The biggest sporting event in the world continues with the Group F Morocco v Croatia clash that opens up Group F. Croatia may just fancy themselves to top this group, and the World Cup needs an upset with a lot of groups looking one sided.
With so many games and so little time, our Group F Morocco v Croatia Match Centre tries to sum it all up as quickly as possible before and after the game. We watch and follow the game so you don’t have to.
With answers to the key questions prior to the match and our Minutes that Mattered summary and stats post game, it is a real Who Cares guide to the 2022 World Cup for the person on the go.
Enjoy the Group F Morocco v Croatia Match Centre.
KICKOFF – WEDNESDAY 23RD NOV – 13:00 (QATAR) 10:00 (UK) 21:00 (AEDT)
Group F Morocco v Croatia Match Review
Morocco and Croatia have played out a reasonably dull 0-0 draw in the first game for Wednesday’s “action”. We’ve tried to find as much interesting stuff as we can below.
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
2′ Min TV Coverage shows the Moroccco manager yelling at his players “What was that?”. Could be a long day for both players and coaching staff.
6′ Min Corner to Croatia where the end result looked like Seagulls fighting over a few chips. Also amusing was the Moroccan defender who attempted a clearing bicycle kick into his own head.
14′ Min Decent chance for Croatia, well it would have been if anyone was in the box for Luka Modric’s delightful cross. This time it was just Moroccan defenders hanging out, so the score remained 0-0.
16′ Min Ivan Perisic takes a shot from well outside the box, and it isn’t a bad one, just sailing over the posts. And the score just stays at 0-0.
18′ Min At the other end Hakim Ziyech shows that Morocco can put a great in the box for no result.
19′ Min Free kick to Morocco right on the edge of the Croatian penalty area. After taking what feels like five minutes to set the kick up, Ziyech predictably kicks it straight into the wall.
21′ Min The underwhelming football comes thick and fast as a Croatian corner sort of goes nowhere.
40′ Min We haven’t been lazy, these are meant to be the minutes that matter and if we’re honest there’s been nothing worth sharing. Lots of passes, players occasionally falling over, with and without support. Etc. If you’ve tuned out already, it’s still 0-0.
41′ Min Morocco have another free kick in a decent position close to goal. This one is a bit wider out. The results is the same about the one we picked on earlier – took lots of time to take it, kick went straight to opposition defender who cleared it.
45′ Min Finally, just two minutes of added time for the first half. That’s a relief.
45′ +2 Min Croatia go very close to opening up the scoring. Morocco block the first attempt on goal, then Luka Modric blasts the ball from the edge of the box towards goal and the ball curves just over the crossbar. The keeper would never have got there to save, and if he did would have regretted the broken hand and/or wrist. Talk of regrets, why this game was the early kick off.
HALF TIME – MOROCCO 0 CROATIA 0
52′ Min Best chance of the second half so far see a floating cross for Croatia just get missed by the Croatian attack and cleaned up by Moroccan defence.
53′ Min Croatia go so very close from the subsequent corner. The Moroccan keeper just tipping the ball away from lurking Croatian attackers. A collision of bodies sees a Moroccan player stay down. This’ll add another five minutes to added time. Could be a nasty injury that a penalty and magic water can;t fix.
64′ Min Another free kick to Morocco, and another chance for us to moan about them taking forever and stuffing it up. Not the case this time as Hakimi smashes the ball at the goal and the Croatian goalkeeper can only fist it away as there was no time to do anything else.
68′ Min Croatia earn a free kick which leads to a corner, then another corner which goes straight to the Moroccan keeper. Morocco break and race down to their end but the attack breaks down as the Croatian defenders kill the game.
80′ Min Croatia earn a free kick out near the sideline but close to the goal. The ball is whipped in and a masked man for Croatia leaps best but puts the ball wide of the posts.
88′ Min With the game starting to look and feel like The Simpsons very unfair pardoy of soccer, we’re left with no doubt that this game will end 0-0 and be consgined to a line in Wikipedia and never thought of again.
90′ Min Just six minutes of extra time. If only we were watching on delay and could fast forward.
90′ +6 Min Well that’s over. 0-0 aren’t always bad, we quite enjoyed the ones on Tuesday, but this was the most meh game of the tournament so far.
Final Score
MOROCCO 0
CROATIA 0
HT 0-0
Player of the Match
Luka Modric
Points of Interest
- Zero
Group F Morocco v Croatia Match Stats
Group F Morocco v Croatia Starting Teams
MOROCCO (4-3-3)
1 Bono
2 Hakimi
5 Aguerd
6 Saïss
3 Mazraoui
8 Ounahi
4S Amrabat
15 Amallah
7 Ziyech
19 En-Nesyri
17 Boufal
CROATIA (4-3-3)
1 Livakovic
22 Juranovic
6 Lovren
20 Gvardiol
19 Sosa
10 Modric
11 Brozovic
8 Kovacic
13 Vlasic
9 Kramaric
4 Perisic
Group F Morocco v Croatia Match Preview
Why should you care?
Croatia were finalists World Cup, so we guess there’s some interest to see how far they can get in this tournament. A win for Croatia puts some nice early pressure on Belgium. As for Morocco, well Chelsea star Hakim Ziyech is a real drawcard for the neutral.
Who should you care about?
As mentioned above, Chelsea’s Hakim Ziyech will be a player to watch, will hopefully a freedom to play more like the Ajax version than the Chelsea one. A guaranteed start will help as well.
You can’t go past Luka Modric for a player to watch, his last World Cup was good enough to see him named the best player at that World Cup and the footballer of the year, well according to the Ballon d’Or prize givers. Sure it’s four years later, but that class still remains.
Full 2022 World Cup Squads & Stats
Is there a barely interesting fact?
Morocco have won just two of their 16 World Cup games, but at least both of those wins came against European opposition. Morocco did draw 2-2 with Spain last World Cup in Russia, but they were the only African team not to win a game.
Croatia have played one game against an African side at the World Cup, and won.
Who will win?
Morocco 0 Croatia 1
Full 2022 World Cup Predictions
Group F Morocco v Croatia Match Review
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute except one that has only the minutes that matter.
Stay tuned after the match.
Group F Morocco v Croatia Match Stats
Coming after the match.
