A point means that Croatia go top of Group D but this could be a costly slip if they end up finishing second. That they’ve not won this game is absurd. They were vastly superior to the Czechs for long periods, led by two goals and looked like they were going to win by a handsome margin. They weren’t the same side when Luka Modric went off, though, and the Czechs fought back thanks to two substitutes, meaning that they’re still alive. They’ll probably go through if they beat Turkey in their final game. The main talking point, though, is the lengthy stoppage caused by the antics of the Croatia fans, who chucked several flares on to the pitch near the end before fights broke out in their section. It all leaves a sour taste in the mouth. To quote Gary Lineker, Croatian flares overshadowed Croatian flair. There will be repercussions. Thanks for reading and emailing. Bye.
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Full-time: Czech Republic 2-2 Croatia
This bizarre game is over.
90 min+9: Subasic gets nowhere near Darida’s cross. Another corner, though. This one’s headed away. The Czechs attack again and a storming cross is vitally headed clear by Schildenfeld.
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90 min+8: Sime Vrsaljko replaces Ivan Strinic. Croatia have totally lost the plot. The Czechs have a corner on the right. They could win this! All it takes are a few flares on the pitch to change a game.
90 min+7: Gordon Schildenfeld replaces Ivan Rakitic.
90 min+6: You have to wonder what effect the crowd shenanigans had on Croatia players.
Explosions from Croatia followed by an implosion.
— Miguel Delaney (@MiguelDelaney) June 17, 2016
90 min+5: Both of the Czech Republic goals have been scored by substitutes.
90 min+4: By the way, it seems that Rosicky was suffering from cramp rather than a hamstring injury.
GOAL! Czech Republic 2-2 Croatia (Necid pen, 90 min+3)
This is nerveless from Tomas Necid, who blasts his penalty high past Subasic to drag the Czechs level! Absurd. Croatia should have wrapped this up ages ago.
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PENALTY TO CZECH REPUBLIC!
90 min+3: This is incredible! A long free-kick is pumped into the Croatia area and Vida is penalised for a clear handball!
90 min+2: Tomas Rosicky has gone down clutching his hamstring.
90 min: Play has finally resumed with a Petr Cech goal-kick and the smell of smoke floating around the stadium. A needlessly sordid end to this match.
89 min: What would these idiots be getting up to if Croatia were losing?
88 min: An announcement is being made in Croatian. I, er, don’t speak Croatian. A fight has broken out in the Croatian end. All the players can do is watch helplessly. A few Croatia players are standing nearby, trying to persuade their fans to stop misbehaving. There will surely be repercussions. This is ridiculous.
87 min: Another flare has been thrown on to the pitch, this time in the direction of an official. That could have been nasty. Mark Clattenburg has halted play and taken the players to the side of the pitch. He’s speaking to a Uefa official. There are fights breaking out in a section behind Cech’s goal. These people. These clowns.
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86 min: Tomas Necid, a striker, replaces Jaroslav Plasil. Meanwhile play has been stopped because the Croatia fans have thrown several flares on to the pitch. This is so tiresome.
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85 min: Perisic slithers a sublime cross into the middle for Brozovic but he’s denied a certain goal by Limbersky, at the expense of another corner. Vida heads wide at the near post.
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84 min: The ever willing Perisic forces a corner out of Hubnik on the left. Croatia’s response to conceding has simply been to push for a third goal.
80 min: Perisic skedaddles down the left, cuts back and finds Rakitic, who moves it on to Brozovic. He shakes off his marker and is unfortunate to see his deflected shot fly wide. Nothing comes from the corner.
79 min: “The tournament suffers because of the lack of quality particularly in attacking areas,” says Niall Mullen. “The structure is less important. Mexico 86 was great despite the 3rd place qualifying in the groups. Euro 92 was mediocre despite the presence of only 8 teams.”
78 min: Croatia should have killed this off ages ago. Let this be a lesson for them.
GOAL! Czech Republic 1-2 Croatia (Skoda, 76 min)
They’ve done a goal! Tomas Rosicky curves a wonderful ball into the area with the outside of his right foot and Milan Skoda plants a firm header inside the left post with what may well be his first touch. The Czech comeback is on!
