March 31, 2021 - Croatia will play in the U-21 EURO quarterfinals! 

The Croatia U-21 national team played a key match against England in Group D of the European Championship in Koper on Wednesday. 

With a Portugal win against Switzerland and a Croatia loss by no more than one goal, Croatia would advance to the quarterfinal round. They played 1:2 against England for a spot in the quarters against Spain! 

Lineups

Hrvatska: Kotarski - Bradarić, Franjić, Vušković, Šverko - Bistrović, Babec, Moro - Špikić, Vizinger, Ivanušec

Engleska: Ramsdale - Aarons, Tanganga, Wilmot, Kelly - Gallagher, Skipp, Jones - Eze, Nketiah, McNeil

Recap

90' + 1' GOOOAAAL! Fantastic goal by DOMAGOJ BRADARIĆ! The Croatia defender scored an unreal goal from 20 meters for the quarterfinals!!!

90' Five minutes of injury time

87' Zaper is booked

86' Vizinger and Sverko out for Musa and Divkovic 

82' Croatia has been dangerous in a while...

79' Croatia needs one goal, as losing by only one will put them in the quarters 

76' Majer replaced Bistrovic

74' Goal! England is on the verge of the quarterfinals after Jones scored for 2:0. 

72' Nketiah and Gallagher subbed off for Brewster and Cantwell 

71' Opportunity for Croatia! Ivanušec pulled a counter and playd Moro who shot diagonally from the right side desperately far post

66' Portugal has done a great service to Croatia, who now must not lose by two goals to advance to the quarterfinals

65' Bistrovic shot blocked by the defender

64' Portugal takes the 3:0 lead

64' Colina replaced Spikic, and Zaper entered instead of Babec

63' McNeil hit the post from a free-kick. For the second time, the goal frame saved Croatia

60' Portugal up 2:0 against Switzerland! As the result stands now, Croatia advances to the quarterfinals

54'Great opportunity for England! Babec lost the ball, Eze played Nketiahu perfectly who shot straight at Kotarski from the top of the penalty area

53' Jones shot from 20 meters, the ball was blocked and bounced a little over the goal into the corner

50' Kotarski defended Eze's free-kick

49' An opportunity for England! Kotarski desperately received the ball, bounced off his leg towards Eze, but they somehow managed to clear it

46' The second half began

45'+ 3' End of the first half. Croatia entered the game poorly but recovered after conceding the goal and played better. Špikić and Ivanušec had great opportunities, which unfortunately were not goals. The good news is that with the current results, Croatia and Portugal, who is leading against Switzerland 1:0, are going to the quarterfinals

45'+ 3' Bradarić is booked for a handball and received a yellow card for objecting. There was nothing controversial about it

45' Three minutes of injury time

45' Kelly was booked and must now be careful not to get a second yellow 

38' Great chance for England! Jones faked Šverko and shot the opposite corner, but the ball went past the goal

37' Brilliant chance for Croatia! Ivanušec stole the ball from England, rushed towards Ramsdale, but shot at the England goalkeeper 

35' Ivanušec shot from the top of the penalty area, Ramsdale reacted badly, but caught the ball from the second attempt catches the ball.

32' Great opportunity for Croatia! Moro passed on the left side and sent a sharp ball to the box where Špikić shot high over the goal. It was a great chance, Špikić had to react better

28' The good news is that Portugal is still leading against Switzerland

27' Špikić passed nicely on the right and knocked down the England defender 

25' Finally some better play by Croatia, which recovered after receiving the goal

20' Croatia struggled to clear the ball out, England with 61 percent possession 

16' England completely dominated in the minutes that followed 

12' Goal! England takes the lead as Eze routinely scored the penalty for 1:0

11' England awarded a questionable penalty. Nketiah fell in a duel with Babec 

10' Huge opportunity for England! Nketiah shot but Kotarski saved

9' Eze found Jones hitting on the edge of the penalty area but hit the crossbar

9' A good pass from McNeil to Nketiah, but Vuskovic cleared 

4' Portugal took the lead against Switzerland. If Portugal wins, Croatia can lose to England, but not by more than one goal 

Source: Index.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 30, 2021 - In their 3rd qualifier for the 2022 World Cup, Croatia tops Malta 3:0 in Rijeka.

Croatia met Malta at Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka in the 3rd round of Group H of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Zlatko Dalic's side had a shocking display in Ljubljana on Wednesday, losing to Slovenia to open the qualifications and immediately complicated their road to the World Cup. Recall, only the group winner qualifies directly for Qatar.

Two days later, however, Croatia changed tactics and managed to defeat Cyprus in a comfortable win. Mario Pašalić scored the only goal for the Vatreni during the first half. It surely wasn't Croatia's best performance, but it was enough to secure the team's first three points.

Dalić repeats the 4-3-3 formation used against Cyprus but decided to give many of his players some rest. From the last game, only Livaković, Ćaleta-Car, Pašalić, and Budimir returned the squad. Vida, Kovačić, and Vlašić made a comeback to the starting lineup after being benched the last match. Juranović, Melnjak, Badelj, and Oršić started for the first time. Vida replaced Modrić as the captain.

