A wild, wild, wild finish in Rijeka! You have to watch the highlights below to believe it.
This Croatian Cup game between Rijeka and Hajduk had it all! And ultimately, Hajduk coughed up the game after leading in the 95th minute.
This game had not one, not two, but three injury time goals to decide its fate (95′, 108′, 110′). And remember, this was a regular 90-minute match that did not have extra time. It had penalties. It had VAR controversy. It had saved shots from the penalty spot. Flares. Stoppages. Everything.
Look, I’m a Hajduk guy and I will always cheer for them. But man, year after year, they have a game that could be labeled “Comedy of Errors” and that would be an understatement. This one goes up there with losing to Albanian side Dinamo City in Conference League last year. So bad. What is the deal? That’s a serious question I have at this point.
Igor getting fired after the game (if not at HT)
Solanke scored to put them up 1-0
Next minute – Mickey deliberates whiffs a clearance then drags down a player for a red card / penalty (he wants to leave end of season and Sp*rs getting relegated assures him of that) – 1-1
Two more goals for Palace (world class vision/passes by Adam Wharton – wow)
3-1 at HT
#ProjectIgorRelegatesTttenhamSoLukaVuskovicCanGoToMadrid
Igor’s line up in
4 changes from Fulham
Out
Dragusin, XAVI (wow), Gallagher, Bissouma
In
Danso, Souza (19 y/o Brazilian LB), Sarr, Tel
Will try to catch some of the 2nd half hopefully games not over by then
This is probably the most do or die Sp*rs have ever had – so much pressure
Sp*rs are missing their top 4 earners
Xavi (benched)
Romero (suspended 5 games)
Madders (injured since pre-season)
Connor Gallagher (benched)
One thing Igor has is BALLS benching Xavi and Connor
The 4 players coming in don’t start much/ever and have a lot to PROVE
Let’s see if the gamble pays off
Jedvaj goal and HATE-WATCH PAO (the last thing Anonymous needed to see was 2016 PTSD Renato Sanchez – who terrorized Croatia – score a goal)
***.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7-zziMRssE
I hope Hajduk doesn’t do anything rash like fire Gonzalo Garcia (now that they’re eliminated from the Cup and if they miss out on the HNL title too).
I like that he’s prioritizing and developing the youngsters.
Pukstas is doing great. Brajkovic had a good game too.
Only issue right now is Bruno Durdov’s development, but a lot of that is due to Roko Brajkovic being prioritized ahead of Durdov at RW.
But guys like Silic, Skelin, Hodak, Hrgovic, are getting good development minutes and overall Hajduk are still within striking range of Dinamo and well ahead of Rijeka (who are a better-run organization) despite Hajduk being more reliant on a bunch of 19-21 year olds.
Garcia has done well to navigate within the shortcomings of Hajduk’s management (who are quick to bring in old washed up vets, random B-caliber foreigners, yet always want to sell off our youth to the first bidder).
Garcia is slowly trying to phase out Livaja, which is a difficult thing to do with a cult-like figure. I don’t think he ever wanted Rebic (that was management pushing that nonsense) but he has to play him for now (where those minutes could have gone to Durdov). I think he prefers to play Silic over Ivusic too, and will use this injury to keep Silic on.
He’s phasing out Bamba, Diallo, Melnjak, Kalik…these guys do not move the needle for Hajduk at all, yet they hold back our youth from developing.
Big waste of money paying these guys far more than the youth, but aren’t really doing anything for the club.
I’m not against having vets on the team, but there has to be purpose and strategy when trying to bring guys like this in. Rakitic (although washed) was a good one to bring in last year. But there are far better veteran option (even from within the HNL) that Hajduk could have brought in.
The only thing that will fix Hajduk right now is to keep developing their youth (Pukstas, Brajkovic, Silic, Skelin, Hodak, Hrgovic, Durdov, and others coming up the pipeline).
Don’t waste money on transferring in the likes of Bamba, and don’t try to simply sign ANY veteran (Rebic) regardless of fit.
Pukstas is Lithuanian American and is not associated with the national team is my thought and is already aligned to the US. He is more of a dead end than either Rebic or Livaja, put together who at least should garner some respect for their past national team efforts.
Do you mean to say that there is time for that to change like Sosa?
If not could care less if Pukstas regresses or goes back to the US. Sounds line another Olmo, nice to have when he was around, but he was heard for his perceived benefit.
At least Olmo seem to enjoy the Croatian vibe and environment but wanted nothing to do with the national team. As Pulisic said to Modric, I am a fake Croatian, implying I just using you, please don’t fall in love.
Modric should have punched the giggling Pulisic in the face when he said that
Imagine having the hero of Croatian football in front of you (and Ballon D’or winner) and you tell him I’m a fake Croatian
How retarded can someone be
At least he has Dan by his side at all times (after he ran out to the press after a day rumours surfaced and denied he’s banging Sydney Sweeney LMAO)
What should he have said ?
