While the Croatian squad is in Dallas training for Tuesday night’s friendly against Mexico, Ivan Perišić is hanging out with Ante Žižić in Brooklyn at the Nets-Cavs game Sunday.
Perišić, Modrić, Brozović, Kalinić, Subašić and Mandžukić (all starters vs. Peru) were excused by manager Zlatko Dalić to return to their club teams in Europe following the 2-0 loss in Miami. The question is: was the Miami match just a promo game to unveil new jerseys and play the full squad knowing that star players will be leaving shortly after? Or did veteran players make the jump last second?
There is more to this story than meets the eye.
CroatianSports.com will be in Dallas covering the team this week! Follow us on Instagram @croatian_sports for live coverage.
Did dalic really ask perisic to play lwb?
As per BZ comment
one more thing. on a positive note. a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, thats a curse for us…BUT the curse is also the blessing, in the sense that a football team can only function as a chain, if one part is not up to speed it diminishes space for the others. so for example modric really struggled against peru but there wasn’t a lot of movement across the team so what could he do? as soon as 2 or 3 players are substituted or are able to lift their game it creates a chain reaction across the team unlocking potential. I pray to God, let these guys forget their worries and egos and flow. Amen
i loved kramaric and pjaca when they came on. kovacic as well. its simply a better balance to have some young hungry players in there. that way the older veterans can sit back and control the game while the younger guys put in the energy. its not rocket science. i’d like to see rog involved as well
Coratia’s players are stupid.
“Just like Spain was the better team, when we beat them at Euro 2016, we were the better team in this game.”
Spain is a better team than Croatia, they have better players. Croatia is a decent counter-attacking team and hardly ever scores when teams sit back on them, they lack creativity. The way Spain played in that game suited us.
Long story short, Portugal beat Croatia by learning from Spain’s mistake. Portugal took away our only chance of scoring a goal, and Croatia were afraid to over commit in attack because of Ronaldo, we all saw (when fearing a penalty shootout) what happened when they did. Croatia having more possession means nothing, that, more often than not, benefits the other team.
Peru was in control of proceedings the entire match. It often happens when a team gets a 1-0 lead they sit back and try hit the opponent on the counter. We all know what Croatia has to offer when a team sits back and defends against them. So, when Peru CHOSE to sit back, while all you guys were watching Strinic, I was watching Modric. Modric sucked.
yeah. i’m still hopeful. what gets me is its not enough to turn up for important games. there has to be steady progress. because football is so much about rhythm so much about anticipation, that takes time to get right. like arsenal, sometimes like against bayern munich recently and a couple of times against barca, arsenal really turned up and played their best but didnt finish the chances because the strikers are not quite expecting the ball. thats why a certain level of performance has to be maintained so that the players can stay in that zone and feel comfortable at that level of performance. otherwise you tend to get a great performance but still lose, due to missed chances and a couple of errors at the back. then we say “oh we were unlucky, we played well” but its about grooving a high level game which becomes the basic level. that way when the team really turns it on we win against anyone. thats what the germans and spanish do. we have to have higher standards in ALL games, its important. IMO
Team spirit sucks! There’s no leadership. It’s like Mamic ripped their manhood at a young age. Sometimes I think the National team would’ve been better off if Rakitic stayed captain at Sevilla. Rakitic and Modric are passive to a fault. Like Crnkovic says, “no joy.”
@Crnkovic – Just like Spain was the better team, when we beat them at Euro 2016, we were the better team in this game.
I think Kramaric and Pjaca need to start, which I am on record saying for over a year, but to say we did nothing before them is very misleading.
We delivered about 7 perfect, non-turgid balls to Kalinic in dangerous spots, whose first touch failed him on all but 1 opportunity. Kramaric and Mandzukic, are simply superior players, and were much more effective with their touches.
Easy fixes, Kalinic sits. Strinic sits. Brozo sits.
Play Caleta Car vs Brazil, if he can play respectably, then we have a potential Slow Rusty Corluka fix.
If Lovre Kalinic plays well vs Mexico, we might even get an unexpected goalie upgrade.
no, thats a different brother
Crnkovic, is your first name Darko?
Crnkovic, great post! I agree with you.
I realise corluka strinic and vida are not playing enough for their clubs now..look at strinic..he has been dropped for sampdoria ever since signing for ac milan..not playing for past 2 mths.
Look at vida, he does not have the chance to play for besiktas despite pepe being injured..the coach would rather play a DM medel to play with tosic at CB.
Corluka is obviously back from injury..but he has the brain in defence..better than lovren..
Jedvaj is also out injured for a long time and seldom get to play too..
So now it is understandable they didnt play well against peru
they overthink everything they do. it makes the play completely turgid. football needs sponteneity, needs trust, needs joy. thats why its called PLAYING football, as opposed to OPERATING an angular predictive collective engagement policy towards potentially efficient methods of retaining control over the spherical object. FFS
we were the better team against peru? BZ that is so far from being true. we were dreadful. created literally nothing until kramaric and pjaca came on. the way we play is so depressing to watch. there is no sharpness of movement. NO JOY. thats what really hurts for me. there is no trust between the players, no telepathy, no anticipation, no energy. so so so robotic. ZERO creativity. they are way too aware of the individuals, its not about the players its about the BALL. and you see the latino teams? as some here call them. they actually LIKE football. you know soccer, football, the game??? they ENJOY it, they enjoy playing well. they enjoy linking up with their teammates for a 1 – 2 pass and go. they enjoy the roar from the crowd, they get excited. our boys look like they are involved in some kind of research experiment for croatian governments sponsored links to the uzbek mathmatical institute of angles and velocities. its just a disgrace. an absolute disgrace
My source tells me Perisic wanted to leave early cause Dalic asked him to play LWB.
Finally got around to watching the game. We are good fellas. The mistakes Dalic made are obvious to a blind man.
Biggest mistakes in order of importance:
1) Starting Strinic, formation change needed to stop forcing in a dud. Pivaric might be better but not by much.
1b tie) Starting Kalinic, Kramaric his obvious replacement.
3) Starting Brozo, Kovacic his obvious replacement.
4)Caleta Car needed to be on this trip, especially with Mitrovic & Lovren out. Mexico would have been a perfect game for him to get some experience. Corluka did make some decent passes, but he was out of position and slow as hell too often. Sounds like Dalic is counting on Corluka, so hopefully he csn get his legs back.
We weren’t bad. We were the better team, but then again, Peru didn’t even play their best squad. Strinic was responsible for both goals, so we have an easy fix.(The 1st goal clearly on him. On the 2nd he literally ran away from the only guy he needed to mark, watch him at the penalty spot, he moves away with nobody else to mark anywhere close.)
I think we have a decent chance vs Mex. I would definitely put money on it, given the current odds ( although not much money.) If we lose to Mex, at least I will get better odds betting on my beloved Dark Horses to win the World Cup.
Zizic has been doing really well with the minutes he’s gotten with the Cavs lately.
He’s pretty robotic, but man, does he clean up the glass and score those easy buckets well.
@Anonymous
I don’t believe there would be any friction between these players. I explained in the previous post how I believe these players would be very close.
Love it when the boys support their fellow athletes. Perisic is a straight up G…Klopp is a clown for letting him go
Anonymous,
The only friction is in your asshole. Get lost!
My guy says there has been friction this trip
you guys are trying to make an issue out of something that is not an issue.
So, Perisic cant attend an nba game while he has free time?
– source-
My guy in the savez
It was decided long ago