SPAIN
Ivan Rakitić and Barcelona kept their foot on the pedal in hopes of salvaging their season with a La Liga title. With Real Madrid winning earlier Saturday, Barca knew anything short of three points against city rivals Espanyol could cost them the season. However, Luis Suarez would score in the 50th and 87th minutes with Rakitić adding a 2-0 insurance goal in the 76th minute with a cool left-footed placement shot to the opposite corner for the 3-0 win. Rakitić has been on the score sheet three games in a row and is heating up at the right moment. Barcelona are tied with Real Madrid on points with Madrid having one extra game to play. Barcelona have three La Liga matches left with the Copa del Rey Final on May 27th.
Rakitić goal
Real Madrid escaped the Bernabeu with a 2-1 win Saturday after defender Marcelo saved Los Blancos with an 86th minute goal. The Brazilian was “Man of the Match” with Luka Modrić coming in at a solid 8.5 rating as he “was superb today and ran the midfield. One of his best performances of the season. His passing and movement was a joy to watch.” Mateo Kovačić did not get off the bench for this game. Real Madrid are still in line to win the La Liga title and are favorites to make the Champions League Final alongside Juventus. Sporting Gijon lost 5-0 to Atletico Madrid Saturday which means they are all but relegated to the second division next season. This will open up a transfer for Duje Čop, who scored nine goals for Sporting this season. Čop was on loan to Sporting this season from Italian club Cagliari.
France
Danijel Subašić was in net for Monaco as they scored late to take what proved to be a massive three points in a 3-1 win over Toulouse on Saturday. Subašić made two saves and was not at fault for the goal. Great news came for Monaco on Sunday as second placed PSG fell 3-1 at third placed Nice, which leaves Monaco three points ahead of PSG in Ligue 1, with a game in hand. Barring a major choke in their final four matches (538.com gives them a 98% chance), Monaco will win win the Ligue 1 crown for the first time since 2000.
Germany
Andrej Kramarić started for Hoffenheim as they won 1-0 against Eintracht Frankfurt in stoppage time to clinch a top-4 Bundesliga spot and Champions League play for next season. Kramarić was subbed off in the 62nd minute, after a quiet afternoon where he had two off-target shots. Ante Rebić was an 84th minute sub for Frankfurt, and touched the ball just once. The win leaves Hoffenheim third in the Bundesliga, one point ahead of Borussia Dortmund with three matches to play. Frankfurt are tied for 11th, but could still finish as high as 6th.
Tin Jedvaj played the full match for Bayer Leverkusen on Friday as they were embarrassed in a 4-1 home defeat to Schalke. Jedvaj was not directly at fault for any of the goals and nearly scored himslef just before halftime. Leverkusen have had a torrid time in the Bundesliga this season, and will likely finish outside the top 10 for the first time in 15 years, as they sit 12th with three matches to play, only three points clear of the relegation zone.
Ukraine
Domagoj Vida scored and played the full match in Dynamo Kyiv’s 4-1 win at Chornomorets Odesa on Sunday. Vida headed home a corner kick in the 43rd minute to score his fourth goal of the season. Kyiv are second in the Ukrainian Premier League with five games remaining, and no chance of moving up or down in the table.
She’s average and so are the 2 other Hrvatice.
All three of them would barely turn a head in Vancouver.
@anonymous
I think you wrong. What is Uruguay Paraguay? Mixed races no? Drop it. Move on to more important things like June in Iceland. U boj! Only thing that matters!
So what was it then, a PC pick by globalist’s? In the US yes she can compete by why come to our beloved Croatia? Croatia was not involved in the slave trade so we owe them nothing. Miss Croatia should be as pure Croatian as she can be. Sorry a mixed carpet bagger from North Carolina should not have won!
&Anon- if true, even the biggest libtards gotta admit that is f’d up. Poor Croatian born beauties being snubbed for an ok looking girl. Saw better looking hybrids at the in & out last night. Again, if she deserved it, I wouldn’t mind. She might deserve it in her father’s home country, maybe?
@bz
Now I heard she just moved there last year. Listen
We are a small tribe. Protect ourselves!
Anon- in my books, if she actually deserved the victory, I would be fine with it…but I have seen better looking Croats selling palacinke on just about every street corner. Her win was just for the novelty of her situation. She got a undeserved accolade.
Kinda like Asians have to score higher in SATs to get into Harvard than whites…whites have to score higher than Latinos…and Latinos have to score higher than blacks…just a load of BS.
You asses must live in nice white suburbs. If you lived near blacks you would whisper a different tune.
Another thing she is not pretty. Our girls blow her ghetto ass out of the water. We don’t need faux croat blacks. Blacks are americas cancer. Fuck them.
@lazio
Is the black community taking care of Nikos
Kid?
Shanaelle Is not even a real name and she is not a
Croatian. Stand for your own not foreign blacks!
@lazio
Well said. And more importantly big game coming up this June. Nevermind miss this and miss that who cares. Go hrv!
