I’m not sure how many people expected a miracle, but Rijeka came really close to completing a draw away to AC Milan this evening at San Siro
Rijeka traveled to the Serie A club in their second match of the Europa League group stages with big ambitions, but little hope on their side, but the Croatian Champions damn nearly pulled off one of the most impressive feats in recent Croatian football memory.
Rijeka went down 2-0 after 52 minutes of play, and it very much looked like it could end that way, but Matjaz Kek’s squad held themselves to a higher standard and fought back, bringing the match to a 2-2 draw.
Rijeka came within one goal after Boadu Mazwell Acosty scored late in the 84th minute. Hope was alive and Rijeka pushed, ended with a penalty call inside the box. Josip Elez was brave enough to face the pressure and capitalized on his chance from 12 yards out, tying the match 2-2.
Maybe Rijeka celebrated too soon, or maybe it was too goo to be true, but the Italian giants awoke and scored a game winner during the fourth minute of stoppage time to take all three points and win 3-2.
Rijeka has nothing to be ashamed of and showed Italy and the world that they can keep up with the big clubs on the big stage.
@ Idemo
Agreed on in form.
But you have to admit that older, tired, uninterested legs were the issue in both Iceland and Turkey.
There is something about a kid in his younger 20’s that wants to prove to the world I belong on this level that adds a potent dynamic.
All the best NT’s blood a few young studs every qualifying campaign.
@zoran in all fairness we were given a tick tack PK
@bz it was a 20- something jersy maybe I mixed up
@soul i don’t think NT should discriminate based on age. If you can play, are playing, are actually good, in form is what matters
Kek would thrive with next level talent.
Rijeka #9 had a one on one with goalie in the very beginning of the match and couldn’t even put it on frame or slide it to a teammate ?
Not sure if that last goal was offside ?
You can tell Kek lined them up to win but a few of the players were not up for the challenge. Šteta.
Vlašić finish was the look of hunger personified.
You don’t think he can help us over the next 180 minutes ?
He played tough v Mexico as well.
Čačić has to survey all these young guys and discern which ones can come in and support the cause.
NT is for young legs. You need a blend of veteran experience but not at the expense of hungry energetic legs.
Mexico match should be rewarded for the few who performed reallly well.
@Maminjo- to level set, Bradaric has been called up several times, and is on the roster for Finland & Ukraine.
Either way, he didn’t do much today, I am not even sure the volley Idemo is referencing was him. I’d take his spot & add one of our higher potential players (ie Brekalo, Halil, And even super sub Rebic who scored again this weekend.)
@Idemo- I chalked no stop action to poorer coverage for eur league play, but in the one decent angled slomo replay he did look offside. That said, i thought the PK was a bit harsh after watching the replay too.
@ Zoran and Iggy – agreed. Fifa needs to revamp their offside rule.
Too often the attacking player’s feet are behind the defender’s feet or in line with the defender’s feet but the attacking player is leaning forward while the defender is leaning in the opposite direction and they are called offside. Last I checked it’s where you’re feet are and not if your limbs are past the line. Please correct me if I am wrong. Smaller teams rarely get the call, that’s just my observation when watching most games.
Well said Iggy
Hey, speaking of Rijeka – how bout some love for my boy Elez. He’s the best centre back in the HNL (for whatever that’s worth) but I don’t ever hear his name in conversations for call ups. Not the best penalty I’ve ever seen but when was the last time you saw a team let their centre half take such a big kick that wasn’t in extra-time penalties? True leader. Big balls.
I’ve said for donkey’s years the bigger teams always get the run of the calls for sure and it’s annoying as fuck, both in club and ESPECIALLY country matches.
It’s cos refs are cowards who don’t want to be associated with a match where the big team lost to a small team, they want everything to go to the script so either consciously or perhaps subconsciously they favour the big team, ala Brazil game in 2014 horseshite
Anybody see that stop-action replay they always show on close offside plays? No? Do you know why? It’s because Milan’s winner was clearly offside. I don’t need to see the replay to know that. One more thing I know: ‘little’ Rijeka isn’t supposed to beat mighty Milan, especially in Italy. It’s called paying your dues. It sucks but that’s sports. Hopefully Rijeka will get the benefit of those calls if they keep going deep into the tourney for a few consecutive years. I like the way they play and the atmosphere at their home games is fantastic.
