Dinamo Zagreb finished the first half of the season with a routine victory over Slaven Belupo. Even though Slaven has been on a surge since former Dinamo coach, Ante Čačić took over, Dinamo came out victors in the last match of 2014 with a score of 3-2.
Marko Pjaca is coming off of his best match of his career after scoring three goals against Celtic FC earlier this week and continued his scoring on Sunday, putting his goal away in the eighth minute.
Duje Čop scored two goals on the night, scoring in the 45th and 60th minute. It is rumored that those may very well be the last goals Čop scored in a Dinamo jersey as he is said to be on the “doorstep” on his way out of the Modri.
But there is no bigger loss for Dinamo than the exiting of the man, the legend, “Big” “Za Dom” Josip “Joe” Šimunić.
Šimunić played his last match with Dinamo on Sunday and was awarded with a commemorative ceremony prior to the match.
Šimunić spent three-and-a-half years with the Modri, appearing in 116 matches and scoring eight goals.
The center back has been rumored to be heading to Bosnia to join current Bosnian Premier League-leaders, Široki Brijeg, but those rumors were put to rest and Šimunić will be retiring.
The Austrailian-born Croatian national said his final goodbyes on Sunday and exited Maksimir stadium at the age of 36.
Šimunić has had a colorful career in his nearly two decades of playing. Some of his most notable highlights include receiving three yellow cards in one match against Australia in 2006, his brutal red card against Serbia that saved a breakaway in the final minutes, and of course, his infamous “Za Dom…” chant at Maksimir Stadium.
A hero, legend, and an inspiration. We say goodbye to Josip Šimunić.
The official statement released by the club to Šimunić wished him best in his future endeavors.
“We wish you good luck in your future career and anything which you decide to engage in. We are sure that you will be very successful because it’s your way, the only way.”
Dinamo has finished the first half of the season undefeated, winning 15 matches and drawing only four, while scoring 45 goals and giving up only 11.
Hajduk Split finished the first half of the season in third place, 14 points out of first place. Hajduk won their final match of 2014 with a score of 5-3 over visiting NK Istra who will be entering the break in a disappointing eighth place, only one point out of the danger zone.
But the match between the two teams started and ended very dramatically. Eight goals were scored in the match, three of them coming in 12 minutes.
In the very first minute, Hajduk defender Zoran Nižić was accidentally kicked in the head by teammate, Damir Mikanović. Nižić was transported to the hospital in an ambulance and the match continued with Josip Vuković taking his place.
Mijo Caktaš scored the first goal for Hajduk from the penalty spot after Istra was called for a handball in the box. Sandro Gotal scored twice in the ensuing minutes, but Dejan Radonjić scored two goals of his own in the 45th and 51st minute.
Caktaš found himself on the scoresheet again after scoring his second goal from the penalty spot, but Slavko Blagojević kept the match close with a goal in the 87th minute.
But Artem Milevskiy sealed the deal for Hajduk and scored an insurance goal to capture the win for Hajduk.
Though Rijkea took down NK Zagreb at Kranjčevićeva, Andrej Kramarić was at the center of attention this week.
Kramarić, who has now gone four consecutive matches without a goal, is certainly on his way out this winter.
It’s a story for the ages; a young player finds his niche in the HNL and dominates with his goal-scoring ability and is then quickly sold to the highest bidder.
England’s Leicester City offered the asking price of 10 million euros, but it was turned down by Rijeka.
Teams rumored to sign the 23-year-old include Germany’s Borussia Dortmund, England’s Tottenham Hotspur and Chealsea FC, as well as several Italian clubs.
Rijeka will have to go on without their most prolific goal scorer, who has scored a stunning 21 goals this season.
This is a familiar story with the club as they were in a similar situation last season with the departure of Leon Benko.
Rijeka will enter the winter break in second place with 13 wins, three draws, and three losses.
NK Zadar is in peril and they were searching for their first win in 10 matches against RNK Split at home, and nearly found it. That is, until Split snatched a point in teh dying minutes of stoppage time to issue Zadar a draw to end 2014.
Coach Ćiro Blazević is also on his way out of the club. After 10 consecutive losses, the tenured coach thought it was time for change and will be leaving the team.
Zadar will be spending their winter in last place in the league with three wins, four draws, and 12 losses while Split rest in sixth place.
Some big changes could be coming to RNK Split come this winter as they have been rumored to be cleaning house come the new year and have named several players on the chopping block including Tomislav Dujmović, Henri Belle, Tomislav Glumac, and more.
Belle, who has been with the club since 2012, did not take kindly to the news of him possibly leaving Split, stating that Split was not a club, but a comedy and could never compare to the likes of Dinamo, Rijeka, or Hajduk.
NK Osijek are only in slightly better position than Zadar, but did not help their cause when they lost at home to NK Lokomotiva 2-0. Osijek is only two points ahead of Zadar and have the same amount of losses.
