Croatia dominated early on but they weakened over time against Portugal as the two sides had a hard fought and tepid 0-0 draw until Portugal dramatically stole a 1-0 victory in extra time.
The Croats showed their intent with a domineering display in the first half as they controlled the game and dictated play. Stars Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic bamboozled Portugal’s midfield and found great fluency in moving forward. Unfortunately, neither team could build up any sort of attacking rhythm. Despite Croatia’s dominance, they failed to produce a shot on target in the entire first half and Portugal remained mostly anonymous with Cristiano Ronaldo and Nani being starved of the service they require.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Both teams improved in the second half as they produced more attacks on goal but even an increase in tempo could not save either side from floundering to a 0-0 draw at the end of the 90 minutes. Extra time was no different as both sides seemed happy to wait for penalties, but a quick flurry of action in the final minutes saw Ricardo Quaresma steal victory for Portugal.
Lacking ideas or afraid to attack?
The match was almost devoid of clear cut chances which makes for confusing viewing considering the talent in both squads. Defensive play is sometimes a good strategy, but it appeared as though the stars on both sides were either out of ideas or too afraid to attack. Modric and Rakitic used their sensational passing to ease their way through the midfield, but as soon as they reached the final third they waned in strength. Ronaldo has been a one-man army at times during his club career but was virtually invisible throughout the match. In the second half Croatia made a noble attempt to up the tempo and bring the game to life but they still showed a lack of edge in the finishing department.
Cristiano Ronaldo not enough for Portugal
Croatian boss Ante Cacic announced that his side would aim to silence Ronaldo and for the most part they succeeded but only due to Portugal’s failure to work properly with the famous winger. Ronaldo was the hero against Hungary as his brace saved his side from being sent home early but against a more talented team like Croatia he needed much more. The 31-year-old sat forward and to the left as he does with Real Madrid, but Portugal is not Real Madrid and Ronaldo sat in confusion in the front line as his side’s midfield were dominated. Portugal’s half-hearted performance could be in part put on Ronaldo, perhaps it is unfair to place the blame on the star of the team but there is no doubt that as a winger Ronaldo could have created more midfield fluency by moving back and helping his midfield.
Substitutes the key
It was the substitutes on both sides that sealed the result. Portugal introduced Quaresma in the dying minutes of the second half but he unexpectedly brought the attacking influence that they desperately needed as he managed to provide the winning goal. Croatia’s substitutes were less inspiring, bringing off Mario Mandzukic and Ivan Rakitic that only served to stunt their attack and slow down their progress. It was a dull affair but the Portuguese managed to light up the match with some intelligent substitutes.
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