Op-Ed written by Peter Novaković
So all of us Croatians can breathe a bit easier now that we have finally qualified for the World Cup! We never seem to take the direct route from point A to point B so everyone is kept guessing and stressed out of our minds – but we eventually get there – and we did it again and our boys are going to represent us in Russia.
The big question is what can we expect from this generation of Croatian footballers?
We must all remember that this team, like our Country, is young. Our first team got admission to FIFA in 1994 and was ranked 125th! Since then, we have seen three different generations of players represent our checkers. Today we are ranked 18th. Over the past quarter century, we have experienced a rollercoaster of emotions that only Croatians know how to express.
The Golden Generation: our first players, from 1996 to 1998 are the generation that all Croatians use to measure the quality of every team that has come after. It was this team that put Croatia on the map. Finishing third in our first World Cup as an independent nation, which nobody has ever accomplished in the history of the world, proved Croatians were legitimate warriors. The world was ultimately shocked and impressed with this achievement.
The Croatian checkers would become synonymous for quality football and no fan of soccer could ever mistake them for anything but Croats. The Golden generation was led by legendary leaders like Boban, Prošinečki and Golden Boot winner Davor Šuker. Think about that for a few seconds.
The 1998 World Cup saw Ronaldo, Zidane, Beckham, Klinsmann and other huge stars of football beat by a kid from Osijek for the most goals; receiving the Golden Boot. What few people remember is that Šuker also won the Silver Ball in ’98 as the second best player at the tournament, only behind the original Ronaldo.
The ’98 team did not lose in seven games when Davor Šuker scored a goal in the World Cup. The only game they lost was to France in the semifinal. Lilian Thuram, a defender, who scored both goals that game to beat Croatia in the semifinal, never scored an international goal for France before or after that game, and to this day is the most capped French Player ever with 142 appearances.
This same team went to Asia for the 2002 World Cup and were a shell of the ’98 team. They got booted out of the tournament after three game, with their most egregious offense being smoking cigarettes on the sidelines during games.
But then came…
The “Almost Famous” Generation: 2000 – 2010
This was the core of The Croatia National Team that took us for rides in the early years of the new millenium: The Croatia of the 2000’s.
Croatia couldn’t beat Yugoslavia on the final qualifying day and missed Euro 2000. Croatia couldn’t beat Ecuador in the final World Cup 2002 group stage match to make the knockout round. Croatia couldn’t beat a soft Switzerland team at Euro 2004. Croatia couldn’t beat Australia in the final group match at the 2006 World Cup. Croatia couldn’t hold off Turkey for 120 seconds in the Euro 2008 quarterfinal. Croatia fell just short of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup after getting pummeled by England twice. This Croatia squad could have been famous. Could have.
This team was built on the backs of players we all know and loved to watch from their Portugal Euro Tournament debut in 2004: – Ivica Olić, Josip Šimunić, Igor Tudor, Dado Pršo, and the Kovač brothers from Germany. Niko was with Hertha Berlin and Robert with then powerhouse Bayern Munich. And let’s not forget 22 year-old, wet behind the ears, Darijo Srna. This team took a bit of time to gel, but never quite lived up to the expectations of the Golden Generation. You have to feel for them because they were so excited to play for Croatia and were expected to get us to the next level. The problem was that the rest of the world was now watching. The rest of the world was not going to get “Šuker-punched” like they did in 1998. In the 2004 Euros, Croatia did not win a single game. They drew with Switzerland and France and lost 4-2 to an English team captained by David Beckham.
In 2006 the Vatreni qualified for their third World Cup in a row and were seen as regulars on the world stage. The problem was that the Croatian team was like a box of Forrest Gump chocolates because “you never knew what you were going to get.” Croatia finished in 22nd place by not winning a single game, drawing two and losing one to Brazil. The big news we made in 2006 was that Josip Šimunić vs. Australia in a 2-2 draw was the first person ever allowed to continue to play in a World Cup match after receiving his 2nd yellow card. Šimunić finally left the field after picking up a historic third yellow card of the match in injury time by English referee Graham Poll.
The best accomplishment that the “Almost Famous”produced came at the 2008 Euros. That squad, captained by 36-year-old Niko Kovač, saw Ćorluka, Mladen Petrić, Niko Kranjčar, Jerko Leko and Ivan Klasnić, and included 22-year old Luka Modrić and 20-year old Ivan Rakitić.
The Croats started the tournament well with a 1-0 victory over Austria, and improved when Croatia beat the mighty Germans with goals from Srna and Olić, closing out the group with a 1-0 win over Poland on a Klasnić goal.
Then came June 20th, 2008 in what had to be one of the most heart stopping matches of the tournament. Croatia vs. Turkey in the quarterfinals in Vienna.
The game was a raging battle that produced a scoreless tie after 90 minutes. This is a situation where great players are molded and made stronger. Croatia went into extra time with sub Klasnić scoring a goal in the 119th minute with less than one minute to go plus two minutes of extra time – surely the Vatreni had to go through. The Turkish keeper played the ball himself to almost midfield and hit a “hail mary” long ball into the box. It was now in the 121st minute of play when Semih Senturk one-timed the lob with a volley into the back of the Croatian goal.
We go to penalties and guess who missed 3 out of 4 – yes, Croatia did, and I bet most younger fans would not guess correctly if I told you it was Petrić, Modrić and Rakitić that missed from the spot with only Srna scoring the lone penalty for Croatia. The Turks scored three and it was goodbye again at being the best Croatian side ever.
We didn’t qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and many players were too old and bowed out of national team play. We made some noise in the 2012 Euros in Poland and a bit of noise in the opening match of the 2014 World Cup against Brazil in Brazil where everyone knew the “fix” was in.
