Group B Roundup

Croatian tests positive but cleared to play against England

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Croatian striker Ivica Olic tested positive for a banned substance, UEFA said on Sunday, but he has been cleared to play in his team's final Euro 2004 Group B game against England.

The first player to test positive at the championships, Olic's urine sample was found to contain methylprednisolone, a man-made corticosteroid, after Croatia's 2-2 tie with France in which he played as a 73rd minute substitute. UEFA decided on Sunday he did not do anything wrong but fined the Croatian federation euro6,600 for not checking out the medication he had been given for a rib injury.

UEFA said it had also issued a warning to the Croatian team doctor, Zoran Bahtijarevic, who is responsible for anti-doping matters within the federation.

According to a FIFA statement, Olic suffered a rib injury in a friendly against Denmark on June 5 and, two days later, was given a pain blocker which included methylpresnisolone.

The UEFA control and disciplinary body reported that the two Croatian team doctors failed to complete and submit the necessary Therapeutic Use Exemption form to UEFA. This would have been deemed acceptable had it been submitted, UEFA said.

The Croatian doctors acknowledged the facts and assumed their responsibility, UEFA said. The federation has three days to appeal against the fine.

UEFA clears Frei of spitting allegation

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- UEFA on Sunday cleared Swiss forward Alexander Frei of allegations he spat at England midfielder Steven Gerrard in the teams' Group B game at Euro 2004 and he will be able to play against France in Switzerland's next match.

"The control and disciplinary body considered the evidence at hand not conclusive enough," UEFA said in a statement.

UEFA took the decision after studying videotapes of the incident and written statements from both sides.

Had he been found guilty, Frei would have missed Monday's game against defending champion France, which Switzerland needs to win to stand any chance of advancing.

"I am very happy, but I never had a bad conscience," said Frei. "This incident didn't make things easy for the team."

Coach Kobi Kuni agreed. "It is time to end this affair and concentrate on the game," he said.

Earlier in the tournament, UEFA took action against Italy's Francesco Totti based on TV footage that showed the AS Roma star spitting into the face of Denmark's Christian Poulsen during a 0-0 tie in Guimaraes.

The incident involving Frei occurred in the 77th minute of England's 3-0 victory over Switzerland in Coimbra on Thursday, after Gerrard pushed Frei into an advertising board. The ZDF footage shows Gerrard holding the back his neck and turning at Frei then away from him. From the camera angle, Frei is not visible when the incident took place.

The referee didn't spot the alleged spitting and Frei played the entire game.

Frei claimed he swore at Gerrard but did not spit.

England eager to beat Croatia, avoid another slip

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- England only needs a draw against Croatia to advance to the quarterfinals of the European Championship.

It's been there before -- and failed.

And that's something Croatia is more than willing to take advantage on Monday at Lisbon's Stadium of Light.

Four years ago at Euro 2000, England only needed to avoid losing to Romania in Charleroi, Belgium, to advance to the last eight after beating arch rival Germany 1-0. After leading 2-1 early in the second half, England went down 3-2 and was eliminated from the competition.

"We can't afford to get carried away but we are in a position where we need just need to draw," England captain David Beckham said.

"We have been in this position before at the last championships when we beat Germany and ended up losing. It is unthinkable that we should go out at this stage, with the team and the players we've got. We can't even think about going into this game wanting a draw, we must go into it wanting to win."

England's aim is to reach the semifinals, going one better than its quarterfinal berth at the 2002 World Cup, where it lost to 10-man Brazil, the eventual champion.

Croatia, seeking to rediscover its glory days of the 1990s, needs a win over England to advance from Group B. It was lucky not to beat defending champion France on Thursday, rallying from a goal down to take the lead before having to settle in the end for a 2-2 draw.

"Every time France doesn't win a football game it is a surprise," England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said. "I think they (Croatia) played very, very well and it will be a tough game on Monday for us."

England lost 2-1 to France through two Zinedine Zidane injury time goals in its tournament opener on June 13 and beat Switzerland 3-0 on Thursday in Coimbra. Croatia had a poor start in its opening game against the Swiss, drawing 0-0.

France leads Group B with four points, followed by England (3), Croatia (2) and Switzerland (1). The French play the Swiss Monday.

All the teams still have a theoretical chance of making it into the final eight.

England's edge could be 18-year-old striker Wayne Rooney, who became the youngest ever scorer in European Championship history when he scored twice against the Swiss.

