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You are here: Home / Sports / Monday Morning World Cup Open Thread: Japan vs Croatia

Monday Morning World Cup Open Thread: Japan vs Croatia

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I don’t pretend to understand soccer, but I do enjoy anime…

CNN:

In a World Cup of surprises, Japan has played a leading role in headline-making shock results.

Not many would have predicted that the Samurai Blue would beat both Spain and Germany to top Group E in qualifying for the knockouts, but so impressive has the team been that not many would now raise an eyebrow if Japan was to progress to the quarterfinals for the first time in its history…

First to the match in Al Wakrah. Croatia is a team undefeated in nine of its last 10 World Cup matches. Its only loss in that run coming in Russia four years ago when a Kylian Mbappé-inspired France secured a 4-2 win in the final.

Coach Zlatko Dalić told reporters Sunday that the country had performed brilliantly over the years and become a force in world football.

“The population of Croatia is four million and the results we have achieved on the world stage are miraculous,” said Dalić, per Reuters.

“We are continually present in tournaments and World Cups, and that itself is a great success. We have become a world football force.”

While Croatia, unbeaten in Qatar, has never lost in the last 16 in its previous two World Cup matches at this stage, Japan has never progressed beyond the round-of-16, suffering defeat in 2002, 2010 and 2018…

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30Comments

  2. 2.

    phdesmond

    i paid five dollars to Peacock so that i could watch at home, and they retransmit Telemundo’s coverage.  when the action is slow, as in this game so far, the commentator sometimes sounds like an agricultural auctioneer trying to boost excitement.

  5. 5.

    Alison Rose

    @Omnes Omnibus: Eh, not always, but mostly. I like to see underdogs win here, and it would just be nice to see a less European final few like we usually have, you know? Well…European + Brazil, that is :P But also I just love the Japanese team and their fans

  6. 6.

    cope

    I’m good with either team moving on.  I pull for Japan based on their overall anti-litter efforts and Croatia as such a tiny nation.  Let’s just see some good soccer.

  8. 8.

    phdesmond

    from the Guardian:

    • The Brazilian footballing great Pelé has not been moved to palliative care, one of his daughters has said, downplaying reports that he was in end-of-life care after the 82-year-old was treated in hospital last week to re-evaluate his treatment for colon cancer.
  9. 9.

    Trincha

    @phdesmond: I prefer Telemundo’s coverage.  The English coverage too frequently veers to the sort of biopic nonsense we all love so much from American broadcasting of the Olympics

  14. 14.

    Alison Rose

    @phdesmond: Estadio Azteca in Mexico City is a grueling place to play for many reasons. It’s huge, it’s at very high altitude which can cause breathing issues for the players, the pollution in the air is also detrimental (there have been matches where players were like, coughing up black phlegm on the sidelines). Plus, the Mexican fans can be…a LOT. Particularly against the US players. There have been many incidents where, for example, when a US player (most notably LD) would go to take a corner, fans would throw beer bottles and cups of urine at them. It’s a real fucking gauntlet to play there.

  17. 17.

    HumboldtBlue

    Even more impressive for Croatia, a Croatian player has played on the Champions League winner for 10 consecutive seasons. Primarily because of the long-standing relationship between Real Madrid and Croatian players (Real has won an absurd 14 Champions League titles and five of the last seven). In the past five seasons alone, Luke Modric (Real) and Dejan Lovren (at the time played for Liverpool) and Kovacic at Chelsea, have all played on CL winning sides.

  29. 29.

    Paul in KY

    Japan sure choked a bit in PKs. The worst one though was the Croatia miss. He’s going to get alot of grief for that stinker. They might want to check him for a bet made against his country…

  30. 30.

    billcinsd

    @Alison Rose: I believe the game division is that all three host opening round games, with Canada playing in Canada, Mexico in Mexico and the US in the US. The knockout rounds are all in the US, IIRC and barring FIFA changing things up. Thus, the US have little chance right now to play at the Azteca

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