@Anonymous
“Yeah how long until we have black lives matters and drug dealing black losers. I still haven’t found a Croatian who claims he is African but they can just take our identity. Bullshit!! Her Mother failed herself. Btw where’s black dad no where to be found right?”
What about white loser Niko Kranjcar, where’s he for his kid? Divorced his wife, and now he’s out and about being an adulterer, what a pathetic role model for his kid!
Zlatko fails Niko (who is now living the English protestant lifestyle, probably why he plays for Rangers lol!), and for sure Niko goes on to fail his kid!
@lazio
Thats i was saying to anonymous. But its o.k.. you are correct in my books! And by the way who cares!
Congrats to Shanaelle Petty, she has a Croatian mother and every right to participate in the Miss Universe Croatia competition.
He was playing over Juanfran, if you followed Atletico, you would realize this.
Walker is fast and English.
Fuck i thought i smoked a lot of dope..
Walker over Sime all day.
Take off the goggles dudes.
The potential for Sime is there but he hasn’t done shit yet.
Simunovic will wind up going to the EPL if he continues to do well at Celtic.
I don’t want any Croats playing in England.
Lovren would do well in Germany or Italy.
He’s not touching cedric nor piczek,
And what the hell has Sime done???? Absolutely nothing. Was brought to sassulo with Juve money And juve refused him. Your favorite word **pre injury** couldn’t beat out Juanfran. Add him infront since we wanna get petty
@ Faux
Agreed.
English players get the reverse hype while Croatian players are still the hired help.
Call it what you want, Daniel Levy holding Modrić hostage would never happen in Spain.
Rakitic brought success to Sevilla and the made them millions in Barca transfer with good will and blessings.
Nice link on Santini to Spurs but they are a no go zone for me.
EPL burns you out anyway.
I don’t miss Hrvati there one bit.
I like Klopp and Liverpool but they run out of gas as well.
@anonymous
I know what you’re thinking. I feel it. But it is what is. Like i said before. But let me ask you something? And be honest. When da Silva scored for us did you cheer or boo? I’m not picking on you but i cheered. Even though he Brazilian born and spoke our language. Embrace whoever loves the republic!
@zee
Yes I understand but it’s wrong.
@anonymous
You think its different in Canada? Same thing. But what you gonna do? It is what it is! Can’t worry about that kinda stuff. It will drive you nuts. Just go Croatia! All that matters! U boj!
Walker or Klyne could not play at Atletico.
If they weren’t English they wouldn’t even be playing where they currently are.
http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2017/04/06/tottenham-hotspur-are-targeting-wrong-croatian-little-known-stri/
Quietly put up a nice solid season…. maybe another legit option for us the next few years
Lahm retired.
Walker has not put in one good cross in his entire career.
Clyne his strong and fast, skilled ? Pa da …
Bellerin is lighting quick but WEAK and SOFT on D.
Damn I thought Šime was top 5 but according to your list he is top 3 with Lahm retiring.
I guess Sime over the next few years has to only beat out Carvajal to be the best RB in the world as Alves is on the other side of his prime.
Great debate as I am even more inspired by the trajectory of one Šime Vrsaljko!
Also back in training as his return is imminent.
Just in time to get his legs under him for Iceland.
As he is one of the few players we have that can run all day on the right side of the ptich.
Uvijek Vjerni
Wasn’t comparing LB to RB, what Marcelo did yesterday is what world class wing back does, something I’ve never seen from Vrsaljko
We shouldn’t be qualifying “pre injury” because then I could say ivanovic prime etc etc
1.Dani Alves 2.Lahm 3.carvajal then u have players like bellerin, walker, and clyne who are not world class but who Sime is not beating out, equal level of anything
@soul – didn’t see your post. Sorry for overlap.
@Idemo- this thread’s wingback debate was bunk bc you were comparing LBs with RBs. Pre-injury Vrsaljko is a serviceable LB, but a natural RB (just adds to his World Class legend in my opinion, which is why we call him Versatility Vrsaljko). His ability to use his World Class straight line speed, and then find space/time for a well placed cross is hampered on the left side.
@ Idemo
Always respect your perspective.
Who are the 5 RB’s that are better than a healthy Vrsaljko.
By the way he is also our best LB as well.
Kovac took him off against Mexico and they blew us off the pitch.
Lahm retiring in 4 weeks, so maybe you can just keep him off the list.
I just can’t, I’ll argue this for days and won’t budge you. Oh well
Yeah how long until we have black lives matters and drug dealing black losers. I still haven’t found a Croatian who claims he is African but they can just take our identity. Bullshit!! Her
Mother failed herself. Btw where’s black dad no where to be found right?
@ BZ
Exactly !
@ Idemo
First of all Vrsaljko is recovering from sprained knee ligament at present so we forget how well he was playing.
Facts:
Was starting RB for Athletico Madrid who is ONCE AGAIN in the semi’s of the CL.