"Rooney and Beckham and the others are brilliant players, but we are playing against the entire team," Croatian coach Otto Baric said.

"Rooney is an exceptional player, but we knew that. We also know exactly how the English team plays and we can, and will, find a solution to stop both Rooney and England."

England's only worry is yellow cards -- Rooney, Paul Scholes, Frank Lampard and David James all have one and another booking would rule them out of the quarterfinal match.

The Croatians have nine players on a yellow including striker Dado Prso and midfielder Milan Rapaic, who have both scored at this tournament.

England last played Croatia in an Aug. 20 friendly last year in Ipswich. Frank Lampard scored his first international goal as substitute in the 3-1 win.

"I think we know quite a lot about them from watching their players in Europe," Lampard said.

"We know they are dangerous and technically gifted. They always have good players. We know what we will be coming up against and we will have to be ready."

Baric, who this week celebrated his 71st birthday, is convinced Croatia can cause an upset. A quarterfinalist at Euro 1996 and semifinalist at the 1998 World Cup, Croatia is seeking a return to the glory days, when a golden generation starring Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki could match up to any of the world's top flight teams.

When they retired, the Croats failed to qualify for the Euro 2000 finals and dropped out in the first round of the last World Cup.

"Croatia is a small country up against a giant country that invented soccer and is one of the best in the game, only we believe in our strengths and our chances of winning," Baric said.

France will rise to the occasion, says coach Santini

PORTO, Portugal (AP) -- Jacques Santini has no doubt France will qualify for the quarterfinals when it faces Switzerland in its final Euro 2004 group B match.

"The players always respond present at big matches, that is a positive sign," coach Santini said ahead of Monday's game in Coimbra. Les Bleus need only a point against last-placed Switzerland to reach the last eight.

The defending champion struggled in its opening two games, twice coming from behind to secure a 2-1 win over England and a 2-2 draw against Croatia. Santini puts his team's indifferent start down to "fatigue and lassitude."

"We're only at 80 percent of our capacity, but we will get stronger," he said.

Switzerland's slim chances of qualifying received a boost Sunday when UEFA cleared striker Alexander Frei to play the match. It had investigated allegations Frei spat at England midfielder Steven Gerrard in 3-0 loss last Thursday but closed the case because of insufficient evidence.

Frei is a top striker for Switzerland who notched 18 league goals for Rennes in the French league last season.

With one point so far and having finished both group games with 10 men, the Swiss should not pose too great a threat. Nevertheless, the French remain wary.

"Switzerland are not inferior to anyone," said striker Thierry Henry. "They played well against England. With a bit more luck, they could have scored early against England. It was very close and at 11 against 11 I though they played very well."

So far, Bernt Haas and Johan Vogel have been sent off for the Swiss. But in both matches, the team showed flashes of skill and could trouble the suspect French defense.

"Maybe we are relaxing too much in defense. At international level you get punished," said defender Mikael Silvestre, who has given away two penalties so far in the tournament.

Silvestre, who plays for Manchester United, has doubts the French can control a match following awkward showings against Croatia and England.

"We don't know how to hold onto a lead," he said. "We are a team which knows only to go forward."

Midfielder Patrick Vieira, who is set to win his 72nd cap on Monday, is also circumspect.

"Allowing three goals in two games makes us ask ourselves questions," the Arsenal captain said. "We want to sort this out. The danger is when we lose a bit of concentration."

France, which is unbeaten in 20 games dating back to February, 2003, headed into the tournament without allowing a goal in 11 matches. Against a spirited Croatia the defense conceded twice in four second-half minutes.

"I don't think we're overrated," said Vieira. "But we can play better, that is for sure. We must do so to win the Euro."

France followed up its 1998 World Cup win with victory at Euro 2000 -- becoming the first side to win both competitions in succession.

Although unbeaten in 16 months, France is still some way off the mark it set almost a decade ago. Between February 16, 1994 and October 9, 1996 the team did not lose in 30 games.

"It's normal that people expect more from the French team," Vieira said.

Henry, who is scoreless in five games for France, urged his teammates to step up their performance on Monday.

"We have had two games in adversity, we could have found ourselves with zero points. Now it's time to move on," he said. "Our goals have not come from nice moves. We need to show our true colors."

Meanwhile, Trezeguet needs one more goal to pull level with French legend Just Fontaine and Jean-Pierre Papin with 30 strikes.