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74 min: Brozovic is booked. Clattenburg is amusing himself now. “Two out of three teams qualify from the group phase,” says Simon McMahon. “That’s two thirds of all teams to qualify. 66.67 %. It’s easier to qualify for the knockout stage than not qualify. Unless you’re Scotland of course. Then it’s impossible.”
You get the sense the tournament won’t start properly until the quarters.
72 min: Sivok is booked for clattering Mandzukic with a stray, er, hand on the edge of the area. Rakitic bends the free-kick over.
71 min: Mandzukic lives on!
70 min: Mandzukic is down clutching his head.
68 min: “This is a public service, quality-control announcement directed at UEFA,” says Justin Kavanagh. “This tournament used to be have the concentrated quality of a fine, strong espresso (remember ’76 or ’88), but this new 24-team format makes it like one of those 24oz sugary iced teas from McDonalds that’s half ice. A few sups and you want to chuck the rest out.”
67 min: Two changes for the Czechs: Josef Sural replaces Jiri Skalak, Milan Skoda replaces David Lafata.
66 min: Mandzukic misses a glorious opportunity to open his account. A desperate tackle from Kaderabek only takes the ball to Mandzukic, all alone in the area, but he smashes his shot over the bar with only Cech to beat.
65 min: “Trying to watch the Euros in the US while working full-time should command another salary,” says Ian Evans. “It’s a savvy mixture of battling poor WiFi connections and live streams supplemented by the ever-superb Guardian live updates. Much refreshing involved. You can make checks payable to ‘Ian Evans,’ thanks.”
63 min: This could get ugly. Rakitic slides a pass through to Mandzukic on the left and he tries to set Brozovic up for a tap-in, but Cech reads his low ball into the six-yard box.
62 min: Mateo Kovacic replaces Luka Modric. Bah. “Whisper it but I think Croatia might just go all the way and win it,” says Patrick Wills. “If they jag top spot in the group they suddenly face an extremely favourable draw with a potential semi-final against England (quiet in the back) or Portugal, where they’d have to fancy themselves. Probably the competition’s best midfield on form, not to mention a doubly determined captain (and equally brilliant player) and a strong team spirit. If France reach the final they’ll win it with home advantage but a potential match up against any of Spain/Italy/Germany could be their undoing. Oh go on then, Croatia-Italy in the final with a Srna freekick to win it.”
60 min: That was Rakitic’s first goal in a major tournament. He was coolness personified when he went through.
GOAL! Czech Republic 0-2 Croatia (Rakitic, 59 min)
That should be that. Roman Hubnik drops his team-mates in it by losing the ball to Brozovic near his own area. Brozovic is alert enough to prod it through to Rakitic, who keeps his cool and dinks a lovely finish over the advancing Cech. Croatia are heading for the last 16.
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57 min: This second half has been filth. “This game looks like it’s going to be turned on it’s head after Czechs score from a corner in 84th minute,” says Marko Teodorcevic.
55 min: Skalak charges to the byline on the right but his cross is headed away by the ponytailed Vida.
54 min: Croatia haven’t quite got going since the restart.
52 min: Is anyone out there? Krecji has a first shot on target for the Czech Republic, but his overhead kick is held by Subasic.
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51 min: The Czechs have realised that they’ll have to attack if they’re going to do a goal. Who knew?
49 min: The Czechs have strung a few passes together. Not bad.
46 min: Croatia get the second half underway. It begins with them on the attack, Rakitic driving one over from 25 yards.
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Half-time reading: Alex Holiga on Ivan Perisic.
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Half-time: Czech Republic 0-1 Croatia
Croatia deservedly lead thanks to a moment of excellence from Ivan Perisic.
45 min: Croatia are painfully superior here. It would be quite the achievement if they contrive not to win this match.
41 min: Lafata clips the free-kick straight into the wall.
43 min: Lafata goes down again, around 25 yards from goal, after a late challenge from Badelj, who’s already on a booking. That could easily have been a second booking.
