Two Croatian teams have pivotal matches this Friday.
The senior side will host England behind closed doors in Rijeka – at 2:45PM (ET) – while the U-21 team plays Greece in Pula – at 12PM(ET) – for top spot in their Euro 2019 qualifying group.
After an embarrassing 6-0 loss to Spain in September, the Vatreni will look to bounce back against a hungry English team, who also lost to Spain (2-1) at Wembley last month. On top of that, England are sure to look for some revenge as Croatia knocked them out of the World Cup in the semifinal round.
Croatia will be without starting goalkeeper Lovre Kalinić, Šime Vrsaljko and Marcelo Brozović. However, Ante Rebić, Andrej Kramarić and Dejan Lovren – who were not available in September due to injury – will be returning to the team for the England clash.
This will be a huge game for both sides. Croatia do not want to lose back-to-back games after a nearly perfect World Cup silver medal run and England does not want to lose to the Vatreni twice in four months. Injuries plagued Croatia last month in Elche, with Mitrović, Santini, Rog and Livaja having to step up alongside the all-star midfield. It will be a tough match for both sides, but a loss will all but relegate the losing side to League B next Nations League tournament.
Let’s see if Croatia can rebound after the worst loss in Croatian footballing history.
With only two matches remaining in the Euro 2019 qualifiers, the Mladi Vatreni will face Greece for top spot in the group. A win will put Croatia top of the table going into their last match versus minnows San Marino. Should they not earn all three points, they will still be able to qualify for the 12-team tournament next summer in Italy through a playoff tie.
This is important because the top-four countries at Euro 2019 earn a berth into the 2020 Olympics, which Croatian football has never played in.
This Croatia U-21 side is stacked with talent and will be the favorite to earn a birth directly to Italy. Wolfsburg’s Josip Brekalo, CSKA Moscow’s Nikola Vlašić, AC Milan’s Alen Halilović and Marseille’s Duje Ćaleta-Car will all be playing against Greece and San Marino, respectively.
It will be a big day for Croatian football.
Ah nice. Yeh i remember his career ending due to that terrible illness, real shame. Be so good to have two players in the top 10 again for sure!
@Iggy
Yea, in the summer of 2006, Ljubicic was ranked #3 and Ancic was ranked #7.
Then, Ancic got mononucleosis in 2007 and his career was over.
Maminjo,
It is not for me. For the kids, who will outgrow it in 2 years. I would never it buy the knock-offs for myself.
BTW, my kit of choice is my Modric game worn 2012 Euro home jersey. Looks horrible on me since it is so damn small and tight, but i couldnt give a shit.
Not sure what his ranking will be but how good would it be if we had 2 Croats in the top 10? Has that happened before? Actually it prolly did with Ljubicic and Ancic at some point i would imagine.
since mandzukic retired, maybe he can be the veteran at the olympics
Usain Bolt playing for CCM in a friendly against SWS, I think Bolt is world class already!
^
I thought @Idemo went over to Bosniansports.com on a free transfer?
Deez nutz! Imma back suckez. My nigga Idemo postin insults as anonymous gotz me lmfao. Soul Champ correct this grammar beeeaaatch. Idemo!
Does Borna Coric hit top-15 after this tournament?
@Anonymous
The word heretic comes from the Greek word hairetikos which means to choose.
So a person that believes “diversity is strength” would indeed call someone that chooses to believe differently a heretic.
So what’s your problem, if you don’t wanna be called a heretic all you gotta do is believe that “diversity is strength”?
Religiously speaking Obama is a heretic, Hilary is a heretic, Trump is a heretic, Muslims are heretics and the KKK are also heretics. They’re all fucking heretics Lol!
And of course you’re a heretic.
He was prolly sick from FEAR of playing Coric! Like Ronaldo before WC 98 final LEL
The only way I could see Coric beating Del Potro is if he was sick and had a fucked up knee and had to retire after the first set.
@Anon
Don’t be a cheap ass and buy a real Croatian football kit:
http://www.hnswebshop.hr/dresovi.html
It sucks having the nicest kits, but seeing our fans wearing cheap looking horrible knockoffs. The knockoffs look so bad, it’s embarrassing. Just wear a HNS t-shirt or something else if a kit is too expensive.
@ Iggy
Epic tennis post !!
First real HNS matches in a month and .. The obscure tennis reference.
You are the most consistent tennis poster in the history of CSR.
Hmmm .. Shanghai masters OR Croatia v England .. for UNL life and seeding for Euro 2020 qualifying ?
May have to check out Shanghai masters on Saturday and focus on nogomet on Friday.
Just kidding .. you know you are my main man Hrvat from down under.
Coric into QF of shanghai masters : ) will play some aussie nobody next so chance to go to semis
“the truth” said “Won’t the euros be going on during the Olympics? Which would make it tough for any Croatian national team players to participate in both?”