Lineups

Croatia (4-3-3): Livaković, Juranović, Ćaleta-Car, Vida, Melnjak; Kovačić, Badelj, Vlašić, Pašalić, Oršić; Budimir

Malta (3-4-3): Bonello; Shaw, Pepe, Borg; Mbong, Guillaumier, Kristensen, Camenzuli; Teuma, Satariano, Pisani

Recap

Croatia put a lot of pressure on the opposite team from the start, and it was Vlašić who got the first shot of the game in the second minute that went out, but very close to the post. Both teams started quite aggressively.

In the 14th minute, Vlašić again showed up to dribble past two defenders and put a very dangerous cross into the box. Pašalić hit the ball with a great header, but the shot went against the crossbar. This was Croatia's clearest attempt during the first half. 

Despite the early pressure from Croatia in the first 18 minutes, it didn't seem like enough to take the lead or dominate the ball possession. Shortly after, the Croatia midfield seemed to find the patience necessary to initiate the attacks in a more orderly manner, getting 64% of the possession in the 25th minute.

Although the Croatia side became the superior team in terms of possession and attempts afterward, the Malta defense did not give ground. Once again, a nice combination between Budimir and Vlašić in the 31st minute of the game gave the latter a great chance to put an interesting cross in the box, but no one was there to tap it in.

They continued to look for scoring opportunities through the end of the first half, but despite Vlašić's great first half and Oršić, Pašalić, and Kovačić's individual display; the visitors did not lower their arms and defended their goal fiercely.

Just one minute was added to the end of the first half, but the result did not budge. Both teams reached the halftime break drawing 0-0.

The Vatreni began the second half just like the first one, searching for the lead by pressuring their rivals from the start. And who else but Vlašić, who in the 46th minute shot to goal to complete his third attempt of the night, however, saved by the keeper.

Slobodan Kadic

A couple of minutes later, another great opportunity came for the home team when Juranović's long ball reached Oršić, and the Dinamo midfielder found himself in a 1v1 situation with the goalkeeper. Oršić tried to lob the keeper, but he managed to stop the shot.

In the 53rd minute, Dalić decided to make a triple substitution. Modrić came on for Badelj, Brekalo for Pasalić, and Perišič for Budimir.

In the 58th minute, Barišič replaced Melnjak in the left-back position.

Reaching the first 15-minute of the second half, Croatia struggled to find more attempts. However, in the 61st minute, Barišić's entrance delivered more offensive situations, and he managed to put a beautiful cross that found Perišić completely alone in front of the goal. The veteran player scored the first goal of the game and became Croatia's fourth all-time scorer.

Slobodan Kadic

It looked like Croatia lowered the pressure after the goal, but the referee gave the Vatreni a penalty in the 75th minute due to a handball in the box. Luka Modrić, who became the Croatia player with the most appearances for the national team last match against Cyprus, scored the second goal of the match and his first in the qualifiers.

Slobodan Kadic

In the 78th minute, Lovrić replaced Oršić.

In the 90th minute, Brekalo scored for 3:0, which was the final score of the match. 

Slobodan Kadic

Croatia will visit Russia on September 1 for their fourth game of Group H.

Slobodan Kadic

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 29, 2021 - A surprise Luka Modrić press conference was held after he recorded 135 appearances for the Croatia national team - the most ever! 

Luka Modrić arrived at the Opatija hotel Milenij conference hall thinking he was there to answer the questions of Croatian journalists via Zoom after the victory against Cyprus. It was also the night Luka became the most-capped Croatia player of all time.

The most important people in his national team career became journalists for a day, instead!

In attendance was Luka's father Stipe, wife Vanja, former Croatia coach Slaven Bilić, former captain and teammate Darijo Srna, former teammates Niko Kranjčar, Marijan Buljat, and Hrvoje Čale, current teammate Mateo Kovačić, former Zrinjski teammate Davor Landeka, national team manager Iva Olivari, and Luka's former coach Stjepan Deverić. 

Reliving dear memories, happy times, the most difficult moments, favorite goals, untold stories, and interesting details, Luka answered to his loved ones in a touching video:

STIPE MODRIĆ

Luka, your father, Stipe, here. Tell me, my son, what is your favorite goal for the national team?
"My favorite goal is the one against Argentina, because of everything we did at the World Cup in Russia and because of the importance of the match. Of course, all the national team goals are dear to me, but this one is more special than the others."
Thank you, my son. Daddy loves you!
"I love you too!"

