Andrej Kramarić scored an injury time equalizer Friday night to force a 1-1 draw vs. RB Leipzig. With the goal, Krama now has 12 goals and three assists in 28 Bundesliga matches this season. Not too shabby for the soon to be 33 year-old. (June 19th) More impressively, Kramarić will be going into Euro 2024 HOT, with four goals and two assists since April 7th.
Luka Modrić assisted and played 90 minutes as Real Madrid defeated Cadiz 3-0 Saturday to be crowned 2024 La Liga champions. Modrić received MOTM honors with a 8.6 FOTMOB rating. He also broke a HUGE Real Madrid record! Modrić made history by becoming Madrid’s oldest player ever to feature in a La Liga game. Aged 38 years, seven months and 25 days, the former Tottenham wizard surpassed fellow club legend Ferenc Puskas, who was 38 years, seven months and 19 days old when he last played in Spain’s top flight for Madrid.
Mateo Kovačić and Joško Gvardiol both played 90 minutes as Man City crushed Wolves 5-1 Saturday. City control their own destiny for the Premiership crown with 3 matches remaining in the season as they trail Arsenal by one point with a game in hand. Both Kova and Gvardiol received 7/10 grades from Manchester Evening News. Kovačič was “Denied a goal by Sa in the second half but another very tidy performance that helped City to tick in midfield” while Gvardiol “Keeps having an impact in the opposition box, even if it was a soft penalty. Has really grown into the role in recent months.”
Lovro Majer assisted and was given MOTM honors in Wolsburg’s 3-0 win over Darmstadt Saturday. He received a 8.3 FOTMOB rating for his 90 minute effort.
Luka Ivanušec scored off on odd deflection in his 57 minutes of action on the pitch in Feyenoord’s 5-0 win over PEC Zwolle Sunday. The ball probably would not have gone in without the deflection but Ivanušec had no idea what was going on during this play. Nonetheless, it’s his third Eredivisie goal of the season.
As MART mentioned below, Igor Matanovic turned provider with a slick assist and few minutes later, was brought down in the box for a spot kick in Karlsuher’s 2-1 win at Hansa Rostock. Despite not scoring, Igor was selected as MOTM by kicker.de — for the 3rd straight match.
https://www.sport1.de/tv-video/video/fc-hansa-rostock-karlsruher-sc-1-2-tore-highlights-2-bundesliga__43E43173-0FF4-4F90-AD05-F029851E5FE2
(slide to 02:35 for Igor’s pair of assists)
***
@Dannyj
Amen brother. Yes, praise be to God and Croatian genetics.
https://goalsarea.com/?p=7865/
Another fine display from Vuskovic.
Oh wow, that’s impressive. And it was at Legia Warsaw to boot.
Why did sucic come off at half for salzburg today?
krone.at/3364213
I guess he should be fine… according to Google translation of the above article, Sucic vomitted during halftime. If he hadn’t left the game, who knows, Salzburg might have been able to avoid defeat at Rapid Vienna (their title hopes are nearly gone now). Anyway it’s a relief to know Sucic didn’t suffer a physical injury.
Btw, well done Marin Ljubicic!?
Robert Kovac easily could have played for Germany as well. He was one of the best defenders in the Bundesliga in his prime.
Another brace for Marin ljubicic today….
