Croatia participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This was their fourth appearance having missed out on 2010.
Qualifying
Croatia was in Group A of UEFA's World Cup qualifications. They played alongside Belgium, Serbia, Scotland, Wales and Macedonia. Croatia finished as runner-up in the group and entered the Second Round play-offs where the team beat Iceland and qualified for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Croatia national team was led by manager Igor Štimac until October 16, 2013 when he was, due to a series of bad results, replaced by Niko Kovač.[1]
The complete results of the group stage
Croatia  | 1–0 |  North Macedonia |
|---|---|---|
Jelavić  69' |
Report |
The final standings were the following:
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | 
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belgium
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10 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 4 | +14 | 26 | Qualification to 2014 FIFA World Cup | — | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| 2 | Croatia
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10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 12 | 9 | +3 | 17 | Advance to second round | 1–2 | — | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | |
| 3 | Serbia
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10 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 18 | 11 | +7 | 14 | 0–3 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 6–1 | 5–1 | ||
| 4 | Scotland
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10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 12 | −4 | 11 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | — | 1–2 | 1–1 | ||
| 5 | Wales
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10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 9 | 20 | −11 | 10 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 2–1 | — | 1–0 | ||
| 6 | Macedonia
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10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 7 | 16 | −9 | 7 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | — |
Croatia qualified for the Second Round where they eliminated Iceland with a 2-0 aggregate score after a two-round play-off series.
Players
Stipe Pletikosa and Mario Mandžukić are the only players that appeared in all 12 qualifying matches. Further more Pletikosa played the full 90 minutes of all the matches while Mandžukić was the top scorer with 4 achieved goal. Midfielder Marcelo Brozović and goalkeepers Danijel Subašić and Oliver Zelenika did not appear in any of the qualifying matches but made the final World Cup squad.
Complete list of players in the qualifying matches
| # | Name | Games Played | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mario Mandžukić | 12 | 4 |
| Stipe Pletikosa | 12 | 0 | |
| 3 | Darijo Srna | 11 | 1 |
| 4 | Ivan Perišić | 10 | 1 |
| Luka Modrić | 10 | 0 | |
| 6 | Vedran Ćorluka | 9 | 1 |
| Ivan Rakitić | 9 | 1 | |
| Ivan Strinić [3] | 9 | 0 | |
| Josip Šimunić[4] | 9 | 0 | |
| 10 | Eduardo | 7 | 2 |
| Dejan Lovren | 7 | 1 | |
| Ivica Olić | 7 | 1 | |
| Ognjen Vukojević | 7 | 0 | |
| 14 | Nikica Jelavić | 6 | 1 |
| Niko Kranjčar[5] | 6 | 1 | |
| Mateo Kovačić | 6 | 0 | |
| Domagoj Vida | 6 | 0 | |
| 18 | Nikola Kalinić | 5 | 0 |
| 19 | Gordon Schildenfeld | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | Milan Badelj | 3 | 0 |
| Sammir | 3 | 0 | |
| 22 | Danijel Pranjić | 2 | 0 |
| Ante Rebić | 2 | 0 | |
| 24 | Leon Benko | 1 | 0 |
| Ivo Iličević | 1 | 0 | |
| Josip Radošević | 1 | 0 | |
| Šime Vrsaljko | 1 | 0 |
Source: Croatian Football Federation
| Player was not selected for the 2014 FIFA World Cup squad |
World Cup preparation
The Croatian national team's World Cup camp was in luxurious Tivoli Ecoresort near Praia do Forte and Mata de São João in Bahia.[6]
The team three friendly matches before the tournament
5 March 2014 Friendly | Switzerland  | 2 – 2 | Croatia | St. Gallen, Switzerland |
| 19:30 GMT | Drmić 33', 41' |
Report | Olić 39', 54' |
Stadium: AFG Arena Attendance: 17,200 Referee: Hugo Filipe Ferreira de Campos Moreira Miguel (Portugal) |
31 May 2014 Friendly | Croatia | 2 – 1 |  Mali | Osijek, Croatia |
| 14:00 GMT | Perišić 15', 63' |
Report | Diarra 79' |
Stadium: Gradski vrt Attendance: 15,212 Referee: István Vad (Hungary) |
6 June 2014 Friendly | Croatia | 1 – 0 |  Australia | Salvador, Brazil |
| Jelavić 58' |
Report | Stadium: Estádio de Pituaçu Referee: Francisco Carlos do Nascimento (Brazil) |
Draw
Croatia was drawn into Group A. Croatia's opponents in the first stage were Brazil, Cameroon and Mexico. The match between the Brazil and Croatia opened the World Cup tournament.