DARIJO SRNA
Brother, I don't think they recorded this recent performance for me in Petrinja; it was my 135th!
"So, I have to play the next game, ha, ha, ha… And I'm still surprised that you went to Petrinja, ha, ha, ha… Now everything is clear to me."
My little Luka, my love, brother… Congratulations from the bottom of my heart! I will ask you one question: What is the most difficult moment in your national team career? I think I know the answer…
"First of all, thank you, brother, for the kind words at the dinner after the game to you and everyone else. You really touched me, and you know I’m not exactly one to show emotion, but I couldn’t help myself. And the most difficult moment is definitely the match against Turkey in the quarterfinals of the 2008 European Championship in Vienna. That defeat hit us; it was hard for us; you know our reactions in the locker room and how hard it was for us. Whatever we did after that, that defeat was always there somewhere… Thank you."

HNS

SLAVEN BILIĆ
First of all, congratulations to you and yours from the bottom of my heart on this magnificent success; it is phenomenal, keep it up. Wayne Rooney once said when the England national team members said goodbye to the national team: "What farewell, I will rest when I leave football…" I have two questions. Apart from that song I wrote for Euro 2008, which song on the bus annoyed you the most, and which one was your favorite?
"Auuu… Yours, ha, ha, ha…"
I said besides mine…
"Yeah. Honestly, none annoyed me personally, and I liked everything about Croatia. Yours wasn't bad, ha, ha, ha…"
The second question is about business: How are you with Chinese?
"Ha, ha, ha… Not great, but I'll learn if I have to, ha, ha, ha…"

HNS

MATEO KOVAČIĆ
First of all, thank you for including me in this magnificent meeting. Congratulations on this record to you and your family. We spoke after Cyprus; you know everything. You know that you are my role model, you know how much your advice means to me, and every time I admire the will and desire with which you come to national team gatherings. In that context, my question is: Are you afraid of the day when you will no longer wear the holy jersey?
"Thank you, brother. Yes, I'm afraid. When I think about it, it will certainly be difficult for me because I went through a lot on the national team. That moment will definitely be one of the hardest for me. It will be hard to decide to stop playing for the national team… It makes me uneasy thinking about it. However, one day that decision will have to happen. But okay, while I have young men like you with me who rejuvenate me, there is still time, ha, ha, ha…"

HNS

VANJA MODRIĆ
Luka, congratulations! We know everything best; we've been through everything with you all these fifteen years. I have a short question: Of all the teammates you played with on the national team, who is your favorite in terms of football?
"Is that your question, or was it asked by one of the kids, ha, ha, ha…? Did Iva set it up? Or Ema? Ugh… That is perhaps the most difficult question for me today. And from a woman, of course, ha, ha, ha… Who will make things harder for you, but a woman, ha, ha, ha… I can't single one out; I've gained friendly relations with a lot of teammates. Maybe there would be several; I can't single one out."
And the second question…
"You have more, ha, ha, ha… Give me something easier, ha, ha, ha…"
Do you know when you will stop playing?
"I see it's not easy with you. I don't know, love. We'll see. You yourself know how much this means to me, how happy I am when I go to national team gatherings. So… You will have to be a little more patient. Anyway, there will be an opportunity to enjoy and be together even more. Don't worry about it."
So… I was the only one who asked two questions without getting an answer to either.
"As usual, ha, ha, ha."
Good luck; I hope we will watch and follow you for a while. Enjoy. The most important thing is that we wish you a lot of health, and you have everything else.
"Thank you. I love you a lot."

Source: HNS

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 27, 2021 - In their 2nd qualifier for the 2022 World Cup, Croatia defeats Cyprus 1:0 in Rijeka. 

Croatia met Cyprus at Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka in the 2nd round of Group H of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.

Zlatko Dalic's side had a shocking display in Ljubljana on Wednesday, losing to Slovenia to open the qualifications and immediately complicated their road to the World Cup. Recall, only the group winner qualifies directly for Qatar.

Dalić mixed things up on Saturday, opting for a 4-3-3 formation instead. Duje Ćaleta-Car, Mario Pašalić, Josip Brekalo, and Ante Budimir were new to the starting eleven, while Domagoj Vida, Mateo Kovačić, Nikola Vlašić, and Andrej Kramarić dropped out of the first 11 compared to Wednesday. 

Lineups

Croatia (4-3-3): Livaković, Vrsaljko, Lovren, Ćaleta-Car, Barišić; Brozović, Brekalo, Modrić, Pašalić, Perišić; Budimir

Cyprus (3-4-3): Demetriou; Kousoulos, Soteriou, Laifis; Psaltris, Artymatas, Cham. Kyriakou, Ionanou; Tzioni, Ilia, Pittas

Recap

Croatia was powerful to start the match, pushing the Cyprus defense in the first 10 minutes. Pašalić just missed a header for the Croatia lead in the 4th minute, and Barišić's left side was active in getting Croatia to attack. Croatia totally dominated a weak Cyprus side who seldom touched the ball. 

Slobodan Kadic

Nearing the 20th minute, Luka Modrić volleyed from 18-meters to hit just over the goal, and Croatia's chances did not stop there. A Perišić lay-off to Brozović saw him miss in what was perhaps Croatia's best chance so far. 

Vrsaljko played a beautiful ball into the box that was a hair too fast for Pašalić's head, and Luka missed again from outside the box. 

