Croatia and Portugal met in Toronto on Thursday evening for a highly anticipated round of 32 clash, with Portugal coming out on top in a rollercoaster 2-1 victory that ended Croatia’s World Cup campaign.
It was billed as the meeting of two legends — Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo, former Real Madrid teammates and two of the greatest players of their generation. For one of them, it would prove to be their last dance at a World Cup.
Coach Zlatko Dalić named an unchanged lineup from the side that beat Ghana in the final group stage fixture.
Lineups
PORTUGAL : Costa, Cancelo, Dias, Veiga, Mendes, Neves, Vitinha, Neto, Fernandes, Leão, Ronaldo
CROATIA : Livaković, Stanišić, Šutalo, Pongračić, Perišić, Modrić, Kovačić, P.Sučić, Vlašić, Baturina, Budimir
Match report
Croatia had its first attempt as early as the third minute, but Budimir could only manage a weak left-footed effort straight at the Portuguese keeper.
Portugal responded immediately and was relentless in the opening exchanges. Livaković was called into action to deny Bruno Fernandes, and over the next five minutes, the Croatian keeper was the busiest man on the pitch, making save after save to keep the score level.
Budimir went close with a header from the center of the box in the 10th minute, but it sailed over the bar. A minute later, Kovačić gave away a foul around 30 meters out — exactly the kind of position Croatia had been desperate to avoid giving Portugal. Ronaldo stepped up, but struck the ball straight into the wall.
Pongračić cleared a dangerous ball out for a corner in the 15th minute, and from the resulting set piece, Nuno Mendes delivered a ball that Renato Veiga met with his head from the centre of the box, only to send it over the bar. In the 17th minute, Rubén Dias was shown a yellow card for an elbow on Budimir.
Croatia won a free kick on the right wing through Petar Sučić, which Modrić launched into the box, but Portugal dealt with it comfortably. Portugal was back on the attack in the 23rd minute with another corner that almost resulted in a goal, with João Neves getting a left-footed shot away from the left side of the box that flew just too high. Croatia was being peppered with chances before the first hydration break.
Pongračić produced a brilliant ball through to Vlašić in the 29th minute, but the referee’s flag cut the move short for offside. Two minutes later, Ronaldo spurned a chance from close range that he would have expected to score, before Perišić conceded yet another corner that presented Nuno Mendes with a chance to break the deadlock. Croatia was having a tough time defensively.
By the 40th minute, Portugal had earned five corners to Croatia’s zero, and they immediately added another one, though Croatia managed to clear their lines. Croatia attempted to hit back on the counter but were too slow to make anything of it, with Portugal’s defense winning everything.
Four minutes of stoppage time were added. In the first minute, Mendes struck over the bar to let Croatia off the hook once more. Croatia was hanging on, but had somehow made it to the interval with the scoreline still goalless. It was anything but easy.
Dalić made his first change at the break, withdrawing Budimir in favor of Matanović, and Croatia came out of the dressing room a transformed side.
The Vatreni had their best chance of the match in the 48th minute, breaking through the Portuguese defense before Kovačić struck the side netting. Vlašić also went close from a corner shortly after. Croatia’s energy levels were unrecognizable from the first half.
And then came the moment the Croatia fans had been waiting for. A beautiful move down the right wing between Vlašić and Stanišić ended with the ball being launched into the box, and the deflection fell perfectly for Perišić on the left, who was left completely unmarked to fire home and put Croatia 1-0 up.
Croatia almost doubled their lead moments later, only to be denied by an offside flag — and then Portugal hit the crossbar at the other end to remind everyone that this was far from over. Petar Sučić went close again in the 58th minute, forcing the Portuguese keeper into punching the ball out for a corner, before Modrić was shown a yellow card in the 59th minute. Portugal also had the ball in the net shortly after, but the flag went up for offside, and Croatia’s lead remained intact.
Portugal made four substitutions in the 63rd minute, bringing on Silva, Semedo, Ramos and Conceição. Two minutes later, the tie was turned on its head. Vlašić was judged to have fouled inside the penalty area, and Ronaldo stepped up to send Livaković the wrong way and make it 1-1.
Dalić responded in the 72nd minute, bringing on Mario Pašalić for Baturina. Croatia refused to sit back and continued to push forward. In the 76th minute, Kovačić had two chances in quick succession — striking the post with the first and seeing his volley saved by the keeper on the second — before Matanović’s effort went out for a corner. Croatia was creating chance after chance. Petar Sučić even found the back of the net in the 80th minute, only to be denied once again by the offside flag.
Portugal won a corner in the 86th minute — their eighth of the match. Pašalić’s header in the 89th minute just missed the target, and the referee signaled for 10 minutes of stoppage time.
In the second minute of added time, Dalić made a defensive change, sending on Gvardiol for Vlašić. But almost immediately, Portugal struck. Leão crossed into the box to find Ramos completely unmarked and the substitute headed home to make it 2-1. Perišić was then shown a yellow card with two minutes remaining.
Croatia threw everything forward in search of an equalizer. A corner came and went, and time was running out. Then, in the final seconds, Gvardiol got on the end of a chance and found the net for 2-2!!! But Pašalić was ruled offside in the build-up, and the goal was called off. More on this later, as this was a heartbreaking end and Croatia deserved more. The final whistle followed moments later.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions that ultimately ended in heartbreak. Portugal won 2-1 and advanced to the round of 16, while Croatia’s World Cup dream was over.