We made it through the group stage in the 2016 Euros and beat Spain only to fall to a listless Portugal squad, who eventually won the Cup by playing unattractive tactical football for 90 minutes, gunning for extra time and penalties in nearly every match. Portugal only won one match in regulation the entire tournament: their 2-0 win over Wales in the semifinals.
So that is where we are today as we head to Russia with the most in form players from this generation of Croatian footballers.
The BIG CLUB Generation – Gen $$$$$$ (2011-present)
Regardless of where in the world you watch soccer or who you support, there is one Croatian soccer superstar on the planet that everybody knows: Luka Modric! At 5’7″ on his toes and a mere 150 pounds, he is arguably the best midfielder in the world today.
Luka has become our Pele. Everyone knows him not for what he has done for Croatia but what he has done for his CLUB. For Real Madrid, his big club with big money, Luka has won several Spanish titles, and three Champions League titles in the past four seasons.
Pele won World Cups for Brazil, but most people don’t know the club he played for at the time was Santos in Brazil. Pele won three World Cups for Brazil in 1958, 1962 and 1970. They would have won in 1966 but the Cup was being played in England so the Brits, as they usually do to dangerous opponents, literally broke his leg and Pele was done for the tournament.
Can this group of Croatians in 2018, who play for some of the most prestigious clubs in the world win a World Cup?
Sure they can! But will they?
Here is where our boys currently play:
Luka Modrić – Real Madrid
Ivan Rakitić – Barcelona
Mario Mandžukić – Juventus
Ivan Perišić – Inter Milan
Dejan Lovren – Liverpool
Danijel Subašić – Monaco
Šime Vrsaljko – Atletico Madrid
Mateo Kovačić – Real Madrid
Nikola Kalanić – AC Milan
Marko Pjaca – Juventus
Marcelo Brozović – Inter Milan
Andrej Kramarić – Hoffenhiem
Ivan Strinić – Sampdoria
Marko Rog – Napoli
Tin Jedvaj – Bayern Leverkusen
Ante Rebić – Eintracht Frankfurt
The combined salary of all these players today probably surpasses the Gross Domestic Product of Croatia back in 1998.
They are similar to the 1998 team: Prosinečki/Modrić, Boban/Rakitić, Ladić/Subašić
There is a backbone that is similar with the 1998 team. This team is hungry from their Euro 2016 exit and now is the time to make it happen.
I believe that in order for our current generation to match up to the Golden Generation, they must win the Cup or at least get to the final. Anything less than an appearance in the Final places them just below the 1998 team.
I believe that the 1998 team played with a bit more passion, a bit more with their “Croatian”hearts; if I dare say that. Croatia was still a toddler on the world stage – just getting on our feet after the worst campaign of “ethnic cleansing” and war that Europe had seen since WW2. There was a sense of pride that went into wearing the Croatian National Team jersey. They played for our nation, they played for pride.
The BIG CLUB generation are not afraid anymore. They have beaten Spain and have battled with Brazil, Italy and Portugal. But they have also lost to Iceland and drew Finland.
This is the last chance for the big three: Luka Modrić (age 32), Ivan Rakitić (age 29), Mario Mandžukić (age 31). This swan song should be their biggest motivation because Father Time is heading their way and starting to count down the days of their National Team careers. While they may be able to eek out another Euro, this is definitely their last World Cup.
This is their last chance to get the monkey of 1998 off Croatia’s back!
Don’t you think there are nights where Šuker goes to bed and even though he is the Federation President – he deep down in his dark recesses of his brain say – we are good now but they will never be better than my 98 team?
Give it your all gentlemen -YOLO- now or never! WIN a WORLD CUP and let people say what they want, you will all go down as the Greatest Legends in Croatian Sports history and become THE BEST CROATIAN GENERATION OF ALL TIME.
GO OUT AND WIN THE F******* WORLD CUP AND DROP IT ON THE PITCH LIKE A MIC AND SHOUT “PEACE OUT” AND WALK AWAY INTO THE MIST OF SOCCER ETERNITY…………
(Peter Novaković has worked with the MLS, HNS and USSF for the past 20 years)
@BZ @Pog the wingback argument holds no water in a system that does not support wingbacks. And oh yeah, we don’t have any wingbacks. I would be on board if we could play 3 center backs but i can’t remeber that system ever being used by the national team. Even in that case, teams like Juve that actually play hay system have actual wingbacks like Sandro or Dani Alves in the past to play there. If the left side of defense is our leak then having perisic on that wing to protect Strinic is the answer. The answer absolutely is not to put perisic at LWB and god knows who in front of him because if you want to see a leaky defense that’s what you would do.
Don’t pick on Strinić-he’s a good player!ever heard of winning as a team,and losing as a team? Not a team player among you
Zdravko Mamič is a good man! Anyone who does not agree with this,quite frankly is Yugo
Mandzukič is the problem
Hey Ernest! Daffy Duck doesn’t play football you imbecile
^
Strinic at LB, that’s a great idea, that could work, he is a LB as well.
I was thinking Perisic at LB, what do you think about that?
@Traditional Croat, are you fucking high on drugs and medication? NO MORE porno-Heinz Vrsaljko at LB. NO MORE pivaric or pranjic. Did you even see how porno-Heinz played as LB at all? Do you WANT Croatia to lose every fucking game? WTF
Strinic LB, Vida CB, Corluka CB (when he’s fit for fight) & Vrsaljko RB. That should always be our line-up for defense. Mitrovic or Jedvaj could come in as a sub. NO MORE pivaric or any other half-ass moron to muck up our game.
@BS
It’s not about Jedvaj replacing Vrsaljko at RB, it’s about Jedvaj playing RB because he can, and Vrsaljko playing LB because he has. Understand now monkey?
@Irrational Croat- I sm ok with Vrsaljko at LB, but Jedvaj replacing him at RB is a huge step down. Jedvaj is an ok player, but we have semifinal aspirations, & he is not a semifinal quality RB. I believe a healthy Vrsaljko is.