Atletico Has recently won La Liga and this year sit behind Real Madrid and Barcelona in 3rd place.
Simeone is considered a top 5 manager on the planet so he is by definition World-Class.
There is a spectrum of ranking a footballer :
Best ever – Messi
Best goal scorer of his generation- Ronaldo
Best in position – Luka Modric
World class – Top 5 in your position
No one is saying Vrsaljko at present is the best RB in the world, has the potential to be though.
Alves was shipped out of Barca and Segio Roberto has over all been mediocre in filling his shoes. This zero sum switch is a major factor why Juve bum rushed Barca.
I feel Vrsaljko, though the crucible of Simeone/Athletico training, has risen into the world class club of right backs.
Where you can rank him at present?
Maybe some where between 4-7, depending on how you see things ?
I am Croatian-American, father is from Zadar.
I rank him top 5 in the world !
I pray he comes back healthy and is in form for Rejkavik.
Respect that you rank him lower?
But to pretend I am bat shit crazy for ranking him higher and that I am basing my view on no evidence is erroneous.
@ Zee
Menu isto.
Simunovic tackle was godly, but I think the attacker always gets the call their (unless you’re playing in Ireland). I would love to see a big, strong, scary guy at the back. It will help the defense immensely, because nobody is going to want to get near that guy on a 50/50.
Cacic told Ante that they were calling Lovren back up. It was the final part of the interview
@anonymous. You need eyeglasses. Seems hot to me
Blacks are the worst!
@zee
I see enough of them in America now I have to see their
Bullshit in Croatia? Sramota!
Incorrect, I never said that he just asked who was better
What I am saying is that that’s what a world class wing back is Alves Alba Alaba, this debate has been going for weeks and I just don’t think you can sit there with a straight face and tell me Vrsaljko belongs with those names
@anonymous
I don’t know man she looks pretty good to me. If you wouldn’t do that you might need a blue pill. Saw bikini shot. She hot!
Marcelo and Ramos are both great attacking defenders, but RM has a pretty weak defense and they’re part of the reason. When they were up 1-0 today I knew it wasn’t a safe lead. Come to think of it, they almost never keep a clean sheet. I guess it depends on your definition of what makes for “the best defender in the world”. They’re not on my short list.
Modric played great today. I wish he would take on defenders more often… like he did when he drew the pen. My only criticism of Modric is that he doesn’t have enough of that killer instinct. Having said that, IMO he’s the best player we have ever had… so far.
@Idemo-let me get this straight, if you are not the best in the World, then you can’t be “World Class”? Sucks Alaba & Alba too.
Pre-injury Vrsaljko was flying under the radar, but whipping in perfect crosses and tracking back to shut down some impressive LWs in La Liga. He isn’t flashy like Marcelo, but again, who is?
nice goal by Rakitic, however he was not as his best today. Wanting to see 2014/15 rakitic again
Sranjic?
Nobody, that’s why he’s world class and his performance today was phenomenal, that’s a world class wing back, not Sime Vrsaljko
Croatia doesn’t need African beauty queens.
We have our own beauties. It’s Fucken retarded.
@ Idemo
Who is a better left back than Marcelo on planet earth?
He got a renewal in the middle of a inflated market; perisic next deal will be bigger
Lol it should be noted that Lovren is now the 2nd highest paid Croatian footballer. (Behind only Modric).
LOVREN is making more money than Rakitic, Mandzukic and Perisic.
@BZ
It’s our country man support our girls!!
if y’all really think vrsaljko and marcelo are on the same level……
@Elvis-
I wouldn’t mind, if she actually deserved it. But in that one pic with the two cute girls on her side, she has the sex appeal of Andre the Giant.
What a disgrace.
http://www.croatiaweek.com/photo-miss-universe-croatia-2017-crownedcrowned/
@Soul Champ:
Lovren has lots of positives and should be included.
Have you followed Simunovic?
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/jozo-simunovic/profil/spieler/131327
Crnkovic thinks Lovren has no chance of coming back. Although I wouldn’t mind if that was true, I think he makes the roster and starts…unfortunately.
@Soul Champ- I am less forgiving than you.
I wanted him to play as striker ! haha, but to be fair i think i also advocated for Luka to play keeper so i may have been half-trolling lmao
but yeah i just was watching HRT news and saw he got a new contract, till 2021?? He kinda concerns me a bit cos technically he can be great but it’s those lapses he needs to cut out
im def willing to see him play for us again, is he okay with Cacic yet or is there still animosity?
Lovren = $6.76 Million Dollar salary on freshly minted new Liverpool contract.
With Corluka out, it is time to bring Dejan.
@ Iggy
Remember how you loved his golasso from deep and wanted to play him at striker.
Full disclosure I wanted him to play CDM and the soccer playing experts were bugging out on me.
I like him, he is strong, fast and good with the ball.
Loses discipline as I feel he really wants to play more forward and looses interest in the back.
I say welcome him back with open arms.