Game 5: Iceland v Croatia
As the schedulers/powers-that-be in FIFA have decided to double up the third matches in the group games, I’m trying to follow two matches at the same time - one on the TV and the other on the laptop - but, as I’m crap at multitasking, this may not go well. Anyway, I’ve opted to watch Nigeria v Argentina on the TV and follow Iceland v Croatia, so this is cobbled together from bits viewed on the laptop from the BBC website and the BBC's text coverage.
Iceland v Croatia
26th June, 1900
Rostov Stadium, Rostov-on-Don
Result:
Iceland 1 (Sigurðsson 76’, pen)
Croatia 2 (Badelj 53’, Perišić 90’)
Iceland needed to beat Croatia to progress. Iceland still have a chance of going through as a win would lift them from 4th to 2nd in the group, unless Argentina score a hatful and, every time I checked on their game they seemed to be better than Croatia, who have already qualified for the next round.
Ragnar Sigurðsson looked certain to miss out because of his head injury sustained in the previous game but started for Iceland.
First Half
HT - 0-0 - reading the BBC live text as I really wasn’t able to properly follow the game, Iceland had the better chances and should really have been in the lead at the break, especially a great chance for Alfreð Finnbogason who was centimetres away from putting Iceland in the lead.
Second Half
Iceland 0 - Croatia 1 (Badelj, 53’) Croatia’s lead is pretty undeserved, according to the BBC text updates, as Iceland had been the better side, however, Sverri Ingi Ingason had Iceland’s best chance early in the second half.
Iceland have had further chances and really should have been well ahead, but they have failed to take each and every one of them. Oh and Lovren got a whack in the family jewels - it can’t have happened to a nicer bloke; and if laughing at that makes me a bad human being, so be it, I don’t give a toss as I already am a bad human being. :)
76 mins - ICELAND SCORE! Gylfi Sigurðsson with a penalty, courtesy of a Dejan Lovren handball :) and puts it away.
The Iceland challenge looks to be over, as Croatia go 2-1 up, thanks to a goal from Ivan Perišić in the 90th minute.
Full time: Iceland 1 (Sigurðsson, 76´, pen), Croatia 2 (Badelj 53’, Perišić 90’)
Conclusion
Iceland played well but were ultimately undone by a changed Croatia’s better quality. They didn’t hit the dizzy heights of Euro 2016 but aren’t disgraced and I hope we’ll see them at Euro 2020 (as long as England beat them this time, should the two sides meet) and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, although I feel the ferocious Qatari temperatures will not be to their liking.
In the next round, the first knock out stage, Croatia will face Denmark who were the runners-up in Group C.
Iceland v Croatia
26th June, 1900
Rostov Stadium, Rostov-on-Don
Result:
Iceland 1 (Sigurðsson 76’, pen)
Croatia 2 (Badelj 53’, Perišić 90’)
Iceland needed to beat Croatia to progress. Iceland still have a chance of going through as a win would lift them from 4th to 2nd in the group, unless Argentina score a hatful and, every time I checked on their game they seemed to be better than Croatia, who have already qualified for the next round.
Ragnar Sigurðsson looked certain to miss out because of his head injury sustained in the previous game but started for Iceland.
First Half
HT - 0-0 - reading the BBC live text as I really wasn’t able to properly follow the game, Iceland had the better chances and should really have been in the lead at the break, especially a great chance for Alfreð Finnbogason who was centimetres away from putting Iceland in the lead.
Second Half
Iceland 0 - Croatia 1 (Badelj, 53’) Croatia’s lead is pretty undeserved, according to the BBC text updates, as Iceland had been the better side, however, Sverri Ingi Ingason had Iceland’s best chance early in the second half.
Iceland have had further chances and really should have been well ahead, but they have failed to take each and every one of them. Oh and Lovren got a whack in the family jewels - it can’t have happened to a nicer bloke; and if laughing at that makes me a bad human being, so be it, I don’t give a toss as I already am a bad human being. :)
76 mins - ICELAND SCORE! Gylfi Sigurðsson with a penalty, courtesy of a Dejan Lovren handball :) and puts it away.
The Iceland challenge looks to be over, as Croatia go 2-1 up, thanks to a goal from Ivan Perišić in the 90th minute.
Full time: Iceland 1 (Sigurðsson, 76´, pen), Croatia 2 (Badelj 53’, Perišić 90’)
Conclusion
Iceland played well but were ultimately undone by a changed Croatia’s better quality. They didn’t hit the dizzy heights of Euro 2016 but aren’t disgraced and I hope we’ll see them at Euro 2020 (as long as England beat them this time, should the two sides meet) and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, although I feel the ferocious Qatari temperatures will not be to their liking.
In the next round, the first knock out stage, Croatia will face Denmark who were the runners-up in Group C.