But then it happened.

Croatia finally found the back of the net in the 39th minute. Mario Pašalić scored from a header for 1:0!  

Slobodan Kadic

Croatia almost made it 2:0 five minutes later, but the ref called it offside. Croatia ended the first half with 71% of possession.

Croatia started the second half with one change - Dalić subbed off Šime Vrsaljko for Josip Juranović.

Croatia's attacking game did not slow down at the start of the second half.

Perišić and Barišić shot in the 51st minute, while Juranović played a stellar ball to Brozović to shoot a few minutes later. Nothing, however, resulted in a goal. 

Slobodan Kadic

Andrej Kramarić came on for Ante Budimir in the 57th minute. 

Croatia continued to get chances but struggled to find the back of the net. On a good day, it would have been 10:0 for Croatia by now. 

Dalić opted for fresh legs again and brought on Mislav Oršić and Nikola Vlašić for Mario Pašalić and Josip Brekalo in the 66th minute. Ivan Perišić and Mateo Kovačić swapped places 10 minutes later. 

Slobodan Kadic

Cyprus opened up more and was looking forward, especially for that equalizing goal. Croatia's game was becoming sloppy, and it was hard for them to connect passes. They struggled to maintain a smart attacking game. 

Vlašić shot at the Cyprus keeper in the 80th minute. At least he attempted. 

Slobodan Kadic

The ref added four minutes of injury time and the match ended 1:0 for Croatia. 

Slobodan Kadic

Croatia will play Malta on Tuesday in Rijeka at 20:45. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 27, 2021 - Croatia has a new record holder for the most national team caps in history. TCN's Daniela Rogulj and Jose Alfonso Cussianovich look at the Croatia moments that defined Luka Modrić. 

Luka Modrić began his national team career on March 1, 2006. Fifteen years later, he leads the Vatreni at the opening of another qualification cycle, this time for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. 

During this March qualification campaign, the Vatreni captain entered Croatian football history for appearances in the national team jersey. After equaling the legendary former Croatia captain Darijo Srna's national team caps on Wednesday, Luka Modrić is now the record holder with 135 national team appearances. 

Only Cristiano Ronaldo and Sergio Ramos have more appearances of active players from European national teams. 

As in previous anniversaries, Luka could not celebrate his achievement on Wednesday after Croatia's loss to Slovenia in Ljubljana. You might recall that in his 50th match for the national team, Croatia lost 2-0 to Greece during the Euro 2012 qualifiers, and to mark his 100th capp, Croatia played 1-1 with Finland in Rijeka, a shocker that seriously hurt their chances of going to the World Cup in Russia at all. As if the result wasn't bad enough, the dismissal of coach Ante Čačić overshadowed what should have been a monumental moment for the Croatian footballer. 

We hope that Luka becomes the most-capped Croatia player with a win against Cyprus tonight. 

Croatia national team debut

On March 1, 2006, Luka Modrić debuted for the Croatia national football team. He was included in the team by the then coach Zlatko Kranjčar, who died in Zagreb on Luka's 15th-anniversary with Croatia, on March 1, 2021, at the age of 65.

As part of preparations for the World Cup in Germany, Kranjčar gave Modrić a chance in a friendly match against Argentina at St Jakob Park in Basel. Croatia celebrated 3-2. That match is also special because Lionel Messi scored his first goal for Argentina. 

Croatia took the lead in the third minute with a goal by Ivan Klasnić, but Argentina turned it around with two quick goals by Carlos Tevez (4) and Lionel Messi (6). Darijo Srna equalized in the 52nd minute, and Dario Šimić brought Croatia to victory in the 90th minute. Modrić played until the 84th minute. 

"The Dinamo Zagreb starlet was making his first senior appearance in the absence of the injured Robert Kovac and rewarded coach Kranjcar's faith in him with a fine display in the centre of midfield alongside Niko Kranjcar and Niko Kovac. Indeed Modric's performance prompted Kranjcar to muse that his team had not only won a game that night but also "won a player," FIFA wrote about Luka after the match. 

Euros 2008

After two appearances at the 2006 World Cup against Japan and Australia and a stellar run with club Dinamo Zagreb, Luka was given the confidence of new Croatia coach Slaven Bilić. Luka scored his first international goal one month after the 2006 World Cup in a friendly against Italy. 

A regular for Croatia in the games that followed and a standout player during Croatia's Euro 2008 qualifying campaign, the expectations of the Croatian midfielder were high -  and rightfully so. The promising midfielder continued to impress at the 2008 Euros and began writing history even then. Modrić not only scored Croatia's first goal of the tournament, but it was the quickest penalty ever called and scored in Euros history. 

Luka's magnificent performance throughout the tournament earned him UEFA Man of the Match in their following game against Germany. While Croatia's European campaign ended after losing the quarter-final penalty shootout to Turkey (and Luka missed), he was the second-ever Croatian to be included in the UEFA Team of the Tournament after Davor Šuker. 