Should he score Monday, only Michel Platini with 41 would have scored more.

"It means a lot to have the same number of goals as players like him and Fontaine. It shows I have been consistent," Trezeguet said.

Santini has one minor injury worry as Chelsea midfielder Claude Makelele is still troubled by a blow to the collarbone sustained against England. Roma's Olivier Dacourt or Marseille's Benoit Pedretti could start in his place.

France beat Switzerland 2-0 in a friendly in August on goals from Sylvain Wiltord and Steve Marlet.

Report: Players ask Santini to change strategy

COIMBRA, Portugal (Reuters) -- France captain Marcel Desailly and playmaker Zinedine Zidane went to coach Jacques Santini to plead for strategy changes after the 2-2 draw with Croatia at Euro 2004, according to L'Equipe newspaper.

Desailly and Zidane discussed the matter with Santini for an hour on Friday and asked for the 4-4-2 line-up they have used for the last two years to be amended before the final Group B match against Switzerland on Monday.

The European champions have extended their unbeaten run to 20 matches but have looked less and less at ease with the system implemented by Santini since he took over in July 2002.

Zidane is eager to play in a more central position where he can express himself more. In his last three games, the French number 10 has been stuck on the left side of midfield and his influence on the game has been reduced.

"The coach listened carefully to the two players," said L'Equipe. "But he has not given any answer to their request yet."

France snatched two last-gasp wins over Ukraine in a warm-up match and England in a Group B game before being held by a pugnacious Croatia 2-2 on Thursday.

After Thursday's match Santini hinted he might make changes to his tactics but he said he had to discuss it first with his players.

"Our game has been reviewed carefully by our rivals. It is well known now," he said.

"I'm not certain that reshuffling our strategy totally could bring back the slickness we are lacking at the moment.

"But when you have an option it can be interesting sometimes to change it slightly or at least to think about changing it slightly."

Terry: English fans will make the difference

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- England defender John Terry hopes the traveling English fans will give the side an extra lift during its final European Championship group match against Croatia on Monday.

England needs only to draw at Lisbon's Stadium of Light to advance to the quarterfinals.

England fans numbered 40,000 in the 65,000-seat stadium during its opening Euro 2004 match against France on June 13.

To the accompaniment of a brass band, fans barely stopped chanting and singing throughout the match. Flags bearing the red and white cross of St. George hung in every possible place throughout the stadium and beforehand in downtown Lisbon.

Terry watched from the stands as England lost 2-1 to two injury time goals from Zinedine Zidane while recovering from a hamstring injury but said the atmosphere had made a difference.

"It has been good to see the fans cheering us on -- it gives us that extra lift," Terry said.

"Often it feels like we are at a home match when we have so many fans there. The singing, the cheering helps the players."

Terry returned to England's starting lineup in the 3-0 win over Switzerland last Thursday and says he's back to full fitness.

He also knows all about Croatia's top striker, Dado Prso. The Chelsea defender came up against the Monaco striker twice in the Champions League semifinal which the London club lost over two legs.

"He is a fantastic player -- he scored a great goal the other night and is going to be a threat," Terry said. "I hope, having played against him a couple of times, I'll know a bit about him and be able to stop him."

England assistant coach Steve McClaren, who manages Middlesbrough in England's Premier League, said the French loss could help England.

"In a tournament like this the team that starts well isn't necessarily the team that wins it," McClaren said. "Hopefully we can be the team that gets better and better.

"There is no complacency within the camp. We have seen that Croatia can give anyone a game -- they did with France -- and they deserve our respect and they will get that.

"They are a good team technically and very good on the counter attack. We can't lose or we are out so we have to make sure we get the result and then prepare for the quarterfinals."

Croatia, seeking to rediscover its glory days of the 1990s, needs a win over England to advance from Group B. It was lucky not to beat defending champion France on Thursday, rallying from a goal down to take the lead before settling for a 2-2 draw.

After the French loss, England rebounded with the Swiss win -- capped off with two goals from 18-year-old Wayne Rooney, who became the youngest-ever goalscorer in European Championship history.

France leads Group B with four points, followed by England (3), Croatia (2) and Switzerland (1). The French play the Swiss Monday and all the teams still have a theoretical chance of making it into the final eight.

While Rooney garners the headlines, questions are being asked of his strike partner Michael Owen.

