their miraculous run.
4. Hungary (Zero): Many analysts consider Hungary to be the weakest team in the tournament. They play a concise defensive formation, where they attempt to fluster teams in the middle of the field. In a group featuring players like Ronaldo and Arnautovic, manager Bernd Storck’s tactics will be tested on the flanks. This is another team that benefitted from the expanded format. It’s hard to see them mustering up any successful performances in an ultra-competitive group.
Third place finishes: Iceland, Slovakia, Ukraine, Turkey.
By using ESPN’s bracket, I followed the new system and made predictions.
Round of 16
Poland over Switzerland
Spain over Iceland
England over Turkey
Austria over Italy
Germany over Slovakia
Belgium over Croatia
France over Ukraine
Portugal over Wales
Quarterfinals
Spain over Poland
England over Austria
Belgium over Germany
France over Portugal
Semifinals
Spain over England
France over Belgium
Final
France over Spain
Twitter: @Allen_Strk
Only clown on this site is ziva and you ZDS lifestyle.
No worries over Cacic.
@ ZDS Lifestyle – don’t you worry, brother. There hasn’t been any drinking or naked pool parties like we had under a few of our coaches prior.
We have our Ante Pavelic of coaches in charge now. You should be happy with his strictness. You will now see the results.
Bozo the clown Čačic is going to get out coached im afraid. Remember when Stimać wanted us to play Tici Taca??
Hey folks, news flash here, if the HNS couldnt find a qualified coach in Croatia why didnt they look for an international coach? I mean we take players born in different countries, why not the coach?
“At the end of the day, its all good. We are all cheering for the same side.”
Lmfao This clown called Ziva cheers for Cro to fail.
As for this team impressed with Cacic. Thank God Davor Suker represents our savez.
Shows Ziva you are full of shit and a hypocrite. No difference with you, Carry on with your bs and your gossip.
“We as fans can’t be critical if something goes against us (fines and punishments, bad ref decisions) because look at who we have in charge. It’s like calling your neighbors wife a slut, but you married a former prostitute”
I control what I do, I can’t control what someone else does.
If the uprava at Dinamo allowed Mamic back in with Dinamo even after Tudjman got rid of him (based on the page Ante showed me a while back) who’s the dummies?
What conspiracy?????? It is a fact that Modric pays a certain percentage of his annual salary to Mamic and his son.
Listen, I don’t care either way and I don’t get emotional over it. I just comment about it. I think its pretty disgusting that our soccer federation is represented by Puppet Suker and Mamic. We as fans can’t be critical if something goes against us (fines and punishments, bad ref decisions) because look at who we have in charge. It’s like calling your neighbors wife a slut, but you married a former prostitute.
At the end of the day, its all good. We are all cheering for the same side.
“If I’m ok with”….dude, seriously?
what the hell do I have to do with Mamic or the contracts he offers?
I’m definitely more interested in the team and the players…how they perform, who’s coming through the ranks… I really think those that put soo much emphasis on the conspiracies and gossip are nothing more than bitter old ladies.
@Ivo…….here is the difference. Puppet Suker gave away tickets to his buddy in Germany who is bookie. Suker owes him money and that is how he paid him back. The average fan who wanted tickets to Brazil got shut out because a few hundred that should have gone to the fans went to this guy in Germany. As for my tickets, every player/coach/former player/savez official has a right to tickets from the federation. That is how I got my tickets for a few of the games.
I don’t argue that the entire country of Cro is garbage. Corrupt and only a matter of time until shit really goes to hell. Mamic is the example of that in sports. Listen, if you are OK with him threatening teenagers, making them sign one-sided personal service agreements, stealing money that should have gone to dinamo, then fine…..I on the other hand live the “za dom…spremni” lifestyle.
ok…let me first start off by saying I appreciate you saying this – “I am guilty for putting most of the blame on Mamic” – because I think he cannot work alone, he’d have been gone a looooong time ago if that were the case.
I admit also that I do jump on people that mention him because he’s been blamed for global warming and Princess Diana’s death (kidding but you know what I mean). Its become ridiculous how much people mention him and blame him for ignorant things that most likely have little to do with him.
on that note, I, like you and many others, have several friends in Croatia. one of my long time friends lives and works on for one of the (I think it actually is) biggest accounting firms in the world. his company audits the savez and if I’m correct, they also audit Dinamo. through his work he gets to meet several people, many we read about…his job is throughout Europe, even with Real Madrid….he specifically told me almost 1.5 years ago that a lot of what we read about Mamic is partial truths and exaggerations. he said at that time that Mamic has been scrutinized for years. he’s had many investigations against him and has always come out clean or paid fines and closed the chapter. you are most likely right about him counting his days but I truly believe if he goes down, many others will as well!
I read your comment a while back, bit ces tata?!?! I’m happy for you and your wife, this will change you forever! congratulations!
