Croatia have beaten Morocco 2-1 in the token battle for third place. If that sounds mildly interesting then enjoy our “popular” match review.
3rd Place Playoff Croatia v Morocco Match Review
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.
1’ Min So one of sport’s most pointless games behind One Day International cricket, half of the Winter Olympics and all rugby union gets underway, and both sides look as hungry to win the backup prize as FIFA are to making another lorry of money from it. Unlike Qatar in general, this game could go one of two ways. A tired and jaded Croatia and Morocco ticking a final box for 2022 or a devil-may-care attitude of free-flowing football. Anyone making the effort at 1am in the Asia Pacific region deserve it.
2’ Min Morocco keeper almost kicks it into his own goal in what would have been the most embarrassing start to the World Cup since Qatar’s entire performance in their first game.
7’ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR CROATIA
Well, for one of the first times in this World Cup you can say that a beautifully worked free kick leads to a goal. Croatia’s free kick from a few metres outside the box goes left of the wall to a Croatian player hanging out on the edge of the box, they head it back inside towards the pack and Gvardiol wins the race and heads it into goal.
CROATIA 1 MOROCCO 0
9’ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR MOROCCO
What was that about free kicks? Another goal from a free kick and after a reasonably silly foul from Croatia to concede it too. The ball curls in from the near the sideline and a Croatian header bobs the ball up and backwards towards goals, and it lands perfectly for Dari to head it home for a quickfire reply for Morocco.
CROATIA 1 MOROCCO 1
17’ Min Croatia waste a chance after a shot on target is stopped by their own players getting in the way. The follow up header is even more underwhelming.
23’ Min Another great chance for Croatia, this time delivered through Luka Modric. He shoots from the edge of the box, Morocco’s goal scorer tries his best to score a goal in each net, which draws another fine save for the tournament from Bono. No, not that one, the goal keeping variety from Morocco.
28’ Min Morocco’s chance to go close this time, and this should have been a goal. A cross from Hakimi fires into the penalty area but goes just behind En-Nesyri who is unmarked on the six-yard line, with even the most amateur contact would probably have seen a goal.
32’ Min Half chance for Morocco as they get a shot away in the penalty area, which isn’t that interesting, but the shot does bob up and over the goal suspiciously like it was a deflection from Croatia. The referee doesn’t see it, but he soon sees five very angry Moroccans surrounding him like they are going to fob him. Some of them are lucky he doesn’t hand over a yellow card instead. Although, you can’t question their passion for winning third place.
42’ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR CROATIA
A goal that felt like it came out of nowhere. In a bit of a scramble on the edge of the Morocco penalty area, the ball finally pops out wide and then further wide to Orsic, who appears to put in a floating cross, but instead floats over the keeper’s head and onto the post and into the goal. Whether he meant it or not will be debated, but we’re sure Orsic will claim it planned.
CROATIA 2 MOROCCO 1
An entertaining first half ends with both sides getting a goal and having chances to expand their tally, so few complaints for the third/fourth playoff so far.
HALF TIME – CROATIA 2 MOROCCO 1
47’ Min An early chance for Croatia where a shot is deflected off the rear end of a Moroccan defender, but it’s no bum deal for Morocco as they weather the back-to-back corners from Croatia.
60’ Min Croatia’s Kramaric limps off the field to be replaced. Talking of limping, this game is starting to limp towards a conclusion. Each side has a half chance, or a quarter of chance for more scoring but the score remains 2-1. Half an hour remains to decide the third best footballing nation at the 2022 World Cup.
67’ Min Some subs for both sides as each team looks to seal or steal this game.
70’ Min Vlasic gets a good chance go to waste for Croatia as he blasts his shot plenty of metres above the crossbar.
74’ Min With Morocco threatening the Croatian goal, Hakimi lines up a shot just outside the box but before he can get the shot away, he is barreled over by a Croatian player. The referee waves away any penalty call, which does seem premature, but hey he’s there and we’re here. What is amusing in the follow up is Hakimi appearing to throw himself to the ground in a classic spoiled brat at supermarket not getting what they wanted.
83’ Min Morocco’s Amallah gets a yellow card, the first one we can remember for the match, but again the surrounding Moroccan players around the referees are lucky not receive one themselves.
86’ Min Morocco are still trying plenty, as you would hope for a side 2-1 with only a few minutes to go, this time offside is the issue.
90’ Min Another half chance for Morocco, and another serving of the Moroccan players surrounding the referee. Not sure what the Moroccan player was protesting, as a cross came in and was dealt with by Croatia without an obvious reason to be annoyed.
Six minutes of extra time to decide who is third and fourth.
90’ +4 Min Morocco try a sneaky shot from outside the box at the near post, but the Croatian keeper is not fooled and makes a sharp save.
90’ +5 Min Another chance missed by Morocco and this one was one they should have taken. A floating cross comes in, with the pass delivered to the forehead of Morocco 19, and heads just over with the ball landed just on top of the goal.
And that was indeed the last chance of the match, and Croatia have won the third place playoff 2-1 as once again Morocco are slightly the better side but can’t take their chances. Croatia celebrates as they should, Morocco surrounds the referee one more time as they shouldn’t. The Moroccan manager gives it plenty to the officials afterwards. It’s a bit of a half-hearted celebration, with the bigger prize to be won tomorrow.
Final Score
CROATIA 2
Gvardiol 7′ Orsic 42′
MOROCCO 1
Dari 9′
HT Croatia 2-1
Player of the Match
Luka Modric
3rd Place Playoff Croatia v Morocco Starting Teams
CROATIA (4-2-3-1)
1 Livakovic
2 Stanisic
24 Sutalo
20 Gvardiol
4 Perisic
10 Modric
8 Kovacic
7 Majer
9 Kramaric
18 Orsic
14 Livaja
MOROCCO (4-3-3)
1 Bono
2 Hakimi
18 El Yamiq
20 Dari
25 Attiat-Allah
23 El Khannousss
4 S Amrabat
11 Sabiri
7 Ziyech
19 En-Nesyri
17 Boufal
