And with that, I’m gone. Iceland didn’t quite have enough quality to make it out of the group; Croatia meanwhile rested most of their team, won anyway and move on to a decidedly winnable tie with Denmark. Bye!
You’ve seen the players, now rate the players!
Gudni Bergsson says: “What can you say except, ‘Thanks.’ The team gave everything tonight, but it just didn’t go our way. The time is bright. Go Iceland.”
Hvað getur maður sagt nema “takk”. Liðið gaf allt í þetta en þetta féll ekki með okkur í kvöld.Framtíðin er björt. Áfram Ísland.#fyririsland
— Guðni Bergsson (@gudnibergs) June 26, 2018
Apparently, however, only six of Kovacic’s completed passes went forwards, putting him joint 14th out of tonight’s 28 performers.
Mateo Kovacic attempted 80 passes in this game, 10 more than anyone else (and 24 more than Luka Modric in third place). Of those, 77 found their mark, 15 more than anyone else (and 28 more than Luka Modric in third place).
Saturday is an absolute write-off now. I’ve got a few hours in the morning to lamely interact with my family while I pretend not to actually be thinking about the World Cup.
So, this weekend...
— FIFA World Cup 🏆 (@FIFAWorldCup) June 26, 2018
SAT:
France vs Argentina
Uruguay vs Portugal
SUN:
Spain vs Russia
Croatia vs Denmark
If you've got plans, cancel them. #WorldCup
So Argentina will play France in Kazan on Saturday, for the right to face the winner of Uruguay v Portugal in the quarter-finals. Meanwhile Croatia play Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday, for the right to play the winner of Spain v Russia in the quarter-finals.
“It’s weird to feel sad now about Iceland leaving the World Cup since I never expected us to be represented there,” writes a philosophical Kári Tulinius. “Tomorrow I will feel happy again that Iceland reached the World Cup, but for now I will let the sad feeling run its course. Then I will enjoy the rest of the World Cup and then I will start looking forward to the documentaries about this golden age of Icelandic football.”
The winning goal came after Emil Hallfredsson, who throughout was very keen on trying to trick his way past Croatians but largely unable to actually do so, attempted a wildly foolish pirouette 10 yards outside his own penalty area.
Here are some reports on tonight’s two matches:
Iceland had a good spell towards the end of the first half, but couldn’t quite capitalise on it and though they did equalise their grip on the game relaxed the longer it went on. With Croatia making nine changes, they couldn’t have asked for a better chance. There were several occasions when the ball didn’t quite fall their way inside the penalty area, but the fundamental issue is that the idea of this Iceland team is considerably better than this Iceland team.
Final score: Iceland 1-2 Croatia
90+5 mins: It’s all over! Croatia win the group, and Iceland are out!
90+4 mins: Iceland swing the ball into the mixer. One defender heads it into another defender, and it falls just out of the forward’s reach. The corner hits Lovren and flies over the bar.
90+3 mins: We’re well into the third of four indicated minutes of stoppage time. Iceland have yet another corner, which floats over everyone and out of play.
90+2 mins: Now Rakitic shoots just wide, from 20 yards.
90+1 mins: Perisic is sent into the left side of the area, and he crashes in a high left-foot shot, which Halldorsson gets two hands to but only pushes higher into the corner of his net.
GOAL! Iceland 1-2 Croatia (Perisic, 90 mins)
And that’s decided it! It’s Croatia and Argentina for the knock-out rounds, and Iceland are heading out!
Updated
89 mins: Kramaric slams a shot wide of the near post from the edge of the area.
88 mins: Argentina have scored, and lead Nigeria 2-1. This is great news for Iceland, who now only need one goal to go through.
87 mins: The ball is at the wrong end of the pitch, as far as Iceland are concerned. Croatia have a free kick, and are taking their time over it.
86 mins: Iceland bring on Albert Gudmundsson and take off Finnbogason.
85 mins: Perisic’s shot from the free kick dips and curls, but not quite enough.
84 mins: Seconds later, Kalinic having punched clear, Saevarsson is booked for bringing down Perisic, who should by then have passed to one of the two unmarked team-mates busting their gut to get into the penalty area, but decided to do it all himself instead.
83 mins: Jedvaj is booked for bringing Berg Gumundsson down on the left wing. Iceland have another set piece.
82 mins: Iceland are now knackered, and also just not quite good enough in attack. They continue to fling the ball about gamely, though.
81 mins: Another substitution, Croatia showing off by bringing Rakitic on for Kovacic.
78 mins: It’s up for grabs now, though if the other match ends in a draw Iceland need to score a couple more. The viking hand claps ring out.
GOAL! Iceland 1-1 Croatia (Sigurdsson, 76 mins)
And Sigurdsson sends it down the middle and high into the roof of the net, with the keeper diving out of the way!
Updated
PENALTY TO ICELAND!
75 mins: Iceland cross from the right, and it hits Lovren’s left arm. There’s clear movement of arm towards ball, and that’s as clear as you’re going to get.