@Slavonac
excellent statement
“its time to either pledge your allegiance or fuck off…simple as that! many countries have their issues, I’m tired of people saying they live a particular Croatian styled life while they continue to gossip and make up bullshit day and night!”
Ziva is the king of bullshit, won’t stop. Get use to it.
Interesting how in the past he would go on about Suker and Mamic giving away tickets and profiting on them and yet here he is on this site bragging how he gets his great seats from the Savez???. It is definitely the case of the pot calling the kettle black. 🙂
All these coaches had their chance and did not bring much to the table from Kranjcar up to Kovac. Now will see if this team can do something. I don’t want to see anyone from the past including Bilic, they all had a chance and did not do much. I support Cacic and impressed with him so far.
Enjoy the game this Sunday.
Slavonac,
I understand that very well. However, USKOK is on Mamic’s ass and will jail him eventually. It’s a matter of time. I keep telling you to be patient and for some reason that isn’t sticking with you. Due process in America takes forever and in Croatia the time for due process is exponentially slower. The system has its faults, as does Mamic, and I feel the blame should be put equally on all parties. I am guilty for putting most of the blame on Mamic. I believe when it comes to Dinamo, he is the main asshole separate of the national team. In the past, I’ve said it is Mamic who is the problem when it came to Dinamo and I still believe to this day that he is. I also said his reach will impact the national team in some way. I was wrong when I thought that amateur South American naturalized Croatians would take over the team. Hvala Bogu that didn’t happen and putting Sammir on the team was an aberration. You and I both know Mamic had an impact on that decision and you can deny it until you’re blue in the face but you know it’s true. Now, does that mean Mamic is the absolute ruler of the national team? No but in my opinion at Dinamo, he is. Does that mean he’s to blame for every little thing the national team does? No. But here’s the problem-you and some others take it to that extreme at the mere mention that Mamic might have an impact albeit big or small. You guys automatically assume that he’s to blame simply at the mere mention of it. To deny that Mamic doesn’t have an iota of a say about what happens on the team is simply ridiculous and even you can agree with that.
Why are we obsessed with international team coaches?
Coaches at international tournaments mean nothing and don’t have any affect on what the players do on the field.
They pick the lineup – like we do in our Fantasy Premier Soccer League.
And every Croatian on the planet already agrees on 8/9 of the starters.
They have them for a short while. They don’t have a special dust to sprinkle on them to make them perform better.
The players must decide to that on their own.
Tomislav Ivic would not be able to get anything more out of this group than Ante Cacic in this tournament.
At the club level, there are many more decisions to be made and for a much longer period. That’s when a Ivic would blow a Cacic away.
neither him or anyone else is wrong about Mamic but I think they fail to see that although Mamic is and may be a HUGE dictator and criminal, his team produces the very best players throughout Croatia, they have the best organization for producing and selling players and their young teams continue to develop many players that end up in big teams throughout Europe.
is the system corrupt, YES! why hasn’t the Croatian authorities done anything about it? the same reason why Croatia can’t seem to get its shit together in politics or anything else, they are corrupt and inept.
I’ve had this argument with Ante many times. he isn’t wrong when he says Mamic is screwing the system but he just doesn’t seem to understand that the system is a breeding pool for these people. nothing will change. we are still waiting for Mamic to go to jail for several different allegations, when will we see him receive what he deserve’s?
Cacic is the new topic of discussion because apparently Ziva knows who was the better and more suitable option. the only problem with his and many others like his theories is that they’ve not mentioned any suitable and available candidates that could and would take the job. Prosinecki didn’t want it, Bilic didn’t want it, we’ve already had Kranjcar, Baric, Blazevic….
so now, if the team does well, he’ll say the team got lucky or they did it without Cacic’s input. if they do poorly, it will be Cacic and Mamic’s fault.
who’s fault was it all those years when Croatia did miserably? Mamic’s? when Croatia lost to Turkey or didn’t qualify for major tournaments?
its time to either pledge your allegiance or fuck off…simple as that! many countries have their issues, I’m tired of people saying they live a particular Croatian styled life while they continue to gossip and make up bullshit day and night!
I’ll take this team with Cacic as the coach. if the players can show up and aren’t boycotting, why should I?
@Slavonac
Ziva has lost credibility a long time ago. Gotta laugh with him and his love affair with Mamic. It was comical at one point but man the hard on he has for him. Gotta feel sorry for Ziva.
You get the feeling his “contact in the savez” is as miserable at him”.
true…gimme 5 other options of coach’s who were available and would coach for the money the savez offers?
Druga Liga Cacic wouldn’t have made anyone’s top 10 list of possible coaches.
You are correct, the options are limited and Druga Liga was way down in the bottom.
Fact remains he was chosen because of his relationship with one man. And that man holds all the power in selecting a coach and he shouldn’t
Basically a Premier League all-star team.
Tons of potential though.
^ ^
That’s what I’ve been thinking too.
They haven’t proven shit.
Not sure why people rate Belgium so much. They weren’t impressive at the World Cup and beat us 2-1 in qualifying when we were at our absolute worst.