1) I listed several reasons why Perisic would be an excellent LB. How many Roberto Carlos like goals has Strinic scored in his 40 something caps? Or better yet, how many Pivaric style goals has Strinic scored? Answer is 0. We need to get the horses on the field.
2) Oh and Yes. Mandzukic over Kalinic everyday all day…. But also ok if Kramaric plays over both.
Even if Strinic is in form at Sampdoria you say don’t pick him?
For me Mandzukic is a worry, the guy most of you are happy have in the squad for his defensive play and not his goal scoring, and now you suggest putting Perisic in defense so he can attack and score goals like Roberto Carlos.
By the time Dalic realizes Strinic is a problem, it is going to be too late. Cacic found out the hard way at the Euros. He got rid of his ass real quick, but Strinic just keep coming back like a bad case of Serbian herpes.
I don’t believe Strinic is as bad as some of you guys make out, but I do understand some people always have to have a whipping boy, someone fan boys can blame if the team doesn’t reach their own lofty expectations, but there’s a lot we could try before Perisic has to be stupidly considered as an option for LB, does anyone believe we have exhausted all our options in regards to the LB position?
Antonio Milic hopefully gets a chance in a friendly, he can play LB.
Jedvaj can play RB, Vrsaljko LB if Dalic sees Strinic as a problem.
Could Jedvaj play LB?
Even Vida at LB can be tried.
Perisic to LB in my opinion is a stupid call.
@Pog- fair enough.
Some interesting points but I would never do it.
Even without a talented left sided fullback managers have never tried it so that should tell you something.
I just think it’s way to big of a compromise.
Perisic needs to be higher up the field to pounce and lead our counters. We can’t have him picking up the ball in our 3rd for most of the match.
Why take one of our best offensive weapons and put him on the back line?
a}Because the modern day wingback IS an offensive weapon.
b) he is a beast of epic proportions. He is the only offensive player we have that can bully a guy off the ball better than any of our current backline.
c) he is incredible with both feet, ala Maldini.
d) he is best left footed and right footed crosser we have.
e) he can strike from distance ala Roberto Carlos. His post blast vs Greece this past game sure looked Carlos-like.
f) I’ll use your comment as my last point: “We had one of the best defensive records in qualifying yet prior to the 2 leg playoff we only scored 8 goals.” I agree, we were way too defensive. Imagine how many more goals we score with Perisic carrying ball from deep left. We move him back and still have room to start a guy like Pjaca, Rebic, Kramaric, or Vlasic (pick your fave winger that is on the bench when Strinic or Pivaric play.)
“You really think Perisic has the mindset to defend for 90 minutes and get goal line to goal line all match? What gives you that impression?”
I agree, he wouldn’t like it, but he does it. He is always helping on D cause Strinic and Pivaric suck. He pretty much played D in the last game vs Greece, and did it well.
“Strinic was sucky vs Greeks sad wingers”
Greece’s biggest offensive threat Zeca was on Strinic’s side for a lot of the 2 matches and did nothing.
“No lineup anyone posts with Strinic or Pivaric will EVER be better than one with Perisic at LB with a license to ill (ala Marcelo)”
Perisic is not even close to Marcelo, arguably the best LB in the world.
You really think Perisic has the mindset to defend for 90 minutes and get goal line to goal line all match? What gives you that impression?
@BZ
Why take one of our best offensive weapons and put him on the back line?
We had one of the best defensive records in qualifying yet prior to the 2 leg playoff we only scored 8 goals.
Sure our weakest links are on the back but defending as a team is not a problem.
Sorry to say it but I find your idea pretty stupid.
@Ernest- that’s the difference between me and you. While you are at home playing video games, trying different line-ups; I am out playing real soccer & thinking outside the box.
Post your preferred line-up @Ernest, @Pog, and @Idemo. I will show u how this works.
PS – @Ernest, you conveniently cite N Ireland’s style of play, but ignore how well putting a great winger at LB has worked for Real Madrid (going for 3 straight CL titles)
NIreland did a great job, maximizing their talent. The fact they sniffed the World Cup is impressive.
^ ^
Love this comment!
Reminds me of the people who called for Lovren at holding mid.
Okay, of all the stuff i have read on this site the Perisic at LB is now my favorite. That shit wouldn’t even work in video games. I know what we should do. Let’s take our most dangerous offensive player and quite frankly the only one that can take men on 1 on 1 and beat them, let’s take him and put him at left back. Then in front of him we can put Daffy Duck and never cross midfield. By the way, Northern Ireland plays a style that gives me acid reflux and makes Greek football look attractive. If we are taking punters from them then i have no idea what to tell you.
^^^^^ x2
U leave a Perisic sized hole in a midfield which already doesn’t have a right winger
@BZ – If you put Perisic at LB (which I couldn’t see them doing, just my thought) who goes in Perisic’s midfield/wide man position?
I worry about LB as well and Lovren about everything.
Do we have enough time before the world cup to transplant Ćorluka’s brain into Lovren’s head? We would be unstoppable at CB!
Regarding the Strinic conversation. Goes without saying, Strinic or any other scrub LB is our weak link. Strinic was sucky vs Greeks sad wingers, & will prove to be our demise this summer.
We need to do what Northern Ireland does with Chris Brunt. He has been a solid winger & attacking midfielder for years, but primarily plays LB for N Ireland.
If not for a great save by Switzerland’s goalie, Brunt almost blasted N Ireland into the World Cup, which would have been a great achievement for the small country.