Plz refer to Graham’s Hierarchy of Disagreement so you can learn how primitive and low IQ the Name Calling and Ad Hominem replies are – I wonder if most people posting have graduated kindergarten yet (plz only reply if u are able to Refute the Central Point i.e. top of the pyramid – thx)
wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Graham_(programmer)#/media/File:Graham’s_Hierarchy_of_Disagreement-en.svg
As I said – not one Germany-born but ethic Croat / Serb – not one – that has been desired / called up by Germany for their senior squad – has chosen Croatia / Serbia over Germany (in case u didn’t know Switzerland and Austria are different countries – plz pull out a map) – Germany has 4 WC and 3 Euros
Kovac brothers – not desired by Germany (Ballack > Niko) – so Croatia
Stanisic – not desired by Germany (Kimmich > Stanisic) – so Croatia
Aleksander Pavlovic – desired by Germany – so Germany (not Serbia)
Lazar Samardzic – not desired by Germany – so Serbia
Never-mind – Borna Sosa (Croatia-born, lol) – as soon as Germany came calling – RAN TO PLAY FOR GERMANY over Croatia – we took their sloppy seconds (once again) as we’re so desperate
Plus long list of German-born (or even foreign-born – like Sosa) who chose Germany over other countries (Klose, Podolski, Ozil, Gundogan, Can, Khedira, Boateng (Jerome – Kevin-Prince not desired), Musiala, etc)
Point being – Germany does not desire Igor Matanovic (they don’t take players from Bungeslisa 2, lol) – so Croatia
And it’s not like Igor had some inherent deep desire and passion to play for Croatia since he was born – Pletikosa and Kustic had to make several trips to him and his family over months in order to CONVINCE AND GUILT THEM to play for Croatia (anyone who really wants to play for Croatia – does not need even one visit – they take the first call from HNS and say “It’s my dream – I’m in !”)
total-croatia-news.com/news/sport/igor-matanovic/
Oh ok, so now we need to narrow the scope to “just Germany”, ha ha. Countries like Brazil don’t even count now, ha ha.
What about Ivan Klasnić?
In his prime, he was one of the top scorers in the Bundesliga and turned down an invitation from Rudi Völler to play for Germany.
Also, do you honestly think Germany wouldn’t have wanted Robert Prosinecki if they could have him?
…and what does having Michael Ballack have anything to do with Robert Kovac?
You claim that Germany does not desire Stanisic, Matanovic and these other youth players…based off of what exactly? Because you said so?
Why would Germany’s youth setup call up these players in the first place? Because the DON’T want them? ha ha
It’s actually a bigger risk for these younger guys to commit early. We all saw how Bayern pressured Stanisic and how he had to play things there.
Anyway.
My first example (Ivan Klasnić) collapsed your entire (and very Germany-specific) argument anyway.
Not entirely true Klasnic was called up to Germany but chose Croatia. He has stated this many times in interviews. Back then Germany was desperate for strikers as Kuranyi was there best at the time.
Question for our chatbot here. Who chose Germany over Croatia? Why is this even a discussion? Please name the player(s) who did choose Germany over Croatia because maybe some of us don’t know about them. And please don’t use Serbia as part of the discussion because Serbia is not Croatia (most Serbs are pretty firm on that point too).
Plz refer to Graham’s Hierarchy of Disagreement so you can learn how primitive and low IQ the Name Calling and Ad Hominem replies are – I wonder if most people posting have graduated kindergarten yet (plz only reply if u are able to Refute the Central Point i.e. top of the pyramid – thx)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Graham_(programmer)#/media/File:Graham's_Hierarchy_of_Disagreement-en.svg
As I said – not one Germany-born but ethic Croat / Serb – not one – that has been desired / called up by Germany for their senior squad – has chosen Croatia / Serbia over Germany (in case u didn’t know Switzerland and Austria are different countries – plz pull out a map) – Germany has 4 WC and 3 Euros
Kovac brothers – not desired by Germany (Ballack > Niko) – so Croatia
Stanisic – not desired by Germany (Kimmich > Stanisic) – so Croatia
Aleksander Pavlovic – desired by Germany – so Germany (not Serbia)
Lazar Samardzic – not desired by Germany – so Serbia
Never-mind – Borna Sosa (Croatia-born, lol) – as soon as Germany came calling – RAN TO PLAY FOR GERMANY over Croatia – we took their sloppy seconds (once again) as we’re so desperate
Plus long list of German-born (or even foreign-born – like Sosa) who chose Germany over other countries (Klose, Podolski, Ozil, Gundogan, Can, Khedira, Boateng (Jerome – Kevin-Prince not desired), Musiala, etc)
Point being – Germany does not desire Igor Matanovic (they don’t take players from Bungeslisa 2, lol) – so Croatia
And it’s not like Igor had some inherent deep desire and passion to play for Croatia since he was born – Pletikosa and Kustic had to make several trips to him and his family over months in order to CONVINCE AND GUILT THEM to play for Croatia (anyone who really wants to play for Croatia – does not need even one visit – they take the first call from HNS and say “It’s my dream – I’m in !”)
