Another World Cup, another semi-final place for Croatia and yet more admiration for one of the best performing football nations of the past 25 years.
With a population of just four million Croatia is one of the smallest nations in the top 50 football nations on the planet, but with a semi-final place in 1998 and a runners-up finish in 2018, fans of the Kockasti have had their money’s worth. With better performances and outcomes than the likes of Belgium and England, Zlatco Dalic’s side has continued to punch way above its weight, and Qatar 2022 was yet another triumph.
A semi-final defeat to eventual champions Argentina was certainly no disgrace for the Croatians who had already battled hard and against the World Cup 2022 betting odds to battle their way to the last four, without always playing expansive football; but by sticking to their principles of making it hard for opponents with tactical awareness, mental toughness and careful use of their considerable skills. Croatia dumped Brazil out of the competition with their never-say-die attitude, recovering from a piece of individual Neymar brilliance to equalise late on through Bruno Petkovic and then keep their nerves in the penalty shootout.
Croatia, as a team, is more than the sum of its parts, but there have been plenty of star performers in this latest successful adventure.
Croatia’s big players
Here at SBOTOP we picked out goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic as Croatia’s key player in the run up to the semi-finals after he had excelled in the earlier rounds. The 27 year old Dynamo Zagreb stopper saved three penalties in a Round of 16 penalty shootout victory over Japan, and he starred again as Croatia dispatched Brazil by the same method. A team which relies on consistency in all areas of the park needs a goalkeeper who can command his area, which Livakovik does well, but he can also be a match-winner.
Chelsea star Mateo Kovacic had an excellent tournament and, at 28 years of age he will continue to dominate the midfield battles alongside Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic. Kovacic is an excellent technical player with superb dribbling skills. He can play out wide or though the middle and, with his ability to pick the ball up deep and make driving runs, he helps Croatia to gain territory at key moments of the game.
Right back Josip Juranovic was one of Croatia’s breakout stars at the Qatar World Cup with some sound defensive displays and electrifying runs down the wing. The Celtic man matched some of the best wingers in world football for pace and joined Croatia’s attack whenever he could. Juranovic’s runs gave the Croats a way of surprising opponents who may have expected a more cautious approach from the defensive quartet.
Ivan Perisic has been a feature of Croatia’s success over the past decade and, at 33 years of age, he is still one of Dalic’s best offensive weapons. His wing trickery and accurate delivery of crosses provides plenty of ammunition for Croatia’s strikers and he weighs in with some vital goals himself, scoring Croatia’s leveller in their Round of 16 clash with a dangerous Japan.
The Modric factor
Just as Lionel Messi inspired Argentina to World Cup glory, Luka Modric has been pivotal in Croatia’s success over the past decade as one of the best players of his generation. The Real Madrid star probably played his last World Cup match in the third placed play-off against Morocco, which Croatia won 2-1 thanks to a brilliant Mislav Orsic winner but, at 37 years of age, he has vowed to carry on and represent his country at next summer’s UEFA Nations League finals and that is great news for Croatia fans.
Modric represented his nation at the 2006 World Cup and, with 162 appearances he is Croatia’s most capped player of all time and he remains the most influential operator. His vision and brilliant ball skills enable Modric to dictate the pace of play and launch attacks with a superb array of passing. He has been part of one of the best midfield trios in international football for Croatia and in the domestic game where, alongside the likes of Casemiro and Toni Kroos, he has won countless titles with Real Madrid.
Croatia may not have provided the most spectacular World Cup 2022 highlights over the past four weeks, but they certainly matched some of the finest teams in the world and fully justified their third placed finish… and Modric is not quite done just yet.
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