Photo: gnkdinamo.hr
An all too familiar start to the Champions League campaign for Dinamo Zagreb today as they fell 2-0 to Porto at Maksimir in front of a crowd that did not break 5,000.
The loss was not all bad. In fact, it gave me some hope for Dinamo in a sense that though they may not be a Champions League team, they did not get embarrassed either…yet. Sound familiar? This year’s campaign is starting out much like last year’s. Last season’s opening match began with the mighty Real Madrid visiting Zagreb, and only leaving with a narrow 1-0 victory. The result of that match made Dinamo fans all over rejoice, but we all remember what happened next. A stunning 21 goals later, Dinamo was in the record books for all the wrong reasons.
But Porto is no Madrid.
The visitors scored minutes before the first half’s end with a goal from 31-year old Argentinian international, Lucho Gonzalez’ tap in past Ivan Kelava, but the Portuguese champions did little after that.
Zagreb newcomer, Bryan Carassco, had a golden opportunity to tie the match with a free header that bounced off his chest, but the following half-attempt was batted away by the Porto keeper. Seconds before that, another near chance came from a corner kick where Tonel nearly put in an impressive overhead kick from five yards out, but that was also saved by Porto goalkeeper Helton.
Dinamo might have been outplayed, but the way I watched it, I saw no reason they couldn’t have salvaged a point.
Domagoj Vida continued to show why he no longer deserves to play at a club in the HNL and Josip Šimunić and Tonel stayed strong in the back line as well. Kelava was caught off his line several times, but came up big at the end of the game and made a huge save, only to be beaten several minutes later on a stoppage-time chip by Steven Defour, which solidified Porto’s win.
Today’s defeat marked the first loss Ante Čačić has suffered since taking over the reigns at Dinamo last December.
Dinamo Zagreb-FC Porto match highlights
Maybe this 2-0 loss is nothing to be ashamed of. Maybe Dinamo will be able to forget last year’s Champions League and move on and show their fans that they are more than just an HNL club. Maybe the modri can still take a point from Kiev, or come back and take one from Porto away. But maybe I just need to take my homer goggles off, pour a beer, and just enjoy the fact that I still get to finally watch a Dinamo game on my HD television for once instead of my 15-inch computer monitor.
“Last year? Yeah, we had a good opening Champions League match, and then fell in the rest of the season, but this season that will not happen, 100%” — Josip Šimunić
Dinamo: Kelava – Vida, Tonel, Šimunić, Pivarić – Calello (od 80. Kovačić), Ademi (od 58. Beqiraj), Brozović – Čop, Sammir, Rukavina (od 67. Carrasco)
Porto: Helton – Lopes, Maicon, Otamendi, Alex – Defour, Gonzalez, Moutinho – Varela (od 72. Atsu), Martinez (od 77. Kleber), Rodriguez (od 88. Mangala)
Strijelci: 0:1 Gonzalez (41.), 0:2 Defour (90.+2)
MAMICU CIGANE ODLAZI IZ SVETINJE
@zuti…….the game was on cro tv, it was not on HRT, but was on the all-spors channel. So the fans were able to watch, they had not interest in attending. And the reason it’s only Mamic that we talk about is because he is the only person we care about. I don’t care if there is a version of Mamic in every other country. Last I checked this is croatiansports.com. If I want to talk about the Kenyan version of Mamic, I will then go to Kenyasports.com. I don’t believe some of you in blaming the fans. The people not going to the Dinamo games should be applauded, supported and given the finest virgins as a result of their actions. Why support something that smells. The fans (and that is why the game is played) don’t like having a criminal element leading their club. What is wrong with that. I have no dog in this fight. I am a Hajduk fan (as a matter of fact I am the biggest Hajduk fan in the world according to the recent poll conducted by Hajduk), but I applaud Dinamo fans for their actions. Maybe you guys should ask yourselves why are the dinamo fans boycotting the games. There usually is a reason for a boycott. Now, do most boycotts???? No, but that is all the fans have at their disposal right now against this evil satan named Mamic. And this is their best way of trying to embarrass Mamic around Europe whe others see the attendance at Maksimir.
@ANTE B……hvala lipo!
@Allen
I’m sure the Leafs ownership would love to win the title (nobody’s saying they don’t), but they are breaking every losing record of all time when they “should” be the Lakers of hockey. They have every single advantage over other teams (with top players being born near the Toronto area, being able to offer the most money and praise, etc), but they just keep losing…and losing bad.
What’s the answer? Team Management is flat out incompetent.
