Croatia at the 1998 FIFA World Cup

Croatian national team at the FIFA World Cup 1998

3.1 Preliminary
3.2 knockout round
3.3 quarterfinals
3.4 Semi-finals
3.5 3rd place match

Qualification

The qualification for the finals was rather moderate for Croatia.

After a 4-1 opening win against Bosnia- Herzegovina succeeded three times in succession at home only a draw, even against the severed tail light Slovenia. In this game against the northern neighbor you even had a 3-1 lead still out of his hands, and the Croatian team was first booed after the game of his own fans. The Croats at that time did not yet have a secure internal defense, so they stayed in eight group games without conceding just once. Another problem case was goalkeeper Dražen Ladić, the bailed several times, including in the home match against Denmark, as it Brian Laudrup managed to achieve to the corner to score and thus to take the win Croatia shortly before the end yet. Pitch came just adds for example as the Schriedsrichtergespann in the game against Greece overlooked a clear handball in front of goal by the Greeks. In the return match in Athens Croats subjected to the " head out of the loop " and landed an important away win. After the defeat in Denmark but the team of Miroslav Blažević was on the final day dependent on protecting the aid to reach 2nd place yet. The win in Slovenia and the simultaneous draw in parallel match between Greece and Denmark, Croatia was still in second place. In the relegation against Ukraine, the Croatians kept clear head and qualified for the first time as an independent nation for the World Cup finals.

Group stage

Expulsion

Croatian squad

Games of the Croatian team

Preliminary round

The preliminary round Group H could indeed conclude the Croatian selection at No. 2 as expected before the two outsiders Jamaica and Japan, but in these three games could not even imagine one that Croatia to below that would even come last four.

June 14, 1998 (Lens)

Jamaica - Croatia 1:3 ( 1:1)

Jamaica: Barrett, Goodison, Cargill ( 53 Powell), Earle ( 72 Williams), Sinclair, Simpson, Lowe, Whitmore, Gardner, Burton, Hall ( Boyd 82 ) Croatia: Ladić Bilic, Štimac, Soldo, Simic ( 72 Vlaović ) Prosinečki Asanović Boban, Stanic, Jarni, Šuker

Stanic 0:1 (27 ) 1:1 Earle (45 ) Prosinečki 1:2 (53 ) 1:3 Šuker (68 )

Referee: Vítor Melo Pereira M. (Portugal )

June 20, 1998 (Nantes)

Japan - Croatia 0:1 ( 0:0)

Japan: Kawaguchi, Nakanishi, Ihara, Akita, Narahashi ( 79 Morishima ), Yamaguchi, Nanami ( 83 Lopez ), Nakata, Soma, Nakayama ( 61 Okano ) Croatia: Ladić Bilic, Štimac ( 46 Vlaović ), Soldo, Simic, Jurčić, Prosinečki ( 67 Marić ) Asanović Stanic ( 88 Tudor ), Jarni, Šuker

0:1 Šuker (77 )

Referee: Ramesh Ramdhan (Trinidad and Tobago)

June 26, 1998 (Bordeaux)

Argentina - Croatia 1-0 (1-0 )

Argentina: Roa, Vivas Ayala, Paz, Zanetti (68th Simeone ), Almeyda, Verón Gallardo ( 81 Berti ), Pineda, Batistuta, Ortega ( López 53 ) Croatia: Ladić Bilic, Marić ( 46 Vlaović ) Soldo, Simic, Prosinečki ( 68 Štimac ) Asanović Boban, Stanic, Jarni, Šuker

1-0 Pineda (36 )

Referee: Said Belqola (Morocco )

Second round

The second-round match against Romania was a moderate total of two teams game. The Croats were indeed superior and won well deserved, but the next opponent, the three -time world champion Germany had no fear and worry, after this game. A dubious penalty after a foul on Asanović brought the decision.

June 30, 1998 (Bordeaux)

Romania - Croatia 0:1 ( 0:1)

Romania: stelea, Filipescu, Gh Popescu, Ciobotariu Petrescu ( 76 Marinescu ), Gâlcă, Ga. Popescu ( 61 Niculescu ), Hagi ( 57 Craioveanu ), Munteanu, Moldovan, Ilie Croatia. Ladić Bilic, Štimac, Simic, Jurčić, Asanović Boban, Stanic ( 83 Tudor ), Jarni, Šuker Vlaović ( 77 Krpan )

0:1 Šuker (45, penalty )

Referee: Javier Alberto Castrilli (Argentina )

Quarterfinals

The German team was decimated after 40 minutes, but could still work out a few chances in the second half to 0:2. The Croats with the surprisingly strong Dražen Ladić goal were to no goals and made the perfect surprise.

July 4, 1998 (Lyon )

Germany - Croatia 0:3 ( 0:1)

Germany: Kopke, Wörns, Matthew, Kohler, Henry, Hamann ( 79 Marshal ), Hassler ( 69 Kirsten ), Jeremies, Tarnat, Klinsmann, Bierhoff Croatia: Ladić Bilic, Štimac, Soldo, Simic, Asanović Boban, Stanic, Jarni, Šuker Vlaović ( 83 Marić )

Jarni 0:1 (45 ) 0:2 Vlaović (80 ) 0:3 Šuker (89 )

Red Card: Wörns (40 )

Referee: Rune Pedersen ( Norway)

Semifinal

Even the semi-finals was a huge success, so we did not have much to lose to the hosts. The opening goal by Davor Šuker was ultimately more a problem than that he helped, because after the post applied for compensation against the French had little shocked acting Croats won the game better grip and.

8 July 1998 (Paris, Stade de France)

France - Croatia 2:1 ( 0:0)

France: Barthez, Thuram, Desailly, Blanc, Lizarazu Karembeu ( 30 Henry), Deschamps, Zidane, Petit, Guivarc'h ( 69 Trezeguet ), Djorkaeff ( 75 Leboeuf ) Croatia: Ladić Bilic, Štimac, Soldo, Simic, Asanović Boban ( 65 Marić ) Stanic ( 90 Prosinečki ), Jarni, Šuker Vlaović

Šuker 0:1 (46 ) 1:1 Thuram (47 ) 2:1 Thuram (69 )

Red Card: Blanc (74 )

Referee: José María García Aranda (Spain )

3rd Place Match

July 11, 1998 (Paris, Parc des Princes )

Netherlands - Croatia 1:2 ( 1:2 )

Netherlands: van der Sar, Stam, F. de Boer, Numan, Seedorf, Jonk, Davids, Cocu ( Overmars 46 ), Zenden, Bergkamp ( 58 van Hooijdonk ), Kluivert

Croatia: Ladić Bilic, Štimac, Soldo, Jurčić, Prosinečki ( 78 Vlaović ) Asanović Boban ( 86 Tudor ), Stanic, Jarni, Šuker

Prosinečki 0:1 (13 ) 1:1 Zenden (21 ) 1:2 Šuker (36 )

Referee: E. González Chavez ( Paraguay)

This third place is the biggest success to date of a Croatian national football team. At the very first World Cup tournament since the independence of the small country (about 4.5 million inhabitants) reached the semifinals.

1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2014

Qualification for the 1998 World Cup

World Cup of the Croatian national team
Football World Cup 1998

Vladimir Vasilj HNK Hajduk Split Derby County F.C. Igor Tudor Zvonimir Boban A.C. Milan Parma F.C. Zvonimir Soldo Real Betis NK Osijek Ardian Kozniku Valencia CF Lens (Pas-de-Calais) Rune Pedersen (footballer)

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