"Michael admitted he was disappointed not to have scored a goal so far and he has not played as well as he would have liked," McClaren said. "But he is world class and he will score goals and we are very hopeful.

"If he is not scoring then he still plays a part. Against the Swiss he set up the first goal and caused problems. Leaving him out was never up for discussion, never on the agenda.

"He has proved invaluable in the past and will play a major part here. I think he will only get better."

Rooney has been underestimated, says Henry

PORTO, Portugal (AP) -- Thierry Henry says Wayne Rooney's impact at Euro 2004 does not surprise him but others may have underestimated the teenage striker.

"Rooney has had a good Euro so far," Henry said. "But I knew he would. I think some people underestimated him or did not know him as a player.

"I said before the Euro 'Watch out for Rooney"', Arsenal star Henry continued. "But maybe because he plays for Everton, and the Premier League apparently is supposed to be easy, people thought he wouldn't do it here."

Rooney, 18, scored twice on Thursday against Switzerland, taking his international tally to 7 in 15 matches -- although he has only started 12 games under coach Sven-Goran Eriksson.

The Everton striker beat Michael Owen's record as England's youngest player, then as England's youngest goalscorer. Against the Swiss, he became the youngest ever scorer in European Championship history.

Even though England lost its opening game to France, Rooney stood out.

The sight of him picking up the ball on the halfway line, bursting past French defender Lilian Thuram before being brought down for a penalty showed a striker playing with immense self-belief and no fear.

Juventus star Thuram is widely considered one of the world's best defenders, but Rooney made him look ordinary with his moment of brilliance.

"He is a great player," said France midfielder Patrick Vieira.

Eriksson believes the list of clubs would be "very long" to sign Rooney if he chooses to leave Everton.

"Would any other clubs or countries want Wayne Rooney?" Eriksson said. "I'm quite sure if you are thinking about clubs then the queue is very long.

"I don't know if that is the case. But, if I were a club manager, I should take my phone -- and phone his agent. He is one of the biggest talents out there.

"He is fantastic as he is but I think he will get even better in the future. He shouldn't be 100 per cent the finished article at 18 and he can improve."

Hargreaves out with stomach upset

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Midfielder Owen Hargreaves was ruled of England's final Euro 2004 Group B game against Croatia with a stomach complaint on Sunday.

The Bayern Munich player was a subsitute for Paul Scholes in England's opening 2-1 injury time loss to France and last Thursday's 3-0 win over Switzerland. He didn't train with the squad on Sunday and coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said he'd miss Monday's match at the Stadium of Light.

England only needs a draw to advance to the quarterfinals, Croatia needs a win.

"Owen is not very well," Eriksson told BBC radio. "I'm almost sure he is not available -- he hasn't eaten for 48 hours."

"He is very useful when you want to defend a result -- he can play anywhere in the midfield and when he comes on he's always ready and always aggressive. He can keep the ball and is very strong."

Eriksson said midfielder Nicky Butt, who damaged his right knee ligaments in training on June 15, might be available if England progresses to the semifinals.

"He has started running and jogging a little and it's getting better and better so it's very positive for him and for us. So if we go further who knows?" Eriksson said.

"If we reach the semifinals he may be ready but it's very difficult to say for sure. But he's working and that's good."

Eriksson not worried about Owen losing scoring touch

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- Michael Owen knows all about the adulation being showered on his 18-year-old strike partner Wayne Rooney.

Rooney is garnering the sort of headlines that Owen did when he came to prominence at the same age during the 1998 World Cup in France.

But six years later, Owen has lost some of his pace. He's been substituted in both of England's matches at the European Championship. There's even talk of the unthinkable -- dropping him.

"I have never thought about it," England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson said ahead of England's final group match against Croatia in Lisbon on Monday.

"No one is untouchable, it would be unfair to say that."

The Liverpool striker, who has netted 25 goals in 58 international appearances, has been overshadowed by Rooney, who became the youngest scorer in European Championship history with two goals in England's 3-0 win over Switzerland on Thursday.

Steven Gerrard scored the third goal against the Swiss and Frank Lampard netted in England's 2-1 injury-time loss to France. Eriksson believes defenses are still worried about Owen.

"All the world knows that he is a great goalscorer and, sooner or later, he will score. Give him one chance and the ball is there," Eriksson said.

Owen went to Portugal following his most disappointing season with Liverpool.

