RNK Split will once again see European play next season as they squeaked into the final Europa League spot on goal differential.
Croatia traditionally sends four teams to Europe each season; one team to the Champions League and three to the Europa League.
First place always enters the second round of the Champions League qualifiers, while runners up enter the second qualifying round of the Europa League, and third place enters the first qualifying round. The fourth spot is normally held for the winner of the Croatian Cup, who head to the second qualifying round of the Europa League, but since Rijeka has already has wrapped up second place and will head to the Europa League, the final European spot is awarded to the fourth-place team.
Split edged out NK Lokomotiva in their final match of the season to clinch fourth place on goal differential.
Mate Bilić scored Split’s only goal of the game in the 61st minute, thanks to the hard work of teammate Henri Belle who set up the goal after fighting off two defenders on his own.
Lokomotiva answered back with a goal by Ante Budimir that came on the heels of Mario Kvesić’s defense gaffe.
The score remained tied at one, and the teams remained tied on points on the table, but with a +0 goal differential, Split remained above Lokomotiva in the league, and will head to the second round of the Europa League Qualifiers.
RNK Split have participated in the tournament once in 2011/12 and advanced to the third qualifying round after defeating Slovenia’s NK Domzale 5-2, but fell 2-0 to the Premier League’s Fulham 2-0 after holding them scoreless in Split.
Imocan
Better loko rather than those commies rnk split
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Check out the love for Martin Taylor on the message board of that video.
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Also, looks like Falcao may be pulling himself from the squad from what I read yesterday.
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Good ones.
Hoping Vela does go back to Arsenal.
He scored some nice goals there.
He’s got a great first touch.
Kind of reminds of this guy…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gu4OD7Ul0Y
Did you know this goal was voted the 7th greatest goal in Arsenal history?
FACT!
@poglavnik – I did consider Falcao, but, thought he still might play. Good ones with Vidal, Nasri – they would certainly be on the team.
PSG’s Marquinhos (Paris St. Germain, Brazil) Francesco Totti, (Roma, Italy) Carlos Tevez ( Juventus, Argentina) are a few more.
… and one player who I’m glad won’t tbe there (self-imposed exile) is Mexico’s Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad, Mexico) who was one of the top scorers in Spain this season. Looks like he’s going back to Arsenal.
hhahaha people actually want locomotive to succeed
@Bobby V
Samir Nasri (France) not chosen
Aaron Ramsey (Wales) didn’t qualify
Arturo Vidal (Chile) injured
Rademel Falcao (Colombia) injured
Chuco Benitez (Ecuador) deceased
Ronaldinho (Brazil) not chosen
Claudio Pizzaro (Peru) didn’t qualify
David Marshall (Scotland) didn’t qualify
Robbie Keane (Ireland) didn’t qualify
Alen Halilovic (Hrvatska) 😉
Anyone else?…
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/-untouchable–fifa–president-sepp-blatter-responsible-for-atrocities-in-qatar-171943680.html
These are heights of corruption that Mamic/Suker will never reach.
The World Cup is a great time to catch up with players around the World that you don’t get a chance to see often.
Of the players that won’t be in Brazil, this would be starting 11:
Peter Cech (Chelsea, Czech Republic), Silvio (Portugal, Benfica), Martin Skrtel (Liverpool, Slovakia), Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea, Serbia), David Alaba (Bayern Munich, Austria)
Marek Hamsik (Napoli, Slovakia), Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool, Brazil), Nemanja Matic (Chelsea, Serbia), Henrikh Mkhtaryan (Borussia Dortmund, Armenia)
Gareth Bale (Real Madrid, Wales), Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Paris St.Germain, Sweden)
12 Subs: Wojciech Szczesny (Arsenal, Poland), Robert Lewandoski (Borussia Dortmund, Poland), Aleksandar Kolorov (Manchester City, Serbia), Oscar Cardozo (Benfica, Paraguay), Christian Eriksen (Totenham Hotspur, Denmark), Arda Turan (Atletico Madrid, Turkey),
Lucas Moura (Paris St.Germain, Brazil), Kevin Strootman (Roma, Netherlands) Theo Walcott (Arsenal, England), Kaka (AC Milan, Brazil) Stevan Jovetic (Manchester City, Montenegro), Jacob Blaszczkowski (Borussia Dormund, Poland)
There might be some African/Asian players that I might have missed, but, this is the best I could come up with
Anyone that I obviously missed or that you would add? Thanks!
Anyone read about the floods in Bosnia and Serbia? I know they’re our enemies and blah blah blah but can we maybe get a fund rolling? I for one have family in Bosnia, all are Catholics and Croatian. It would be real nice if we can get some donations, I for one would for sure donate. We can make it out to the Bosnian Red Cross or whatever. I know people will proclaim me to be a communist but whatever.
I think this falls right in between STD proud and Stupid Sukar proud. This is “more popular than the HNL proud.”
Of course. Just depends on what level of “proudness”
There are differing levels. You have the “Niko Kranjcar about to bite into a Big Mac level of proudness”, or you have the “Vedran Corluka just infected another skank level of proudness” and don’t forget the “Puppet Suker I can’t believe I am the head of a soccer federation based on my low level of intelligence proudness”
No lie. It actually does. Should we be proud of that?
This website draws more eyeballs than a Lokomotiva or Split game.
Yep, I was right. Here’s the attendance figures for last season. Pretty sure Hajduk’s and Rijeka’s average will be higher for this season. Might be lower for Dinamo, but you get the gist of it.
http://www.worldfootball.net/attendance/cro-1-hnl-2012-2013/1/
Lokosi definitely have a lower turnout. Don’t even have to google it. I think the average attendance for a Lokomotiva game is something like 500, which is the lowest in the league. Split can draw closer to 1,000.
Nepoznat – Definitely agree. Would have much rather seen Lokomotiva get the spot. It’s their centennial year, they have a ton of great prospective players, solid coaching in Ivkovic, but they will have another good year next year.
even at that turnout they may beat Dinamo 😉
here’s a great question:
who has a lower average turnout for their home games? Lokomotiva or RNK?
without cheating and googling it, I wanna say that both teams average less than 2k a game but I wanna say Loko averages less than 1k a game….
no offense to Split and I typically prefer Kvarner / Istrian / Dalmatian teams but I would prefer Loko get the Europa League spot just to give those young guys some more experience / exposure