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Sweet revenge
Croatia's upset avenges 1996 loss to Germans
Posted: Saturday July 04, 1998 09:25 PM
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Suker (right): "When I heard [German coach] Berti Vogts called us a small country, this raised our morale by 200 percent." (AP) |
LYON, France (AP) - Croatia waited
two years to get revenge against Germany. When
it came, it was sweet and stunning and made World Cup history.
A country that didn't exist seven years ago, Croatia vaulted into the elite
club of semifinalists with a 3-0 triumph over the once-mighty Germans, the
first team to get that far in its World Cup debut. Set ablaze
by patriotism, German put-downs and a lost quarterfinal in the 1996
European Championship, the Croats claimed a triumph for soccer's small
powers. "When I heard [German coach] Berti Vogts called us a
small country, this raised our morale by 200 percent," exulted star striker
Davor Suker. "We were fired up to send the Germans packing. This shows that
small can beat big.' Not that Croatia came completely out of
nowhere. The squad's core, including playmaker Zvonomir Boban of AC Milan,
goes back to the Yugoslav team that won the 1987 world youth championship.
When Yugoslavia
broke up and Croatia gained independence in a 1991 war, most of is talent
left for Western Europe. The team surged onto the international stage in
the 1996 European Championship, where it was ousted in a rough quarterfinal
with Germany, the eventual champion. Croatia turned the tables
in Saturday's World Cup quarterfinal. Aided by the 40th minute expulsion of
German defender Chrstian Woerns after a tangle with their star striker
Davor Suker, the Croats got a goal in first-half injury time from Robert
Jarni. The Germans, seeking their fourth world title, never
recovered and with an extra man, the Croats were free to run an often
sparkling counterattack game after the break. Croatia's
substitutes began celebrating after Goran Vlaovic knocked in goal No. 2 in
the 80th minute and Suker added to the Germans' misery with a classy
close-range goal five minutes from the end, the Real Madrid striker's
fourth of the tournament. "For 45 years in Yugoslavia, we
never played with the same fire as we are for Croatia," declared defender
Igor Stimac, whose sending off in the 1996 game contributed to the Croat
loss. Among those celebrating along with some 7,000 Croatian
fans in Gerland Stadium was President Franjo Tudjman. "We were
very motivated, also because our president was here," said Stimac. "I've
been dreaming for two years about meeting Germany again." The
Adriatic country of four million people was savoring the biggest sports
success in its young history. "The country is exploding with
joy tonight," Suker said. "I'm really proud to be a Croat."
Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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