Croatia Set Sights on Final Hurdle
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
SPORT Friday 13 July 2018 PAGEE | 21 PAGEPAGE | 24 Kane says this isis justjust PridePride at stake as the start for youngyoung Belgium,Belgiu England clash Englandgland in thirdthir place play-off Croatia set sights on final hurdle AFP “We should be proud and hold our heads up high because MOSCOW: Croatia’s exhausted we’ve come a long way from two and battered players set their years ago.” sights on the World Cup final Kane looks set to claim the against France yesterday as Golden Boot as the World Cup’s England reflected on a missed leading scorer, but the Tot- opportunity to end more than tenham star rarely looked like half a century of pain. adding to his six goals against Luka Modric’s team were Croatia. taken to extra-time for the third Britain’s Daily Telegraph consecutive match in Moscow’s newspaper believes England Luzhniki Stadium on Wednesday have “moved forward into a but somehow found the energy brighter age”. to overcome England 2-1. But the Guardian said the Croatia have now played the players might struggle to shake equivalent of a whole match off the ordeal of losing the semi- more than Didier Deschamps’ final. “The World Cup may never team ahead of Sunday’s final in open up so obligingly again,” the the Russian capital but must gird paper said. themselves for one final push for France, who boast a pow- glory. erful mix of youth and expe- In beating Gareth South- rience, will start as favourites gate’s young team, Croatia have when they play the third World surpassed the achievement of Cup final in their history after the heroes of 1998, who reached they beat Belgium 1-0 in Saint the semi-finals in France in their Petersburg on Tuesday. first World Cup as an inde- Manchester United mid- pendent nation. fielder Paul Pogba said the pain The victory sparked wild cel- Croatian players celebrate after defeating England in of losing the Euro 2016 final to ebrations in the Balkan nation, their FIFA 2018 World Cup semi-final at the Luzhniki Portugal will spur him on. where tens of thousands of fans Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday. “I don’t have a star. It’s on poured onto the streets and the shirt but I didn’t win it. I want squares, singing, letting off flares one,” Pogba said of the star on and waving red-white-and-blue Dalic said there would be no said. “Going to extra-time might they took the lead through the match on TV in Britain. the French shirt that represents flags. excuses from his team despite be a problem along with the fact Kieran Trippier’s superb early But despite the bitter disap- the 1998 World Cup win. “Dream, Dream, Dream! their exertions over the past two France have had an extra day to free-kick, but Croatia hit back pointment, captain Harry Kane As Paris makes preparations Croatia are in the World Cup weeks. recover but there will be no through Ivan Perisic and Mario said England had restored pride for fans to watch the final, the final,” said the Sportske Novosti “This is fantastic. Two excuses.” Mandzukic in front of 78,000 during their run to the semi- Eiffel Tower’s management said newspaper, adding that coach players played with half a leg, For England, the emotions spectators. finals and could use it as a the monument would be shut as Zlatko Dalic “has entered into but it didn’t show. In extra-time are mixed -- pride at reaching In London, an initial wave of springboard for success. part of security measures being legend”. nobody wanted to be substituted. the last four is tempered by dis- elation turned to heartbreak as “It’s massive that we had a taken for a big-screen broadcast “The Fiery Ones are in the This shows character and is what appointment at letting a golden 30,000 beer-soaked fans in good tournament and restored of the World Cup final nearby. final, the nation is in a trance -- makes me proud. Nobody gave opportunity slip through their Hyde Park watched their team pride in the nation. The fans are During the Euro 2016 final, one more step to the title!” said up,” said Dalic. fingers. come up short. excited to watch us play and more than 90,000 people the Jutarnji List, using the team’s “We prepared to get to the They were on course for Around 26 million people that’s how we have to keep pro- packed into the Champ de Mars nickname. final and we want to play it,” he their first final since 1966 when are believed to have watched gressing,” he said. fan zone. Dalic credits team work and unity for Croatian ‘miracle’ REUETRS the