| Registered Member
Offline Posts: 1,955 Thanks: 0
Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Last Online: 18th March 2007 Join Date: Mon Apr 2006 | Australia Vs Croatia -
22nd June 2006
CRO AUS 22 Jun Match 44 Group F:Kick Off Time: 21:00 (CET)
Venue: Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion
Referee: POLL Graham
Temperature: 20°C 68°F
Conditions: Mostly Cloudy
Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar might have been speaking in earnest this week when he said, "For me, it's only a football game - Croatia against Australia and nothing more," but to many of his and Guus Hiddink's players, tomorrow's match in Stuttgart will be anything but just another game.
Quite aside from the fact that a place in the round of 16 is still within reach for both sides, the links between both nations, and squads, are strong and several, with no less than seven Socceroos - captain Mark Viduka, Jason Culina, Tony Popovic, Josip Skoko, Ante Covic, Zeljko Kalac and Marco Bresciano - boasting Croatian ancestry.
It’s not all one-way, either, with three of the Croatian squad - Josip Simunic, Joey Didulica and Anthony Seric – not only having been born and raised in Australia, but schooled at the famous Australian Institute of Sport that produced, among others, the likes of Viduka and Harry Kewell.
Consequently, several friendships are set to be put on the line. "It will be quality, personally for me,” Viduka said this week. “I obviously know all the players in the Croatia team and it would be a personal pleasure to score, put it that way."
Colours for the game
Croatia: red/white shirts, white shorts, blue socks
Australia: yellow shirt, green shorts, yellow socks
The players
Croatia will be without the suspended Robert Kovac, whose place in the heart of defence will be taken by Galatasaray’s Stjepan Tomas, a close friend of Viduka’s.
Australia, meanwhile, have been boosted by the news that Harry Kewell will be available for selection after being cleared by a FIFA disciplinary committee of insulting referee Markus Merk due to an “inconsistent report” from the German official. "That's great news for us," Viduka admitted. "It's great to have all the players available and Harry's a world-class player.”
How things stand
Australia stormed back from a goal down to deservedly beat Japan 3-1 in their opening match, but despite a dogged performance against Brazil, goals from Adriano and Fred inflicted a 2-0 defeat in the second round of matches. Croatia, meanwhile, were perhaps unfortunate to crash 1-0 to Brazil in Berlin on their Germany 2006 debut, and were left cursing a missed penalty from Darijo Srna in a subsequent 0-0 draw with the Japanese. The result is that Australia can progress with a draw provided Zico’s Japan side do not shock Brazil, while Croatia know that a win is their only hope of advancing.
The duel
Mark Viduka v Josip Simunic
Australia’s captain and the 44-times capped Croat are not the only friends who will lock horns in Stuttgart, but Croatia’s hopes are likely to hinge in no small measure on the success Simunic and his defensive colleagues enjoy in subduing Viduka. The pair were once team-mates at Australian club Melbourne Knights, and yet they chose different paths when faced with an identical fork in the road at the start of their respective international careers.
Simunic was, in fact, the subject of a much-publicised tug-of-war between the two nations when both national associations called him up at the same time. It is claimed, indeed, that many Australians still resent the 28-year-old's taxpayer-funded education at the Australian Institute of Sport, although Simunic insists there was never any question where his allegiances lay.
He said: “I'm very proud I was born in Australia and grateful for the upbringing I was given in Australia. But I chose to play for Croatia because I feel I am Croatian. It was a dream of mine as a kid."
Ironically, Viduka also grew up dreaming of wearing the famous red-and-white chequered strip. Even when he captained Australia at the 1995 FIFA U-20 World Youth Championship, his armband was red-and-white, and he later went on to marry a Croat and spend three-and-a-half seasons with Croatia Zagreb. Again, however, any thoughts of divided loyalties were quickly dismissed by a player who said this week: "I am Aussie through and through. There's always that thing where a lot of them (Croatians) think that we should lean a little bit towards them, but that's not the case at all. We want to go out and really show that we can really play football."
Previous meetings
The sides have never before met in a competitive match, but they have faced each other in a series of friendly matches over the past 16 years. The most recent result, on 6 June 1998, was a whopping 7-0 win for Croatia. That said, of the previous three, Australia did win two, 3-1 and 1-0 in Adelaide and Melbourne respectively, with both games played in July 1992.
What they are saying
Zlatko Kranjcar, Croatia coach: We have better quality players. Their greatest danger is that they play as a team and that they have Mark Viduka. We will have a man on him the whole time. Graham Arnold, Australia assistant coach: It's going to be a very emotional game for a lot of people. There will be a lot of supporters who will be happy no matter which way the result goes. Once the players get on the field, the only thing that matters is winning. I think it's going to be a cracking game. |
Re: Australia Vs Croatia -
22nd June 2006