Usually, when a team is run by incompetent boobs, the team loses, then suffers on the business side, and someone gets fired. This rarely happens with MLSE because they never suffer on the business side. The place is run like an old boys club where everyone is buddies with one another hooking each other up with new titles and jobs, and the team will always make a tremendous profit due to its insane fanbase.
Take the Raptors. You have the smooth talking Bryan Colangelo talking the same old nonsense every year about Bargnani being the next Dirk, and the guy is still one of the highest paid GMs in the league after seven seasons of flat out failure. He couldn’t even get his old Phoenix buddy, and Canadian citizen, Steve Nash to sign with the team on a crazy $12M per season contract, lol. In no other city would a guy like that survive for so long, and somehow still make the upper tier in salary.
Another solid example is Jay Triano. Jay Triano has been an assistant coach for the Raptors since 2002, humiliated himself as head coach for three years, then when they decided to address their horrible record-breaking title as worst defensive team of all-time by hiring Dwyane Casey…they didn’t even fire Triano and actually promoted him within the organization.
It’s just losers hooking up losers, and the same faces have been in that organization since ’95…but with different job titles every so often.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ziva is absolutely correct and is a voice of reason during my absence. Koliko idiota ima
lol I am not going to comment on anything but the Leafs/Cubs talk. At the end of the day, some teams just suck, it isn’t because the owners do not want to win or because they already make enough money. For example, whatever the leafs make (profit) during a regular season game, they tend to double that in the first round, and it keeps doubling as every series continues, the farther they go the more the tickets cost. The players do not get paid for the playoffs, it is straight profit minus the minimal bonus the players make (less than a two week pay during the regular season). The owners would love to be in the playoffs and win the finals, the profits would be crazy. They have a salary cap and they tend to spend right near the cap, so they are spending the money needed, they just have other issues, the owners wanting to win was never the issue. The just make the wrong mistakes when hiring a GM, and they continue too. Some teams just have no luck. Also let’s not compare the leafs and the cubs, the cubs haven’t won a title in over 100 years, Leafs have had a lot more success in the last 100 years than most clubs lol. Past 40 years, not so much.
I just hate the idea that some owners do not want to win the title. Every owner wants too, some cant afford to spend the proper amount based on economics, other teams just pure suck at making the right moves be it in the front office or on the ice/field/court….
ziva, the game wasn’t on htv.
you talk about the contracts players are forced to sign. however true this may be, that practise isn’t restricted to hr. in germany, believe it or not, there are/have been players with two passports that have been forced to play for germany or would have been sat on the bench with their respective clubs for the duration of their contracts if they chose “the other country”. football is a dirty game, but it is only mamic that people want to talk about. and i say shame on the people who boycott the games. you may not like mamic, but you have an opportunity to watch true euro teams play. DINAMO will beat dynamo, but will still end up bottom of the group and have the coveted hnl league and kup to play for before Christmas.
NEMA PREDAJE!
Does Laknat know Borat?
@IvicA
With the Rogers/Bell take over of ML$E, things may change. I won’t stay around to watch the sinking TFC Ship anymore.
As long as people go to games and pay the sky-high prices for tickets, parking, food, beer, ML$E has no reason to improve.
when hrvatska plays in osijek , it will be a packed stadium and a great atmosphere for our nation. no more of this zagreb-split bullshit divide. we are one nation and culture , forever.
Ivan Runje… pick him for alternative cro defense , kick Simunic!
It’s frustrating seeing some of these smaller clubs getting some favourable results.
I’m really hoping Dion can avoid humiliation.
I just saw the line up from Shakhtar Donetsk against Danish team Nordsjaelland(or something). Ivan Runje(20 years old) from Hajduk Split played 90 minutes as a centre back for the Danish club while Mario Ticinovic remained on the benck for Nordsjaelland. Srna played 90 minutes for Shakhtar while Eduardo remained on the bench for 90 minutes. Shakhtar won 2-0.
@salinovic……you can support a club without going to a game. I bet you the TV ratings were pretty good for the game.
you know what…. good fuckin’ job Dinamo, for making it 2 years in a row in Champions League. Never saw any other Croatian team do that or any Balkan team do that.. so you know what.. shut the f’ up and support your only Croatian team that will ever make it to Champions League… annoying 85% of you.
“time to die” for Cro if still Simunic in there !!
@Jelic
I love the Leafs. They are set to break every statistical category for Losing In NHL history. They have die-hard (and moronic) fans who sell out every game to the point where it’s flat out impossible to get Leaf tickets. ESPN rated the Leafs as the WORST franchise in North America, yet every Torontonian blasts ESPN for the poor rating (even though it’s aimed entirely at Leafs mgmt). That organization is brutal, and is the reason why the Raptor and Toronto FC will forever be losers as well.
