Croatia faces Brazil on Tuesday, March 31st, in Orlando for their second international friendly match. Following a surprising 2-1 victory over a full-force Colombian side with a heavily rotated B-team, expect Zlatko Dalić to field something closer to the Vatreni’s strongest XI going into the World Cup this summer.
Dalić experimented with a 3-back formation on Thursday; however, this was likely to give playtime to defensive options Martin Erlić and Marin Pongračić, who will be relied on less and less as the World Cup approaches. Dalić shifted into a 4-back for the last 15 minutes of play against Colombia, testing the solidity of that formation with Vušković on the pitch. So, expect Dalić to return to our typical back four, with the potential for mid-game switches (3-4-2-1: Perišić can shift into LWB, and Marco Pašalić into RWB with a back three of Stanišič, Vušković, Šutalo).
On the Brazilian end, Barcelona star Raphinha is reportedly out for a month, and even Vinicius Jr. is rumoured to miss the match. Brazil also approached their match against France with their A team, so we might see some rotation on their end against Croatia.
Defense:
Without Joško Gvardiol, this backline is our strongest option. Luka Vušković is cementing himself as a guaranteed starter after just 3 international caps, having scored a weak-foot (deflected) shot from 31 yards out against Colombia. He followed this goal with a pretty impeccable defensive performance alongside two of our weaker center-back options. Josip Šutalo got no minutes against Colombia and has been in up-and-down form for club, but he’s always been reliable in the checkers and definitely offers more than Erlić and Pongračić. Note that Dalić might favour Ćaleta-Car, having stated in a press conference today that he views them as competing for a center-back spot alongside Vušković. Finally, the full-back options are between Josip Stanišić, Kristijan Jakić and Ivan Perišić. Perhaps Dalić slots Perišić in at left-back to shift into a back three during the game, but another extremely viable option would be to insert the Bayern defender on the left with Jakić in at right-back, who proved immense worth on the pitch in the World Cup qualifiers.
Midfield:
The best pivot with Mateo Kovačić out injured is definitely the Milan-Inter duo of Luka Modrić and Petar Sučić. I don’t really see what else could be done in this position.
As for the attacking midfield position, the National Team squad has an abundance of options. However, Zlatko Dalić will definitely be relying on qualifying top-scorer Andrej Kramarić in his preferred central role.
Attack:
Having Martin Baturina and Marco Pašalić on the wings here is some hopeful optimism from me. Marco Pašalić has yet to have even a mediocre performance for the Vatreni, let alone a poor one, and I genuinely see no reason not to start the Orlando City winger. Martin Baturina is exploding in Como right now, so play the hot hand in my opinion. He had some minutes off the bench against Colombia and looked alright, but let’s see him start.
Ante Budimir is confirmed to start, and he’s our best option up top going into the World Cup. The Osasuna striker has been picking up goal-scoring form lately, and Dalić definitely sees him as the number 9 right now. Between Petar Musa and Igor Matanović off the bench, I actually liked what I saw from the FC Dallas man against Colombia. Yes, Matanović scored, but that was mostly due to a goalkeeping mistake. Musa, on the other hand, got himself into threatening positions and struck two absolute missiles off the woodwork, having been very unlucky not to pick up a brace.
How do you see Croatia lining up against Brazil on Tuesday? Do the boys go full force, or should we keep the 3-back experiment and player rotations going?
Croatiansports.com prediction: 2-1 Croatia (goals from Budimir and Marco Pašalić)
Gvardiol is doing well, he’s is ahead of schedule and expectations are he could be available for matches early May.
As for the some of comments I’ve been reading about it’s over Vušković is now guarantee stater for WC.
Dalic will stick to his guns and his players he is stubborn. As I stated already I’m pretty sure at this point Sutalo and D-CC is his starting pair for the WC. I don’t agree with D-CC but the only thing we could really gain from this American tour is when and with who will Vušković play with and I think these games tell me as of today it’s still Sutalo and D-CC.
The same pair started against France both games in League of Nations and started against Czech in qualifying both games and now they are starting against Brazil.
Sometimes the answers to the test is right there. We all assume of course Vušković will start against England but if that was the case I think he would be starting against Brazil and D-CC would have started against Columbia.
It looks like the starting 11 against Brazil will be pretty close to 11 for first game in WC.
Understand the logic
But Majer nor Smolcic saw the field either
So if we extend the logic does that mean they too are guaranteed starters vs. England ?
Of course not, that would be silly
vs. England Dalic has inferred he’s going w a back 3 (by saying he definitely will go with a back 4 vs. Panama and Ghana – but omitted reference to England)
Vuskovic is the only Croatian CB (not named Gvardiol) that has played vs. Kane (twice) so it’s logical he starts vs. England as CCB in the back 3
Also given Tuchel keeps talking about corners, long-throw-ins, set-pieces, etc as CRUCIAL to scoring goals at the WC – and Vuskovic is BY FAR the best CB we have to deal with that (even better than Gvardiol)
The answer to the England test seems to point to Vuskovic as CCB
I think Majer not seeing the field tells me something as well, he’s so far the pecking order just like we all thought and most likely he won’t go to WC.
Just saying if your the coach and if you had vuskovic in your 11 for WC opener why would you not start playing him with the players who is gonna start esp since he has yet to play in the formation or players that will start in WC.
And based on reports it seems that we will play with 4 at back against Brazil and seems with most if not all regulars except Kova and gvardiol.
So yeah still early D-CC can get injured or not play rest of year at club or play terrible but right now back line is
Stanisic Sutalo. D-CC Gvardiol
And it is in line in terms of how Dalic operates, we’ll see.
