Croatia (CRO)
Croatia reached their third successive FIFA World Cup™ finals by
finishing top of European qualifying Group 8, undefeated and with seven
wins recorded in ten matches. The most notable of these victories came
against Sweden, their main rivals in the section who achieved the same
points total but lost home and away to Zlatko Kranjcar’s side. It was a
1-0 success in Gothenburg on 8 September 2004 that confirmed the extent
of Croatia’s ambitions, Darijo Srna’s goal giving momentum to a
campaign which had opened three days earlier with a 3-0 defeat of
Hungary. Despite losing a two-goal lead in the subsequent home draw
with Bulgaria, four consecutive victories between March and June 2005
sustained their push until a second hiccup came in the form of a 1-1
draw in Malta. Croatia now had to beat the Swedes a second time to
reclaim first place in the group and a repeat performance from Srna in
Zagreb on 8 October ensured they did just that. Despite only gaining
independence from the former Yugoslavia in 1991 and joining FIFA the
following year, the Croatians already have considerable pedigree in the
international arena. As teenagers Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki,
Davor Suker, Robert Jarni and Igor Stimac played their part in
Yugoslavia’s capture of the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1987, and
this talented generation of players were in their prime eleven years
later when Croatia played at their first FIFA World Cup finals in
France. The result was a thrilling run to the semi-finals, which
included a 3-0 quarter-final victory over Germany before France beat
Miroslav Blazevic’s side in the semi-finals. There was some consolation
with a 2-1 win against the Netherlands in the play-off for third place,
where Suker struck his seventh goal of the finals to secure the Golden
Shoe. Four years later, the Croatians’ second finals adventure was not
so successful, apart from a victory against Italy little else went
right in Korea/Japan 2002 where Mirko Jozic's side lost to Mexico and
Ecuador and went home early. Under Jozic’s successor, Otto Baric,
Croatia reached the UEFA EURO 2004 finals but again exited at the group
stage. Hence the appointment of Kranjcar, a one-time Yugoslavian
international whose son Niko is the team’s rising star. Introduced amid
some scepticism, Kranjcar Jr (the only Croatia-based player with a
regular starting place) underlined his promise with a goal and an
assist in the 3-1 win in Bulgaria in June 2005 and provides the flair
in an otherwise functional three-man central midfield. Elsewhere, the
likes of Igor Tudor and brothers Niko and Robert Kovac bring experience
while wing-backs Srna – who scored four goals in qualifying - and Marko
Babic provide a genuine attacking threat, delivering a quality service
to star striker Dado Prso, Croatia’s five-goal top scorer in their
Group 8 campaign