That being said…it’s not like Dinamo is finishing last in the HNL every year and charges the highest ticket prices. Mamic definitely is a cancer, but not to the degree of the Leafs or Cubs mgmt.
“Hrvati u međuvremenu više nemaju ni za kartu nogometne utakmice, koju su mufljuzi iz Maksimira besramno poskupjeli za utakmice Lige prvaka u kojoj su se sinoć susreli Dinamo i Porto, baš onako kako će nam život poskupjeti kad bez gaća uđemo u Europsku uniju. Mamići se već odavno prema hrvatskom nogometu ponašaju kao što se EU odnosi prema Hrvatskoj. Uzimaju sve, daju malo. Dinamo će u Ligi prvaka opet nešto značiti kad od stroja koji mehaničku energiju pretvara u električnu postane Croatia. Ime Dinamo u istom je ideološkom rangu kao i Trg maršala Tita.”
http://www.hkv.hr/izdvojeno/komentari/nenad-piskac/12836-n-piskac-brisani-prostor.html#comments
Mandzukic surprisingly benched for Pizzaro. Muller also not starting…
@Jelic
An added bonus to what you said is the Leafs have missed the playoffs for seven years in a row.
🙂
There you go…..I blame the fans for continuing to go to the games and throw their money away. There is no added incentive for the Maple Leafs management to win. None!!!
I got one better for you Ziva than Cubs fans, Toronto Maple Leafs’ fans!
In the last 3 years the Leafs have net revenue of $243 million with the Montreal Canadiens a distnat second over the same period with $131M….
The Maple Laffs over those three years have finished second last twice and fifth last.
Licence to print money!
Bilić: Ćorluka nema kroničnu ozljedu, ali mu treba odmor…
http://www.24sata.hr/nogomet/bilic-corluka-nema-kronicnu-ozljedu-ali-mu-treba-odmor-282090
I highly doubt Mamic cares whether the Zagrepcani decided to boycott the game and watch from the comforts of their 250sq ft apartment – Mamic’s pockets are still getting stuffed more then Severina’s picka does at a Beograd koncert
Does anyone here know anything about Tomislav Gomelt? Is he still at Tottenham, is he progressing, does he have a future?
Mamic has maxed-out all potential of a shit-club and a shit sports situation in an insane country. All his criminal activity not-with-standing. He’s produced the goods. Consistently. And he’s made himself insanely rich in the process.
Dinamo barely making it to the CL and then getting trounced game in, game out – is Dinamo’s potential satisfied. And enough for the team to remain functional and for those that matter to get paid.
Whether or not *we* like him is a different matter entirely.
All any other team in Croatia can do is yearn to be Dinamo. That’s about it.
Ziva, ostavi se Maminha. On je za tebe nedostizan univerzum.
Colin…..do you know what the average salary is in Cro?
This is an embarassment for Mamic and Mamic only. Maybe he and Dinamo should be asking themselves why the public won’t support the team. I applaud the fans for what took place yesterday. Not all fans are dumb like Chicago Cubs fans. Look at them, they still deliver almost 3 million fans per year and their team has been a joke for years. What is the incentive to improve when the fans still follow you like sheep. If you don’t like how something functions – and clearly a majority don’t like Mamic, then why throw your hard earned money at it.
Yes, it was Champions League action yesterday, but its not like it was a high profile team that was in ZG. People rather watch Real-Man City in the comfort of a couch or bar stool on high quality HD than have to go to a piece of shit stadium and have to smell the stench of urine while watching a soccer game. I enjoy comfort.
Attendance against Osijek on Friday – 930. Attendance yesterday against Porto: 4,683. That’s like a 400% increase. I’m sure Mamic didn’t lose too much sleep. Plus, no BBB. I’m sure he loved that.
I for one see why nobody went to the game (Mamic, and those tickets were expensive as hell), but I say you still go. Who cares who they’re playing, and who cares about Real-Man City??? I didn’t. I went to a bar that had direct tv to watch the Dinamo game. Didn’t even hear about the score for the other games until they finished. It’s the Champions League! Go support your team! If you hate Mamic that much, go sing songs about hanging him like usual.
Plus, I know a lot of people who actually do love Mamic for everything he’s done for the club. Why don’t they go support him? Are people just jaded and I’m just a naive fan from across the sea? Pretty embarrassing. I’ve seen more people go to a Rays game on a Monday night against Kansas City than to a Dinamo game.
Delac has backed up more than Elton John has backed up into his partner.
Delac is the backup at Vitoria Guimaraes in Portugal
Antolovic is with Zeljeznicar
@AZ…….no clue about Antolovic, but Delac was never any good to begin with.