@Vlad…
You really think Dalić won’t start Vušković just because he didn’t play him in the Czech game?
That game was 5 months ago.
Vušković has won four rookie-of-the-month Bundesliga awards, he’s leading in the fan-voted MVP award, and his market value has sky rocketed to 60 million Euro (with the biggest clubs chasing him).
Dalić is definitely stubborn but he’s not that stupid.
If he starts Duje, and we lose because of a “kiks Duje” moment, then Dalić will be fired.
However, if we lose because Vušković makes a mistake, nobody would fault Dalić for it.
@ Maminjo
I never said that Vušković won’t start because of the Czech game.
I said that fact that Dalic decided to not take this opportunity to play Vušković in a system we actually play with players that will start indicates to me he has yet to to decide that Vušković is a guarantee starter and is still behind D-CC.
I used the two France games and 2 Czech game as examples that he’s using the same pairing against Brazil as he has this last 13 months which is leading me to think he’s acting like he typically does and sticks to what he knows and what got him there.
There’s what we think should happen and there’s what actually happens.
Most people had Jakić as guaranteed RB well he isn’t and has never been first choice so why would people think it?
Most people said Gvardiol will or should play stopper well he won’t he’s our LB and has mostly played LB over last 4 years for repka so again do t think what will happen sure you think it should. Dalic has already told us where Gvardiol is playing.
And now all people are saying Vušković is a gurantee started when he’s yet to start in a back 4 for repka and dalic decided to play him against Columbia in a back 3 with a team that will probably never lineup like that again.
IF the starting lineup against Brazil is our preferred 11 minus Kova and gvardiol and he’s not starting then that tell me with two months to go the back line will be what Dalic has used in the last 2 years and he’s not gonna start someone against England he hasn’t started before.
And yes if it doesn’t go well he will be judged but who cares he’s has the money and the legacy he will do whatever he wants and his way.
Do we have any updates on the gvardi situation? Healing quicker than expected?
On the bpc157 which ironically a Croat doctor discovered in the early 90s in Zagreb
Is he really using that?
Are they allowed?
Here’s another version of the Dalic quote re: Jagusic
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Zlatko Dalić on Adriano Jagušić:
“I hope he will break through, he has character and understands everything. He’s a very interesting player, and joining Panathinaikos was his choice. I have no doubt he’ll fight for his place, it just takes time.”
######
So Dalic admits – he’s penalizing Jaga for going to PAO – and if he stayed at Belupo he would have had a better chance to make the WC squad
That’s a DANGEROUS thing to be saying – that’s why u get cucks like DDB running back to DZ instead of fighting in the Bundesliga (or Musa running to the MLS instead of fighting at Benfica for a spot) – just to try to improve their chances of making the NT
Players should not be penalized for taking risks outside the HNL/MLS – especially 20 y/o that have 1.5 year track record in the HNL (like Jaga who scored more goals in 1/2 season this year, than Baturina did all of last year at DZ) [nevermind a 24 y/o DDB and 28 y/o Musa] – they should be encouraged to keep developing at a higher level and supported during the transitional time (like Baturina was in Sep and Oct)
Otherwise you run the risk that most of the Croatian NT players will just stay in the HNL or go to MLS and take the easy route – and that’s not something we want
Franjo is another example of a player being penalized (but that’s also partly on him as he could have just stayed at USG who was in Champions League and he decided to take a lateral move for more $$$)
Liva
Jakic Sutalo Vuskovic Stanisic
Modric/Majer(sub) P. Sucic
Marco Krama/Vlasic(sub) Perisic/Bati(sub)
Budimir/Musa(sub)
Wow
Saka so arrogant he goes home
Madueke injured vs. Uruguay
Over to you Jarrod Bowen – hat-trick vs. Japan – please and thank you
Dear Diary …
“Yes, Matanović scored, but that was mostly due to a goalkeeping mistake”
If you look at the last 3 Igor goals – including 2 at club level – all three he was in the right place at the right time and/or got some “luck” (e.g. teammate shoots, shot gets deflected towards him, Igor angles his body so deflection off him goes into the net)
None of the 3 goals were “easy” – a striker needs to be in the right place at the right time and have that killer instinct/nose around goal to put the ball in – Igor should get credit for this
Musa also excellent technique in those two thunderous shots and Dalic highlighted his work-rate defensively which is always nice to see
If you’re going to say Igor only scored bc of a goal-keeping mistake (which Anonymous doesn’t agree with, the keeper is short and wasn’t able to leap higher, while Igor shook off the defender to be free in order to head the ball) then you have to be consistent and discount 3/4 of Musa’s MLS goals which involve defender and/or keeper mistakes (or laziness)
Fair. I wasn’t pointing that out to right off Matanović, i like him as a player based on my older posts. All I was pointing out is that it doesn’t make sense how some people are fighting off Musa on the premise that he didn’t score.
He did also have more opportunities to score, and really should have at least one goal to his name in that game against Columbia.
Writing off Musa…
Sutalo and DCC did not play in the match against Colombia so one has to assume that they will start against Brazil with 4 at the back. They will be the two CB’s with Stanisic as the LB and either Smolcic or Jakic as the RB.
I think everyone on this tour will get to play with the exception of Pandur and Letica ? small chance that Pandur might get some time in the second half.
My prediction for the starting 11.
Livakovic
Smol/Jak Sutalo DCC Stan
Modric P Sucic
Perisic Kramaric Baturina
Budimir
Normally, Dalić would play Mario over Marco at RW 99 out of 100 times.
But since Mario was completely invisible last game, I think Dalić may actually start Marco at RW.
Mario, if you love Croatia, Tell Dalić you aren’t a winger