Something that takes at least 2 brain cells along the lines of “I wish I did, but my parents never taught me, unfortunately, will you teach me a few words?”
It irks me to know that Puckusic giggles his why into millions of dollars and into millions of sycophantical adoring hearts. Fame is not discerning or loyal.
Pukstas is a talented young player that could potentially net 10 million euro for Hajduk, especially if he was allowed to develop last season.
I do agree with prioritizing Croatian youth (as it benefits our NT) but if we have outsiders on the team, obviously the talented young ones that went through Hajduk’s youth system (like Pukstas) should take priority over the Bambas and Diallos (as the young ones can net you money in a transfer).
You can respect former NT players, but that doesn’t mean Hajduk needs to take on charity.
Rebic was a charity case. He pushed for more money, and Hajduk obliged. He’s not worth the half-million euro salary that Hajduk pays him.
This comes at a cost that is more than just money.
To put things into perspective…
We just prematurely sold Mlacic to Udinese and all of the money we got from that sale will just go to pay the remaing years on the contracts of Rebic and probably a couple of others (like Melnjak and Ivusic). That’s it. Was that worth selling a youth prospect over?
So, now we have to show “respect” to former National Team players by selling our talented youth just to give them contracts so they could have a nice retirement fund while living and playing in Split?
Hajduk cannot afford to pay these veterans 500K to 1M Euro per season.
You can sign some, but Hajduk has something like 10 players who make this much.
Hajduk are paying some of these guys to sit on the bench.
At the same time, their young players make something like 50K to 80K per season. Even Sigur only makes like 140K.
There is no benefit to paying guys (who may have been capped by our NT) so much money, and chalk it up to “respect”…if it is killing the development of our youth and forcing us to sell young players (like Vuskovic, Prpic, Mlacic) too early, just so we can keep the grift going.
Looks like the March 9th squad announcement will be a snooze-fest – Dalic doing the boring and predictable thing – no fresh players – just “copy and paste” the team from November – what exact have the Nose Pickers been doing 5 months – NOTHING – other then fly around and get free dinners & wine and charge it back to HNS
Given that Wedding Boy crazy Spanish interview (after he met with Dalic – spilling the Dalic tea) – wouldn’t be shocked if Dalic (rightfully) snubs him – the guy is maybe the last midfielder to be picked – and says in the interview that Dalic NEEDS him on the NT (he also only came on in 94′ in the Cup y’day btw) – crazy delusions – at this point he’s too disruptive (for what he brings to the table)
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From SN
Zlatko Dalić will announce the list of players he is taking to Orlando for friendlies against Colombia (March 26) and Brazil (March 31) on Monday. Carlo Ancelotti will reveal the Seleção squad on March 16. The Croatian coach is going to Germany this weekend, it has been announced that he will watch the match between Wolfsburg and HSV, the clubs of Lovro Majer and Luka Vušković, and that he will also meet some other players who play in the Bundesliga. Then next week he plans to be in Rujevica for the round of 16 match of the Conference League Rijeka – Strasbourg.
According to the plan, he should take 26 players to America, three of whom are goalkeepers – Livaković, Kotarski and Pandur. He does not intend to invite anyone new, he is relying on a proven squad. Adriano Jagušić, about whom much has been said and written, remains in the young national team. The coach and Mateo Kovačić have yet to agree whether he will go to Orlando, most likely he will not, but will stay in England to make up for lost training and prepare as best as possible for the end of the season. And therefore for the World Cup.
In defense, Stanišić, Erlić, Šutalo, Pongračić, Ćaleta-Car and Vušković are safe, and the other two will probably be Ivan Smolčić and Domagoj Bradarić. The left-back position is a huge problem, Stanišić will play him, but he must have an alternative, and the choice is modest, so it is realistic that Bradarić will get another chance. Among the midfielders, eight are safe – Modrić, Petar Sučić, Mario Pašalić, Moro, Jakić, Vlašić, Baturina and Fruk. A ninth spot is open, and that could be Majer, possibly Luka Sučić.
Kramarić and Budimir are safe in attack, we predict that Matanović will be the third, but he could also take Musa as the fourth. So, Matanović or Musa or both. There is no room for Petković, Belja, Kovačević, and as things stand, not even for Franjo Ivanović, whose dreams José Mourinho is stealing. They could be on call-up. There are also two wings, Perišić and Marco Pašaić, possibly Oršić. Gvardiol is absent due to injury, about whom we have great news – he has taken off his boots and entered a new phase of recovery from his injury. Everything is going according to plan, and that plan says that he will be ready for the World Cup. We will see on Monday whether that is it, or whether the coach will make a different move in terms of the distribution of positions.
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Rather than a clearance, the last goal was scored by an assist from the Hajduk fullback, that hurts to watch.
That was Luka Hodak.
He’s actually a decent prospect.
Growing pains.