Croatia aim to get 2010 goal back on track

March 26, 2009

The Croatia national football team has met in Rovinj in Istria this week to prepare for their match with Andorra for the World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday, April 1st. Coach Slaven Bilic has come up rather short-handed with his strikers. He announced his lineup last week, and since, Ivica Olic has become ill over the weekend and Mario Mandzukic has picked up an injury. Before, Mladen Petric was ruled out with an injury while Eduardo Da Silva and Ivan Klasnic were hoping to be fit enough.

Bilic reported, “Mandzukic and Klasnic will have to have additional examinations, but Eduardo is in a worse position. But, what calms me about Eduardo is that he was on the bench during Saturday’s game with Newcastle, and I know Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger would not have let him play if he was not assured that he was recovered.”

Arrangements have been made for Olic to stay in Hamburg, Germany and get well as soon as possible. They are hoping he will be well enough to join the rest of the squad in a few days. So, as it stands, Nikola Kalinic will be their striker for sure and Ivan Klasnic will likely join him.

Originally, Bilic’s plans were to defeat Andorra with serious and professional play. Despite the changes in his lineup, he still has a midfield full of players who like to get forward. Modric, Kranjcar, Srna, Rakitic, and Drpic all love to attack goal, and from defense, Corluka and Krizanac like to take their chances.

Bilic finished his team report by saying, “We should not forget that, after Andorra, Ukraine comes to Zagreb, and we then have away games with Belarus and England, which will be the games that will determine our fate.”

Jill Guthrie

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