Croatia Inspired Upon Eduardo’s Return

August 15, 2009

The return of Eduardo Da Silva lifted the spirits of the Croatia national team, as this particular match weighed heavy on the Croats. With a win, they would be slightly ahead in points for the play-off spot in the group. They were very confident going into the match and after a rocket of a shot from Luka Modrić was deflected wide by the keeper for a corner, Ivica Olić netted with a header. The Croatians almost braced their lead before the break; however, the post denied Olić’s attempt.

With just over an hour gone, there was a great play across the face of goal as captain Darijo Srna found Eduardo, who was quickly on the score sheet. As the match was coming to a close, Belarus found a break in the defense and Dimitry Verkhovstov reduced Croatia’s lead to 2-1. The Croats were quick on their feet to seal the deal as Olić scored almost a carbon copy of their previous goal to finish the game as a 3-1 win in their favour.

Slaven Bilić’s men gave a great performance. The defense was strong and impenetrable, while the midfield and strikers were quick on the counter-attacks. It’s good news for Eduardo, who got in a full 88 minutes. This being only his second game in a Croatia shirt since his horrific injury over a year ago, he is delighted to be back playing for his country and club.

With this win, Kazakhstan’s World Cup bid is over, as they have just 3 points. The same goes for Andorra, who have 0 points. England are well guaranteed a spot in South Africa as they have 7 wins out of 7 with 21 points. Croatia now have 14 points, and still hold second position in the group; however, they still have the Ukraine breathing down their necks for the play-off spot and Belarus can still stand a chance if things go their way. For their next match, Belarus will travel to Zagreb, Croatia for their re-match at the Maksimir Stadium on the 5th of September. Then it’s off to Wembley to challenge England once again.

Jill Guthrie

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