After a lackluster start and numerous injuries, Owen rallied to score 19 goals for Liverpool -- but he'd only notched nine by the middle of March. His average over the past three seasons was 31.

Eriksson said he spoke to Owen before the Swiss match and didn't think there was a physical problem.

"Talking in general, all the strikers I've had in the past 20 years, it's always a problem if they don't score in three or four games," Eriksson said. "All of them make the same small mistake. They think they must score and are stuck mentally, rather than going out to play football."

Owen was substituted by Aston Villa's Darius Vassell in both matches. Vassell has shown the pace Owen has been lacking in the heat in Portugal, and Eriksson acknowledged he was "knocking on the door" of the first team.

"I hope it does not damage his (Owen's) confidence," the Swede added. "In football today, almost every team uses three substitutes in most games. It's one of the weapons you have as a manager.

"If someone is tired or not doing very well, you put someone else in. It shouldn't be an offense to a player to leave the pitch."

Captain David Beckham said the squad back Owen.

"Michael has been doing it at the top level for so many years now and he's still young," he said. "When he gets a goal, then hopefully they will all come as it's all about confidence."

"He got a lot of confidence from setting up Wayne's first goal the other day and hopefully that will boost him to get his first goal."

Eriksson is also looking for Rooney to rally Owen.

"Together they have played well in the past and I think they are doing well," Eriksson said. "Michael Owen has not scored a goal in this tournament yet, but he will score. I'm not worried about that."

Police urge England fans to avoid Algarve flashpoint

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- A senior British police officer Sunday urged English soccer supporters to stay away from bars in a southern Portuguese town where dozens have been arrested in skirmishes with local police.

David Swift, the chief British liaison officer working with Portuguese authorities during Euro 2004, said the town of Albufeira was "the principal source of tension" in efforts to combat soccer-related violence.

Of the 53 English people arrested over the past week, almost all were detained in the Algarve coastal resort 200 kilometers (120 miles) south of Lisbon.

So far, 35 of those arrested have been deported and 18 are awaiting a court ruling, Swift said.

Albufeira's nightspot area was the scene of "general loutish behavior and disorder and drunkenness" by a few hundred England fans, Swift said.

He said claims by those arrested that they were not involved in the trouble were "hollow" because they had "an overwhelming national responsibility" to avoid gathering there.

No incidents were reported Saturday night.

Another six British police officers flew to Portugal on Saturday to help with deportations, Swift said.

The British authorities, seeking to avoid violence seen at previous tournaments, prevented more than 2,700 convicted or known hooligans from traveling to Portugal.

Swift said 67 fans have been turned back at British ports and airports, and the Portuguese immigration service has turned away three who had previous non-soccer convictions.

Police attention on Sunday turned to Lisbon where thousands of England fans were expected to begin arriving for Monday's match against Croatia at Benfica's Estadio da Luz.

UEFA, European soccer's governing body, has said it will throw England out of the tournament if its fans misbehave but last week said the disorder in Albufeira was not linked to Euro 2004.

Multi-lingual Swiss may have found harmony but not success

LISBON, Portugal (AP) -- So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, adieu.

Switzerland's national players will have many ways of saying goodbye if they fail to win their final Euro 2004 Group B match against France on Monday.

In fact, that very ability could be one of the reasons they are on the brink of "beseitigung" or "eliminazione."

Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romanche as well as assorted dialects, but only a small group of Swiss are fluent in more than one language.

And with team spirit essential for a small nation pitted against giants England and France, the hodgepodge of language, culture and regional loyalties does not always make for the strongest chemistry.

"There is somewhat of a lack of communication because of the language barrier," said Liverpool defender Stephane Henchoz. "It's a difficult thing to get used to and we do end up with the French-speaking players and the German-speaking players not always mixing too well.

"I'm sure people outside of Switzerland don't understand how we get a team together at all and it certainly doesn't help our chances," Henchoz said on Liverpool's Web site.

Koebi Kuhn, the man in charge of leading Switzerland, can scrape by in French, but principally speaks Swiss German, a spin off of high German.

No. 1 goalkeeper Joerg Stiel is a German speaker, while defenders Henchoz and Patrick Mueller speak mostly French, which can create a headache when swift instructions are barked in crowded penalty areas.

The team's midfield is predominantly German-speaking with Francophones Johann Vogel and Richard Cabanas breaking up the trend. There are more German-speaking forwards as well, with pretty much only Stephane Chapuisat having French as a mother tongue.

