You know it was a slow week when Ivan Santini is leading off Croatians Around Europe. The 28 year-old Zadar native slotted home a well thought out penalty in a 1-0 Caen win over Amiens on Saturday. The win puts Caen in 8th place in the French Ligue 1.
Historically, Croatians have been awful in the penalty kick department. Santini looked confident up there but he’s so far down the pecking order in the Croatian lineup, don’t hold your breath if you think you’re ever going to see Santini at the spot in checkers.
Santini Penalty
Not much more happened this weekend for Croatians. Luka Modrić remained on the bench in Real Madrid’s 2-1 win over Alaves. Ivan Rakitić played the full 90 minutes in Barcelona’s 3-0 victory versus Girona. Good news for the Croatian defense as it appears Šime Vrsaljko is back to 100% as he played the entire match Saturday with Atletico Madrid shutting out Sevilla 2-0.
Ivan Strinić played the full match on the Sampdoria backline in a 2-0 win over Nikola Kalinić and AC Milan. Ivan Perišić did not find the back of the net for Inter Milan in a 1-0 victory over Genoa while Mario Mandžukić played 80 minutes for Juventus in a 4-0 romping of city rivals Torino. Both Juventus and Napoli are perfect in Serie A six matches into the season.
@Truth-if those are not big enough discrepancies (which include the vig) it is clear you have no confidence in your model.
@bz
The problem with systematic betting is the vig. When you use models like mine you get a huge edge over the common person guessing but most being sites do a decent enough job that when the vig is included the expected gain is minimal. I’ve been doing some testing of looking at only playing true discrepanciesy above a certain threshold but haven’t had the time to fully dig in
@ the truth
No need to elevate a disorder like homosex people.
@BZ
Well it does matter if Lovern is Gay. Is he focused on the game or the other men running around in their shorts? Also Gay is not a part of Croatian Identity. To say it is means your a Yugo Cunt.
Blame Cacic as He diverted Godfooter Simunovic to Bosnia
Blame Cacic as He made God of Halilovic goes down to the drain
The 2 of our God is sacrificed with merely little-known local club players
Of course I got ya, he is abosolute ball playing CB, lack of top speed never bothered me since he is so smart
Still open to suggestions tho
@Idemo- my comments are more a testament to Corluka’s value. No coincidence our three worst performances of the qualifiers came without him on the field.
Ironic that we will not see Cacic experiment with a Lovren replacement BECAUSE we have played so poorly WITH Lovren (Cacic cannot experiment at any position for that matter.)
@Soul-Yes, Mandzo will score for us again. In fact, watch for a brace v Finland.
Open to suggestions for Lovren replacements, cuz mitrovic ain’t it, yet.
^^was targeting
@truth-good news for you: your trusty prediction techniques will make you a millionaire!!! Below are the actual lines for Finland at Croatia. If you honestly believe your numbers, you should bet your parent’s house on Finland, or their vacation home in Belgrade on a draw!
+1925 Finland to win
-610 Croatia to win
+722 Draw
@DannyJ-Initial reports said November, but in July Corluka wa rageting Oct1st. Looks more like November to me.we may never see the old Corluka again:
1) his achilles injury was really gruesome
2) he was old already on the decline physically due to age, injury & time off not helping.
It’s most likely 4 points in the last 2 games is enough so yes, that’s what im hoping for
When is corluka back?? I would feel much better with him back there
I would put vida on lb lovren and Charlie in the middle
Can’t be any worse then pivaric
Iggy would those results work??
@BZ
i agree, Corlukas passing is amazing and he is our best leader in the defence. Croatia is a much better team with corluka
2-0 against Finland
0-0 against Ukraine
@Soul- you know Cacic already omitted Strinic for the games right? Doesn’t mean he can’t change, especially if someone gets injured.
I could care less if Lovren is gay or not. What I do care about: is Lovren is half the defender as Corluka. Corluka’s passing from the defensive 3rd is impeccable. He is a true leader in the defense. Lovren’s passing is seriously flawed.
1-1 against Finland
1-0 lost away at Ukraine
remember.. LAknat always right
You should give me a petition for ascending to the manager
@ Idemo
“Wish we knew the players mindset?”
Well said.
That’s why I love when national teams cultivate young and hungry talent.
Mexico match was a revelation.
The boys suited up in Mexi-cali coliseum-LA and competed like hungry Hrvati!