They have a talented squad no doubt, but so do we and I take us over them in the knock out stage. In fact, bring them on, I want us to put them in their place this time!
Ziva, you said:
“@maminjo……I get your points. Here is my biggest issue…..the lack of transparency and a real search in selecting our last three coaches. All picked by one man who over time keeps showing he can’t pick good coaches”
Ok Ziva…you’re losing some credibility here and I’m starting to wonder if you know are here to start another TMZ column and if you have ever followed the organization at all.
who appointed Mirko Jozic as head coach back in 2000? his average stay at a club from 1994 right up until he was chosen to be coach was less than 1 year per club…Cico Kranjcar had a similair record, even coaching Marsonia )from my home town) for a year…what the hell made him such an appealing guy? if you look through the list of coaches we’ve had, its easy to say all of them but Tomislav Ivic…maybe Baric and Blazevic were qualified. Ivic was by far the best and most experienced…why wasn’t he ever chosen? the Mamic’s didn’t run the show back then, why aren’t you bringing up the fact that most of Croatia’s coaches have been shit?
most guys on this site probably don’t know many of the older generation other than from hearing their names mentioned here and there. this is why you can continue to blurb out the Mamic conspiracy theories day and night. the truth is that Croatia does not have or produce many (we have few) coaches that are successful on an international level, so you focus on the fact that you think Mamic made this problem when in fact we have few options!
My take:
Verratti and Marchisio will be missed. The team will try to press high in the opponents half: modern counterattack. While playmaking will be on the defense, mainly on Bonucci, then on Barzagli. Midfielder contribution should be decisive in terms of goals: Giaccherini, Florenzi, Parolo, Candreva will run back and forth to exploit spaces. It will be a versatile team, starting with a 3-5-2 that will vary to 4-4-2 without possession, or 3-4-3 when needed. We don’t have a top finisher but I am not much worried about it. Bar 1982 , we never won anything when had goalscorers (98 Vieri, 90 Schillaci, 94 Baggio).
My prediction is that we are quarte final material.
Yes we are average t, but I still do not see more than 5/6 teams better than us on paper. Plus media and fans think the team is shit, which will tickle players pride. When we are in this condition we usually perform.
I did my homework and with the big fishes (Germany, France, Argentina, Spain, England, Brazil, Netherlands) we only lost 3 out of 23 matches in the 90 minutes since 1986 (which is as far as my memory goes) in big competitions (Euros-WCs).
It means that if the opponents are stronger, they will still need to prove it.
Croatia really depends on the group outcome.
There is quality, but will they deliver?
If you win the group, can cruise to semis.
If second, it will be a tough match vs Belgium who, on paper, are favorite, but not as clearly as people might think.
I’d have my popcorns ready and enjoy a thrilling match during which, of course, I would be rooting for you.
Overall favorite are France and Germany to me, even if France need to tweak their defense, (too many goals conceded) and without Varane, Mathieu and Sakho it won’t be easy.
But they play at home and all of their trophies where won in there.
England might either reach the final or be a big disappointment as usual. If i had to choose I would go for the former, but i wouldn’t sure put my mortgage on it.
Worst teams : Hungary, Northern Ireland, Russia, Romania and Albania. In normal conditions I’d be surprised if any of them makes it to the Knock Out stages, however the last two are in the same group (Group A, what a coincidence), and they have some chances to qualify.
Eventually it will really depend much on the form, which as of today cannot be assessed yet.
Remember Denmark, Greece?
I do not think there will be a huge surprise winner this time, but form will make the biggest difference between teams of the same level.
More educated guesses will be anyway made after all teams have played at least two matches.
During WC 2014, I only had one wrong guess prior to the K.O. . Hopefully I can repeat that performance €€€€€.
Personal hope is that Italy-Croatia don’t meet, or I will be arguing with my gf forever and a day! ^__^
Sincerely Good luck to everyone!
Who else likes the new Zapresic song?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udVA6tgrh0A
Bilic did a good job for us and is a much better manager at this stage of his career following lukewarm results in Moscow and with Besiktas. This is just my point though, we don’t want someone who is learning on the job.
I hope Cacic proves me wrong, has a great Euro and earns the right to stay around through 2018, but I’m not going to be patient if they fail to make it past the group stage or we lose badly in the round of 16.
@maminjo……I get your points. Here is my biggest issue…..the lack of transparency and a real search in selecting our last three coaches. All picked by one man who over time keeps showing he can’t pick good coaches. If there was an actual search committee and interview process, then i could be more supportive. At the end of the day, I will support the team as I always do. However, I do t believe we position our guys to succeed as much as we could.
@Rx……laugh all you want, but you would gladly trade places with me if you had my seats.
@NY……yeah, it was Bilic’s fault and not the lack of a deep team thanks to all the injuries. Nobody would have advanced with that weak team.
Lol. Yeah bring back Bilic????? Miss the WC 2010 with him and you think he is the answer.
