Editor’s Note: This was one of the quietest weekends in the past decade for Croatians at club level, so I will focus on some key young players and their playing time in this edition of CAE.
Mateo Kovačić got the start for Chelsea in a 4-1 victory over Cardiff City on Saturday but was subbed off in the 50th minute with an apparent thigh injury, The Sun reported. Kovačić has cemented himself in the Chelsea starting XI, who are still perfect through the first five matches of the season. The injury looks like a minor knock with no serious downtime and Kovačić is expected to travel with the team to Greece on Thursday for their Europa League clash with PAOK. Kovačić was given a ‘6’ grade as he “Forced Neil Etheridge into a smart first-half save and provided an attacking threat from his midfield role. However, his afternoon was curtailed after picking up a knock.”
20 year-old Wolfsburg striker/winger Josip Brekalo got the start for his side Saturday in a 2-2 draw against Hertha Berlin. Brekalo played 63 minutes before being subbed off. The kid is going to be a stud for the Croatian senior side and Dalić needs to start considering bringing him up full-time away from the U-21’s. Wolsburg is expected to finish top-6 in Germany this season and if he continues to start; only good things will come.
Tin Jedvaj – and his new haircut – played 90 minutes in Bayer Leverkusen’s 3-1 loss at reigning German champs Bayern Munich on Saturday. It was arguably Bayer’s toughest test of the year and Jedvaj played right wing in a 3-4-3 formation. The more time he gets at club level, the closer he will be to breaking into Croatia’s starting XI defensively. With the left-back position currently weak, he could bolster that spot for the Vatreni.
25 year-old former Osijek defender Borna Barišić has cracked the Rangers starting XI and played all 90 minutes at left-back in a 4-0 victory over Dundee FC on Saturday. If Barišić can make a name for himself this year and move to a bigger club in the summer, Croatia will be in good shape with the left-back spot currently an Achilles Heel for the Vatreni.
Andrej Kramarić (above) played the full 90 minutes for Hoffenheim on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to Fortuna Dusseldorf. Clearly, he wasn’t injured as he played club football before and after the international break. Perhaps his employer – Hoffenheim – requested that he doesn’t play against Spain. Either way, it hurt Croatia’s chances against Spain.
@vuki
LB: silvio anocic
This is the Jedvaj we are waiting for: https://youtu.be/xYiMDcSDRI0
I’ve seen some people on here worrying about the future after Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, and co. I still think the future of our national team is very bright.
I think at least one of our LB talents will turn out, but my main concern is that once Vrsaljko retires (won’t be for a while), RB will be the new position of concern. Jedvaj could play there I suppose, but I think by that time he won’t be as quick and will be better suited as a CB (like he already is). Maybe I just can’t think of anyone who is coming up in that position or I just actually don’t know them yet, but that is the only real position I have concern for in the future. Striker is a bit questionable, but still some decent names. Just look at some of the depth we have. Some of the people I’m gonna list are a bit hit and miss, but really we only need a couple of them to turn out in each position and we’ll be fine.
GK – Dominik Livakovic, Karlo Letica, Adrian Semper, Josip Posavec, Dominik Kotarski
LB – Borna Sosa, David Colina, Domagoj Bradaric
CB – Duje Caleta-Car, Filip Benkovic, Nikola Katic, Marin Pongracic, Lorenco Simic, Bruno Goda, Filip Uremovic, Branimir Kalaica
RB – Tin Jedvaj, Karlo Bartolec, Fran Tudor, Dino Mikanovic
MID – Filip Krovinovic, Mario Pasalic, Ante Coric, Marko Rog, Andrija Balic, Lovro Majer, Nikola Moro, Toma Basic, Luka Ivanusec, Kristijan Bistrovic, Bartol Franjic, Marko Gjira, Ante Palaversa
WING – Marko Pjaca, Josip Brekalo, Alen Halilovic, Nikola Vlasic, Antonio Marin, Davor Lovren, (maybe) Dani Olmo
FWD – Ante Rebic (only about to turn 25), Stipe Perica, Michele Sego, Marin Jakolis, Sandro Kulenovic, Karlo Butic, Franko Kovacevic, Ivan Delic, Roko Baturina
I might have gotten some of their positions mixed up a bit. However, this does show that we have quite a bit of talent. Sorry it’s so long, I start to get carried away. Let me know if I’ve missed any names I should really know. I just really enjoy checking up on some of the players that are supposed to be our future.
