Croatia’s U21 squad has been announced for their upcoming matches against Azerbaijan and Finland September 2nd and 7th – and it is absolutely stacked! Although it’s a relatively inexperienced squad, players on the team sheet such as Luka Sučić, Stipe Biuk, Mario Vušković, and Martin Baturina, are all projected to be starters for the Croatian senior side one day.
Bayern Munich’s 21 year-old defender Josip Stanišić has been called up to the squad after confirming his allegiance to the Croatian national team, along with Borussia Dortmund’s 20 year-old winger Marco Pašalić, who will most likely represent Croatia in the future. Lukas Kačavenda, Roko Šimić, and Marin Ljubičić will be interesting to watch in the final third of the pitch. All three attackers have performed extremely well in the past several months, showing signs of becoming excellent players in the future. Dinamo Zagreb’s Bartol Franjić may not be the most skillful player on the squad, but could end up being the most important due to his versatility and fantastic game IQ. Franjić is one of the oldest and more experienced players in the team. He started at left-back in Dinamo’s legendary 3-0 victory over Tottenham in the Europa League last season, replacing the injured Joško Gvardiol.
I hope to see this Starting XI:
GK: Ivor Pandur
LB: Bartol Franjić
CB: Mario Vušković
CB: Josip Šutalo
RB: Josip Stanišić
CDM: Marko Bulat
CM: Luka Sučić
CAM: Lukas Kačavenda
LW: Stipe Biuk
ST: Marin Ljubičić
RW: Marco Pašalić
Well better we have something to be excited about then not
I read an article about stanisic paying for extra personal coaching over the summer himself
And improved a lot
This alone tells me we will have a
Couple winners from this batch
Sucic, stanisic= Croat genetic talent with German Austrio professionalism
They are making smart career moves
I’m certain halilovic did nothing of the sorts at his age
Halilovic was a confused zlatan without the talent;)
He got sold like soem of the others too early and to too big teams
Better off the harder longer way so they grow slower like many of the ones with strong Careers
Luka, raketa, mandzo and so forth
This leaving Croatia at 17-18 to waste away is terrible business
They were sold with money on the mind not with the welfare of the actual kids
That’s the way I can best see it
Heck If hajduk dumped biuk somewhere for a quick 5 mill now
He could be wasted forever
Instead he may actually grow to be something special
There is that nature vs nurture aspect we always have to be mindful of
The paralympics Mascot is like a Croatian pokemon:
https://m.psecn.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000EH2IJDf8C5M/fit=1000×750/aflo-82570604.jpg
News Flash- we always have good talent- skilled kids who can play- nothing new- it all goes to the toilet when we get to administration and coaching at HNS level- will we ever learn? Great horses but no jockeys to be found- till we get out of the corruption domain and into professional development – we will always be the “what great talent with no coaching level in world soccer”- was 2018 a fluke- I say no but that is as far as team can go against all odds and with 3rd tier coaching.
CROTOWN…”was 2018 a fluke- I say no but that is as far as team can go against all odds and with 3rd tier coaching.”
if you ask me, we were the better team in the finals even without the best coaches.
I believe Croatia has talent…in the work force, in universities, in different technology and trades sectors….in sports as well. I’ve always felt we SUCK at the management level. we produce smart people, great athletes, creative people….but SHITTY managers that fail miserably at utilizing the talent!
We are perhaps too emotional! In Management cool heads prevail, a certain calmness is necessary, a certain dissociation or step back is necessary not to get caught up in the moment!
Totally agree- I don’t know why – at the soccer level I would say corruption plays a big part- agents push , guys take money- it’s like the socialism never can exit the door – it’s better but still a part of business there ,unfortunately.
I love the enthusiasm and optimism, but I think we need to temper our expectations here a little. I’ve read some stuff from Croatian media outlets that are less excited about this group. I’m not trying to be a Debbie Downer, I just prefer being pleasantly surprised rather than disappointed.
Honestly, who care what oujr U21s achieve.
If it’s at the detriment of our senior National Team, then I would rather they get bounced in qualifying than to progress to the tournament and use it as an excuse to prevent Sucic, Biuk or Stanisic from being integrated into our senior team for WC2022 and Euro2024.
