Zlatko Dalic's reaction to Croatia's World Cup final defeat
Croatian coach Zlatko Dalic wasn't able to hide the disappointment of having slipped in the final hurdle but insisted that he is proud of the team's efforts in Russia.Not many expected Croatia to reach the final Sunday of the tournament but Luka Modic's men showcased their skills and resilience to defy the odds. They had laid down an early marker with a 3-0 demolition of Argentina in the group stages.
Croatia's mental and physical character was tested in the knockout stages as they were dragged into extra-time in the Round of 16, quarter-final and the semi-final but they made sure they were on the right side of the result every single time.
Even on Sunday, Croatia had the upper hand after an aggressive start but against the run of play, Mandzukic's own goal saw them trailing. Ivan Perisic equalised but a controversial VAR call helped France take the lead again through Griezmann's spot kick.
In the second half, they were outclassed by the brilliance of Pogba and Mbappe who troubled Dejan Lovren & Co. before scoring the decisive goals.
"I have to congratulate my players, it was maybe the best game we played in these championships; we controlled the match but we conceded," Dalic, who took charge of the team in 2017, told
"Against such a strong side as France you must not make mistakes. We are a bit sad but we have to be proud as well for what we've done."
No comments:
Post a Comment