Happy for Jedvaj, but he isn’t good enough to keep Croatia at a top level. He may get a start at RB, but he will not shine like Stna or Vrsaljko EVER. Just my honest opinion about his skill level.
Positives:
-clearly one of the more talented players we sent to pasadena vs Mexico, but that was our D team.
-nice bangs
I have said something positive we finished 2nd in the World Cup who cares what happens from noe on and hopefully Modric wins the Balon Dor to add to his Golden Ball from the World Cup.
Iggy .. in his full glory .. with the World Cup of tennis that is Davis!
https://www.croatiaweek.com/what-is-the-secret-to-croatias-amazing-sporting-success/
This article never gets old.
Kramaric fronting on the call up?
Something is off with Kramaric. Club over country? Not cool. H
All of Spain’s top young players were there and boy were there.
Dalić needs to cultivate more attacking options.
It seems some our strikers have a strand of Balkan disease in their system that needs to expelled.
You better be World class if you front when your number is called.
So are Wolfsburg no longer wearing those rainbow armbands that Brekalo was vocal about?
WE GONNA WIN DAVIS CUP THIS YEAR BOYS!! REVENGE ON THOSE FUCKETY FRENCH FUCKWITS !
Marko Rog:
https://www.tuttonapoli.net/rassegna-stampa/rog-non-puo-piu-fallire-ha-gia-sprecato-diverse-chance-e-ancelotti-aspetta-una-risposta-368671
And Coric wasn’t even on the bench for Roma.
Letting Jedvaj start in such a big match is huge for him. Let’s hope this continues. Benkovic also finally got some playing time with a good 60 min with Celtic. While Halilovic didn’t even make the bench for Milan as Bradaric and Srna held them to a draw. U21s have a big game coming up in Oct and should be interesting to see if Halilovic continues to start/captain if he’s not getting regular playing time.
Very good player Jedvaj, if not for injury he’d already be a starter for the Vatreni. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a moron.
Anyone think he wasn’t injured against Spain, but Dalic just said he was to cover for his stupid Rog for Vrsaljko substituion?
Anyone reckon Mandzukic and Perisic were in on the fix?
Zlatan Hrvat never brings anything positive or smart to the site. Most of his posts just sh*t on any player or team in the conversation.
Is your name trying to say “Golden Croatian”? Because its said Zlatni Hrvat you cuck
jos boli.
nisam spreman
In terms of brekalo, i wouldn’t worry about him getting a call up
Hns has already said he’ll be on the team for October and there is legitimate noise that you could see a front 3 of perisic, rebic, and brekalo
This is our Davis Cup title to lose.
France doesn’t have a Del Potro or anyone in the top-15 to push them through. Cilic and Coric should both be the favorites for their ties.
Sports Sports Sports!!
Croatia vs. France in the final November 23-25 in France. Hopefully, the umpire is not from Argentina.
Borna Coric did it.
Hrvatska-USA 3-2
BRAVO!!
What genius decided to play this tie on clay courts? Hmm, why don’t we choose the surface where we have our worst results. Clay is by far Cilic’s worst surface. And you would think Coric would be good on clay. But he hasn’t done much on clay either. Typical thinking to choose a surface that the other team doesn’t like instead of choosing a surface based on your strengths.
Borna…wtf?!!
Looks like Borna Ćorić is cleaning up Čilić’s mess. Hopefully he closes this out and we play France in the Finals.
