BORDEAUX, France (AP) - The youth came through for Croatia.
With Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic both out injured, the Croats lined up to face defending champion Spain with three of its starting players 21 or under. And they won.
The Spanish hadn’t lost a match at the European Championship in 12 years, but they couldn’t shake Croatia on Tuesday at Stade de Bordeaux. Nikola Kalinic and Ivan Perisic scored a goal each to give the Croats a 2-1 win and first place in Group D.
“We’re really self-confident and we’re going to play the next match with all that self-confidence,” Perisic said. “The team spirit helped us and we were fighting until the last minute. I think we can go far now. If we play like this we can go to the very end.”
Both teams had entered the match guaranteed of a spot in the knockout stage but knowing a victory would see it avoid Italy in the round of 16. Spain, which fielded the same starting lineup as the opening two matches, needed only needed a draw to win the group.
Croatia coach Ante Cacic made five changes, however, two of them because both Modric and Mandzukic had muscle injuries and had to watch from the bench. Instead, Cacic brought in 20-year-olds Tin Jedvaj and Marko Rog, as well as 21-year-old Marko Pjaca and 24-year-old Sime Vrsaljko.
Rog was an amateur, playing in the Croatian third division, only two years ago.
“I had a positive stage fright at first, but when the game started I did not think who it is,” Rog said. “We showed that they are not out of this world, that they are humans like us.”
The youthful contribution was certainly noticed by the senior guard.
“We missed our main players,” 31-year-old goalkeeper Danijel Subasic said, “but these young guys have shown that they are here for a reason.”
Cacic is hoping that Modric and Mandzukic will be back for Saturday’s match against one of the best third-place teams, but believes his squad has the strength to go further, regardless of who it plays.
“We won against the current European champion. We won against a really strong team,” Cacic said. “But it’s not only about this match. Even from before the Euros we showed that we were a really strong team. We will play against any team and we will try and play our game and be successful.”
Not only has Croatia ensured itself an easier match in the round of 16 by winning the group, but it will also have an easier route to the final.
“In the last eight teams there will be either no Spain or Italy. That maybe means we have an easier path until the end,” Cacic said, “but we just have to grow up from every match and go step by step.”
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