The stupidi comments some post on her.
Wake up.
@lazio, sure but some one has to provide the width when defending and when attacking. The way it’s written above has rakitic and modric as the wide players. Never mind. The time has come to trust my man on the coaching staff. I have faith. Soon we will find out. Any of you guys in France yet?
Don’t worry all. Ziva has a contact in the savez. He will provide us with updates. 🙂
Bonetti is on beIN Sports.
Bonetti’s is a 3-6-1 formation, he reckons that with all that quality in midfield we should be able to dominate possesion.
Our strength is in midfield, I gotta say, I didn’t mind it, my only problem was his back 3.
The bonetti lineup was a 2-7-1 eluding to our mids
Lazio, the guy has just tried to fit in all the players he’s heard of. If you want to go super attacking and include some big players at big clubs you could field 3412.
Subasic
Jedvaj, corluka, Vida
Brozovic, modric, rakitic, perisic
Coric
Mandzukic, kramaric
🙂
@everyone
http://m.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/index.html
Guys, FIFA rankings came out and Cro is 27th. The rankings are a hoax regardless of positioning. Apparently Turkey, Drkadrkastan and Narnia are ranked ahead of us!
The only thing Cacic needs to do is say to the players Turkey is a “European” team FIFA thinks is better than you.
Then show them this. This is who we’re playing guys just a heads up.
(Close enough)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hVQ-HiFOFUw
We are better than them they are not better than us no chance in f&cking hell are we going to lose!
I am ready to drink a Mickey and start a riot somewhere dresed in swat gear with an extendo and 40 Ruger after watching those Cro soccer videos.
I am sorry guys I lost the handles there for a bit.
Lol. Good stuff guys. Loved your comments BZ about betting against the team…..unless you’ve seen them train. I believe that
Lazio, I don’t know who the hell mateo bonetti is, but I can assure you that team you’ve written out there makes no sense…rakitic right wing back? Modric left wing back? Srna right CB?…..clueless. Let me guess he’s an Italian American soccer pundit???
Options are awfully slim then on foreign coaches then, even mid tier ones are pulling nice money from club, I could see a coach bundling their career with us but a unknown foreign coach would Get crucified for any poor result
Cacic won’t be long term; Bilic coming back would be great but I don’t think it will happen
a Villas Boas type before Tottenham would be nice
@idemo
Hiddink is expensive and hasn’t produced results in almost a decade. I think he’s mentally checked out, and is just collecting checks.
This is the trap we have to avoid when picking a ‘foreign’ coach. Serbia, for example. fell into this trap several times, and have had some of their worst results with foreign coaches.
We need a coach that has experience (with recent success) AND a good fit.
Ideally someone who is culturally similar (I don’t know if German caliber coaching works with Croat mentalities, as we all saw Kovac’s Germanesque ways not work).
As a realistic option, I think Matjaz Kek would be a fantastic coach for us. He’s a success wherever he’s been, and would not be brutally expensive and speaks Croatian.
If you want to break the bank, I’d go with an experienced Italian coach. Our players always seem to do well with Italian coaches. Maybe it’s a shared mentality.
Redknapp is an intriguing option due to his hard-on for Croats, but he would still be very expensive and a big risk as he definitely has BUST potential. He’s entering that downward phase in his career where retirement should be nearby.
These are the decisions that the HNS are afraid to make, so they simply cheap out and hire some local guy.
@Ziva
Druga Liga Cacic is nobody’s first choice. Everybody wants the HNS to spend the cash, and get a coach that has real experience, be it foreign or not.
But getting an inexperienced former player or a sub-par older generation coach goes back beyond the Mamic days.
Cacic has a mediocre resume (everyone knows this), but the three previous coaches had almost no resume whatsoever (Kovac, Stimac, Bilic). Before that, we had washed up senior citizens in Baric and Jozic…and of course, Ciro Blazevic who had a similar yet more scandalous resume which included match fixing allegations.
This goes back beyond Mamic’s time.
If Mamic wasn’t here, we’d probably go a similar route of “former player” or “old coach who should be retired by now” as our NT coach. This definitely has to change, but I think it goes beyond simply blaming Mamic.
This particular situation was messed up too especially since Kovac was fired with two games left to go, and the only half decent coaches with any experience who would be a realistic target on short notice (Matjaz Kek, Nenad Bjelica, Robi Prosinecki, Igor Tudor) either were in a better situation or flat out said “no way” to the job via the media.
As a result, we are stuck with Cacic…so, I am going to judge him based on his results. Since I only value tournament results, I will judge based on that and leave the behind the scenes gossip aside. And so far, his decisions building up to the tournament are good ones, as he seems to be attempting to address our biggest problems (something Kovac never attempted to address) so it’s a good sign.
He gets credit for what he’s done so far, regardless of how he got here.
