Photo: Ante Čižmić/Cropix
The Croatian national Futsal team took on a stingy Ukraine side in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Futsal championship Monday night in Split, Croatia. The Spaladium Arena was rocking for this match with a sold out 11,000 fans pulling for their Vatreni and singing along the way. After an uneventful first half, Croatia finally got on the board with only three minutes left to go in the first as a shot was deflected by Ukrainian Denys Ovsyannikov for an own goal.
Croatia couldn’t keep the clean sheet in the second half and surrendered a goal with 10 minutes left to play. Regulation time would end with both countries tied at 1-1. After two five-minute overtime periods went scoreless, a spot in the semifinals would be determined by penalty shootout. Croatian goalie Ivo Jukić employed a Hulk-like strategy in the shootout, taking balls off the chest to save three of the four Ukrainian penalties. Croatia made all three of their tries, and to the delight of the Split crowd, will now play in the Euro semifinals. Croatia will meet the winner of the Serbia v. Russia match Thursday night in Zagreb.
CELEBRATION: Spaladium Arena went crazy after the victory, singing Thompson’s Lijepa Li Si in unison. Shades of Wembley 2007 are seen here, after Croatia kicked England out of Euro 2008.
Highlights, Shootout and CELEBRATION
Anyone know a good site to watch Thursday’s game?
Man, there is some bad blood between the Ukranians and Croatian futsal teams.
Stankovic didn’t want to shake hands with them after the game. The Ukrainian coach is saying that Croatians are tossing Ukrainian flags in the trash in a weak attempt to have Croatia disqualified for the semis.
Thank God we are not playing Serbia Thursday.
fantastic video!
ALL I CAN SAY IS GOOSEBUMPS!!!!!!!!!!! WOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!