No lineup anyone posts with Strinic or Pivaric will EVER be better than one with Perisic at LB with a license to ill (ala Marcelo)
Our strong group of forwards will waste away on the bench, if we keep starting a marginal player at LB (especially if Pjaca comes back strong)
I got us walking off the field
hehe i got france, cro, costa rica, saudis
http://ultra.zone/2018-FIFA-World-Cup-Group-Stage-Draws
Got Germany Cro Egypt SouthKorea :0
Poland Cro Tunisia Panama and Brazil Spain CostaRica Serbia 😀 😀 😀
Always an honour to be in the opening match tho so that’d be cool tbh! Russia did draw with Spain 3-3 overnight but i know friendlies are kinda so-so in terms of results and dont mean much
I’d take Russia but i think we’d be position 2a which means we play them in the opening match which usually comes with a Japanese ref…..
Poland, Croatia, Egypt, Panama please
LEL
Poland/Egypt/ anyone from pot 4 please.
So much easier being in Pot 2. A huge break, & great teams take advantage of breaks.
Brazil/Spain/Nigeria would not have been fun.
but in all seriousness, no boogie team in pot 3, if we were pot 3 we would have been group of death
MY MONTE CARLO SIMULATION SAYS GERMANY CROATIA Costa Rica Saudi Arabia
IF WE CANT BEAT EVERY TEAM FROM POT 3 AND 4 WE DONT DESERVE TO GO TO THE NEXT ROUND
lol that was a fail
POT 1 POT 2 POT 3 POT 4
Russia Spain Denmark Serbia
Germany Peru Iceland Nigeria
Brazil Switzerland Costa Rica Australia
Portugal England Sweden Japan
Argentina Colombia Tunisia Morocco
Belgium Mexico Egypt Panama
Poland Uruguay Senegal Korea Republic
France Croatia Iran Saudi Arabia
The official pots
http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/news/y=2017/m=11/news=pots-announced-for-final-draw-2920191.html?intcmp=fifacom_hp_module_news_top
@Croatianperson85 stfu retard
Great memories from 1998, I was 8-years old and visiting Croatia for the first time that summer from the end of May to July. I can honestly say that if it were not for that team’s performance in their first world cup, I’m not sure I would be as passionate about the repka as I am today. You can’t forget where you were, what you were doing, and your father’s reactions during each game. I remember visiting my Aunt in Karlovac and watching goal after goal against Germany, hearing nothing but cars beeping and fireworks exploding all night like we just won the final. Would love to see this team do something special like them, but I’m afraid there aren’t enough emotionally invested players on the squad. I still sense a few players are “me” first players and don’t feel the passion when wearing the checkers, but who really knows what to expect, we’re dicey and we know it.
which mall
I’m in the Hamilton mall area
Eric what part of HAMILTON do you live in
Italian coach a genius, taking a play from Cacic boke refuses to resign after a bigger emabarssmwnt than Cacic gets sacked and collects a check
Duplicate post my nuts, where is it !?!?!?
Kvartuc what’s the deal?
Duplicate post my nuts! What’s the deal?
Ballon d’or comment?
Like him or not Suker finished 2nd in 98 balon d’or to Zidane and won the golden boot!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or_1998
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_awards
Boksic finished 4th, no golden boot. Good player though, unfortunate with his injuries.
Bruce Arena would be a good hire
CS sports people – do you think there will be 1 or 2 World Cup draws this time ? I ask because it happened for the first time last World Cup.
For those who think it’s a conspiracy, it isn’t. It actually happened.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_FIFA_World_Cup_seeding
(Read the part about the France’s seeding).
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.goal.com/en/amp/news/3790/world-cup-2014/2013/12/05/4457253/brazil-pitted-against-italy-and-france-in-world-cup-draw
I understand there are conspiracy loons but on the other end you have other people who couldn’t make a decision or come up with a thought on their own. Connect the dots yourself.
We live in a world now where if it is not reported or shown on TV it isn’t real. Conspiracy theorists wouldn’t exist if certain institutions did their jobs and were not plagued with greed and misinformation used to monopolize power.
Ballon d’or comment?
Like him or not Suker finished 2nd in 98 balon d’or to Zidane and won the golden boot!
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballon_d%27Or_1998
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Cup_awards
Boksic finished 4th, no golden boot. Good player though, unfortunate with his injuries.
Hahah Slaven sup dude I’m sorry i apologize
@maminjo if he’s half of dirk I’m game
@idemo
Yea, Bender is looking elite defensively.
There are some crazy defensive stats out there with him.
His team is a ‘plus’ with him on the court, despite him shooting like 30% and being an offensive liability.
He’s also on the top-10 in the NBA in total contested jumpers. Top 10…and he only plays like 20 min per game.
His offense will come slowly, and he may not be athletic enough to blow by defenders and become a Dirk type of player though. His defence is already incredible. He’s hitting the 3-pt shot pretty consistently, so he’ll be a stretch-four at the very least.
He’s a high risk, high reward guy. Giannis was also garbage offensively and very inefficient as a rookie, and now the kid is the new LeBron. There are very few of these unicorn types in the NBA like Giannis, Porzingis, Simmons, etc. Teams are swinging for the fences and will jump on anyone that has this potential, like Dragan.
Hopefully that offence develops into something. If not, then he’ll be one of those super role players at least.
Hey idemo you should shut the fuck up for a while, idiot. You’re getting on my nerves.
Nope, certain statements are just kinda oblivious, sorry if that’s rude
Vlaovic was not good, i don’t know why you linked him with suker, wtf? He scored ONE good goal once in his career. He missed sitters all the time and was a mediocre player AT BEST. Suker was incredible, certainly the greatest pure striker i’ve seen in my lifetime – and im 36
What is with downplaying Suker lately? Is it cos of his HNS role?
The guy is our greatest player ever and one of the greatest strikers of all time. I’ve already said this but as someone said above, by 98 most of our guys were, to be honest, past their prime. We prolly should’ve done better in Euro 96 tbh.