Pjaca is missed.
Kovačić I thought would breakthrough by now.
Rog to your point struggles for Napoli minutes and nailed to bench for repka.
Will Modric be up to lead us?
Perišić make the magic happen?
Mandžukić ever score for us again?
Kalinic man up?
Rakitic give a shit ?
Lovren have his head screwed on?
Čačić have the balls to call up reinforcements?
Strinic come in for pedestrian Pivaric ?
As the optimistic homer of all homers, I was thrown off at the toothless display in Turkey.
Pray for offensive explosion against Finland in Rijeka and maybe carry that into Ukraine ?
I tell you I am clear the mindset of :
Finland. – we are the next Iceland and we will run ourselves into the ground.
Ukraine. – statement to world that we belong at the World Cup and Russia can puši KURAC !
Croatia – ????????
@ idemo
It is perfectly reasonable to be wired about making the world cup. As my models predict they have an under fifty percent chance. I sounded this alarm bell way back in June.
We’re looking at a Croatia team that has 1 goal in 270 minutes of play and that goal was against Kosovo. The most likely outcome for Croatia Finland is a Croatia win, but i only have it at 45 percent. 35 percent tie. 20 percent loss
@ soul
do you think we’re over reacting and over thinking or are we really in trouble. wish we knew the players mindset
to miss 2/3 world cups is huge……
Look, i am for a strong Croatia by all means. And the way to that is by cozying up to the West. A big step would be to be portrayed as a welcoming nation to gays, lesbians, transgender and queers.
I’m always confused by the ustase who want a strong Croatia by any means necessary where any means includes mass killing but not welcoming of lgbtq
@ Idemo
Thanks for the write up.
8.5 Vrsaljko will be needed in October.
He was probably tired from Kosovo fiasco for the Turkey match.
Be nice to have an offensive breakthrough against Finland to create momentum into Ukraine match.
this was the report from an atleti site
“Sime Vrsaljko – 8.5
An excellent return to action from the Croatian. He didn’t look like a man who had missed most of the start of the season. Kept running the line and pinning Carole back. Rarely under threat in defence either. Should take over that spot now for the foreseeable future.”
did anyone watch atleti Sevilla?
We have scored ZERO goals away to Iceland and Turkey.
Pivaric kills the flow down the left and expecting Perišić to be Maradona is misguided.
Strinic can deliver a side line pass to Perišić in stride as well as a decent cross and can run at some one in space.
Not as bad on D as potrayed.
Play Vida next to Strinic if lovren has his error prone panties in a bunch.
We need to expand the attack and our wing backs need to deliver quality balls forward and through to our attackers
Vrsaljko playing for AM is a big deal. He needs more rhythm to add his dynamic self to the right flank.
Čačić needs to call on the best players we have available and let go of any BS team building talk.
It is a two game campaign right now.
Finland is going to run you into the ground as they have no pressure and believe they are improving, like Iceland did, for future glory.
Ukraine at home is a bear.
They are playing to be presented at the World Cup in the host country that has overt designs of taking them over.
Need to have a squad full of hunger and desire to represent Hrvatska.
Yes you will need Rakitic as he his a big time player, but balance him out with Rog who will run like a beast with what ever minutes he gets.
U boj …
I will continue to call for lovren being given the captain’s armband. Having an openly gay player captain Croatia will show how far Croatia has come and endear itself to the West, which it desperately needs
The truth has been defeated by a Croat man possibly more than once in his life. His mother left him and his Muslim father for a better man…a Croat… or his ex gf dumped him for a real man…a Croat.
^^this queer back?
I will continue to call for lovren being given the captain’s armband. Having an openly gay player captain Croatia will show how far Croatia has come and endear itself to the West, which it desperately needs
how come there’s all this talk about lovren’s sexuality, how did it all come about?
Everyone knows Lovren tried getting too close to him in the shower and he lost his shit!
every one knows strinic is better than pivaric even cacic. Reason strinic is not called up is cuz lovren and strinic hate each others guts. I cant remember the specific game but it was against cyprus or wales, strinic and lovren got in each others face like they were about to brawl during the match, ever since then they haven’t played together for the past 3 and a half years.
Santini with the best pk I’ve seen from a Croat in a while, a few more goals and he will force his way into he conversation.
Soul i would take strinic not by much though.
@Maminjo-my guy at the savez confirmed the Finland game will be played in Rijeka.
