If the start of the NCAA tournament hasn’t provided you with enough upsets yet, well here is the one you’ve been waiting for: Hajduk Split defeated Dinamo Zagreb on Sunday at Poljud with a score of 1-0. This is the first time Hajduk has defeated Dinamo since September 14, 2013.
The two sides met each other only four days prior in the Croatian Cup semi final match at Poljud, with Dinamo winning 2-0, but the meeting on Sunday was a whole different experience for the competing teams.
Dinamo’s Marko Pjaca was unable to participate in the match after breaking his collarbone during the cup semi finals. This gave Angelo Henriquez the starting spot for Dinamo on top, but it made no difference as Dinamo was shut out by Hajduk.
Fran Tudor scored the match’s only goal in the fourth minute of play.
Tudor made an un-marked run up the center of the field and received a well-placed ball from Tino-Sven Šušić and beat Eduardo in a one-on-one situation for the goal.
Nikola Vlašić nearly doubled the lead in minutes later with a fierce shot from the edge of the penalty area. Vlašić’s shot ricocheted off both posts before being controlled by Eduardo.
Dinamo had several chances as well, coming from both Henriquez and Goran Schildenfeld, but neither was able to capitalize on their opportunities.
Hajduk kept up their initial open play and despite holding the slight minority in possession, had stronger control of the game throughout the 90 minutes.
Two groups of BBB traveled to the stadium from Zagreb, but violence erupted en rout to Split between different factions of the group. The majority of the BBB were stopped by police and sent back to Zagreb.
With the win, Hajduk still sit 13 points behind Dinamo in third place.
HNK Rijeka on the other hand now sit only 2 points behind the Croatian champions after defeating NK Inter Zaprešić at Rujevica on Saturday.
The 4-0 win for Rijeka was brought on by four different goal scorers.
Marin Tomasov started the scoring off early in the fourth minute of play with a curling shot from the top of the box.
Mario Gavranović followed suit with a 17th minute goal with a tap in from inside the six-yard box.
Miral Samardžić and Bekim Balaj rounded out the third and fourth goals in the 65th and 66th minutes of the game.
Samardžić scored an impressive goal off the volley after brining down a long distance cross with his chest and one-timing it in to the net from 18 yards away.
With the win, Rijeka now close the gap between them and Dinamo and will face Slaven Belupo in Koprivnica next week.
As usual when the Croatian Giants play, the Mali Derbi takes place between Lokomotiva and RNK Split.
The two smaller clubs of their respective cities drew 1-1 at Kranjčevićeva on Sunday with a score of 1-1.
Herdi Prenga scored in the 56th minute for the Lokosi to give them the 1-0 lead, but saw their lead vanish in the 76th minute after Petar Franjić tied the match up.
The teams split the points and remain within one point of each other on the table. Split sits in fourth place with 41 points and the Lokosi are behind them with 40.
Two goals from Muzafer Ejupi helped Slaven Belupo down NK Istra 1961 in Koprivnica on Saturday while two goals from Alen Grgić gave NK Osijek the win over NK Zagreb in the Garden City on Friday. The wins helped Slaven and Osijek distance themselves from the relegation zone, while the two losing teams dug themselves further into trouble.
do you guys hang around partying with cetnik serb whiskey salesmen like rakitic too? someone should put a bullet in his, severinas and ivanisevi’s back of the head too, then throw some serbian dinars and serb crosses on them, take a pic and tweet it,
Thanks Maminjo
@ARMADA
Don’t use Dinamo as an example. They are cursed.
Look at teams like Austria Vienna in 2013. They got lucky and barely squeezed by Dinamo to get into the group stages of the CL. Once there, they were only one point shy of making it to the Round of 16. BATE Borisov almost did it this season too, just one point shy of Roma. You even have Gent knocking off Lyon and Valencia.
Lots of bottom dwelling teams did okay in the CL (scoring a win and a few draws), and many finished third and continued into Europa.
Rijeka seems to punch above their weight in European competitions, and I think that if they ever took top spot in the HNL, they would make a decent run at qualifying for the CL (similar to how Dinamo always does lately).
But if they made it, they would probably do better than the 4 total points and multiple blowouts that Dinamo mustered up after three season in it.
Doubt it.
I think the games are televized on HRT2.
Don’t think the HTV site offers that one. You need to sign up for SaaN.tv
Just came across Hrvatska Radio Televizija’s website: http://www.hrt.hr/uzivo/
Does anyone know if you have to subscribe to watch the friendlies or will they show the games for free?
@ Maminjo
If you look at UEFA country coefficients, if Croatia get good seasons in Europe from Dinamo, Rijeka and Hajduk, they could potentially get that 15 spot and become eligible for 2 CL spots.
But let’s be realistic. Say we do turn in an awesome (fluke) European season as a whole (all teams from the HNL) and we do get that 2nd CL spot say the following year AND Volpi/Miskovic then put more cash into the team, make some nice signings, etc.
Rijeka would never come close to sniffing the group stages. Even with a better team than they have now, they would get murdered by the 3rd qualifying round, if they were lucky enough to make it that far. I mean, look at Dinamo? They get the cream of the crop in terms of young talent + they’re able to attract some B talent from western Europe and in the event they make the groups, they have trouble just getting 1 or 2 points.
Ideally with Rijeka, I’d like to see them win 1 HNL championship in my lifetime, maybe make Europa groups with some regularity and continue to build on their youth program so some of these kids I watch on the weekends actually does something worth a damn for the NT.
It’s a process.
The HNL is a small league, but it punches above its weight.
There is definitely a lot of talent in the league, but the only real way to make money today is to develop and sell these players to Western clubs. Low populations, low spending income will make it a difficult for any HNL club to make money on tickets, concessions and merchandise.
It’s good to see Rijeka get better under new ownership, and not have to hear about Hajduk folding every month, and teams being tossed for not paying players.
If would be nice if they continue to progress in the UEFA coefficient rankings and get that second Champions League spot. Not that we’d have two teams in the CL, but you never know. I’m sure if the HNL snagged that 2nd CL spot, Rijeka’s owner would drop some cash to get them in there. At least making a solid Europa run.
@ Maminjo
I mean, the HNL is a joke, but at least it makes these games watchable. Rijeka aren’t going to win out and take the title over Dinamo but Rijeka shitting the bed (again) will make for good TV.
As long as we finish above Hajduk (which is sorta becoming automatic the last few years?????) and play decent in Europa League, I’m set.
@ Anon
Smile away, friend. You did Rijeka a big favor! Hvala puno!
8 games left, and a 2-point difference. Hopefully Rijeka can keep it together for another three games until they square off against Dinamo at Kantrida.
That would be a great game to watch.
@ARMADA87
We are here, glowing, with smile on our faces. Just look around you.
Hajduk živi vječno…………………
ESPN 3 will be showing the U-21 Spain – Croatia match on Thursday, March 24, at 12:55PM EST.
jesus, you think Hajduk beats Dinamo for the first time in a few years and all the Hajduk fanboys would come out of the woodwork, cumming all over themselves..
and not one post! kinda dissapointed… i was expecting some whacked out, homer posts by now…