Hiddnik was also available for some time
Hopefully we can have some of this in Paris
http://youtu.be/VWOIR_p5kuM
I had suggested Harry Rednapp a while back when he was in between gigs. Someone like him would stand to benefit from managing Croatia to a successful Euro 2016 and he certainly has a respect for the creativity of the players we produce.
Just watched all the ljepa li si videos from the stadium at 2012…..and the video ante b posted……my first time watching the repka live on Sunday …….#chills
Matteo Bonetti’s line up
Subasic
Srna Vida Corluka
Rakitic Brozovic Badelj Modric
Kovacic Perisic
Mandzukic
I would just change the back 3 to Corluka, Schildenfeld and Vida!
Nice one Ante B. I remember they made a good one for the World Cup as well.
I am! Let’s fucking win something for our old-timers before they move on.
Who’s ready to go through a cement wall after watching this?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zRqbjdpRhpw
Who should be there instead of Druga Liga Cacic??????? Oh, I don’t know. Maybe someone who has coached more first division games than second division games.
Listen, when the games start, I hope we win.
I think we get our of group not because of the coaching, but because the other teams are weaker and we are much better.
@ everyone
Croatia is now ranked 27th. http://www.fifa.com/fifa-world-ranking/ranking-table/men/
Fifa rankings are a joke. Turkey and f#cking Drkadrkastan are ranked higher than us.
All Cacic needs to do is show the players the video below and say, Fifa thinks these guys are apparently better than you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVQ-HiFOFUw
(PS. Close enough to Turks!)
same game
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd-0IZXtGZU
@Ziva – Who is your pick for Croatian coach if Cacic is so bad? All I’ve read is you not liking Cacic, I have yet to hear a solution.
If you are simply sprinkling a little pepper to get a reaction on this site for yours and some of our entertainment then kudos but if you genuinely think Cacic should not be there then who should be there?
Agreed on how he was selected, the conspiracy is there regarding Mamic with everything, the problem is when we begin to say Mamic is now responsible for everything that happens. Don’t get me wrong, me personally, I feel/think Mamic has a lot to play with all these decisions but when we start to say he’s responsible for the dinosaurs becoming extinct we’ve gone too far. Where does it end?
Enough with this negativity, time to start getting pumped.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQb3sNLAqAo
Anybody else have any awesome crowd videos?
…just to clarify…we don’t play in empty stadiums because of the Mamic’s, Suker’s and whoever else people dislike! those were the crooks I was referring to!
why do we play games in empty stadiums? has nothing to do with the crooks!
the NT has the money but its not that simple. getting a foreign coach with a good track record will cost a lot, and even then you have no guarantees!
I don’t think asking for a foreign manager who has coached players of this quality at some time previously in their career is too much to hope for. Why are we limiting the selection of a manager to former players who cut their teeth with our NT and then go on to the likes of West Ham, Hamburg etc.? we’re a f-ing stepping stone and we should not be.
If we didn’t line the pockets of crooks and play games in front of empty stadiums it would not be a question of money and there would be plenty of experienced coaches who would see Croatia as a great opportunity.
Ziva, you’re living in the past. accept the fact he’s the coach and judge him based on his decisions and the outcome, don’t you think thats fair? or should we open a TMZ section of this site and you can discuss different themes…ie…naked guys around the pool, Mamic’s pay off delegates and refs, Cacic only repaired black and white tv’s and not color….
Ziva bustina, why dont you peruse his resume and give us a summary?
Maminjo, you get the award for comment of the month. I will be sending you a coupon to your choice of liquor store!
well said dude!
Just look at the way Druga Liga Cacic was selected and look at his resume and then tell me if he was qualified or deserved the job.
Čačić has actually made some very good decisions since taking over.
If the Savez hired some foreign coach, and he made all the moves that Čačić made in these past few months, this ENTIRE message board would be raving about the genius of this foreign coach.
Fact of the matter is, Čačić hasn’t really made a single wrong move (Halilović move is debatable depending on what conspiracy you subscribe to). Nobody would be talking about Lovren if coach “Smith” cut him from the squad. And people would constantly praise the removal of Olić, Pranjić, and the idea of trying Badelj to free up Modrić.
Instead, people here are making up stories and almost hoping for failure just so they can say ‘told ya so’.
Fact is, none of this matters. All that matters are tournament results. I don’t give a crap about what the mood in the camp is like without a naked Lovren. If they pump Turkey on Sunday, and advance from this group and challenge for a quarterfinal appearance, Čačić did his job.
idemo, we’ve been talking about the form of a team in a tournament, which is different from playing a season. it wasn’t a fluke, they were very good and entertaining to watch, you should give credit where it’s due!
Thanks Bobby V. I will check it out. The wedding is Sunday afternoon so it could be a disaster for me if the rakija is flowing. Jebiga.
Costa Rica was a fluke imo never again a horrible USA washed them 4-0
Allen, Costa Rica surprised many…including me. Not only did they beat Italy, but they beat Greece and could have gotten a result against Holland, they were unlucky!