In the past, language and regional divides have caused problems within the team. Add differences in personality and the mix was sometimes explosive, as was once the case with Vogel and former national Ciriaco Sforza, who rarely saw eye to eye.

"Indeed, it wasn't working between us," Vogel recalls. "Things used to be more difficult.

"But Koebi Kuhn, as soon as he arrived on the team, he took some decisions. He cleaned house. It needed to be done and it is to his credit. Since, with the arrival of some younger players from the U-21 squad, Switzerland has a new face and a new voice."

Kuhn does seem able to resolve internal squad disputes, a particularly important skill for a coach striving for multi-lingual harmony.

Wanting to rebuild the team in 2003, Kuhn demanded his players put aside their differences and work together. Older members such as Henchoz and Stephan Chapuisat, who towed the line and kept the peace, were kept on, but Sforza was not called upon to represent Switzerland in Portugal.

"This group, once united, forms the best group. Individual talent is important and is no doubt one of the first criteria that attracts my attention," Kuhn said. "But after that, you have to look if the player is able to adapt to and integrate in the group. To work within a team and be at the service of others. To put aside all the small things that shouldn't be present in football."

But while improved harmony these days may have led Switzerland to its second European Championship finals in history, it cannot lead to miracles.

After two matches, two losses, no goals and two players sent off, the Swiss have just one point in Group B after England's victory and are now in a must-win situation against defending champion France in their final game on June 21.

The Swiss lost 3-0 to England in their second Group B game on Thursday when defender Bernt Haas was sent off in the 60th minute for a second yellow card.

Switzerland opened its tournament on Sunday with a 0-0 draw against Croatia when Johan Vogel was sent off in the 50th minute also for a second caution.

All language problems aside, at the moment Switzerland's situation appears loud and clear in any language: just plain "critique," "Kritisch," or "critico."

Outsider Croatia seeking a big upset against England

COUCO, Portugal (AP) -- Croatia coach Otto Baric knows discipline will play a key role in containing England stars such as Wayne Rooney or David Beckham in the team's final Group B game Monday.

Croatia needs a victory to clinch a quarterfinal place in Euro 2004, while England needs only a draw in their final Group B match at Lisbon's Stadium of Light on Monday.

"Rooney and Beckham and the others are brilliant players, but we are playing against the entire team," Baric told reporters a cattle ranch in central Portugal where the Croat squad has set up camp.

"Rooney is an exceptional player, but we knew that. We also know exactly how the English team plays and we can, and will, find a solution to stop both Rooney and England," Baric added.

France leads Group B with four points, followed by England (3), Croatia (2) and Switzerland (1). All the teams still have a theoretical chance of advancing.

Croatia started the tournament poorly with a 0-0 draw with Switzerland. The team bounced back against defending champions France in one of the most open matches of the tournament, rallying from a goal down to take the lead before settling for a 2-2 draw.

England was off to a frantic start, pushing France on the back foot before conceding two injury-time goals by Zinedine Zidane to lose 2-1. The team atoned with a 3-0 thumping of Switzerland, with 18-year-old Rooney scoring two goals to become the youngest scorer in championship history.

Baric is convinced that Croatia has the players and the skills to contain England's stars.

"Croatia is a small country up against a giant country that invented soccer and is one of the best in the game, only we believe in our strengths and our chances of winning," he said.

"It will be a tough game, but I'm certain my players will surprise me with the best possible birthday present." Baric celebrated his 71st birthday offering reporters a slice of chocolate cake.

Croatia, a quarterfinalist at Euro 1996 and semifinalist at the 1998 World Cup, is determined to recapture some of the glory days, when a golden generation starring Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban and Robert Prosinecki could match up to any of the world's top flight teams.

After they retired, Croatia failed to qualify for the Euro 2000 finals and dropped out in the first round of the last World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

One of the new stars, Australian born-and-bred defender Joe Simunic, will likely be tasked with stymieing England's game flow on the right side.

"We need to limit Beckham, his free kicks, his corners and crosses. But there's also Gerard, Owen, Rooney, Lampard and other outstanding players," the Hertha Berlin defender said.

Still, that's no reason to count Croatia out.

"They have all the big names, but that does not mean anything. It's teams that win games and teams that win championships, and we hope to be the better team on the day."

Both the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.