likes of Neymar, Cristiano was quick to point out when asked “They were tired, they were Ronaldo and Lionel Messi all went if England had disrespected his exhausted, they were overjoyed,” MOSCOW: Croatia’s fairytale run home early. team with their confidence before he said. to the World Cup final is a foot- “For me, Messi is the best the semi-final. “They have a day off and we’ll balling “miracle” built on a foun- player in the world and Neymar is In Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic assess them tomorrow. They let dation of teamwork and unity very close,” Dalic told a news they have the midfield engines of their hair down and I approved that which has seen them outlast sides conference. both Real Madrid and Barcelona, because we have been in isolation reliant on brilliant individual “But at this World Cup, the while the scorer of their winner for 50 days.” talent, coach Zlatko Dalic said star-studded teams relying on the against the Three Lions, Mario Man- As on Wednesday after the yesterday. big names are already on the dzukic, won the Champions League match, Dalic pointed out that Wednesday’s 2-1 victory beach. It’s the compact, united with Bayern Munich and now plays Croatia did not have a stadium over England in Moscow sent teams fighting for something that for Juventus. suitable to host England in the new the Croatians into Sunday’s are still around. “Modric has had a brilliant Nations League later this year, an final against France, a third “It’s been the strangest World season with Real Madrid and here, issue that he viewed as proof of straight knockout match in Cup. Football has advanced so he’s still sprinting about the pitch the extraordinary feat he had which they had been much so any team can have well- in the 115th minute,” said the orchestrated. forced to play extra time. organised defence, so there are no coach. “We’ve definitely written our- The mental resilience huge winning margins and the “I think he has been the player selves into history, given the con- necessary to come team is everything. of the tournament regardless of the ditions and infrastructure back through such tests was “This was our problem for 10 result on Sunday.” home, we are a miracle,” he added. the result of the years, we had great individuals but Dalic said he had allowed his “This is maybe one of the emphasis on playing as no unity and that’s why I had to build players to celebrate the victory on greatest sporting achievements of a team, Dalic said, and that unity of purpose in the team.” Wednesday night and was conse- any Croatians. This is a global Croatian indicated a wider trend Croatia are hardly a team of no quently unaware of the extent of success and I’m very glad it’s hap- coach Zlatko at a World Cup where names, however, a fact that Dalic any injuries in his squad. pened under my management.” Dalic 18 SPORT FRIDAY 13 JULY 2018 France’s forward Kylian Mbappe reacts during a training session at the Glebovets Stadium in Istra, some 70 km west of Moscow, ahead of their FIFA 2018 World Cup final match against Croatia. Team player Pogba does the dirty work to help France flourish AFP point, I’m not N’Golo, but I’ll happily do it. I have grown up, MOSCOW: A towering physique matured.” and range of flashy hairstyles France’s back four and goal- mean Paul Pogba rarely goes keeper Hugo Lloris have earned unnoticed but he has become deserved praise for four clean emblematic of a French squad sheets in six games in getting to willing to sacrifice personal gain the final, but the chalk-and- for World Cup glory. cheese midfield combination of France go into Sunday’s final the quiet Kante and confident against Croatia in Moscow Pogba has provided the perfect aiming to make amends for the screen in front of the defence. bitter disappointment of losing In a 1-0 semi-final win over the Euro 2016 final on home soil Belgium, Pogba routinely tracked to Portugal. Marouane Fellaini back into his Just weeks before Man- own box to snuff out his club chester United paid a then teammate’s physical threat from world-record £89 million ($118 crosses. million) to sign Pogba from “Paul was monstrous,” said Juventus, that final largely passed France boss Didier Deschamps. him by. The intervening two “He was very efficient in our years have not always been easy defensive plan.” either. Pogba has been criticised Pogba’s extroverted nature in England for failing to dom- has also seen him become a inate big games and was even leader for a young team on and dropped a number of times last off the field.