@Soul- can I answer neither? Strinic is better getting upfield, but lacks the mentality to hustle back. I am assuming this is the reason he gets left off the team. Pivaric takes less risks, but has less upside. Turkey attacked us on our left, and we should assume EVERYBODY else will target Pivaric also.
@ Svima
Who is a better LB right now Pivaric or Strinic ?
Strinic looked smooth for Sampdoria against AC Milan.
I know he is not World Class but two levels above Pivaric.
With a weakened team we cannot afford any chinks in the armor.
Yarmalenko is a handful.
Schevchenko is going to line him up to eat Pivaric alive.
Everyone under the flag for “Operation October!”
Well it is what it is. But we or anybody should be pushing kids into any sport they dont like. Waterpolo champs handball champs . So be it. Basketball might be lising its lustre in Croatia. Nothing we can do about it.
The fact that Serbia sucks at handball, is prob due to them pushing their kids into basketball.
We are doing the opposite.
Oh i know soul. But its up to the individual. Thats why we good at both and win medals. I dunno. Bball i wish was back to 1992 but it ain’t happening. Unfortunately.
@ Zee
You can be an average Baksetball player and make €100k+ a year for 10 years.
To make that in vaterpolo or Rukamet you have to be World Class.
I saw up close and personal the rukamet representacije.
I was struck by how tall and big they were.
Average 2 meters+.
Half of them could have played Baksetball and a few probably had NBA talent.
Bogdanović makes more money then the whole team combined.
There families are getting duped.
They are not allowed to play basketball once their in a RK.
Ya soul champ handball is huge. But our bigger dudes go to water polo. Huge sport. Money to be made in both.
@ Idemo
Great link.
Dragić is a baller, full respect to his game.
Can’t believe just by accident HKS can’t produce at least half of a Dražen Petrović lead guard in the last 25 years.
Rukamet is a cult and they snap up the boys early.
The rest of the boys follow the nogomet path.
this guy has a lot of potential, hopefully can get a look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zotpUdxQFac
Santini with another pk. Might have to keep him on board just for that. Seems good at them. Haha
Idk why the hell he would come back. Whole country calls for his head gets it now they want it back fukkkkk dat
Someone got to put this team on their backs for these two games and do this!! Perisic is poised to do this let’s hope he can
Didn’t hear bout darijo juicing it makes sense he still running like a horse it seems. I would be all aboard if he could come help us qualify. He could have been that inspiration.
He didn’t seem to flop around so much at the end
Where is strinic? He played well for sampdoria in first match and has an assist
Goran Dragic in tears being presented Petrovic jersey from Drazen’s mother after gold medal
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edDO53rNb0w
^^my guy at the save
@zee- no way would Cacic start any of those guys you previously mentioned. Right OR wrong, he just isn’t ballsy enough. On the topic of speed, would be nice to see slow Santini of this roster for a young prospect.
No injuries this week!
@idemo- he didn’t play for Monaco today, but suppose he might be ready in two weeks time?
@maminjo-I talked to my guy at the save regarding your Rijeka requestfor the Finland game. He told me we should hear something soon.
Maybe bz. But I’d like to see more speed. Not enough.
thought subasic was out?
No Kova, Pjaca for sure. At least Vrsaljko’s ankle injury not bad enough to keep him out. Srna’s doping scandal definitely keeping him out, as he appeals the unauthorized sample.
Enough talent to get us to WC 2018!!!!!!!?
Golaies : Danijel Subašić (Monaco), Lovre Kalinić (Gent), Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo)
Defenders : Domagoj Vida (Dinamo Kiev), Dejan Lovren (Liverpool), Šime Vrsaljko (Atletico Madrid), Josip Pivarić (Dynamo Kyiv), Matej Mitrović (Bešiktaš), Borna Barišić (Osijek), Zoran Nižić (Hajduk), Antonio Milic Oostende)
Midfielders : Luka Modrić (Real Madrid), Ivan Rakitić (Barcelona), Ivan Perišić (Inter), Milan Badelj (Fiorentina), Marcelo Brozović (Inter), Marko Rog (Napoli), Filip Bradarić (Rijeka), Mario Pašalić (Spartak)
Forwards : Mario Mandžukić (Juventus), Nikola Kalinić (Milan), Andrej Kramarić (Hoffenheim), Duje Čop (Standard Liege), Ivan Santini (Caen)