|
|
|
Croatia
Croatia wowed the world in 1998 when it came out of virtually nowhere to claim a bronze medal in its first finals appearance ever. There has been a lot of debate recently on whether the nation still has the quality to contend with the best in the globe. Most of the stars from the past World Cup may be past their prime, but you can never ignore what the international experience of players like Robert Prosinecki and Alen Boksic can do at the game's highest level.
Croatia may not be among the favorites, but it could surprise a few people -- again.
As the countdown to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan continues, CNNSI.com's Pedro Pinto will take a close look at all of the nations that will contend for football's greatest prize.
Pinto is an anchor on World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
 |
|
Since he took over the national team, manager Mirko Jozic installed a 5-3-2 formation. This worked brilliantly as Croatia won five of its last six games, coming from behind to finish first in their qualifying group. Instrumental in this impressive run were veterans Robert Jarni, Igor Stimac, Prosinecki, Boksic and Mario Stanic.
It is obvious that these players are still the backbone of the side, but there are several up-and-comers who will feature prominently in the finals. Those include goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa, who should move to a major European club after the finals; Jurica Vranjes, a defensive midfielder who has been impressing at Bayer Leverkusen; Igor Tudor, a strong center back who plays his club football at Juventus; and Bosko Balaban, a striker who possesses the skills to become a star player in the near future.
|
 |
| |
 |
|
Robert Prosinecki. He may still smoke, eat a lot of junk food and play his football at Portsmouth, but this midfield maestro can still do just about anything with a ball. Like Carlos Valderrama for Colombia, Prosinecki doesn't run a lot, but when he has possession, you better have your eye on him because in a flash he will burn you. His vision is that good. On dead-ball situations he is also lethal. He might not play 90 minutes in every game, but he will be involved enough to create problems for opposing defenses.
|
|
 |
|
Goalscoring. Croatia did net 15 goals in eight games, but 13 of them were scored against San Marino and Latvia. They showed some problems breaking down Scotland and Belgium, and that does not bode well for the finals. If Alen Boksic is healthy and Davor Suker returns to top form, the Croatians will have a dangerous front line, but when was the last time those two guys lined up together? It's been over a year. Goran Vlaovic and Balaban are other options, but in order to succeed this side needs the top guns to be operating.
|
|
 |
|
| |
Fitness.
When you have players who are well into their 30s, you have problems with injuries. Boksic was hurt during the '98 World Cup and is desperate to play in the world's biggest competition, but he struggles to stay fit for Middlesbrough. Can he do it for Croatia? Suker finally managed to get a run of games in Germany after being left out in the cold with Arsenal and West Ham. But does he have the endurance left to last a whole game? And what about Prosinecki? He's had his problems staying fit and trim. It will be interesting to see in what kind of form they all arrive in Asia.
|
|
 |
|
Croatia finished first in UEFA's Group 6 ahead of Belgium, Scotland, Latvia and San Marino. It won five and drew three of their eight games, scoring 15 goals and conceding only two.
|
|
| |
Croatia appeared in the World Cup finals for the first time in 1998, and what a debut it was. The side finished third, losing only to champions France in the semifinals.
|
 |
|
| |
With an experienced core, Croatia will be a solid unit. I see them making the second round, but only a fluke or an inspired run will see the team make it any further. With so many games in such little time, the side's veterans will definitely struggle to keep up with the pace of the games. Either Jozic finds a good squad rotation system, or his team could be in trouble. But again, with a healthy trio of Prosinecki, Boksic and Suker, who can count them out of making at least the second round?
How far will Croatia go in the World Cup? View Instant Poll Results
|
|
|
|
