This Page Will Auto Refresh In (60 Seconds) To Show Updates
Scroll Down To See New Updates
Croatia XI: Livakovic, Juranovic, Lovren, Gvardiol, Sosa, Modric, Brozovic, Kovacic, Kramaric, Livaja, Perisic.
Canada XI: Borjan, Laryea, Johnston, Vitoria, Miller, Davies, Buchanan, Hutchinson, Eustaquio, Larin, David.
Canada lost 1-0 to Belgium in the opening round of Group F, while Croatia drew 0-0 with Morocco.
Fifa ranking: Canada (41), Croatia (12).
Thank you for reading this post. Don't forget to subscribe!
Checkout Our Social Media Pages HERE
Kick-off
Croatia gets us underway wearing that iconic red and white checked shirt, playing left to right. Canada is wearing their charcoal away kit.
Let’s do this.
GOAL
Davies puts Canada ahead with a header after a cross from the right, but by my word he found a lot of space in the Croatian defense. That’s the first-ever World Cup goal for Canada, and it was worth the wait.
2 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
Croatia flow disrupted
Croatia doesn’t look like their usual selves as they try to hold onto the ball and get that slick passing game going. Are they a bit shaken after that early setback? Canada is full of energy and is pressing its opponents relentlessly.
7 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
Larin almost through
Davies slips a straight pass between Croatia’s center-backs to the onrushing Larin, who just strayed offside. That could have been two if he held his run. Another warning for the team is in red and white.
11 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
Here’s how it stands in Group F after Alphonso Davies put Canada 1-0 up.
Croatia sits bottom of the group, two points adrift of Belgium in third place. Morocco, who recorded a shock 2-0 victory over Belgium earlier on Sunday, occupies the top spot.
Here’s how it stands in Group F after Alphonso Davies put Canada 1-0 up.
Croatia sits bottom of the group, two points adrift of Belgium in third place. Morocco, who recorded a shock 2-0 victory over Belgium earlier on Sunday, occupies the top spot.
Canada struggling to clear their lines
Eustáquio hoofs a clearance that looks like it goes out for a corner, but the linesman decided it was only a throw-in. He was in acres of space, and perhaps a bout of nerves from the Porto man there.
15 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
Croatia slowing things down
They take the pace of the game down a bit which will suit their team’s advancing years a bit better. The more chaotic a game, the more Canada will thrive one feels, so it’s probably a wise move from Zlatko Dalic’s team.
Buchanan is looking lively down Canada’s right flank, however, and they need to feed him as much as they can.
19 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
End-to-end game
Luka Modrić displays a bad first touch after receiving the ball in the box, proving that he is human after all. Davies runs up the other end for Les Rouges after some woeful defending by Juranović but the Bayern Munich player’s delivery is wanting.
23 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
With 25 minutes gone, Croatia is still struggling to cope with Canada’s intensity.
The Croatians have enjoyed more of the possession, as was expected to be the case, but the Canadians look dangerous on the counter-attack with Alphonso Davies, in particular, posing a real threat.
Kramarić goal disallowed
It looks close but it’s ruled out for an offside in the build-up. Livaja just failed to check his run.
27 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
Foul on Davies
The wingback takes an elbow in the face and earns his team a free-kick in a good position for his troubles. His delivery is well cleared by the Croatian defense but Canada must be much happier with this opening half hour.
32 mins: Croatia 0-1 Canada
GOAL
Kramarić puts his side level with a neat, left-footed finish from a tight angle. This one won’t be chalked off.
37 mins: Croatia 1-1 Canada
Kramarić galloping down the left flank
There is a sense of danger for Canada every time Kramarić touches the ball. He finds some space down the left and happily gallops into it, but Canada eventually scrambles to get it clear.
Eustáquio is down with an injury but it looks like he’s fine to play on.
41 mins: Croatia 1-1 Canada
GOAL
Marko Livaja puts his side in front with a strike from distance and passed the gloves of Borjan. Croatia showing why they’re the team that reached the last World Cup final as they’ve bossed this game the further we’ve gone on.
Five minutes of additional time.
44 mins: Croatia 2-1 Canada
Half-time: Croatia 2-1 Canada
Dalic’s team really upped the ante as this half went on and finished the opening period much the better team. They had one goal disallowed to go along with the two they scored, and that dream opening for Canada feels like an age ago.
John Herdman will want to give his side a serious talking to after he did some big talking before this encounter.
Here’s how it stands in Group F on the back of Croatia’s first-half comeback.
Croatia has risen to second place, while Canada has slumped to the bottom of the group. Morocco is top after their eye-catching 2-0 win over group favorites Belgium earlier today.
Pass master Mateo Kovacic
Mateo Kovacic was sublime for Croatia in the first 45 minutes, registering a 100% pass accuracy and winning all of his duels.
Second half underway
Canada kick us off and will be playing from left to right for the second period. Koné and Osario are brought on for Canada, and Larin and Eustáquio have been replaced.
46 mins: Croatia 2-1 Canada
Canada shapeshifting
It looks like Herdman has switched to a back four and moved Davies further up the pitch, where he can hurt Croatia more. It almost pays dividends straight away as an Osario strike creep just wide.
50 mins: Croatia 2-1 Canada
Kovacić still running the show
He picks up the ball in space once more and drives forward toward a Canadian defense that’s backing off. He’s ostensibly a defensive midfielder but he takes on the mantle going forward with his national side and is constantly causing Canada trouble.
Buchanan picks up a yellow for a cynical foul.
