CroatianSports.com caught up with Ante Ražov this past week at Stub Hub Center in Carson, California, the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, to talk U.S. player development, Croatia at the World Cup and his future as a coach in professional soccer. Ražov is a 1st generation Croatian-American and is the last college player to be called up to the U.S. national side. He is currently the fourth leading scorer in MLS history with 114 goals and is managing the U-18 Los Angeles Galaxy side.
Yes of course,the poor old domaci need to boycott home matches to send a message,but the Amerikanac is good to take the short trip to the Brazil WC and cheer “Ajde Hrvatska”as long as he does it in un-broken Croatian.
You talk about your joy of “Good theatre”in watching things go badly in say Zagreb, to send a message.Why not have no supporters at the WC then? This is THE big stage,imagine no Cro supporters at the opening against Brazil.Why do you say its fine?Because Ziva wants to go,thats why.I dont give a rats arse where you got your tickets.You always apply a varied set of rules for yourself son.You are more vile in that respect than any gold chain wearing diasporite! I find it shameful at times to call you sinko.Lucky your mama is a decent woman.
Boycotting home games sends a message about Puppet Suker and Mamic. At the very least it is embarrassing and people outside of cro can wonder why a team with some big names is unable to draw a decent crowd at home.
Plus, I didn’t buy tickets through the cro fan process for the WC, I got my tickets for the games via sponsors. Plus, Puppet Suker sold many of the tickets earmarked for cro fans to a ticket agency. Again, there is no need for fans to attend home matches for the repka until the shit is removed from the HNS.
As for the diaspora. They do themselves no favors when they come to cro wearing a gold chain around their neck with the grb or “U” hanging from it and then go on to butcher the language when ordering drinks, but in the next sentence claim they are true hrvati.
Do the domaci hate the diaspora simple as that?? I disagree.
Do some domaci get annoyed at times when they perceive the diaspora telling them how to act and think and what to do and how things should be?? That would be a yes,sure.
Look at Zivas recent comments for example,he justified taking a relatively short trip from the US to Brazil for the WC as being ok for him,but the weak and spineless domaci should be boycotting NT games in Zagreb and Split if they want to see things change,but the Amerikanac is fine to do as he pleasesc and then judge.This type of behaviour will always draw some ire.Thats just the way it goes.
Yes,but you are dealing with a tough crowd and he started missing some sitters in big games and European games during his lean spell and your record gets quickly forgotten.Then next thing you are seen as Tudmans Golden Boy.I think he got a rough deal and he found it hard to handle,this made his form at Dinamo harder to pick up.Then he went to Celtic and a very good Leeds team in England where he did well.
Viduka’s goalscoring record at Dinamo was 114 goals in 105 matches. Of course he was a golden boy.
Viduka did indeed play for Celtic.He was a very good quality stiker who was always respected by his coaches and a player who always managed to do much off the ball as well.
The reason why supporters of Dinamo turned against him was that he went through one of his lean spells and was missing good goal opporunities.He was then seen as Tudjmans special boy(Like Ziva with me) as Tudjman had contact with him during a trip to Aust in the 90s and was at least in part behind securing him.I am pretty sure this was the same period where he altered the name to Croatia Zagreb,so for Viduka,he became unpopular also.As for hating the diaspora plain and simple,I say no.
@Anonymous
Stop spreading nonsense. Fans seem to love Šimunić, Robert Kovač, Ljubo Miličević just fine when they played for Dinamo and Hajduk. Torcida, for some reason, even liked Anthony Šerić too and he didn’t even do anything.
They may not have liked Viduka, but they don’t hate diaspora Croats.
Viduka totally disrespected by Dinamo hierarchy and fans alike. He scored a lot of goals for them in a 3 year period but never got the respect he deserved. Croatian’s just hate the diaspora. Plain and simple.
@doktor prle
Celtic and Leeds. No way he played at Rangers. I don’t even think Catholics were allowed to play for Rangers yet.
No questions posed to him about the “Za Dom Spremni” chant? 🙂
All’s well that ends well.
Communist kids chased Viduka out of Dinamo. And he went on to have a great career at Rangers, etc.
Mark Viduka
@faux cro
He had the opportunity to play for Dinamo but a certain #9 for Dinamo at the time told to get the hell out of there. Politics man.
Sinovčić falls for Kalmeta. Josipović’s tentacles in action before elections. But Kalmeta’s too big of a fish… (no pun intended.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yz2FRfm4QTU
I know he was trying to legitimize Chivas and the MLS, but I was always weirded out a bit when he kissed the emblem after a goal.
He would have had a better career if he skipped college and worked his way through Europe via the HNS.
Oh well, if grandma had balls she would be grandpa.
I think the above interview is one of the best I have ever witnessed.
BTW
Congratulations to Ante Razov for securing his place in history as Chivas USA’s all time goal scoring leader.
His talents were wasted by the USMNT.
I don’t care either way, but I can’t see how anyone could tell if he was or isn’t Ante Razov from that interview.
@Mate,
Thanks for the feedback. Allen will be covering the NBA this year with his weekly “Croatians Around Europe” reports. I can barely keep up with the NBA much less European bball. I just don’t have enough time my man.
Hopefully, we can get approved for media credentials for the 76ers at Warriors game at the end of the month. Bogut is looking good so far this year.
Another arrest in Croatian Soccer:
http://www.poslovni.hr/hrvatska/uhicen-reno-sinovcic-284932
I actually feel bad for Ziva… One day, intentionally or not, his identity will be revealed and he’ll have a bunch of wahoo’s on here trolling his email address, Facebook, real Twitter handle, trying to find where he lives, etc.
Thanks @Ivica for the Saric update! Such a great young talent. @Denis you think you could give some reports of Saric in your Croats around the NBA? It’d be much appreciated
Ante is definitely not Ziva because Ante is from Skabrnja near Zadar. Also no way Dasovic is Ziva. He is way too much of a nice guy. I know both of them personally. Ziva is just an imbecile who listened to his commie dida too much.
I think at this point, Ziva is no “celebrity” personality, hiding behind some username. Pretty sure he’s a regular joe shmoe like the rest of us, except he lives the textbook za dom … spremni lifestyle we all strive for!
How does a post about one guy turn into a referendum about Ziva Istina.
Either way, I insist on carrying the cross for the site.
Ziva doesnt actually have any balls.
^ ^
I know he’s not, I just bust his balls.
didn’t poglavnik say ziva could be that can/cro soccer guy nick dasovic?
Nice to finally get Ante Razov on the site, long overdue for one of the most successful Croatian soccer players in the states. If you are reading Ante(Razov), what are your thoughts on the state of the HNS, Mamic, the fans, etc etc?
I had a blast playing against you at the Croatian small goals tournament in San Pedro. The highlight of my career was drawing a foul(no flop) from the great Ante Razov.
@Bobby,
I told you guys that Razov isn’t Ziva.
Well, that settles it for me. Ante Razov is not Ziva Istina.
Nice interview.
Mr. Razov seems like he has a good head on his shoulders. Nice to see fellow Croats succeed in the sports.
Congrats
“you guys lost” He doesn’t have Croatia in his heart, I think.
Sorry guys, but this is more important…
Dario Saric breaks record as youngest ever to win Euroleague MVP of the month award:
http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/235721/Dario-Saric-Named-Euroleague-MVP-For-November