2014 World Cup squad
Coach: Niko Kovač
The final squad was announced on 31 May 2014.[7] With less than 48 hours until the opening game against Brazil, Milan Badelj was called up to replace the injured Ivan Močinić, after having previously been excluded from the final squad.[8]
| No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Stipe Pletikosa | 8 January 1979 (aged 35) | 111 |  Rostov
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| 2 | DF | Šime Vrsaljko | 10 January 1992 (aged 22) | 7 |  Genoa
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| 3 | DF | Danijel Pranjić | 2 December 1981 (aged 32) | 50 |  Panathinaikos
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| 4 | MF | Ivan Perišić | 2 February 1989 (aged 25) | 29 |  VfL Wolfsburg
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| 5 | DF | Vedran Ćorluka | 5 February 1986 (aged 28) | 72 | Lokomotiv Moscow
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| 6 | DF | Dejan Lovren | 5 July 1989 (aged 24) | 25 |  Southampton
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| 7 | MF | Ivan Rakitić | 10 March 1988 (aged 26) | 62 |  Sevilla[9]
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| 8 | MF | Ognjen Vukojević | 20 December 1983 (aged 30) | 55 |  Dynamo Kyiv
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| 9 | FW | Nikica Jelavić | 27 August 1985 (aged 28) | 33 | Hull City
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| 10 | MF | Luka Modrić | 9 September 1985 (aged 28) | 75 | Real Madrid
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| 11 | DF | Darijo Srna (c) | 1 May 1982 (aged 32) | 112 | Shakhtar Donetsk
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| 12 | GK | Oliver Zelenika | 14 May 1993 (aged 21) | 0 | Lokomotiva[10]
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| 13 | DF | Gordon Schildenfeld | 18 March 1985 (aged 29) | 21 | Panathinaikos[11]
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| 14 | MF | Marcelo Brozović | 16 October 1992 (aged 21) | 1 | Dinamo Zagreb
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| 15 | MF | Milan Badelj | 25 February 1989 (aged 25) | 9 | Hamburger SV
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| 16 | FW | Ante Rebić | 21 September 1993 (aged 20) | 5 | Fiorentina
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| 17 | FW | Mario Mandžukić | 21 May 1986 (aged 28) | 50 | Bayern Munich[12]
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| 18 | FW | Ivica Olić | 14 September 1979 (aged 34) | 92 | VfL Wolfsburg
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| 19 | MF | Sammir | 23 April 1987 (aged 27) | 6 | Getafe
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| 20 | MF | Mateo Kovačić | 6 May 1994 (aged 20) | 10 | Internazionale
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| 21 | DF | Domagoj Vida | 29 April 1989 (aged 25) | 23 | Dynamo Kyiv
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| 22 | FW | Eduardo | 25 February 1983 (aged 31) | 63 | Shakhtar Donetsk
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| 23 | GK | Danijel Subašić | 27 October 1984 (aged 29) | 6 |  Monaco
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Matches
Round Robin
Standings
| Legend |
|---|
| Group winners and runners-up advanced to the round of 16 |
Matches
Brazil vs Croatia
The two teams had met in two previous matches, including in the 2006 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by Brazil 1–0.[13] Croatia forward Mario Mandžukić was suspended for the match, after being sent off in the team's final qualifier against Iceland.[14]
Croatia opened the scoring through a Marcelo own goal, as the ball bounced off him into the net after Nikica Jelavić deflected Ivica Olić's cross.[15] Neymar equalised for the hosts with a 25-yard (23 m) shot after receiving a pass from Oscar.[16] In the second half, Brazil took the lead with Neymar's penalty after Dejan Lovren was judged to have fouled Fred in the penalty area.[16] Croatia had a potential equaliser disallowed, after a foul was called on the Brazilian goalkeeper, Júlio César.[17][18][19] In added time, Oscar sealed the win, toe-poking the third goal for Brazil from 22 yards (20 m) after receiving a pass from Ramires.[16]
Post-match, FIFA referees chief Massimo Busacca defended the officials for awarding the penalty and insisted there had been some contact between Lovren and Fred, even if it was minimal.[20] On the other hand, renowned former top-level FIFA referee Markus Merk criticised FIFA for having Yuichi Nishimura as the referee in the opening match, labelling the refereeing in the match as "embarrassing".[21]