The fact Suker won the golden boot and carried us to bronze even past his prime was awesome. To say he was a bench-rider at RM is dogshite, he was their main striker for many many years until 98, and this Andrej cunt is just taking that 1% of his time at RM as the entire sample size.
Get the fuck out of here. Guy is an abso legend and an amazing player, the greatest we’ve produced comfortably. Go look at his goals for Sevilla and RM, no Croat has ever/will ever be like that again.
It’s like saying “was Stoitchkov really good? Was Hagi really good? Was Pele really good? Was Maradona really good?”
Fucking imbeciles
I was about to say that the 98 generation had Suker and Boksic. But was Suker that good against good competition? Besides the world cup and Sevilla, wasn’t he a bench role at Madrid and Arsenal. Shitty that Boksic (former Ballon D’or nominee) didn’t play in that tournament. Arguably one of our greatest talents. Maybe guys like Mandza and Perisic are better than Suker and Vlaovic?? After all, I think we all know a certain Czech guy who made his name for scoring a lot of goals at one major tournament.
@anon….yes them as well haha.
^
He loves Gibraltar and Kosovo also!
@ Maminjo. You are right about Mandzo and certain teams. He usually flourishes against teams like San Marino and Moldovo, but sadly that’s about it!
@Rads
“The ’98 team did not lose in seven games when Davor Šuker scored a goal in the World Cup. The only game they lost was to France in the semifinal.”
Sorry Rads I missed a part. Could of been written better for sure.
@ idemo
Do you purposefully understand a fraction of my posts to make your point ?
The father has done a masterful job in facilitating his development.
This guidance has Croatian roots all over it.
bender 15 last night
6ers sign covington to 64 mil? what does it mean for saric
@Rads
“The ’98 team did not lose in seven games when Davor Šuker scored a goal in the World Cup.”
Did Suker score against Argentina?
Johnny Pesky of Pesky Pole fame at Fenway Park was a Croat. There are numerous players in the NHL right now with Croatian ancestry. Only Toronto and Melbourne have produced more NBA players (excluding cities in the US, of course) than Split. The achievements of Croats are legendary.
Just to chip in, I said Australia qualified by beating Honduras
The Aus captain is a Hrvat – Mile Jedinak, he scored all 3 goals
Watched HRT’s Dnevnik today and the first sports story was about Jedinak and Aus, hehe, was great!
So basically even now Hrvati still carrying Australia into the WC ! 😀
Peter just some facts you may wish to correct in your article:
1. Croatia lost 2 games in the 1998 World Cup (not 1). After wins over Jamaica and Japan, Croatia lost 1-0 to Argentina. We finished 2nd in the Group and got lucky as we played Romania next round who surprised England to win Group G.
2. Suker was not “a kid from Osijek” in 1998 unless you consider someone to always be a kid for as long as they are alive. He was 30 already and one of the most established strikers in the 90s.
Some other facts of that Golden Generation people forget:
1. We barely qualified for WC 98 and needed huge help from Denmark to get a draw over Greece just to get into the play-off.
2. We drew a fairly easy group featuring two other World Cup newcomers. Scores were tied in both those games at half and we needed a late goal to sneak by Japan.
2. We were dominated by Germany in the quarter-final until they got the red card. Then the game turned.
3. The generation failed to win 50% of their games. After qualifying easily for Euro 96 they struggled mightly for WC98 as mentioned and failed to qualify for Euro 2000.
These are all facts. In truth the 98 team was already past it’s prime when they finished 3rd. That generation would have been better had we been able to play in 94.
We’re in the World Cup… be happy. I know many Italians that aren’t too happy right now.
@ Maminjo – great post. Couldn’t agree with you more on Lovren’s fragility, Kramarić being closest to Eduardo, Brozo shooting while we overpass and Portugal getting away with anti-football. Hopefully Ćorluka is good and you’re right about his speed, it was always his positioning/timing and technical ability especially for a big man, that makes him good.
Spot on post in my opinion.
@idemo
Not trying to undermine the kid’s hard work…but there are tons of kids who do three trainings a day, and move to other countries to get better coaching. This isn’t uncommon. I personally know many who have done this.
But, to date, no kid in the US has been this good at his age. This kid is born with this talent, and the hard work is him maxing out on his potential.
There is definitely a connection.
@Croatianperson85
Yea, I think Corluka will come back pretty much the same as he was before.
He never relied on speed or athleticism. He was always kinda slow, but his positioning and timing were great. He won’t lose that.
The only tough part will be on Dalic and how he will be able to justify inserting him over Lovren in the starting lineup. Lovren is too fragile mentally to take a demotion and Dalic is one of those player’s coaches who tries to help his players. I’d bench Lovren’s ass, but I don’t think Dalic is that type of person.
As for Kramarić for Mandza and Brozo for Badelj….
Yes and Yes.
Brozovic is a tireless runner, who has excellent dribbling ability and isn’t afraid to shoot on net (and he’s pretty accurate too). He played awesome this past game in Greece.
Badelj is okay, but he sometimes loses the ball too often and he is allergic to taking a shot on net. I don’t have a problem with Badelj, but Brozovic is much better. So nice to see him back in central midfield where he belongs.
Kramarić is flat out awesome and is the striker that most gels with this team since Eduardo Da Silva.
When the other team puts on the pressure, he can drop back and play ‘keep away’ with our central midfield and wingers because he has that skill. Mandzo and Kalinic are good players, but they can’t dribble the ball and play this game with our midfielders.
It’s so nice to watch, and it gives us something that no other team in the world (except Brazil) has. I honestly can’t think of any other team that has six players (midfield and forwards combined) who all possess elite level dribbling ability like ours do. I don’t know how a team can truly plan for this (unless they resort to anti-football (like Portugal did) and hope they can get away with it.