42 min: It should be 2-0. Rakitic swings a free-kick in from the right. Corluka and Vida both attack it but they get in each other’s way and the ball dribbles just wide.
39 min: With Croatia down to 10 men after the goal, Vedran Corluka off receiving treatment for a head wound, the Czechs look for an immediate response. David “Kyle” Lafata gets the wrong side of Vida on the edge of the area and the Croatia defender clearly clips his heels with a wild attempt at a tackle. Although it’s just outside the area, it’s a clear foul, but Clattenburg’s not interested.
GOAL! Czech Republic 0-1 Croatia (Perisic, 38 min)
To the surprise of absolutely no one, least of all the Czech Republic, Ivan Perisic gives Croatia the lead with a splendid goal. Milan Badelj won the ball in the Czech half and it ran to Perisic, who had ample space to attack. He isolated a defender, romped into the area, shifted the ball on to his left foot and drilled an expert finish low to Cech’s left.
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37 min: The brilliant Rakitic has an adventure down the right. He ghosts inside Limbersky with effortless brilliance but his shot is saved by Cech. The flag would have been up for offside actually. But...
36 min: “What I want to know is given seemingly every team except England lacks a halfway decent striker, then where do all the strikers come from?” says James Wallace. “I mean, teams across Europe do play with strikers, right? So where are they? They can’t all be from England and South America can they?”
Why do you hate Olivier Giroud? It’s true, though. Arsene Wenger blames favourable conditions at academies in Europe. No one learns how to fight any more.
32 min: The Czechs have been very negative so far – or simply outplayed – but a point might do for them if they’re backing themselves to win their final game against Turkey. Four points would probably be enough for them to make the last 16. Whether they’d be doing anything other than making up the numbers, though, is a different debate.
30 min: Rakitic breaks through the middle and feeds Mandzukic, whose shot is blocked. He might have been better off playing it back to Rakitic. If there’s a weakness to this Croatia side, it might be a lack of incisiveness in the final third. Cech hasn’t had to make a proper save yet.
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28 min: Another corner for Croatia. Srna’s delivery is clawed away unconvincingly by Cech, but Strinic can’t get over his volley.
27 min: Croatia win three corners in a row. This is becoming a backs-to-the wall effort for the Czechs; but Cech punches the third corner away decisively.
26 min: Apparently Vedran Corluka is only 30. That can’t be true.
23 min: Modric schemes down the right. He wins a corner. It’s headed away, though.
21 min: Croatia are bossing this. They break at speed after a Czech attack breaks down, Mandzukic peeling away down the left. He waits for support, then slides a ball into the middle for Perisic, who can’t extend his leg long enough in the six-yard box. The move ends with Rakitic blazing over.
20 min: Cech makes a dog’s dinner of a cross from the left, totally misreading its flight, and he’s very lucky that Mandzukic can’t take advantage. You’re not playing for Arsenal now, Petr.
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16 min: “In 2004 one of the many casualties of Greece’s methodical dismantling of the footballing means of production was a potential stonker of a semifinal between Nedved’s Czech side and Zidane’s France,” says Kari Tulinius. “That might have well been one for the ages.”
Nah, that French team was deeply uninspiring by that point.
14 min: Badelj is booked for catching Darida with his arm as they challenge for a high ball. There’s no messing with Mark Clattenburg!
13 min: It’s Friday evening, this lot just want to be in the pub.
12 min: The Czechs aren’t in this game yet.
11 min: Brozovic tries to release Peresic but it’s a poor ball and Cech gathers it easily.
8 min: Croatia are on top already. Rakitic plays a one-two with Brozovic on the right and finds Mandzukic in the middle. Mandzukic tries to hold it up for Rakitic but the midfielder can’t get a shot away. Badelj can, from 20 yards, but his effort goes a few yards wide.
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6 min: Croatia have a free-kick on the right. But there’s a delay before it can be taken because the ball’s flat. Sort it out, Uefa.
5 min: Rosicky lifts a free-kick into the Croatia area from the left. Perisic’s header almost causes problems inadvertently bur Subasic mops up.