Croatia captain band 

After veteran defender Darijo Srna retired from international football with an emotional letter following the 2016 Euros, Luka Modrić was named his successor by then-coach Ante Čačić.

"The new captain will be Luka Modrić, and our two vice-captains are Vedran Corluka and Ivan Rakitić," Čačić said at a press conference before Croatia kicked off their 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign against Turkey on September 5, 2016.

Modrić captained Croatia only twice before then, the first time in an away draw against Azerbaijan.

HNS

"It's a nice feeling, I'm proud. Thank you to the coach for the trust, and I hope to justify it," said the new captain. 

"Modrić is our captain, the best midfielder in the world; he is the pride of the Croatia family, a man who presents our homeland at the highest level, with great enthusiasm," Ante Čačić gushed about Luka one year later. 

Little did Luka know that he would be wearing the captain band during Croatia's historic 2018 World Cup final. He is just a few games away from captaining his country in 40 total games. 

2018 World Cup in Russia

There are many things a Croat can’t forget, and the summer of 2018 is certainly one of them. No one thought the national team’s campaign in 1998 could be ever be surpassed, and no football fan expected Croatia to achieve what they did almost three years ago. Although it was definitely an outstanding team effort with Zlatko Dalić’s magic as a strategist, their captain’s inspirational performances will always be remembered.

Luka’s campaign transcended beyond an undoubted footballing demonstration, scoring one of the Croatia team's best goals in international tournaments against a powerful Argentina led by Lionel Messi. Likewise, he perfectly fulfilled the role of a midfielder in defensive and creative functions. The admiration for him also came for his energy and fighting spirit on the pitch, not only commanding the team as captain for the first time in a World Cup but running even when the team came from playing three games that went into extra time. He thus raised his teammates' spirits even when they found themselves below the scoreboard on various occasions, such as against Denmark, Russia, or England.

Croatia surpassed the magical generation of Šuker and Boban, reaching the World Cup final for the first time and facing the impressive France squad in Moscow. The 32-year old captain once again gave a stunning display of sacrifice and talent, but it wasn’t enough as France was crowned champion with a 4-2 win against Croatia. No one underestimated Modrić’s performance, and he went on to receive the World Cup Golden Ball for the best player of the tournament. He was included in the tournament's ideal team, and his goal against Argentina was selected as one of the top ten at the World Cup.

Luka Modric wins FIFA's ‘‘The Best’’, and the France Football ‘‘Ballon d’Or’’

2018 was surely a special year for Luka Modrić. Not only did he win his third-consecutive Champions League with Real Madrid (and fourth overall), but leading Croatia that summer to the World Cup final in Moscow earned him international praise and several awards, including the prestigious ‘‘The Best’’, awarded by FIFA to the best player of the year. Luka received the award in September, as he reached 29% of the votes over Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah. He was also included that night in the FIFA FIFPro World11.

And that wasn’t all, as France Football awarded him the Ballon d’Or that same year in December, the most prestigious individual recognition a professional footballer can receive, for all his club achievements and individual performances with the ‘Vatreni’ throughout the year. Luka again put his beloved country in the spotlight, winning the desired trophy over great footballers.

Recall, for ten years (2008-2018), the Ballon d’Or had only been awarded to either Lionel Messi (5) or Cristiano Ronaldo (5). Make sure your children or grandchildren know that it was a Croatian footballer to break the streak of two of the best footballers in history!

Croatia and his beloved Zadar later received Luka as a hero.

"Playing like that at the age of 36 shows how serious and responsible he is, a true professional, to keep such a high level of play in those years. For the benefit of Croatian football, I hope that he will remain at that level until Qatar," said coach Zlatko Dalić about Modrić earlier this week. 

And we do too. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 25, 2021 - Croatia falls to Portugal in their first match of Group D at the U-21 Euros at Bonifika Stadium in Koper, Slovenia.

The Croatia U-21 national team opened the group stage of the European Championship in Slovenia against Portugal at 9 pm on Thursday evening. Croatia plays in Group D against Portugal, Switzerland, and England. 

In the first game of Group D on Thursday, Switzerland shocked England, complicating the group even before Portugal and Croatia kicked off. 

Lineups

Portugal: Costa - Correia, Queiros, Leite, Dalot - Fereirra, Florentino, Fernandes - Trinaco, Tomas, Pote

Croatia: Šemper - Šverko, Erlić, Vušković, Bradarić - Bistrović, Moro, Franjić - Majer, Kulenović, Ivanušec

Slobodan Kadic

Recap

90' The ref added 6 minutes

84' Ten minutes without a chance.

74' The game came to life, but Croatia has not yet managed to create an opportunity to get back in the match.

69' GOAL! Fabio Vieira scored just minutes after entering the game. He came in brilliantly from the back and received the ball with space, calmly beating Šemper.

Slobodan Kadic

68' Bišćan introduced Babec and Musa instead of Moro and Majer. He seems to be going for three points with two strikers.