https://total-croatia-news.com/news/sport/igor-matanovic/
Kramaric is in prime form with his 12th goal, he has had one of the most lengthy stable high profiled foreign careers outside of Rakitic, and Modric. Croatia looking good. So is Slovenia, Benjamin Sesko, with his 12th goal with RB.
Luka leading Real Madrid to win his 4th La Liga title?! The legend grows ..
He needs to play farther up the pitch for us.
He is so good in the final third.
Now he can focus on two CL matches to take his 6th title !!
The training at RM will keep him sharp and ready.
A fresh Modrić for Croatia in Germany.. are we set to finally breakthrough at a Euro?!
Some high praise from Canada/Porto player Eustaquio that I just ran into:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz5zJR6jwAI
I gotta ask the question, what about brekalo
We talk about perisic. Orsic, pjsca, and pasalic on the wing
Are any of these guys putting up bust a lo’s numbers for hajduk?
I haven’t been following too much ( bogged down securing wifi for the yatch), but i looked the other day and saw he has one goal and seven assists in about 700 minutes minutes played (7.5 games).
I think his time has passed for call ups by dalic unless he lights the world on fire and justifiably so after the armband incident but just saying
26 man team confirmed for euros so if you look at it
3 keepers
Livi ivusic labrovic
8 defense
Gvardiol sosa erlic sutalo vida stanisic juranovic pongracic
8 midfield
Modric Kova Broz Pasalic Majer Vlasic Ivanusec Sucic
4 strikers
Krama Petko Budimir Perisic thats
23 who are other 3
From what im hearing in rumor mill and papers media Igor Matanovic is a guy Dalic wants to call up. Other candidates Pasalic Pjaca Orsic Baturina who guys thinks makes the squad.
Matanovic overnight had an assist and was brought down in the box for a spot kick. I think that he will be called up if either Budimir or Petkovic gets injured. I would like to see Orsic there, but the guy has only played about 30 minutes so far on his return from his knee injury.
Matanovic…. I know he didn’t come from no where, but talk about someone who no one here would have picked to be on the euro squad from last year this time
Let’s hope he is the next Croat hope!!
He definitely fits the type
Guys, we are really low key heating up
We have guys almost in every spot playing big spots on quality teams at the right time
And some depth to cover
Praise be to God and Croatian genetics
Yeah and every player on the squad has the fitness level to compete for a full 90 minutes, even the older guys Modrić, Kramarić, and Vida. Two keepers (at least) who know how to save PKs. Two full lineups of players who can contribute at an elite level.
Would not include Vida in that statement, got about the same speed as Wout Weghorst.
Not just that, he wouldn’t be able to outpace players from the masters division of the Australian-Croatian Soccer Tournament.
Anyone else read about Halilović’s statements in January? It seems like he’s finally grown up. Like many kids, he trusted his father’s opinion too much:
https://www.sportbible.com/football/la-liga/fc-barcelona/alen-halilovic-lionel-messi-barcelona-new-club-554687-20240117
Good for Alen that he’s finally playing well and that he learned from his past mistakes with the Saudi thing.
Had to learn the hard way.
I’m sure his mother used to yell at his father with words like “Bosanska glava!” with a young Alen wondering what she meant by that.
I guess it all makes sense now, with his father wrecking his career. Shoulda listened to Mama.
Mama or mamic?;)
Good point.
Alen went 0 for 2 there.
He’s still only 27. If he keeps growing up, who knows! Maybe he’ll actually turn out to be great.
He’s not even the best Halilović out there.
His cousin Tibor Halilović is a better player and has had a better career so far.