The game was notable for a number of pioneering events. This was the first occasion in FIFA World Cup history on which an own goal (which was also the first ever own goal scored by Brazil in World Cup finals) opened scoring in the tournament. As the first game played at this World Cup, the match also saw the first use of vanishing spray to mark free kick spots, and the advent of goal-line technology, two innovations introduced during the tournament.[22]
         Brazil
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   Croatia
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Cameroon vs Croatia
The two teams had never met before.[24]
In a match where both teams needed at least a point to stay alive in the competition, Croatia opened scoring when Ivica Olić scored from close range from Ivan Perišić's pass. Just before half time, Cameroon was reduced to ten men when Alex Song was dismissed for an off the ball incident with Mario Mandžukić. Perišić scored at the beginning of the second half when he intercepted Cameroonian goalkeeper Charles Itandje's goal kick and ran 50 yards before slotting in at the near post. Mandžukić scored the last two goals, the first a header from Danijel Pranjić's corner and the second a tap in after Itandje parried Eduardo's shot into his path.[25] The result confirmed Cameroon's elimination from the tournament.
In a case of infighting, Cameroonian defender Benoît Assou-Ekotto was caught on camera head-butting teammate Benjamin Moukandjo.[26][27] Song later apologised to Mandžukić and his country for his ejection, while Cameroonian coach Volker Finke said he was very disappointed with their performance.[28][29][30]
On 1 July 2014, Cameroon officials announced that they had opened an investigation on claims that seven of the Cameroon's players were involved in fixing the result.[31][32] FIFA, however, said there was no evidence that there were any match fixing in any of Cameroon's matches.[33]
Olić, who previously scored a goal in the 2002 World Cup, became the second player to have a 12-year gap between World Cup goals, after Michael Laudrup in 1986 and 1998.[34] Mandžukić became the first Croatian player to score a brace in a World Cup game. The 4–0 scoreline was also the biggest win by Croatia in the World Cup.[35]
    Cameroon
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Croatia
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Man of the Match:
Assistant referees:
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Croatia vs Mexico
The two teams had met in three previous matches, including in the 2002 FIFA World Cup group stage, won by Mexico 1–0.[36]
Coming into the final round of matches, Croatia needed to win to guarantee qualification to the knockout stage regardless of the result of Cameroon vs Brazil, while Mexico only needed a draw to do so. The game was goalless for the first 70 minutes, until a Héctor Herrera corner to the back post allowed Rafael Márquez to score from a header, outleaping the Croatian defenders.[37] With Croatia progressing only by way of a win, they were caught out on a break a short time later where Andrés Guardado scored after receiving a pass from Oribe Peralta. Mexico scored their third goal when Márquez flicked on Guardado's corner with substitute Javier Hernández scoring at the back post. Ivan Perišić scored in his second consecutive World Cup match after a neat back pass from Ivan Rakitić to get a consolation goal for Croatia in the closing minutes of the game, before Croatia's Ante Rebić was sent off for a foul on Carlos Peña.[38] Mexico qualified as group runners-up (behind Brazil on goal difference) on virtue of the win, while Croatia were eliminated.
With his goal, Márquez joined Cuauhtémoc Blanco as the only Mexican player to score in three World Cups.[39]
| Croatia
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     Mexico
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Man of the Match:
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References
- ^ "Kovač replaces Štimac as Croatia coach". UEFA. October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 20, 2014.
- ^ "FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) 2014, football - table and standings". soccer365.me. Retrieved 4 April 2024.
- ^ Strinić was recovering from injury during the World Cup tournament. [1]
- ^ Šimunić was banned from playing in 10 official matches by FIFA because of a Nazi salute after the Croatia - Iceland match on 19 November 2013 [2]
- ^ Kranjčar was recovering from an injury during the World Cup tournament [3]
- ^ "Na zadovoljstvo izbornika: HNS potvrdio Tivoli Ecoresort za kamp reprezentacije" (in Croatian). Croatian Football Federation. December 18, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2014.