Anyway, the only drawback with Kramaric is that he is definitely a bit selfish (you saw that in the first Greece game where he tries to score when in position, instead of passing) but I’m sick and tired of our ‘overpassing’. Glad to see someone try to score. Mandzo is good against certain teams, but overall Kramaric allows us to play our game better.
No doubt udba drove most of us diaspora to immigrate to peaceful country’s.. . our parents ancestors made the move out of fake Yugoslavia.. My point, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger in sports..i don’t know ..send more facts on how croatias neighbor’s are basically Satan reincarnated.
But according to soul champ there’s no soccer infrastructure in the USA, that whole situation you described about being priorized is the same in American youth soccer
This argument really really really really undermines the work that’s put in.that process is not easy, how many athletes say yeah it’s because I’m Croatian fuck no it’s yeah thank god than it’s all the hard work i put in
Yes we have a nack for sports, but like I said, that argument stands on a pinkey toe. How many full blooded Croats live in America and are terrible at soccer? This just stinks of that argument where people say “oh he’s foreign he’s good at soccer”
No it’s 3 trainings a day. It’s moving to Germany to get better coaching.
There’s absolutely no solid connection. At all. It’s a cool factoid small country great at sports.
@idemo
re: your comment..
“You keep ignoring my major question. There are plenty of people there who drink that salt water every day.
Why are every single one of them not that good. But a diluted water drinker makes it”
Read what I wrote again.
The corruption, nepotism and poor funding (or no funding) that have been in place in Cro doesn’t promote this growth.
They have it in their genes. Obviously not every single one of them are going to be superstar athletes, but a much higher ratio do, relative to all other countries in the world.
Problem in Cro, is that our top talent has to deal with being prioritized below the kid’s of those who have priviledge from their families. Natural talents like Ivan Perisic had to leave Hajduk, so guys like Andrijasevic’s kid could start. Tonci Gabric’s kid gets a roster spot for four years, yet other guys like Jelavic are told to go take a hike.
Every Cro athlete has to deal with crap like this (I know very talented guys that this happened to) and the second they step outside that, then there is an explosion of success.
There is no other group of people on the planet that produce this many top athletes from such a small sample of a few million. Nobody comes close.
But despite all this, we still produce some significant talent within Croatian borders. We, along with Spain, are a top-15 country in the four major team sports. On a per person ratio, we are actually more talented than Brazilians in football…and that country is poor where football is their only salvation.
This talent ratio is evident even in the Olympics (when this ratio stat was called out in the American media after we achieved 5 golds) even though we have almost zero funding for our Olympic athletes.
How many women in Croatia realistically train for the Javelin?
How about the discus throw?
I could probably count them on my fingers and toes.
Now compare that to the US, Australia, Canada, and all these Western European countries where these track and field sports are heavily promoted, funded, and people being provided full scholarships for…yet Croatia is the one with the gold medal in both.
I don’t think you understand how incredible Sara Kolak and Sandra Perkovic’s feats are. Sara Kolak’s own coach (from Slovenia) even said something along the lines of how much he is in disbelief at how little Croatia cares about funding for athletics training (even after these athletes win medals in European and World competitions). People were angry when Jakov Fak left Cro to represent Slovenia, but it’s pretty bad if even Slovenia can fund these athletes.
But Sara Kolak is literally just some random chick who picked up a stick in Varazdin and started throwing it…and five years later won a gold medal, against a world of steroid-induced angry feminist women who consider the javelin toss their lifelong careers, lol.
@Poglavnik
Let’s not forget Nikolai Volkov.
Yes and Nick Saban and Bill Bilichiek are the best American football coaches due to their Croatian ancestry!
….and we are missing one of the greatest of all time’s connection to Croatia. Diego Maradona’s paternal grandmother was Salvadora Kariolić (the daughter of Matej Kariolić). Matej was Croatian, from Praputnjak, the son of Gašpar Polić.
Lets also not forget Vana White.
Let’s not forget the late, great John Kordic.
@Maminjo – great lineup
Do you think Corluka will be the same at this age recovering from this injury?
Would you swap Kramarić for Mandza and Brozo for Badelj?
“What Croatia MUST do” ??? THEY NEED TO BOYCOTT
1992 silver medal in spain cro basketball team played the dream team USA.. the best team ever assembled from the NBA.. how can we overlook that legendary game..per capita of talent we basically were world basketball champs those past years.
Someone forgot to mention Roger Maris and a bunch of good cro pro basketball players..and pavelic on the us national hockey team ..1980 miracle on ice beating the Soviets.
I was thinking the other day, some of the similar sized countries in Euro as us have really fallen away
remember how Bulgaria made the semis in 94 and used to be good?
Or Romania with Hagi? Or Ukraine with Shevchenko?
And yet they all fall away, while time after time we qualify for major tourneys and have an impressive team. I’m not sure how we do it tbh but for some reason we’re mainstays up there with the major teams, at least in terms of qualifying
You keep ignoring my major question. There are plenty of people there who drink that salt water every day.
Why are every single one of them not that good. But a diluted water drinker makes it
To be honest with you, i never said those were diluted? Can you point it out to me?
Stopped reading at “just because you don’t know….” because you don’t know what i know; the conversation is pulusic.
@idemo
Actually most of the examples I listed are not diluted.
Viduka, Cuvalo, Miocic, Miletic, Sakic, Mahovlic…all of them are full blooded.
Also, just because you didn’t hear about them, doesn’t mean they weren’t great. Many of them were born and raised their entire lives under Communism where there wasn’t really much incentive to become a pro athlete. Others probably just became farmers. These examples above are from places the like US, Canada and Australia, where there are huge financial benefits to becoming an athlete.
If Mate Parlov moved to the US in the 70s after his gold medal win, he probably would have been in the US Boxing Hall of Fame. Instead, the dude ran a coffee shop till he died and you’re probably hearing about him for the first time now.
