VICTORY OVER MOROCCO HUB CROATIA THIRD PLACE
A 2-1 victory over Morocco enabled the Croatian national team to end their World Cup campaign in third place, equaling the finish they achieved in 1998. After seeing the way that they approach tournament football, it is possible to understand why they have been able to finish in the top three of consecutive World Cups, something that no one predicted a few years ago. Since Zlatko Dalic has been in charge of them for the past five years, they have developed into an expert team when it comes to knockout football, and they have been able to reap the benefits of what they have learned. This is likely Luka Modric's last World Cup game, and what a wonderful way to go out on a high note with such a great performance. The man has given so much to the beautiful game and even though all of the silverware that he has won has come at the club level, he will also be remembered for the contributions that he has made on the international stage as well. Croatia and Morocco played an excellent end-to-end game which was viewed as a pointless one by many, however, it certainly didn't seem that way for them as they played the best end-to-end game of the tournament.
These two teams were a pleasure to watch play one last time in Qatar, and you could tell how much of a privilege it was to have this opportunity to work together once again. The match was entertaining. The Moroccan team was still full of energy after reaching the semi-finals and the chances of Morocco returning to Africa as the third-placed team would have only contributed to their already high status within the African continent. This group, Croatia, was runners-up four and a half years ago, but what is admirable about them is that they always take their matches as seriously as any final. Over the past five years, Dalic has been responsible for overseeing the work of this team. Some of the biggest stars of this group, including Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic, and perhaps Andrej Kramaric, may have played their last match at the World Cup in this match.
It was Croatia who struck the first blow in the first half of the match as one of the players of the tournament, Josko Gvardiol, powered a header into the top corner following a flick onto the ball by Perisic. The incredible performance he had in Qatar continues to elevate his stock as a result of his impressive performance. Within minutes, however, Moroccan defender Achraf Dari had equalized with a header past Dominik Livakovic that won them the game. A stunning first-time strike from Mislav Orsic from the left side of the box that ricocheted in off the far post put Croatia back in front at the end of the first half. With good chances at both ends in the first half, Morocco did not give up and the action continued into the second half, mostly in Croatia's favor. After Sofyan Amrabat tripped Gvardiol in the box, Livakovic had to be alert to deny Yousef En-Nesyri as Morocco countered effectively, it was disappointing to see them denied what appeared to be a clear penalty. Even though Morocco attempted to force extra time at the end, Croatia prevailed.