EPL reject?
Vlašić will be a good player. He’s already good. Everton’s manager Marco Silva is an idiot who will relegate Everton the same way as he did the last two premier league teams he’s coached.
@Horvat
Thanks for the video. Dude looked like a man amongst boys boys.
The kid is only 20 years old. To early to know how good he will be for sure. He is better than Modric, Perisic, Kramaric, Mandzukic, Krovinovic, or Rebic were at his age. Let’s hope he becomes a great player.
@Horvat Balaban,Kalinic and now Vlasic all are EPL rejects just average players.
Ooh, looking like a choke job for the Davis Cup
cilic turns chokic again, the rio scat gay horsefuck jesus statue didnt help at all, its fking useless tear it the fk down.
Nikola Vlasic:
https://narod.hr/sport/video-nikola-vlasic-ponovno-osvaja-potezima-nakon-odlaska-iz-evertona-dobio-priliku-pokazati-sto-moze
Also one thing i forgot to mention: This is the final Davis Cup ever.
So winning would obv be special.
Kovacic just plays Tika Taka football.
the Davis Cup is taken serious by some countries but not all, it’s a 117-year old Cup with massive tradition and means a lot to those countries that try (it’s a massive deal for Australia for example). I can’t tell you why Djokovic and Federer etc don’t play for their countries. I guess they don’t care about their countries? They care more about individual glory and winning money. That’s just who they are.
Hrvatska has always had its best players available, from Goran to Ljubicic/Ancic to this current team of Cilic/Coric. Our guys care about Hrvatska so they play.
Winning the Davis Cup is a massive achievement. We won it once before in 2005 thanks to the aforesaid Ljubicic and Ancic and it was party time, it was a big big deal. So we’ll see if we can do it again and I see the final is definitely against the French now so obv smashing those cunts would be special 🙂
The Truth is the lost child of Nostradamus. A gifted lad. Filled with infinite knowledge. All hail the Truth
You predicted interest in soccer would wane when there’s no soccer on?
Wow, give that man a cookie!
As i’ve mentioned in the past i do not follow tennis very often.. Can someone spare a minute and explain why the Davis Cup isn’t taken seriously?
woah he changed the poll. Thanks for listening to my advice 😀
Truth, you’re an idiot! GGG vs Canelo going down! Hrgovic is the next great heavyweight prospect.
Looks like i was right again
I predicted interest in soccer and this site would wane considerably and looks like that’s what’s going on. Frozen at 16 comments all day. Can’t blame people. I got wc hangover still as well
Kovacic was having a pretty good game today but left the game injured.
It doesn’t look like its gonna be too serious from initial reports.
Mate Pavic finally decided Hrvatska was worth his time?
What a surprise !
Not sure what to think about that dude…
Didn’t play when we needed him, now the coast is clear suddenly he’s in.
I don’t want to judge him too much but…… sheesh…
He won 2x Aus open doubles championships and then refused to play for Hrvatska.. so.. yeah..
@ soul champ
I think you prove my point in a little bit in that you could only really name 5 guard type players from the entire Balkans whereas you could name countless forwards and bigs
And of that list you have, dragic is the only true point guard who is an above average player in the nva. Even for all his skills,teodosicc likely still wouldve been a step slow in the nba even when he was younger.
End result is the entire Balkans can maybe produce one good nba guard every 20 years.
And as shorter players start playing more at power forward and center, the Balkans will likely face less demands for their talents
@ Truth
Vailid points at the surface ..
But why are Serbs via Serbia and Slovenia producing world class guards and we aren’t?
Dragić
Teodosic
Dončić
Đorđević
Bogdanović – Bogdan
I am no even talking about NBA level .. I am just talking about European level .. like good enough to beat a pedestrian Litva team at home in a must win!
We don’t have long armed quick athletes between 190-198 cm?
Of course we do.
They are probably in some RK at age 5.