Same goes for a guy like Nikola Tesla. Do you honestly think if he stayed in Cro that he would have ‘made in’ for himself the way he did? He probably would’ve just ended up being a priest in his dad’s village, lol. Instead, he went to the US and pretty much invented everything.
Consider all the flaws in the Croatian system with corruption, nepotism and a lack of funds…we still manage to somehow put together a string of athletes out of nowhere.
There is no reason why we should have had three NBA lotto picks these past three years, but somehow we did. There are literally zero basketball courts in Croatia, no kids wanting to play basketball, yet we have Saric, Hezonja, and Bender being drafted in the lotto (and a few others in Zubac and Zizic with later picks).
Djokovic is a half Croat, coached by Croats throughout is life. Serbs have always been mediocre at tennis (always falling behind us) yet now they somehow have some all time great, and look at this, he’s half Croat, lol.
There’s something in the water over there in the Jadransko more. Whatever it is, I want some of it.
@Slavonac
Well, yea. Strinic even made a pretty big blunder this past game in Greece.
He committed a potential foul in the box early in the game. They were both grabbing each other, so the ref didn’t call it, but he could have easily called a penalty and it wouldn’t have been controversial.
This, to me, is a blunder. You have to be careful not to give the opposition a chance. If we are playing a ‘favorite’ in the World Cup…calls like this will go against you.
Look at Lovren’s blunder against Brazil in 2014 when he lightly put his hands on Fred. Everyone in the world knew that this ref was looking for a reason to give Brazil a penalty. Everyone except Lovren.
When it comes to making serious errors, Strinic is nowhere near as bad as Lovren..but he still makes a random stupid mistake or two. Having someone stable like Vida and Corluka nearby is a good thing. Having someone like Lovren next to him instead, worries the hell out of me.
If Wer using the heritage dna blood argument
why isn’t ever Croat that good? These Croats have full blood. This one is diluted
Nice team
Hopefully Pjaca is the same person
@idemo
True, but it’s still a pretty big damn coincidence that the best ever American kid to play football happens to be half Croat.
It’s not like this is an isolated incident. The ‘best ever’ athletes from a lot of countries just so happen to be full or partial Croat.
Best ever Aussie footballer is a Croat (Viduka).
Best ever Canadian boxer is a Croat (Cuvalo).
One of the best ever US mixed martial arts fighters are Croats (Miocic, Miletic).
One of the best ever Canadian hockey players are Croats (Sakic, Mahovlic)
Many of the best ever US basketball players (Hall of Famers) are Croats (Mikan, Havlicek, McHale)
Mind you, this is off the top of my head and doesn’t include the many other great players that exist on each country’s all time greats lists.
Pretty crazy coincidence that a country of 4.3million (maybe 8 million worldwide if you include the diaspora) could produce so many athletes, in a wide variety of sports, with many of them dominating the upper tiers of these countries’ all time greatest lists.
Hard work is important, but when it comes to professional athletes that hard works is actually only a component of it. Genetics are critical (both physical and mental genes).
Hence why you get so many pro athletes who only picked up the sport when they were like 10 or 12 years old, yet somehow became multi million dollar athletes (whereas there are many more hardworking kids who play these sports their entire lives and end up nowhere).
I like that lineup Maminjo.
I saw an article the other day from Otto Baric. He said that he felt Strinic seems to be weak defensively at times, making blunders (something to that effect) and turning over the ball needlessly.
…………Kramaric
…Perisic…Modric…Pjaca
………Rakitic…Brozovic
Strinic…Corluka..Vida…Vrsaljko
…………..Subasic
This is our best general lineup that plays to our strengths.
We would have a solid bench too with in-form players like Mandzukic, Kalinic, Badelj, Kovacic, Vlasic, Rebic and even Lovren (I guess).
Strinic despite playing well lately for Sampdoria is still a weakness at LB, but we have noone else. Lovren is definitely a weakness, but he can be replaced with Corluka. Having Strinic as our only weakness (and possibly a slow-ish Corluka) is something I can live with.
@soul
Forgive me, maybe my lack of biological knowledge is bad but didn’t Christian get half his chromosomes from KELLEY ( uber zds first name)?
There are plenty children in Croatia and Brazil with full blood and full genetic Croatian material why are they not ballers?
I think your point is ok, for a pinkey toe to stand on. Extremely undermines that kids hard fucking work and time put in by papa and the Germans
@Slavonac
Yes, benching Mandzo would be a problem. So would Lovren. Guys like Kalinic, Badelj and Kovacic should be on the bench too, but they would take it much better than Lovren and Mandzo.
Lovren should not ever start. Guys like Mandzo, Kalinic, Badelj and Kovacic should start only when we are playing to a specific gameplan (or if there are injuries).
Hopefully Corluka comes back and takes that starting spot. That will be a tough move for Lovren to swallow, and I doubt Dalic will do that to him. I can see this costing us dearly in the World Cup.
I loved seeing Modric, Brozovic and Rakitic in the midfield playing ‘keep away’ from the Greeks (even though the Greeks were pressing hard). Then seeing Mandzo and/or Kalinic join in and fuck up the pass, lol.
The fact that we have an equally technically talented striker in Kramaric and wingers like Perisic & Pjaca that would not disrupt this flow (like Mandzo and Kalinic would) is the reason I would start them.
Mandzo should just be up front and fed the ball. Same goes for Kalinic. Neither of these guys can come back and join the midfield in the dance, the same way Kramaric/Perisic/Pjaca can.
This is the value of our National Team, which is something almost no team in the world has. It’s like ‘total dribbler football’, where everybody on offense is a magician with the ball. The opposition can’t plan for things like this.
@ Idemo
Where is the question coming from?
Genetics plus slavery have had an effect but also modern day economics are a driving force as well.
I am more interested in studying the ethnographic under pinnings of why Hrvati both domaći and diaspora are so good at nogomet ?
