Iceland go down fighting against dark horse Croatia
The littlest nation ever to make the World Cup, Iceland put on a spirited display that ultimately wasn’t enough to best a dangerous-looking Croatia.
When Iceland beat England 2-1 in the round of 16 in Euro 2016, not only were world soccer fans introduced to their now ubiquitous Viking clap (which they borrowed from Scottish side Motherwell), they also got the trivia fact that Iceland’s population is around 300,000 stuck in their heads for life.
On Tuesday, that population saw their team eliminated in the group stage of the World Cup, but not with a whimper. Iceland picked up only one point, but they played a spirited, well-drilled counter-attacking style that should see them return to this stage before long.
And it’s not as if they lost to minnows. They faced Lionel Messi’s Argentina, dysfunctional though they may be, a Nigeria side full of talent from around Europe’s top five leagues and a Croatia team that appear to have been horribly underestimated.
Iceland’s draw with Argentina, runners-up at Brazil 2014, may surpass even their upset of England in Icelandic soccer lore; the image of an outstretched Hannes Haldorsson somehow stopping Messi from converting a penalty to preserve his side’s lone point has been one of the highlights of the tournament so far. Indeed, if not for a blistering pair of Ahmed Musa runs, a missed Gylfi Sigurdsson penalty in the same game and a 90th-minute winner from Ivan Perisic perhaps this story wouldn’t be ending. The margins have been fine.
It wasn’t for a lack of effort Iceland lost against Croatia, as they outshot their opponents 16-14, with six on target compared to the Croat’s two. Such is the cruelty of sport that both those shots went in.
And while Iceland’s underdog story has come to an end, Croatia’s will continue. The Balkan nation made it out of the group stage for the first time since striker Davor Suker led them to the semifinals in France 1998, with their opponent set to be Christian Eriksen’s Denmark, who drew in a snorefest with France earlier on Tuesday.
Croatia own the joint best goal difference of the tournament thus far at plus-6 and, along with Uruguay, are so far the only team to claim all nine available points in their group matches (Mexico, and groupmates England and Belgium could also match this) thanks to the midfield mastery of Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic.
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Led by those two, Perisic and Juventus striker Mario Mandzukic, they out-classed Nigeria and brought Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli’s tactics into such disrepute their were rumors he would be sacked before their final group clash against Nigeria.
This midfield could pose problems for the Danes in the next fixture, but given Denmark’s ability to play without the ball, to call the men in the checkerboard kits overwhelming favorites would be a misstep. Then again, Group D was scoffed at before Croatia beat Argentina. Boss Zlatko Dalic said it would be their easiest match and people laughed. Few will be laughing at him now.