Croatia clears doubts and eliminates Canada
The Balkans, with a double from Kramaric, are first in Group F and will play the pass to the round of 16 against Belgium
MADRID, 27 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Croatian team has cleared up the doubts of its debut in the World Cup in Qatar by thrashing this Sunday on the second day of the group stage against Canada (4-1), already mathematically eliminated from the event despite having gone ahead in a match that allows the checkered team to breathe, which will play the pass to the second round against Belgium.
The Balkan team, which in its debut did not go beyond a goalless draw against Morocco, knew how to get up after the initial blow from the North Americans, who went ahead after two minutes through Alphonso Davies. Kramaric, on two occasions, Livaja and Majer turned the result around and allowed Zlatko Dalic’s team to be first in Group F.
The runner-up in the world was completely overwhelmed in the first stage by those led by John Herdman, who after two minutes had already managed to translate their superiority; Tajon Buchanan put in a cross that caught Bayern striker Alphonso Davies, who was able to make up for his missed penalty against Belgium with a powerful shot that he sent well beyond the reach of Dominik Livakovic.
Even so, the Croatian team managed to recover and warned with a shot from Andrej Kramaric that slipped into the back of the net, before being annulled for a previous offside, and Marko Livaja added gunpowder in an action in which he forced to act goalkeeper Milan Borjan.
Both found a reward for their insistence after half an hour. In the 36th minute, the Hoffenheim forward took advantage of a brilliant through ball from Ivan Perisic to beat the Canadian goalkeeper with a cross shot; just eight minutes later, Livaja turned the game around with a shot close to the post (min.44).
Jonathan Osorio, with a screwball shot that went just touching the post, tried to close the gap at the restart, and Jonathan David tested Livakovic from the edge of the area, who put out a hand to prevent the American goal.
However, it was Kramaric, after touching the third at 54 minutes after a great play by Luka Modric and before leaving the field of play to a cheer, the one who took care of sentencing the contest by finishing off with his left foot with a good delivery from Josip Juranovic at the far post (min.70).
Borjan still had to appear to disrupt the fourth goal of the checkers, with a double save to Perisic and Brozovic, but he could not do anything in the Croatian two for one that allowed Lovro Majer, already in discount, to make the final 4- 1.
Now, the world runner-up (4) must confirm their pass in the dramatic last day against Belgium (3), who failed against forecast against Morocco (4) and needs to win to avoid being left out of the World Cup.
DATASHEET.
–RESULT: CROATIA, 4 – CANADA, 1 (2-1, at halftime).
–LINE-UPS.
CROACIA: Livakovic; Sosa, Lovren, Gvardiol, Juranovic; Brozovic, Modric (Pasalic, min.86), Kovacic (Majer, min.86); Livaja (Petkovic, min.60), Perisic (min.86) y Kramaric (Vlasic, min.72).
CANADA: Borjan; Laryea (Hoilett, min.63), Johnston, Vitoria, Miller, Davies; Buchanan, Hutchinson (Adekugbe, min.72), Eustáquio (Koné, min.46), David (Cavallini, min.72); y Larin (Osorio, min.46).
–GOALS:
0-1, min. 2: Davies.
1-1, min.36: Kramaric.
2-1, min.44: Livaja.
3-1, min.70: Kramaric.
4-1, min. 94: Majer.
–REFEREE: Andrés Matonte (URU). He admonished Dejan Lovren (min.56) and Luka Modric (min.85) for Croatia and Tajon Buchanan (min.52) and Kamal Miller (min.85) for Canada.
–STADIUM: Khalifa International.