Slovakia, in 2010, lost to Holland also in the knock-out round…who then went on to lose to Spain in the finals…your examples are of two pretty damn decent teams
I just think Italy are always tough, regardless of if they say they have a good team or not. I no longer buy into they bs that they sent a crappy team, they know how to get there!
Oh yeah because sarcasm back home is de bezt and stupid foreigners cant get it from the people best at everything, sure.
Kovac was a foreign coach.
1. We need a foreign coach
2. Everyone but one or 2 people on this site are sarcastically saying “their contact” as a dig to those 1 or 2 who seriously go on about a contact
3. Some of you wouldn’t survive in cro with the amount of kidding joking and sarcasm back home…….
Croatian calling someone a typical fucking Croatian
@Mile-
http://www.croatianculturalcenterchicago.com/
On the North side of Chicago. I will be back in my hometown the weekend of the Euro 2016 finals – let’s hope we are in it.
Last time I was there was when Croatia played that 2-2 draw with Yugoslavia in 1999. Over 200 people were in the club. Don’t know if they still have crowds like that.
I think the team should allow Ziva Bustina to take a big sniff from their portatoilet at the end of a vigurous training. It would be fitting for an adult so obsessed with their activities and emotional states. Once he has sniffed his fill, I hope a fan passes by wearing a Modric shirt and that he passes judgment. Im afraid he wont get the irony.
Long time lurker and fan of the site. I will be in Chicago for a wedding(American) this weekend. Does anyone know where the local Hrvati will be watching the game on Sunday? Hvala, momci!
Cacic looks exactly like Iggy’s dad.
At least Cacic doesnt look like that mountain herder Kovac with his hercegovinan mafia style and his mohican primitive face.
….plus we respond better and work harder for older guys than newly retired former players.
Ivic, Blazevic
Everybody wants to impress their Tata – not a guy who has a better looking wife than you do.
We keep crying about Cacic. We have run the course on former players as coaches.
Tudor may have been available and Prosinecki is with a team unless the Savez paid him enough money to leave Azerbaijan. Boban said he does NOT want to coach and Suker well we all know what he’s doing.
Typical f%cking Croatian people, bitch and complain about something we don’t like but then offer NO solution to fixing the problem. That’s what years of being governed by foreign countries does to your people, turns us into having a slave mentality. Croatian people want the best of everything without having to work hard for it.
We have the same issue as crnci in the U.S. It’s everyone’s fault but theirs. Sorry now I am going off.
Cacic probably is a Mamic guy but what other options are there?
If you are going to knock something and say this or that is shit, at least have a solution. Any idiot can sit there and say this sucks. At least have a motherF*&ng solution.
Teski glupan!
“I love how the diaspora peasants on this site are so proud of their contacts in a country of 4 million people. Clearly these are the only contacts you will ever have. Bunch of farmers.”
#seljakponos
I’m going to say this for the last time. The head coach of any national team in a short tournament does nothing but pick the players.
You don’t have time to coach them. You watch them most of the year with their club teams and get them two weeks before a tournament starts.
What are you going to teach them in two weeks?
Their main job is to motivate them, keep them as unified as possible.
National team coaches couldn’t have a more different job than a club coach.
They are more like soccer mom’s.
Slavonac
you said it, you have a few on this site who will sell the narrative about Cacic, the savez, mamic,
All bs but people want to push it. Enjoy the games.
OK CS fans, who else could Cro have picked as a coach aside from Cacic?
Guys for F sakes! Which other Croatian coach was available? I am not saying I love or hate Cacic but keep your arguments consistent.
The past 3 former coaches we’ve had were former players. Had they not been former players their “experience” is BLOWN out of the water by “Druga” liga Cacic.
Cacic may have been the only available coach. Stimac had Hajduk before the national team, Bilic and Kovac had the U-21. Cacic has at least coached everywhere in Cro since the 80’s.
I understand, Stimac, Bilic and Kovac played for the NT but then what other former players with relative coaching experience are available? Tudor? Prosinecki is coaching Azerbaijan.
UNLESS the savez spends the money on a foreign coach, Cacic was the only other choice available.
Which other Croatian coaches are out there right now?
Slavonac
Italy couldn’t get a result against Slovakia in 2010 World Cup or Uruguay in 2014 World Cup. Experience isn’t everything. How did Costa Rica manage to beat them in the last World Cup?
not only is Allen implying that Lovren incident is still a BIG issue and tension is increasing, he’s also implying these professional athlete’s can decide on what coach they choose to respect based on that coach’s credentials and that the coach should back off….this is the new generation of thinkers, lets let the kids run the show…everyone gets a ribbon for participating anyways, I deserve to play cause I am a pro player and if I go to the Euro’s, I deserve a starting position.
I say we send pasteta to the Turks, loaded with pork and pork fat!
Oh, and my sources say…
If we go out in the group stage, Cacic will be fired and everyone will be doubting why he didn’t bring Lovren and Halilovic.
If they make the finals, Ziva will be wearing a TV repairman uniform with the name “Cacic” embroidered on the chest pocket.
