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There was no conspiracy, after all!
Various conspiracy theories were floated by the Italian media that both teams would eventually play out a 2-2 draw which would enable both the teams to progress, at Italy’s cost. Memories of Euro 2004,where Denmark and Sweden played out a 2-2 draw to progress at Italy’s expense were rekindled to magnify Italy’s sense of betrayal and helplessness.
But fears of a conspiracy proved to be, as predicted, highly off the mark.
Spain don’t seem to have a Plan B.
Though it’s debatable how much Spain exactly wanted to win this match, considering the strength of their opponents and the comfort of their position in the group, what was apparent was that Spain, like Barcelona, don’t seem to have a Plan B in place. They keep doing the same things, repeating the same patterns, over and over again. While Barcelona have Lionel Messi to provide the added spark and inspiration, Spain lack a cutting edge.
The FIFA Rankings don’t lie.While most would consider a country as small as Croatia, with a population of about 4 million, as underdogs at any tournament they go to, not many know that they are actually ranked number 8 in the world. Seeing their discipline and shape while defending against a technically superior Spanish side (ranked number 1 in the world), it wasn’t that much of a surprise.
Modric will go places.
If this was Luka Modric’s audition to prove himself worthy of bigger clubs like Manchester United and Real Madrid, he passed with flying colours. He was immense on the pitch, popping up everywhere to provide an outlet for his teammates. His run and subsequent cross to Rakitic was spectacular, to say the least. It’s a pity that his team had to bow out early.
Football is a cruel, cruel game.Croatia bowed out of the tournament due to a late sucker punch delivered by the Spanish while they were going for the jugular, knowing that they needed a goal to progress. Croatia can blame no one for their exit, not even themselves. They brought forth a freshness and vibrancy that is seen lacking in most international sides today. It’s sad that they’d have to exit the tournament prematurely. We’d all like to see them in two years at the World Cup in Brazil.