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4 min: Spare a thought for Darjo Srna, by the way. The Croatia captain has somehow summoned the energy to play a game of football three days after his father’s funeral.
3 min: The second corner is only half cleared and Rakitic is found in space on the left. His cross beats Hubnik but it bounces off Mandzukic and goes behind. “In addition to our fully-formed love for Igor Stimac, Derby fans had the additional joy of running the rule over Aljosa Asanovic, who we’d picked up just prior to the tournament,” says David Hopkins. “Rams fan know that that Sukor chip over Schmiechel was just showing off - the real skill was in the cross-field pass beforehand.”
2 min: This isn’t the brightest start from the Czechs, with Petr Cech haplessly slicing a backpass out for a corner on the right. From the resulting corner, Cech has to push Mandzukic’s header over.
And we’re off! An effortless peep of Mark Clattenburg’s whistle and Czech Republic get the game underway, kicking from left to right in the first half. They’re in white, Croatia are in blue. Oh.
We’ve had the anthems. It’s almost time for the football. More football. More. Football.
Here come the teams. Garbed in their tracksuit tops, it’s almost time for more football. More football. More. Football. “As with so many things, Millings and I park our cars in the same garage on ‘96 vintage Croatia,” says Thomas Hopkins. “Although for me it helped that my love for Igor Stimac was pretty much unconditional at that point. Is it just age, or do teams not appear and capture the imagination like that any more (see also Romania ‘94, Gheorghe Hagi was a fine addition to my A-Level Maths folder)? Iceland seem like the only candidates this time, and that’s more about the story than the style of play I think.”
“Back in ‘96, my Croatia Crush was such that I almost (my cheapness intervened) bought one of their marvellous chessboard shirts,” says Mac Millings. “My devotion was sealed by Davor “A Spoonful of” Suker’s glorious chip against Denmark, which only served to confirm Sir Alex Ferguson’s 1994 (genuine) opinion regarding Gary Walsh, namely that ‘If there is a part of Walshy’s game which is on a par or even better than Schmeichel’s, it is one versus ones’.”
Daily dose of nostalgia part two: it’s 20 years to the day since England 4-1 Holland.
Daily dose of nostalgia part one: Holland 2-3 Czech Republic at Euro 2004. An all-time great.
The teams!
Czech Republic: Cech; Kaderabek, Sivok, Hubnik, Limbersky; Plasil; Rosicky, Skalak, Krejci, Dorida; Lafata.
Croatia: Subasic; Srna, Corluka, Vida, Strinic; Modric, Badelj; Brozovic, Rakitic, Peresic; Mandzukic.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Ingerlund).
Preamble
Hello. As anyone who’s up on their European history knows, Croatia and Czech Republic are two countries that were invented specifically for novelty value at Euro 96*. Twenty years on from Davor Suker and Patrick Berger and Zvonimir Boban and Karel Poborsky and Robert Prosinecki and and and and and Pavel Nedved, though, they’re still around.
But while no one had heard of these two mysterious foreign lands before the start of that tournament, they certainly knew all about them by the end of it. Croatia got to the last eight after Suker had shoved a custard pie in Peter Schmeichel’s face and lost to Germany. And the Czechs went even further, all the way to the final, before losing to Oliver Bierhoff’s golden goal for Germany. For a while, they were everyone’s favourite second team. Unlucky to be drawn in the group of death at Euro 2000, they were the best side at Euro 2004 but needlessly lost their semi-final to Greece.
Now they’re not what they were. But the memory of those years means that they’ll always have wellwishers and though they lost their opener, Pavel Vrba’s young side did not disgrace themselves against Spain and almost nicked a point at the death. Yet they’ll need to be more expansive today to keep themselves in with a strong chance of qualifying for the last 16 and that could mean trouble against Croatia, whose sparkling performance in their win over Turkey suggested that the hype around a group of players hailed as their best since their third-placed finish at France 98 is justified.
*I might need to fact-check that paragraph.
Kick-off: 5pm BST, 6pm in St Etienne.
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