Austria has become a fairly popular dark horse pick. I have not seen enough of them to pass judgement, but based on what I saw of Italy I’m not impressed. Historically, Italy has been a “good tournament team”, so it kind of depends on how much faith you put into these kinds of things. Of the big names they’re probably the weakest at the moment.
It would be great to see Croatia play Belgium, but I’m not super confident that it’s a good matchup for us. They owned us in WC qualification and they have a lot of similarities to us (great individual talent, but questionable if that will translate to team success).
On Cacic, I completely disagree that the manager is insignificant. If you put a 14 year old behind the wheel of a Ferrari, it’s still a Ferrari, but you’re not going to get the most out of it.
I love how the diaspora peasants on this site are so proud of their contacts in a country of 4 million people. Clearly these are the only contacts you will ever have. Bunch of farmers.
Can’t let the Lovren thing go, eh, Allen? You were wrong. He
doesn’t belong on the team and will not be missed. Handled very well by Cacic – no fiasco whatsoever.
Lovren would have left the team anyway yesterday once it came out that Cacic banned sex for the team during the tournament.
You think he would have been able to not see his boyfriend for a month?
let us not forget this turkey team drew latvia twice in qualifying , lost 3-0 to iceland, 2-1 to czech republic
Snickers Napolitanke and doing an AM radio show devoted to Croatian sports in Croatia. Gentlemen, we’ve made our millions. Now let’s get to work.
My guy in the savez says if you think Cacic sucks, put your money where your mouth is, and bet against Croatia.
He also says if you think some of players selected are a result of the Mamic Conspiracy vs skill, then bet against Croatia.
He also says, after watching this team practice, don’t bet against Croatia.
@ allen
The whole Lovren thing is blown way out of proportion and some of you guys that contribute to this site seem to go along with the narrative that Lovren’s absence hurts the team or that Cacic’s decision to leave out Lovren is an issue for the team. It’s not. Lovren was never a solid CB. I can tell you he alone was at fault for goals in past qualification (against Greece standing out). He never truly impressed except for the odd game against Wales or weaker opposition and for me he was labeled as up and coming for too long with no steady improvement. Factor in the whole BS with Cacic and I back the coaches decision 100%. Also I’ll call you guys Lovren apologists for the fact that most Liverpool fans think he’s no good and have thought so since they picked him up from Southhampton. I don’t disagree. Yea he scored the game winner against Dortmund in europa but his mistakes are too frequent and too glaring. Even if Cro’s D performs like Swiss cheese at this Euro I doubt anyone will say” if only we had Lovren.”
Snickers flavored Napolitanke would be great. Great idea.
I think out of all these insider predictions, Ante B’s are the most realistic.
They need to do Napolitanke with American flavors. Imagine peanut butter or Snickers flavored Napolitanke? Game changer.
Although after a night of boozing, I could easily take down a box of the chocolate dipped ones. God help the toliet the next day though.
Belgium Hrvatska is a match up I’m wanting to see happen. De Bruyne and Hazard v. Modric and Rakitic. Let the battle commence. I think Cro would come out on top as I don’t like Belgium without Kompany, an out of form Lukaku and a useless Fellaini. I like Cro’s chances against Belgium more now then a few years back.
I have Cro making it to the final, why not in a year where Leicester won the EPL?
Allen, I still think the Lovren thing is being played out worse than it is within the team.
with regards to Italy…they are a much more experienced team and have been without many of their best on several occasions, they will always beat Austria, they have they aren’t mental midgets that rely on a few players in particular…they win because they know how to get results when they need them.
I like how half of the people on the website has some contact with the savez.
Slavonac
Ongoing tension about Cacic’s ability as a manager. The squad has far greater issues than caring about Lovren. Cacic publicly criticizing a player without hesitation caused concern. Look at Rakitic and Cico Kranjcar talking about the incident on interviews. It doesn’t involve the players. Cacic’s man management skills is what are being questioned at the moment.
Without Verratti and Marchisio, Italy’s squad is average at best. If the tournament structure remained the same, they wouldn’t get out of group stage. The squad doesn’t have much offer besides a solid defense and goalkeeper. Nobody really knows who is going to start at striker.
it’s all about matchups. Italy is banged up and seems to be going through a transitional phase. Austria looks like a pretty solid side on paper. Every tournament has upsets, so that looked like a reasonable pick.
Actually my contact in the savez indicated the players respect and get along with Cacic. That is all that matters.
Cacic and the team will do well.
Coaching can go so far at The international level, most of these guys are at the level they are because they have the body the skill the head and know what to do
What can any coach tell Messi? Absolutely nothing. Not saying we have a Messi but u get the point Coaching at the club level far more important than international
And regarding respecting cacic and his qualifications so what? What kind of coaching qualifications did Zizou have ?
Any coach can pick a lineup. Most of here can pick the right lineup. The question about Druga Liga Cacic will be his ability to communicate a plan and then his ability to react and counter, when needed, to what the opposition does. Picking a lineup is the easiest part.