But, I have some good news. I can report with 100% accuracy that GPS Kelava made it home last night. It was a struggle, but he made it.
in terms of simunic, i’m a little more lukewarm than most about his belgium performance and still think we shold probably be looking for a replacement. simunic completely lost the belgium striker in the first half giving him a wide open header that the guy pulled a vida/rakitic on and wasted. then he made a great slide tackle to prevent what would have been a one-on-one with the keeper in the second half. but if he didn’t get beat, he wouldn’t have had to make a great tackle save. could have been arguably 2 goals off those plays alone
http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/top-news/official-milosevic-family-welcome-back-in-serbia/nSFTs/
Wow check out Milos daughter.
Laknat, shut up with the hate for Simunic. Give the guy credit. He played well yesterday just like he did against Belguim.
where is delac and antolovic? another 2 gk prospects go down the drain
fair enough
All credit to him for what he has produced on the field for Dinamo. But, he has made himself rich from Dinamo and he has made his supporters money from fraudulent contracts associated with Dinamo and Maksimir. Take a good look at the contracts he forces many of his players to sign. When they are sold he and his son make a nice load of cash, not Dinamo. In most cases that money would go to the club, but here a good percentage of the money is going to his family.
Add in his ass clown actions……so, why should the fans come out to line the pockets of an ass clown? I wouldn’t.
@ ziva. why so much hate for mamic? perhaps he is criminal, but shouldn’t you give him some props for the product dinamo has put out? they have surged ahead of hajduk in the hnl, they have made two champion leagues in a row, and they continue to develop the best talent coming out of croatia. all this despite what i would assume are fairly limited resources. i’m not hnl expert, but what more would one look for for him to acheive in that role? or is not a case a football achievement and simply dissastisfaction with the person he is?
GPS Kelava not only loses positioning in the box, he may have the worse set of feet in soccer. How many times do his clearances go straight up or dont even make it to midfield. Forget about him finding an open guy to start a counter. He has issues just connecting with the ball.
And, I’ll continue to say it….props to the dinamo fans for not showing up yesterday. This is a reflection of Mamic and his actions throughout the years representing Dinamo. It’s about time something like this took place. Does it embarrass Dinamo and make the rest of Europe look at Zagreb as “jadnici”…Sure, but who cares. I’m hoping they draw less than 3,000 for the Dynamo Kiev game. Plus, its much more comfortable watching a game in he comfort of my fortified basement than going to a crappy stadium.
to stupid with Simunic defence !!!
As a Dinamo fan it kills me to admit that if this was Hajduk in the champions league, Torcida would have created as atmosphere that would make headlines across Europe.
We may perform better on the pitch but our “fans” are embarrassing. Despite the Mamic corruption, you should always support your club.
We’ll finish with 0 points again but it wouldn’t be so bad if we had a atmosphere to remember… shame shame shame
“NE ZNAM je li Liga prvaka preskupa za Zagreb, ne znam koji su razlozi, možda to nije pravo pitanje za mene, ali činjenica je da je meni i igračima žao što na otvaranju Lige prvaka na našem stadionu nemamo veću posjetu i bolju podršku.” žalio je Ante Čačić
Well done Colin!
I dont see Dinamo picking up a point if Maksimir will be like it was today. That was disappointing to say the least.
As long as Pletikosa has air in his lungs he should be picked over Kelava for NT. Where’s that Delac kid?
First goal wasn’t “despicable”. He punched out a low cross when he probably should have caught it. There was a lot of traffic in the box, but he wasn’t out of position for it. He did seem to lose that gps a few times tonight though. The man needs to draw lines in the grass or something to help mark his positions somewhere. He just floats around the box like he’s caught in the wind. Hey, looks like I’m cut from my Florida league soccer club for the same reason. Maybe the two of us should pool our money and buy a better gps.
We’re happy because we have the best youth academy in the Balkans and rated officially as a top youth academy in Europe
I wish I could have watched the match to have more to speak to, but from what I’ve heard we didn’t play so horribly, hopefully a better result next game
Respect to Ziva, I like(d) Kelava but I heard the first goal was a complete debacle on his part…..God, please let Pletikosa play well into his 40s
Big deal if they have foreigners on the team. Dinamo is a club team, not a national outfit.
If you want Dinamo to compete in euro competitions you need foreigners to make the team better. Relying on croatian players will not get you anywhere in europe.
Now, if you want to invoke a policy where you will only play homegrown talent, that is fine. But, if you do that you can forget about any success in europe or even making it into the CL to be a punching bag.
Don’t know why Dinamo fans are so excited – take the foreigners off the team and you are Cibalia.