The 2014/15 HNL season will now enter the winter break, extending through Feb. 7. The teams will be staying warm by the fire and wait for the winter to pass before taking the field to finish the season.
Although Šimunić was born in Australia, he chose to play for Croatia instead of his birth country. But back in 2000 (He was playing for Hertha Berlin at that time), during the airing of The World Game on SBS television, Šimunić stated that he would like to return to Australia after ending his career in Europe.
http://www.eurocopa12.com/wp-content/uploads/josip-simunic.jpg
So true…..imagine that, so one names his kids after an individual they don’t even know. Man, some people are really that fucked up.
waitttttttttttttttttttttt for it……………..
“If a set of parents named their son after Puppet Suker, they have definitely failed their children – really a prime example of jocking sniffing at its finest”
@T-Bone
It tends to be, but there are a lot of names that are used on both sides. Even the right-wing Serbian president is named Tomislav, lol.
I read somewhere that Lovren’s dad was a soccer nut who named his two sons after Dejan Savičević and Davor Šuker.
(enter Živa with jock sniffing comment)
Go to 0:20. Lovren goes right in there. Interesting guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ig-21FiCoM
Isn’t Dejan a Pravi Srpski ime?
No surprise with Lovren. No need to be shocked. All the calling signs and signals have been present for a long time.
@ Maro
Yep, they figured they’d hire one of our very own to beat us. That plan ain’t gonna work.
@ IvicA
Serbian league has to downsize to 8 teams if it’s gonna survive at all.
@ Poglavnik
Reading that Raketa is at out form, it’s times like these I wish Modric was playing. He’ll be back in a’coupla months though. However, he has taken advantage of his free time to make a cameo as a Hobbit in the upcoming Hobbit film. 🙂
The clip isn’t up yet, but I was watching Liverpool in the Capital One Cup against some Championship side. Markovic scored his first goal for the club. Lovren pushes Lallana out of the way to hug and kiss him immediately. Ziva may be onto something….
^^^
doubt it
maybe Hajduk could readopt their old grb, joing the Serb “Super” Liga and finally win a title??????????????
people think the HNL is bad?
compared to the BiH “Premier” Liga and the Serbian “Super” Liga, the HNL and the Slovenian Prva
Liga look like La Liga and the Bundesliga compared to those leagues…
Simunic = Legenda
serbian league has already fallen apart, this is just the finishing touches to it
Look who is coaching in Group H – Žuti:
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/qualifiers/news/newsid=2190974.html
http://www.goal.com/en/news/1059/serbia/2014/12/17/7176772/fifpro-tells-players-not-to-move-to-serbia
The Serbian league is gonna fall apart. They’ll need to contract the amount of teans, like the HNL did, and aldothope to get a big sponsor like Deutsch Telekom to sponsor it too.
ZA JOE SPREMNI
The article is reaching.
Rakitić has been sharing minutes with Iniesta, yes, but definitely not playing second fiddle.
He’s also Barca’s leading scorer in the midfield with no one else really scoring any goals there.
Not sure why they would sell him off just to ensure that their 30-something year old midfielders would have to play more.
Rakitic done at Barca?
I hope so..
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/547281/Man-Utd-Man-City-Barcelona-Ivan-Rakitic
How about you give your number and I call you. There is plenty I can educate you on about living the “za dom…..spremni” lifestyle and not being a typical unaware diaspora hrvat. You can send me a message via IM on my twitter account. To be fair, I have yet to fully embrace twitter, but I am willing to engage.
There is a kind of a strange irony that Suspenion Joey said good bye in front of 600 or so fans.
That tackle against the serbs should be shown to every coach! Professional foul I think they call it.
Joe never let us down. I think he would make a great coach too.
Big Joe rules!
I know Ziva constantly calls his suspension a selfish moment but I prefer to thing of it as selfless, and I’m proud of him for doing it. The man should never have to buy another meal in his life when he goes out.
He’s all heart and I’d go to battle with him any day!
Not sure I could say the same for over half the reprezentacija…
Enjoy retirement Josipe.
You deserve it.
@Stef T.O
I’m sure Ziva’s first amendment would be to talk as much shit as he likes from the safety of his computer.
Good luck getting his number.
Joe was the rock upon which the defense was built, just like St. Peter was to the Church.
Hey Ziva just wanted to respond to your last comment on the Miocic post. You seem to have a negative response to everything Croatian rarely anything positive. I hate anyone that always has something stupid to say especially against supporting your own kind.
So I’m born in Cro and you as an American Croat please tell me your definintion of being Croatian. Also please include your phone number because I want to give you a call my friend. I think we need to have a conversation.
All the best to Simunic. Great player for club and country. Proud Hrvat and he showed it. They need more like him.
Good luck to Suspension Joey. I hope he doesn’t leave quietly and shits all over the savez and his teammates on the repka. Even though Suspension Joey had a selfish moment with the “za dom” situation, his teammates and savez did nothing for him and never stood by him and allowed the yugo scum to attack him.