61' Nothing exciting in the last six minutes apart from a series of lost balls on both sides.

55' Several counterattacks on both sides, but none ended in an opportunity to score.

49' Majer shot poorly from the edge of the penalty area and went far from the goal.

46' The second half has begun.

End of the first half.

43' Great attempt by Vitinha from about 25 meters from Croatia's goal, but Šemper was solid

41' Kulenović shoots from the edge of the penalty area, but Costa defended.

38' Gedson Fernandes found his way in front of Šemper, but shot from a tough angle and missed the goal frame.

Slobodan Kadic

34' Pote fired from the edge of the penalty area

32' Nikola Moro's shot was saved by the Portugal goalkeeper.

29' Portugal dominates the pitch. They've only had one chance so far, but are constantly pressing.

25' Great opportunity for Portugal! Queiros headed and hit the post.

24' Two chances for Portugal, but both times blocked by Croatian stopper

Slobodan Kadic

21' Portugal was more dangerous for a few minutes but without a good chance. The best chance was Majer's four minutes ago.

17' Lovro Majer shot from the edge of the box, but Costa was ready and defended nicely.

15' Croatia is trying to set itself high and press the backline of Portugal

12' There haven't been any notable opportunities yet 

Slobodan Kadic

8' The game is a bit messy at the beginning, no team can keep possession for long, although it seems that Portugal is a bit more interested in the ball. Croatia will obviously not play for possession today.

4' There are no great opportunities at the opening of the match, but the game is quite open with a lot of sprints on both sides.

1' The match started.

Source: Index.hr

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 24, 2021 - Slovenia tops Croatia 1:0 in the first round of qualifications for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar on Wednesday.

The 2018 World Cup finalists opened their qualification campaign at Stožice Stadium in Ljubljana against Slovenia on Wednesday, after which they will play Cyprus (Saturday, 6 pm) and Malta (Tuesday, 8:45 pm) at Rujevica Stadium in Rijeka. Slovakia and Russia are also in Croatia's group.

Croatia had recorded six wins and three draws in nine games against Slovenia so far. 

Zlatko Dalić decided on an offensive lineup against Slovenia, playing a 4-3-3 formation. Modrić was in a more offensive role in front of the midfield, and Andrej Kramarić, Ivan Perišić, and Nikola Vlašić started from the first minute.

Matjaž Kek also played in a 4-3-3 formation, showcasing two players from the Croatian First League in the starting 11, namely Osijek's Damjan Bohar and Dinamo's Petar Stojanović

Lineups

Slovenia: Oblak; Stojanović, Blažič, M. Mevlja, Balkovec; Bijol, Lovrić, Kurtić; Iličić, Šporar, Bohar

Croatia: Livaković; Vrsaljko, Lovren, Vida, Barišić; Kovačić, Brozović; Vlašić, Modrić, Perišić; Kramarić

Recap

Slovenia and Croatia kicked off at 8:45 pm in front of empty stands. Croatia maintained possession for the better part of the first 15 minutes and even had a few chances. Kramarić shot from the top of the penalty area in the 7th minute, only to be saved by Oblak, while Vlašić hit the inner post 3 minutes later.

Slobodan Kadic

Slovenia, however, capitalized on one of their first attacks, and Sandi Lovrić scored for the 1:0 Slovenia lead in the 16th minute.

It all started from a weak ball played back by Perišić. Vida's clearance eventually found Lovrić, who was left alone to score from 15 meters. 

Croatia had a few more chances in the first half, particularly from free-kicks, but nothing resulted in the equalizer. The match ended 1:0 for Slovenia at the half. 

Slobodan Kadic

Dalić subbed on Dinamo superstar Mislav Oršić for Borna Barišić (who was booked with a yellow card) to start the second half. 

Croatia attacked aggressively at the start of the second half, with Mislav shooting on target for an easy Oblak save.

In the 64th minute, Josip Brekalo was subbed on for Andrej Kramarić, hoping to add fresh legs to the offense. 

Slobodan Kadic

In the 69th minute, Ante Budimir came in for Vlašić, and Pašalić for Kovačić 10 minutes later.

Croatia had no problem pushing the attack but struggled immensely with finding the back of the net. It didn't help that Slovenia boasts one of the best keepers in the world. 

Slobodan Kadic

Spanish ref Antonio Mateu Lahoz added 3 minutes of injury time. Oršić hit wide of the goal in the final seconds for the Slovenia win. 

The match against Slovenia was Luka Modrić's 134th, equalizing Darijo Srna for the most national team caps ever. 

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 24, 2021 - A Vatreni spectacle begins tonight, as the 2018 World Cup finalists kick off their 2022 World Cup qualifiers against Slovenia for the first of six Croatia national team games in 8 days. Recall, the Croatia U-21 side begins the group stage of the European Championship tomorrow, too!

The coronavirus pandemic, which erupted around this time last year, ultimately postponed the 2020 European Championships, which were to be played across Europe last summer. 

