After the Croatian under-21 national team defeated Thailand 3:1 in the last friendly match of the tournament, the tournament was rounded off with the winner’s cup of the “International Cup” in Doha.
Thailand took the lead from a penalty kick in the 56th minute, and the equalizer came through Lovra Zvonarek, who scored in the 71st minute. Luka Vušković created the turnaround to 2:1 in the 75th minute, and Mate Antunović made the final 3:1 from a penalty kick.
Winning this tournament is a great result for us and a great reward for the boys’ effort. Although we had difficult moments, we showed the character and strength of the team. I am thrilled that this was a new team, and we won the tournament in our first appearance together. This gives us additional motivation to continue working and prepare for future challenges. We had three games, and the plan was that, considering that there are a lot of new players, we should try them out not only in training, but also in matches, to give a chance to players we don’t know enough. I wasn’t satisfied with the reaction of the players. I would have replaced 10 players if I could at halftime. I wasn’t satisfied at all, so the response of the five who came in was great, and then we established dominance and created chances, and it was no longer a question of whether we would score one, two, or three goals. I am happy that at the end of this gathering, which was a significant organized tournament with all the conditions we had here. We didn’t just play three games but also did four training sessions at the top pitches and got to know the team. I’m looking forward to the sixth month and new games – Ivica Olić, Head U21 Coach
The first-goal scorer, Lovro Zvonarek, emphasizes that there were difficulties at the beginning of the match but also emphasizes the importance of team cohesion.
There were a few difficulties at the beginning of the game and in the first half. That’s why we need the whole team and the whole bench so that we can come in fresh today and turn the game in our favor. I’m glad to be able to help the team and get back on my way. I’m glad we won. I think we all played our roles from first to last, and that’s the most important thing – said Zvonarek
Croatia played in the lineup: Sajko, Barzić, Rukavina (Topić 64′), Prekodravac, Bukvić (Hrgović 46′), Dizdarević (Vrbančić 46′), Tunjić (Šotiček 46′), Antunović, Knezović (Zvonarek 46′), Mikolčić, Tikvić (Vušković 46′).
SOURCE: Croatian Football Federation
LOVRO MAJER SHINES WITH GOAL AND TWO ASSISTS IN WOLFSBURG’S DOMINANT CUP VICTORY
Lovro Majer shone in Wolfsburg’s big 9-0 victory over Hemelingen in the first round of…
JOSIP STANIŠIĆ AND BAYERN MUNICH WON THE GERMAN SUPERCUP
Josip Stanišić won the German Supercup with Bayern Munich. He played the entire match as…
MATIJA FRIGAN SIGNED FOR PARMA
Matija Frigan has officially signed with the Italian Serie A club Parma, agreeing to a…
EVERYTHING AS USUAL, DINAMO CITY ELIMINATED HAJDUK AFTER EXTRA TIME
DINAMO CITY – HAJDUK SPLIT 3:1 (Zabergja 14′, Qardaku 109′, Berisha 111’/Karačić 99′) Dinamo City: Teqja…
IVAN DODIG TAKES THE HELM OF CROATIA’S DAVIS CUP SQUAD
Ivan Dodig is the new captain of the Croatian Davis Cup tennis team, as officially…
CROATIA HAS TWO CLUBS IN THE EUROPEAN AUTUMN, RIJEKA IN THE UEFA EUROPE LEAGUE PLAY OFF
SHELBOURNE – HNK RIJEKA 1:3 (Odubeko 86′-pen/Fruk 33′, Dantas 72′, Oreč 89′) Shelbourne: Speel –…