This despite the gross lack of footballing infrastructure that our Western European counter parts possess.
The best players in AUS are always Croatian and now Pulisic is a generational talent in the US. Rakitic would have been the best Swiss player by far.
Who do you think out of our 24 years old and younger pool will be ready for Russia ?
@idemo
I would say yes.
Maminjo, I can see Mandzukic having an ego id Kalinic starts in front of him but I doubt the reverse. Also, It would be great to have Pjaca in form by then and have Krama in the middle with Mandzo and Kalinic coming in off the bench!
ok, first things first….never compare a guy that has .93 goals per game with a guy that has a .15…this is an apple compared to a banana! Pele could carry Brasil, Modric does not score enough to carry us.
for us to do well we have to take each of our first 3 games very seriously and prepare strategically and mentally. I think we have the team to go far but the main thing will be the approach of each game as well as the harmony within the team. there is no team in the world that doesn’t have a weakness, we aren’t unique. the best teams know how to limit their chances against them and make the best of their own chances…
I don’t like to worry about who our opponents are, thats a scary game to play cause often times you can think you’re through even before the games are played…or you defeat yourself…get nervous when the game is played on the field!
@soul champ
Are African Americans the best basketball and American football players due to fast twitch muscle fibers developed during slavery?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrFrLGcRioA
Euro 2008, Euro 2012 and Euro 2016 were very good teams capable of winning the tournament.
This is how important it is to have some luck on your side.
– in 2008, it was Turkey’s lucky hail mary goal that demoralized us (after we had narrowly missed chance after chance) and then we lost on penalties
– in 2012, we were unfortunately drawn in a group with the tournament winners and runners-up, and were screwed out of wins in both games by the ref
– in 2016 we were on fire, won the group, yet somehow had to play tournament winners in the Roud of 16 (who we outplayed, but (thanks to some non-football play and a poor ref who wouldn’t call fouls) we lose in extra time
It’s not to say that luck doesn’t go both ways. We lucked out against Italy in WC2002 when they had a couple goals called back in our 2-1 win over them.
Also, we were lucky to draw a penalty against Romania in France98 (even though we utterly destroyed and dominated them that game). That game could have turned out like the game against Turkey in Euro 2008.
We’ve just been unlucky in these past three Euro tournaments, where we could have easily gone very far with the form that those teams were playing in.
I think if we get a solid draw and are not matched with some elite caliber tournament contender in the Round of 16 (like Brazil or Argentina) then we will make the quarterfinals.
This central midfield trio (Modric, Rakitic, Brozovic) are too skilled to not dominate possession, and we have some crazy wingers in Perisic and Pjaca. If we continue to play Kramaric (ideally as the striker with these technical wingers and central midfielders) then we will dominate possession in every game.
Dalic’s test will be how he manages the ego of players such as Mandzukic, Lovren and Kalinic. These guys can be useful, but only in certain situations against certain teams.
But starting them every game will ruin our flow.
We really need a full scale technically-elite offense from striker, to midfielder to the wing.
Kramaric, Perisic , Pjaca, Modric, Rakitic and Brozovic need to all start. Mandzo and Kalinic should be used only in certain matchups.
Please tell me who ever thought that the Greeks or the Portuguese would win a Euro?(which most people in the know would tell you is a better, more competitive tourney than the World Cup)
My point is that it IS a possibility. Is it likely? Of course not.
It’s also not likely that you’re gonna win the lottery but you still play don’t you? It’s fun to dream…….
Comrades, the voices of the dead battalions
Of those who fell, that Europe might be great
Join in our song, for they still march in spirit with us
And urge us on that we gain the national state
Great article! For those of us old enough to remember the 98 team, it was the most emotional rollercoaster ride of our lives. The optimism, pride, excitement, was overwhelming. We felt like we could beat anyone, and almost did. We shut down the streets in celebration here in the Hamilton, ON area, and all of the other Cro communities around Toronto. This generation has more depth, and arguably the same amount of talent as the original Vatreni. If they play with pride, the WC final is possible.
I know this is not that big of a deal but why do a few people on here continuously spell Kalinic’s name as Kalanic? I would be satisfied with a quarterfinals appearance, but I’d really want to at least get 3rd so we can stop having to compare every team to the 1998 team.
Dalić has proven himself in three most produce results in a row.
Modrić up the pitch as the attacking pivot is a major plus. Obviousness aside this move has somehow eluded the last three managers and some posters on this site.
How Dalić evaluates the pool of players before he chooses the squad will be his next challenge.
He needs scout all the young talent and see who is ready to be called up.
I actually would never call up the core veterans for friendlies. They need the rest and we need to see which young guys can compete.
Old players NOT in form stay home.
@ Svima
Best players in US and AUS are Hrvati.
Pulisic and Jedinak.
Hmmm?
It’s all in the DNA.
Well Australia has defeated Honduras and qualified so my hopes of Cro getting the same group as Aus is alive and well !
@ Iggy,
Nah…cmon man.
https://www.google.ca/amp/www.goal.com/en-in/amp/news/modric-the-best-player-in-the-world-are-these-the-top-25/11cbcgx7058df10eizjj6jgsey
Cmon Ante there were some funny posts in here before u started deleting them dude
🙁
Pretty sure I’ll be disappointed anything short of the Qtrs. And if we got ko’d in the Qtrs I’ll be just as disappointed we couldn’t go all the way.
So quarterfinals is my realistic goal with the way the pots are lined up.
Mic drops, and references to mic drops, are gay as fuck.
Is this 2013?
I mean, i’m not expecting to win but im hoping for perhaps a QF or even SF, i guess similar to euro 2016, and i’d be happy
u never know tho once u get to the knockout stage anything can happen, i guess we’ll know more after the draw on Dec 1 when we get australia 🙂