According to the latest information, it should be played from June 11 to July 11, 2021, in 12 cities, in 12 different European countries. No official announcement has been made about the tournament yet.

The postponement of the Euros also moved the start of the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, which begin a bit earlier, or today for Croatia and Slovenia. 

But that's not all.

The U-21 European Championship begins in Slovenia and Hungary, which kick off tomorrow for Croatia. 

The Croatia A selection will open the qualifications for the 2022 World Cup on Wednesday against Slovenia in Ljubljana at 20:45. The famous Spaniard referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz will lead the match at Stožice stadium. Fans in Croatia can watch the broadcast on Nova TV from 8 pm, with a studio show.

The Slovenia national team is led by the well-known Matjaž Kek, once the successful coach of Rijeka. Of HNL players, Dinamo's Petar Stojanović and Osijek's Mario Jurčević, and Damjan Bohar are in their lineup. 

Croatia will also play against Cyprus on March 27 and on March 30 against Malta in this microcycle. Both matches are played at Rujevica in Rijeka. All matches will be played without an audience. In addition to Croatia, Slovenia, Cyprus, and Malta, the group also includes Russia and Slovakia.

Croatia is the absolute favorite of the group. Ante Rebić and Bruno Petković will not be in the squad due to injuries, but Šime Vrsaljko is looking forward to returning. Recall, Vrsaljko is back in the national team after two and a half years and major injuries.

"We will definitely miss Petković; he was in good shape. With him, our game system is different, and we will have to change that a bit now," said coach Dalić.

However, despite the absence of Rebić and Petković, Dalić has Mislav Oršić, who is playing the best football of his life, and Kristijan Lovrić, who is not far behind.

"I have already said, Mislav deserved this round, and he will have minutes. But I have to wait to talk to the players because we haven’t been together for a long time and I don’t know the condition of each of them. Things are changing now, and he played 120 minutes against Tottenham and also played against Gorica. He can help us, and I have to be smart, wise, deploy strength and energy, so we don’t run out because it’s a hellish cycle," said Dalić.

In the European qualifiers, 55 national teams were divided into five groups with six teams each and five groups with five teams each. They will play two matches against each other in each group. Ten group winners will qualify directly for the World Cup, and ten runners-up and two Nations League teams will play additional qualifiers.

These 12 national teams will be divided into three groups, with four national teams vying for three more World Cup spots.

Schedule for Croatia A team
Slovenia - Croatia (Ljubljana, March 24, 8.45 pm Nova TV)
Croatia - Cyprus (Rijeka, March 27, 18.00 Nova TV)
Croatia - Malta (Rijeka, March 30, 8.45 pm Nova TV)

The Croatia U21 national football team traveled to Slovenia on Monday to play all three matches of the European Championship group stage.

Coach Igor Bišćan is convinced that the young Vatreni can play good games and fight for a place in the quarterfinals, regardless of its rivals - Portugal, Switzerland, and England.

"We have two days until the first game; we have to do the best we can. We have three games in a week; we will need to find a way to be ready for demanding matches. We believe in ourselves; we went through tough qualifications, which was positive for our character and mentality. In that positive atmosphere, I hope we can ensure getting out of the group," he says.

The Croatia U-21 national team will play all three matches in the group in Koper at the Bonifika Stadium, also without spectators. They play their first game on Thursday, March 25, against Portugal at 21:00, led by referee  Bartosz Frankowski from Poland. Croatia's matches at the U-21 Euros will be broadcast by HTV 2.

Bišćan's side will face Switzerland on March 28 and England on March 31. England is certainly the favorite of the group.

"We are ready for something bigger. There are no weaker teams at the European Championship, but Croatia also has its qualities, and we want to reach the quarterfinals. We are a little tired, but the greatest pride is to play in the European Championship. We are not afraid of anyone; we are going to show who we are and what we are," said striker Sandro Kulenović.

The group stage of the U-21 European Championship will be held from March 24 to 31, 2021, and the winners and runners-up from each group will advance to the next stage, which will be played from May 31 to June 6, 2021.

Nine group winners and the five best second-placed teams, including Croatia and the hosts of the tournament, Hungary, and Slovenia, qualified for the final tournament. Sixteen national teams in the draw were divided into four groups of four national teams.

Schedule for Croatia U-21 side at the Euros in Slovenia and Hungary:
Portugal U-21 - Croatia U-21 (Koper, March 25, 9 pm HTV 2)
Croatia U-21 - Switzerland U-21 (Koper, March 28, 18.00 HTV 2)
Croatia U-21 - England U-21 (Koper, 31 March, 18.00 HTV 2)

Source: 24 Sata

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 22, 2021 - The 26th round of the Croatian First League was held from March 19 to 21, 2021. In this round, Dinamo defeats Gorica, Osijek is better than Lokomotiva, and Hajduk and Rijeka both record victories. 

Osijek v. Lokomotiva (2:0)

Osijek and Lokomotiva opened the 26th round on Friday, March 19, 2021, at City Garden Stadium. 

