Croatia have a major chance to reach their first World Cup final
England are the only team left standing between them and a major piece of history for their small nation.
Croatia have never reached the final of a major international tournament, nevermind the World Cup. Therefore, this is a huge moment for them as well as a time of reckoning for an exceptionally gifted group of players. This is likely to be the last World Cup for key players such as Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic.
The current squad is seen by some as the ‘second golden generation‘, so there were significant expectations going into this tournament. Modric and Ivan Rakitic are key players for European giants Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, which shows the talent Zlatko Dalic has at his disposal.
The original ‘golden generation‘ reached the semi-finals in the 1998 World Cup before succumbing to hosts and eventual winners France. This was their first appearance at the premier international tournament after becoming independent from Yugoslavia, and they managed to beat teams such as Germany and Romania on the way. It was a magnificent achievement, but this team has the chance to do even better and etch their name in the record books.
It’s quite remarkable that the victory over Denmark was their first in a knockout match since 1998. The teams after the original ‘golden generation’ promised so much, but failed to deliver until this point. They famously scored in the 119th minute against Turkey in the 2008 Euros quarter-finals, but conceded in the 122nd minute and then lost on penalties. This shows their issues when it matters most because they have beaten top teams such as Spain and Germany in the group stages of previous tournaments.
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Croatia won all three group games at this World Cup, with their best performance coming in the 3-0 victory over a dysfunctional Argentina side. They even rested a lot of players against Iceland and still came away victorious. However, they have struggled to impress in the knockout rounds with consecutive penalty shootout victories over Denmark and Russia. The shootout victory over Denmark was their first ever.
Their opponents England are in a similar position because this is there first semi-final since 1990, so they are exceeding all expectations by even being at this stage. This will be their toughest test so far, though, because Croatia have an effective system as well as hugely talented individuals.
Tunisia and Panama were dispatched in the group stage, with the dead rubber against Belgium ending up being a loss. Colombia did their best to turn the Round of 16 fixture into a battle because key player James Rodriguez was injured. However, England outlasted them even though they conceded a last-minute goal by winning a penalty shootout at the World Cup for the first time ever. Sweden were comfortably swept aside in the quarter-finals with a professional performance.
Neither side have had a really tough run or a much harder route than their opponent. However, the fact that they have managed to successfully navigate through to this stage is an achievement for both sides. The proximity to the final means that exiting now will naturally be disappointing, though, because fans and the players are starting to dream of success.
Can Croatia come away victorious?
They certainly have the talent in the squad to achieve this. However, they come into this match with a severe disadvantage. Russia forced them to go to penalties in an entertaining game that will have been draining physically and mentally due to its length and openness. In contrast, England were able to beat Sweden relatively comfortably in 90 minutes.
Coming away victorious will require them to tap into their internal reserves as the match goes on. An intelligent approach from England could see them dominate possession and get this Croatian team moving to drain their already low energy levels. Gareth Southgate has prepared for matches in an intelligent way, with a major focus on set pieces. Therefore, he is likely to take advantage of Croatia’s issues coming into this match.
This England team is different from the others because it is no longer shackled by issues such as mental fragility and lack of confidence like previous teams. It’s likely to be a titanic struggle, and could very easily end up being decided by extra-time or penalties.
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Croatia will require another metronomic display from Modric if they are to have any chance of success. His ability to dictate play from central areas is a key aspect for them. It doesn’t get any easier either because France or Belgium will be waiting in the final. Both of those sides are likely to be a harder challenge.