That great Rukamet player, Ivano Balic, should have been a point guard.
While Baksetball is very genetic, being a ball player is deeper than physical tools.
Balic was the greatest Rukamet player of all time and looks like he can’t rub two kune together.
He would have been a multi millionaire just if he stayed in Europe.
It takes vision to be a floor general and vision to produce floor generals.
Unfortunately we have dim witted leadership in positions of power all throughout Croatia.
This is the problem.
@ Iggy
You can be the 800th ranked player in the Baksetball world and still be a millionaire.
Ranked 800th in the world in tennis and you teaching old ladies how to swing a racket and not hit your dentures.
Sporting relevancy is in a different universe.
Croatia will lose and then looking for a new manager…
I will nominate myself and proclaim as a savior to this team!
Croatia needs the existence of God… Halilovic will bless you!
third option be Cro loses to england**
I gotta speak up about these poll questions. They’re always sooo bad and it looks Kvartuc tries too hard on them. I can never vote on them. For example the most recent one..
What happens vs. England in October?
-Croatia will bounce back. Spain was a fluke loss.
-England wins. Was the World Cup run a fluke?
Why can’t the first option just be Croatia will bounce back and win
second option be a draw
and third option be England loses..why do you have to put the extra “was the world cup run a fluke?”
make the polls simple man..
Shut up truth troll!
Another prediction i have is that interest is likely to die down on this site for quite sometime
There will be a world cup hangover as what lies in front of us is just not that exciting for some time
There were some articles about Cosic illegally selling tickets for the world cup final
A couple notes
@ Soul champ
I think Croatia does not produce as many quality guards of nba quality likely because people of African descent in the height range of guards tend to be overly better at basketball whether it be because of speed, jumping, or wing span. Foreign nba players historically have been taller players as height has been a scarce resource so it was more necessary to tap a global population pool
Lately there have been less quality players of European descent coming to the nba likely because simply being big and able to shoot is no longer good enough in today’s pace and space nba…. Now you need to be able to defend out in space which might be harder for those players
10 to 20 years ago zubac and zizic would be great prospects but now they struggle to find any time even though i think they are arguably both rather talented
Croatia continues to produce great basketball talent for a country of its size but it will struggle to translate it to international success because those players continue to be power forwards or centers.
Upcoming drafts are no exception as luka samanic will be a top 2 international player drafted but is a power forward
Roko prkacin and boris tisma in another two years will also be power forwards
Tennis is good Iggy. I agree. Every sport is important. Nobody talks about rowing!, we are great at that too!
Dude i would WAYYYY rather be good at tennis than basketball. Tennis is WAY more important!
BTW someone mentioned Drago Cosic got fired; can anyone say why ? What happened there?
@ Košarkaši
Are we ever going to have a lead guard?
Litva put a clinic as they often do.
But damn it is painful watching Bogdanović and Šarić running the point.
Hezonja ? Still focusing on BS nba career?
He should of been on this team tonight.
Actually his ball hamdling sucks to?
Fascinating how we can be so technical in nogomet but so weak at producing a legit ball handling guard?
For those who have played on a decent level it is quite disturbing.
Man .. Dražen used to go at Jordan when the league allowed hand checking and gave zero fouls in favor of the first wave of Euro imports.
190-196 cm elite athletes in Croatia doing rukamet, Vater polo, tenis .. ?
Rok Stipčević is a scrub?!?
Simon is smooth but a second option two guard.
Could you imagine with modern training and less hand checking what Dražen would have done to this mediocre Litva team?
Probably would have went for 40 with 12 dimes.
I fear HKS has no clue?
Tomjanovic let me know personally they weren’t interested in his hall of fame perspective.. sve znaju.
Just need a quick player to bring the ball up so our NBA players can score with less energy.
Bit concerned about Krama not wanting to play for the Repka tbh, not a good sign. Let’s hope he doesn’t continue to channel N. Kalinic