Kleinheisler scored Osijek's first goal in the 14th minute for the early lead and 1:0 at the half. Mierez increased Osijek's lead to 2:0 in the 79th minute for the final result. 

Osijek is currently in second place with 58 points, while Lokomotiva is in 10th place with 20 points. 

Slaven Belupo v. Istra 1961 (1:1)

Belupo and Istra met in Koprivnica on Saturday, March 20, 2021. 

Glavcic missed a penalty for Belupo in the 25th minute to keep the score 0:0. Ilicic made up for it with a goal two minutes later for 1:0 Belupo. An Istra penalty was awarded just before the half, which Grzan scored to equalize. The match ended 1:1. 

Belupo is currently in 7th place with 24 points, while Istra is in 8th with 24. 

Hajduk v. Sibenik (1:0)

Hajduk and Sibenik met at Poljud Stadium on Saturday, March 20, 2021. 

The only goal of the match came in the 72nd minute when junior Marin Ljubičić scored the winning goal in his championship debut for Hajduk. Sibenik's Alimi was given his second yellow in the 77th, forcing Sibenik to play with a man down for the remainder of the match. 

Hajduk is currently in 5th place with 36 points, while Sibenik is in 6th with 26. 

Rijeka v. Varazdin (2:0)

Rijeka and Varazdin met on Sunday, March 21, 2021, at Rujevica Stadium. 

Galovic scored two goals in the first half (22', 35') for the Rijeka lead and ultimate victory. 

Rijeka is currently in 4th place with 39 points, while Varazdin is in 9th with 22. 

Dinamo v. Gorica (1:0)

Dinamo and Gorica closed out the 26th round at Maksimir Stadium on March 21, 2021. 

While the first half went without goals, Petkovic scored for Dinamo to open the second half (1:0, 47'), which was the final result. 

Gorica's Joey Suk broke his leg in two places during the match (both lower leg bones) and went into surgery last night, Gorica confirmed on their Facebook page after the game.

Dinamo is currently in first place with 60 points, while Gorica is in 3rd with 48. 

You can see the full HNL table HERE.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.

March 19, 2021 - The Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia, Andrej Plenković, received the President of the European Football Federation, Aleksandar Čeferin, and the President of the Croatian Football Federation, Davor Šuker, at Banski dvori in Zagreb to discuss football infrastructure in Croatia. 

HNS reports that Prime Minister Andrej Plenković was accompanied by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Zdravko Marić and the Minister of Tourism and Sports Nikolina Brnjac. The HNS delegation was accompanied by the Executive Director Marijan Kustić and the Head of the International Department and Licensing Ivančica Sudac.

HNS

The meeting topic was primarily further investments in the development of football infrastructure in Croatia, and support for plans for the construction of a national stadium and the renovation of existing football stadiums in Croatia was also emphasized.

Prime Minister Plenković reminded that his Government in the last term adopted the National Sports Program 2019-2026, increased allocations for sports by more than 100%, and several projects were launched in the sports sector. He also added that the Government had launched investments in local sports infrastructure for the first time, and 15 football infrastructure projects in the total amount of HRK 5.7 million were co-financed through a public tender for co-financing the renovation and construction of sports infrastructure in 2019.

In addition to job preservation measures, the government has expanded support measures to mitigate the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic that have also affected the sports sector.

"I thank Prime Minister Plenković for organizing this meeting with Minister Brnjac and Minister Marić, which I consider extremely important for the further development of football, especially football infrastructure in Croatia. I am glad that the Government of the Republic of Croatia has shown an understanding of many economic, health, and other benefits that football brings to society and interest in the challenges we face as the most massive sports organization in the country. With the support of UEFA and FIFA, HNS has done a lot in the development of infrastructure in recent years, and of course, we wish more state assistance in this segment," said HNS President Davor Suker, adding:

"I have the impression that the current government led by Prime Minister Plenković, despite all the current challenges, has the hearing, desire, will, and strength to return to football what football, as the most successful Croatian 'product,' deserves. I am proud that in UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, we have a great friend of Croatian football, and I thank him for showing today with concrete examples and figures that any investment in football is many times more profitable; for society as a whole."

Šuker also expressed satisfaction with the agreement reached on the establishment of a joint body of the Government, UEFA, and HNS:

"I believe in the effectiveness of a joint body composed of representatives of the Government and the Ministries of Finance, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, HNS and UEFA's independent experts, and the city of Zagreb to jointly prepare a sustainable project to build a new stadium."

UEFA president Čeferin also reported on UEFA's plans to organize the European Football Championship, given the epidemiological situation in Europe.

At the initiative of UEFA President Čeferin and HNS President Šuker, a humanitarian match between Slovenia and Croatia was played in Petrinja on 13 March. On that occasion, President Čeferin, on behalf of UEFA, handed over a donation of 50,000 euros to the Croatian Red Cross. At the same time, HNS donated 200,000 kuna to the Sisak-Moslavina County Football Association to reconstruct football infrastructure.

To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.