We have plenty of left sided fullbacks in the HNL, and unpopular yet capable players in random European leagues (like Antonio Milić).
There are also players like Vida who actually play LB on occasion for their clubs and could act as an interim solution.
It takes a lot of courage and vision to call up and play a youth player or find this solution otherwise.
When we didn’t have depth back in the early 2000s, we used to always call up some random young player, and most of the time, they impressed.
Čačić himself found success against Spain and Mexico when he called up a bunch of youth players. Those were our two best games in recent memory, lol.
^ ^
It still couldn’t find us a left sided fullback.
Can we fire Cacic but give the job to Cacic’s moustache alone? IT can sit on the bench with a top hat and monocle making all the calls
I wouldn’t mind firing Čačić if it guarantees us that we hire Kek… but there are much worse options than Čačić.
Čačić actually knows how to pick an 18-man squad, and actually gets most of the starting lineups correct.
I would flat out stop watching national team games if we got another Kovač or Štimac in there trying to re-invent a square wheel.
Bradaric had a nice effort, sweet connection on a volley vicious power but unfortunately it was straight at Donnaruma
@maminjo
Agreed i think he’s our best realistic option, but do we fire Cacic if we qualify?
Screw off troll! Just an idiot of epic proportions!
To start the match, my model had the win probability for milan and rijeka at 80 percent and 10 percent respectively
But showed a 100 percent chance of an Italian team winning
Rijeka has terrible players and an amazing coach.
I can’t believe how unskilled every single one of Rijeka’s players are. Intercepted passes, bouncing passes, fanning on shot attempts and simple passes, bouncing the ball off of their own shins, running breakaways by kicking the ball 15-feet ahead of you and chasing it like an 8-year old kid…
I completely understand why nobody is called up for the repka from Rijeka’s squad. Dinamo, Hajduk and even Osijek have better players.
Yet somehow, Rijeka won it all last season, and are actually playing competitive football against European clubs.
Honestly, I’m convinced that if Matjaz Kek was the coach of our National Team we would make another medal run.
Complete heartbreak!
3-2 Milan in the 93rd
Pk for rijeka goal!
Penal for Rijeka
Terrible touch on a 1 V 1 from Acosty DONNARUMMA gets to it and deflect soft Acosty with some wild English to go in
2-1
Here you go iggy 10 mins left
https://www.reddit.com/r/soccerstreams/
Any stream links? couldnt find shit at buffstream but an empty page tbh
NIKOLA VLASIC!!! hungry like a lion, such a calm and composed finish!
And the fans throwing flares on the pitch…..idiots
2-0 Milan…..really poor from the Italians, Rijeka tonight dropped the ball
1-0 milan
I think Carlo will be taking a sabbatical, top 5 manager no pressure to dive in any half hearted projects
@gbvh. Thanks for the info on the tsn feed. As for the gofundme. I’m in!
Carlo Ancelotti !!!!!!
Hire him right now and let him lead us through the World Cup.
He takes it a way to lock down all his Croatian connections for future player transfers.
He takes a deep run in the World Cup.
As much fire as the original vatreni played with. It was lot easier when they had that intense and undisputed support from the fans and country
I would start a go fund me if not for the fact they would steal it
Just think if 1 million of us put a buck for new coach
Then give free admission to our games for a while to give back to the fans
We might just get some spark back:)
Do u guys really think we are just a proper coach away from taking the next step?
At this point I feel many would be up for a foreign coach
Kek has obviously done well. He may be the best sort of foreign cheap nuff coach we could have
@pog
quick…. start a gofund me, only way we affording him
Ancelotti needs a job!
Suker?..
buffstream.com for all of your sporting needs. HD streams
2-0 Rijeka.
FYI for Canadian viewers —– game is listed as being on TV on TSN5.
I’m going with 5-1 Milan.
ill give either of you a goal if you want to bet
Rijeka will BLOODY SMASH ‘EM !!
Forza Fiume !
King Kek to line up the knights to compete.
Just to see Rijeka in Milan is awesome.