My insider inside the team and savez told me the team sent chocolate covered Napolitanke and orange Cedevita to the Turkish players. They’re hoping to diarrhea them out of the competition.
We all know Cacic isn’t Mourinho…hopefully he can pick a decent line up…Boys need to step up and take charge.
chance of rain Sunday afternoon is 50%
@Slavonac…..true, but Klopp has a resume. Easy to repect a guy like that than one hired without a resume and hired because of personal relationship with the man in charge.
Looking like rain on game day
My guy in the savez told me about a plot where the HNS is going to hire “contractors” posing as fans to fly a drone into one of the stadia we’re playing in during the game and the drone will be flying a flag that says Za Dom Spremni and the drone will have a speaker on it that will be playing Evo Zore, Evo Dana.
My guy concludes this will get the NT more stadium bans if not complete ejection from the the tournament and finally kill and shut-up all the nationalist fans we have out there.
Ziva, in my opinion…I think the guys probably know Cacic is limited but I also think they know and want to produce results, so for that reason, they are putting aside their personal thoughts and egos. with that said, he could screw the team if he negatively affects some of the bigger players like we saw with Modric and Kovac.
at the end of the day, I don’t think Cacic is brain dead, I just think he’s a different cat with not a ton of experience. I do give him a lot of credit for doing what he did with Lovren and even though I’d prefer to see Halilovic in the team, he had balls to cut him.
overall, he did well enough for me to push out Olic (whom I’ve always loved as a player even though he had no much skill…and he’s also a Slavonac), he did well to get rid of that peasant Pranjic, he brought in the only natural left back we have available and suitable, he’s openly told everyone he is fair but somewhat strict and he’s also lightened the mood by not being so militant like Kovac was. thats a lot of change in a short period!
Bravo Slavonac,
and good for Cacic, I doubt any tension exists with the team that Lovren is not part of it, they probably are all content that he is left behind
….to put the Lovren thin into perspecitve I’m going to add a paragraph for you guys to see how a coach responded to Perisic when he complained to the media…
“Next was Borussia Dortmund, where he produced some memorable performances and scored some great goals – like the scorching volley from outside the box against Arsenal upon the club’s return to the Champions League – but also fell out with Jürgen Klopp, especially after Marco Reus was brought back to Dortmund. Perisic complained to the press about not playing often enough and the coach answered: “Public whining belongs to kindergarten, not to the world of adults. If he doesn’t play, a football professional should shut his mouth, work hard and make the coach select him – not complain about it to the reporters.”
@slavonac……..I doubt they are asking that, but they might be questioning what a more respected coach would have done. Listen, I think Lovren is 100% in the wrong, but to think these guys don’t question the credentials of the Druga Liga Cacic is wrong. The good thing is that most of them are professional enough to still play for the guy.
Thanks for updates NITRO
I quickly scanned through this write-up and give you credit for the work you do…with the little I read, I have a few questions:
you mention that “The fiasco with Dejan Lovren has also increased ongoing tension”…what gives you this impression there is any tension based on Lovren’s absence? do you really think these players go to practice and games thinking, “I wish Dejan Lovren was here”?
Austria will beat Italy?
when was the last time Austria beat Italy in a competition…1960! I’m just curious as to why you would think Italy would lose to Austria when we couldn’t beat Italy. you think Austria is a better team than Croatia?
Nitro,
Maybe we see Srna as a RM and Vrsaljko behind him.
How about using Rakitic as a DM, Modric behind Mandzo, and Brozovic running like a maniac to help the two of them?
I just hope the boys work hard, and work as a team. We have the talent to make a dent in this tournament, lets hope everyone shows up to play.
No savez seat is better than a corporate sponsor seat
well my contacts in the savez aren’t as good as on the team…. i’m more of the age of the some of the players (at least the older ones), so i know them on a friendlier basis through the years…..the savez guys are a bit older…and a bit more standoffish as you could expect
You should feel left out. These guys in the savez are valuable as they hook you up with great seats.
to hell with your fifa religion brainwashing, learn something
https://redice.tv/news
Nitro
great you also have someone with a contact on the team, I feel left out, every second person on this site has someone in the savez etc.
hot off the press…i spoke with my buddy on the team this morning…and he says there is going to be a big tactical surprise in the opening game against turkey…can’t reveal just yet
in any case any people are wondering, i work in journalism…hence all my contact with my friend on the team
My favorite snippets over the last few days:
Spain loses to Georgia
Czechs lose to S korea
Arsene Wenger likes Croatia’s chances
Del Bosque when referring to Croatia’s great players listed Modric, Rakitic,Kovacic, and Halilovic. I think he just assumed Halilovic made the team.
Disagree it was not a fiasco with Lovren. Cacic did the correct thing. Our past coaches bilic, stimac and kovac would not have the balls to do what cacic did. I have them making it to the quarterfinals.