Yea if they were going on at the same time, it wouldn’t be “tough” to participate in both, it would be IMPOSSIBLE you effing moron.
Why is the Cro national team again being punished for things they have no control over? Why are ALL the fans being punished for things they have no control over. Croatia loses their home field advantage and watching the game with no fans in the stands, no atmosphere, sucks. UEFA are a bunch of cowardly fucking morons.
The WC Final was bigger than just an international football final. There was the politics of a small white nation, a real nation based on common identity, against “diversity” – ie a formerly white country based on the words that “diversity is strength” or you’re a “racist” ie a heretic. Nationalism vs. Wordism.
Yet despite what CRIMINAL Obama said as a guest of the CRIMINAL South African regime, that “the french team showed the practical benefits of diversity”, the final result will have no impact on politics, on this world.
And if third worlders do better in white countries than their own, than whites would do much better without third worlders. This simple logic alone disproves the CRIMINAL’S horseshit. Ask the CRIMINAL when will there be enough “diversity” in Europe? If “it doesn’t matter”, then why are you touting it’s “practical benefits” you two faced genocidal CRIMINAL?
@ Anon
It was tongue and cheek
But thanks for the support
Also it would be great for you to have a consistent name.
That way we can know which Anonymous we are dealing with?
@anony
check
subeside sports
world soccer shop
Slightly off-topic. Looking to buy custom Cro kits (specifically, the 2018 away kit) for my kids. Which Chinese/Asian websites do you guys recommend? Especially ones that do youth sizes. Cheers.
“Fellow Hrvati have …. corrected my Croatian grammar.”
-Soul Champ
Someone corrected your grammar? The horror!
God forbid someone help you out by pointing out an error. Hopefully you didn’t need to seek out counseling for the pain you suffered.
Euro 2020 runs from June 12th to July 12th.
2020 Summer Olympics runs from July 24th to August 9th.
So the events don’t conflict. Assuming we qualify for the olympics, we will be able to find 3 quality veterans since it’s such a prestigious event.
Veterans would need to be able to lead, and “Fire Up” the younger teammates.
Won’t the euros be going on during the Olympics? Which would make it tough for any Croatian national team players to participate in both?
Going to the Olympics AND medaling would be sometin’ for Croatian football!
The U21 has a lot of talent and is balanced. I know they’re allowed 3 veteran players. I’d prolly take experienced/versatile players such as Attack: Rebic, Midfield: Brozovic, Defense: Vrsaljko.
@ Poglavnik
Agreed.
Kovačić has to dominate.
I have been positive posting about him for 5 years.
Fellow Hrvati have called me names and corrected my Croatian grammar over my Kovačić posts.
He is explode through the lines and make game winning plays.
Lovren is a big time plus tomorrow.
Rebić is on display for the entire EPL.
Perišić is built to feast on England’s up and down style.
Pjaca is due as well.
Actually feel there are many players that are hungry for this one.
Barkley thinks he is better than Kovačić and wants to prove it.
Kovačić wants to wear the big boy pants ?
ZDS performance tomorrow and you have arrived.
@ U21 squad
Need a statement tomorrow.
And then Goals galore against San Marino.
After Euro U21s the Olympics would be epic for Croatia.
Thanks Mr. Black. Always great and insightful posts.
Top 10 (out of the 12) teams in League A become seeded for Nations League.
The two bottom teams are currently Iceland and Croatia.
Hopefully we beat England and avoid this.
Ivan Leko got out of jail today. According to his lawyer, it wasn’t about matchfixing but about some tax fraude a few years ago.
In the meantime, the Cub Brugge fans support their coach.
so wait this nations league stuff actually counts for something? just thought it was glorified friendly
Is it a pivotal game? Not sure; i dont feel it. The u21 game is pivotal tho, yep, for sure
england more talented? no. more motivated? yes
If ever Kovacic were to prove something to me, having a great match against England would be it.
@ Andrej
No, Euro 2020 will have the same as Euro 2016.
There will be a total of 24 teams.
10 groups of five or six teams. Top two teams qualify automatically.
Would be nice to be seeded and not have to deal with a team like Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, England or Portugal in qualifying.
I predict the u21 will win and the senior team will have another rough day losing to England
Ultimately, the senior team still won’t be able to get up for this match and England is simply more talented and motivated
The only x factors are that rebic is back and he simply does not know how to flick his off switch and kovacic will be starting in place of brozovic and eager to prove his worth in the spot
Isn’t Euro 2020 going to have a lot more teams than Euro 2016? Even if we’re unseeded, shouldn’t we still have a good chance of qualifying? I still think we need the win more so mentally than anything else.
It would be amazing to see the young guys play at the Olympics. I think those teams are still allowed to have 3 players over 23?
If we lose this…we’re pretty much guaranteed to be relegated to League B, and with our brutal goal differential we will likely finish as an unseeded team for the Euro 2020 draw.