THE SPORTS GROUND: CROATIA BREAKED ICELAND IN A FULL ARENA IN ZAGREB

Croatia defeated Iceland with a score of 32:26, and if they beat Slovenia, they will secure a place in the quarterfinals of the World Cup. This match was Croatia’s best performance at the championship so far and at a crucial moment. Iceland seemed lost in the packed Arena Zagreb, while Croatia finally took advantage of the home field. Vital points were won, and the +6 victory put Croatia in the best position in the round with Egypt and Iceland.

The bad news came from the first match of the day when Egypt defeated Slovenia, which made it clear that Croatia needed a win of at least 4 points against Iceland to pass, with a mandatory win over Slovenia. Coach Sigurdsson boldly moved by dropping healthy outfielders Klarica and Lučin from the lineup and including Duvnjak and Mandić, recovering from injuries. It was clear that the match would require a lot of running and sprinting since Iceland had made the best impression in the Zagreb part of the tournament until then, entering this match with four consecutive victories.

Croatia played a perfect first half when it was most needed. The Icelanders could not find a solution for the Croatian defense 5-1 with Mamić in the forward position, while Kuzmanović excelled in goal. The attack worked flawlessly; the only sour moment was Glavaš’s miss, while the rest of the team played at a top level. Maraš scored from a distance, Srna connected with precise shots, and Martinović was elusive for the Icelandic defense. Duvnjak conducted the game masterfully, and even the Icelandic goalkeepers, Hallgrimsson and Gustafsson, could not find a solution.

Croatia’s 5-1 defense worked excellently thanks to the cooperation of Srna and Mandić, with Mandić bringing the necessary energy and aggressiveness. The Icelanders tried to respond with substitutions, but their key players, Palmerston and Kristjansson, could not turn the game’s tide. Thorkelsson, usually reliable from the wing, missed numerous opportunities, while Richardson didn’t even get a jump-shot chance. Croatia went into halftime with a +8 advantage (20:12), dominating all game segments.

The atmosphere in the crowded Arena was incredible, and Croatia continued with a high tempo in the second half. The 5-1 defense was still used, and Srna sometimes took over Mamic’s role. In the 45th minute, Kuzmanović made a series of saves to allow Srna to increase the advantage to +10 (27:17), which caused an eruption of enthusiasm in the hall.

Iceland tried to respond with a more aggressive defense, but Croatia kept calm and controlled the match until the end. The defense was high, and the key moment happened when Srna took the ball away from Gislason, allowing Martinović to score on the counter. With this victory, Croatia achieved the set goal and is now optimistically looking towards the decisive match against Slovenia, in which they will seek confirmation of their passage to the quarterfinals.