- ^ "Kovač objavio putnike za Brazil: Otpali Čop, Bubnjić, Pašalić i Badelj! Močinić ide na SP! - SP 2014". Index.hr. 31 May 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "BADELJ RECEIVES LAST-MINUTE CROATIA CALL-UP". Bundeliga. 11 June 2014. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ Rakitić joined FC Barcelona after the tournament. "Agreement for Ivan Rakitic to join FC Barcelona". FC Barcelona. FC Barcelona. 16 June 2014. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
- ^ Zelenika was on loan at Lokomotiva from Dinamo Zagreb.
- ^ Schildenfeld was on loan at Panathanaikos from Dynamo Moscow.
- ^ Mandžukić joined Atlético Madrid following the tournament. "Mandzukic is now an Atlético". clubatleticodemadrid.com. Atlético de Madrid. 10 July 2014. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2014.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-29.
- ^ "Match suspensions to be served at the final competition of the FIFA World Cup". FIFA.com. 24 February 2014.
- ^ "Neymar fires Brazil to comeback victory". FIFA. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ a b c "Brazil 3 Croatia 1". BBC Sport. 12 June 2014. Archived from the original on 8 July 2014.
- ^ Glendenning, Barry (12 June 2014). "Brazil 3-1 Croatia: World Cup 2014 – as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ Kane, Desmond (12 June 2014). "Forget Neymar, Brazil's new national hero is Yuichi Nishimura". Eurosport. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ "Brazil 3 - 1 Croatia Match report - Goal.com". Goal.com. 12 June 2014. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ "Brazil 3 Croatia 1: Fifa defend under-fire referee Yuichi Nishimura as Japanese official caught up in diving row during opening World Cup match". The Independent. 13 June 2014. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
- ^ Haji Talib, Hassan; Chotpibulsap, Pitisak (13 June 2014). "Former FIFA referee: Refereeing for World Cup opener was "embarrassing"". Goal.com. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ "Marcelo's own goal, vanishing spray and goaline technology - the World Cup firsts at Brazil 2014". Der Standard. 12 June 2014.
- ^ "Brazil 3-1 Croatia – Man of the Match". FIFA.com (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). 12 June 2014. Retrieved 12 June 2014.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 26. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-29.
- ^ Khan, Mehreen (19 June 2014). "Cameroon v Croatia, World Cup 2014: as it happened". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "Cameroon 0 Croatia 4". BBC Sport. 18 June 2014.
- ^ Peck, Brooks (18 June 2014). "Alex Song elbows Mario Mandzukic in the back for some reason, gets sent off". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ Khan, Mehreen (19 June 2014). "Assou-Ekotto head-butt stuns Finke". ESPN. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "Finke: Card no reason to see red". FIFA.com. 19 June 2014. Archived from the original on 22 June 2014. Retrieved 19 June 2014.
- ^ "World Cup: Cameroon coach slams 'disgusting' player behavior in loss". The Guardian. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
- ^ "World Cup 2014: Cameroon investigates match-fixing claims". BBC Sport. 1 July 2014.
- ^ "World Cup 2014: Match-fixer denies predicting Cameroon result". BBC Sport. 1 July 2014.
- ^ "World Cup 2014: Fifa says no proof of Cameroon match-fixing". BBC Sport. 2 July 2014.
- ^ "Olic: Twelve years and still going strong". FIFA.com. 19 June 2014.
- ^ "Eagles down, but not out -Ameobi". The Sun. 20 June 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-07-14.
- ^ "2014 FIFA World Cup – Statistical Kit" (PDF). FIFA.com. p. 40. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-29.
- ^ "Mexico qualify from Group A with three late goals against Croatia". Guardian. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ "Croatia 1 Mexico 3". BBC Sport. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 24 June 2014.
- ^ "Why Rafael Marquez Will Be Key for Mexico in the Clash Against Netherlands". Bleacher Report. 23 June 2014.
External links
Media related to Croatia at the 2014 FIFA World Cup at Wikimedia Commons
