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
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