Maminjo it seems like you’re one of the few not to CARE what the U-21’s do.
Maybe write Ante K personally to boycott any and all mention of our youth players,and their successes.
Wanting them to be bounced early for Any reason is treacherous and anti CRO!!
I have written countless letters to him, all in vain.
I have started a Bojkot HNS movement with Index and Holiga.
It’s called Bojkot HNS U21!
We’re gonna hold up banners of Biscan’s face with an X on it.
Ok you’ve scored a few points with your rebuttal.
A know it all with a sense of humor 👍🏼
Tournament experience, winning ko round games, going far in tournaments. It’s all priceless.
I agree with Becar, nice to see some talent but I think we all ride the hype train too much with all these players when at this age, there are so many unknowns….years ago people on this site we where calling Halilovic “Croatian Messi” among other things and were so worried he might not play for Cro. Marin was another player a few years ago that was can’t miss and now he is on loan at Sibenik. We have a longgg list of players in the past who we raved about and nothing happened with them. So let’s see what they produce before we start saying they will do something. Like Becar said, it is better to be surprised than disappointed. Let’s get excited and praise them when they do something as a team like qualify instead basing it on potential.
What’s the tea on this kacavenda kid??
He’s the only one I haven’t heard anything about.
I wrote about him in the Wingers section of the next generation series if you want to check that. He’s an AM/LW, good on the ball, great IQ. He plays for Lokomotiva, starts basically every game. Good talent to definitely keep your eyes on.
Thanks Markus 👍🏼
Nobody did until last spring when Toplak was desperate to keep Lokomotiva up and put him in the team to give the team some life. He and Simic played great and Lokomotiva stayed in the HNL 1. This year he is a regular started and has some great skills and touch around the net. Check out this cheeky finish around the 4:00 mark of this link.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KEj9tebfLww&t=294s
Our under 21 team has come so far. To think we couldn’t get out of a group until this year and just got through. We gave Spain a run for they’re money. Now with more prospects playing at bigger clubs, it’s only up from here. Only one win at European championships but improvement has been evident the last two tournaments. Our under 20 team made the 2013 World Cup and nothing since that. It’s funny, remember watching that tournament and Rebic played well and impressed me, unfortunately he does nothing anymore.
Now I wonder if we can do damage in a upcoming tournament.
I thought we had a good looking team on paper for the euros too
Croatians don’t get stuff done with paper, we get stuff done with heart. Why do we always play better against the big boys with our backs to the wall?
Down a goal in every 2018 WC knockout round match. Ties every game back up and won 3.
I don’t think I’ve ever been as excited to follow the U21 team as I am now. Some of these guys need to shine. Sucic is automatic. But Biuk is right there too. If he can’t score against his own age group, how is he going to score 10+ goals in the HNL like everyone is forecasting him to do so?
Pandur starts for Verona now in Serie A.
That’s another keeper who we have (starting in a good league) that we need to keep an eye on.
Yes I will
Can’t wait for the moment someone surpasses Livakovic
However Dalic wouldn’t even notice I’m afraid
I’ve thought that many a time before at a U level tournament
lets just hope this isn’t a good looking team on paper. the games are played on the field so I hope they can work well together and create a good atmosphere.
It does seem like this is a prospect packed team
Hopefully they start to gel and replace half the senior squad in a year;)
Hard to say now but do they look as good as the guys that came up with bilic were overall?
The only notable players that were on that Bilic U21 squad (that ever ended up becoming anything) were Kranjcar, Pranjic, Eduardo and Srna.
There were some other callups on that team, but largely obscure guys who were capped once or twice.
To be honest…it’s a success if you even get 4 or 5 players from an U21 team to become key players for your senior National Team.
These teams reset every two years, so it’s unreasonable to assume that a large chunk of these guys become anything.
It’s a good sign though that we have Sucic, Stanisic, and Biuk looking like they could make a senior appearance already.
It’s also a good sign to see Marco Pasalic and Roko Simic getting time with their senior club teams as well.
Does Pasalic get time with the first squad? I thought he was in the second or third div in Germany still