Updated
73 mins: Iceland’s greatest chance! The ball is played down the right for Finnbogason, the linesman waves play on, and he picks out Bjarnason, beyond the far post, who sidefoots wide! I think VAR would have disallowed it for offside anyway, but it should have been in the net.
Updated
71 mins: Iceland take off Ragnar Sigurdsson, and bring on Sigurdarson.
70 mins: Croatia bring on Lovren, replacing Pjaca. It’s time for Iceland to go all in here.
69 mins: Pjaca sits down, while the game goes on around him. He is, presumably, suffering from cramp. Or he’s tired.
66 mins: Sigurdsson jinks into the area and from an unlikely angle blasts a shot wide of goal.
Updated
65 mins: A first substitution, Croatia bringing Bradaric on for Modric.
63 mins: The ball is played into the area and dummied at its edge, allowing it to roll into the six yard box. Finnbogason didn’t anticipate this, so Kalinic was always going to reach the ball first, but as a matter of principle Finnbogason slid in anyway, and is therefore booked.
Updated
61 mins: The wind appears to be leaking out of Iceland’s sails. Croatia have completely dominated the last few minutes.
Updated
59 mins: Hallfredsson is booked, for sliding into Pjaca with the ball long gone.
56 mins: And now they hit the bar! It’s Ingason again, this time from a corner, and he rises unchallenged to head a fraction too high! He should have scored there, really.
Updated
55 mins: Now Iceland nearly equalise. A long throw is flicked on, and Ingason’s header is tipped over the bar!
GOAL! Iceland 0-1 Croatia (Badelj, 53 mins)
Croatia take the lead! They benefit from a succession of handy deflections and bounces before finally the ball heads to Badelj, who controls his volley beautifully and sends it crashing into the net from 10 yards!
Updated
52 mins: Victor Moses slots in the penalty, and Nigeria have equalised. As it stands, the Super Eagles are soaring into the knockout rounds.
Updated
51 mins: Croatia hit the bar! Badelj carries the ball towards the area before blasting in a shot that flicks off a defender’s calf and clatters into the woodwork.
51 mins: Elsewhere, Nigeria have a penalty against Argentina.
48 mins: Now they have corner. With Sigurdsson taking them, sooner or later one of these is going to come off.
47 mins: Iceland turn the set-piece tap back on, but Sigurdsson curls his free-kick into the hands of Kalinic.
100% - Mateo Kovacic (55 passes) attempted at least 13 more passes than any other player in the first half of Iceland v Croatia and completed all 55 of those. Comfort.
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) June 26, 2018
46 mins: Peeeeep! Croatia get the second half started.
The players are back out, and they’re the same players that went in.
The world wants, deserves and need an Iceland goal to spice up the second halves. From their perspective, Croatia look promisingly uncommitted.
Half time: Iceland 0-0 Croatia
45+3 mins: That’s all, for now. Iceland have had a terrific second half of the first half, and probably deserve to lead. As it stands, one goal is all they need!
Updated
45+2 mins: Iceland’s best effort yet! A good move works the ball down the right, from where it’s touched back into the path of Gunnarsson, whose shot is tipped wide!
Updated
45+1 mins: And another chance! Kalinic comes out and pats the ball limply down to Bjarnason, whose shot hits a defender’s leg and the goalkeeper’s foot before bouncing to safety.
45 mins: Magnusson’s volleyed cross is vicious and dangerous, but is cleared behind by a defender. Another corner.
44 mins: Iceland have another optimistic shot, Hallfredsson blasting high from 30 yards.
43 mins: I apologise for the technical problems that stopped the MBM from updating for a bit. Somebody sent me a picture that our software didn’t much like.
41 mins: Great chance for Iceland! Croatia dwell on the ball and Finnbogason wins it, turns, runs towards the area, exchanges passes with Sigurdsson and shoots just wide from 18 yards!
Updated
40 mins: The referee is a little overfond of free kicks, and it isn’t helping this game’s entertainment levels.
37 mins: Croatia have a shot! Perisic is given the ball, 25 yards out and central. He controls, spins, and volleys well wide.
35 mins: The corner briefly threatens to lead to something as it’s headed down to Bjarnason, but his shot was taken while off balance, sent into a thicket of players, and ended with a throw-in.
33 mins: Croatia are still dominating possession and passes, but they haven’t looked remotely like scoring. Iceland, on the other hand, are making chances. Half-chances after set pieces, but chances all the same. They have just won another corner.
31 mins: Sigurdsson shoots, but Kalinic gets there in plenty of time and catches.
Updated
30 mins: Iceland are winning a succession of set pieces. Hallfredsson was tripped by Kovacic for the latest.
28 mins: An effort on goal! Iceland have a corner on the right wing, and Magnusson rises highest at the far post and heads well wide.
27 mins: Danger! A long through for Iceland, flicked on at the near post by Magnusson, and it looped across goal and wide of the far post.
25 mins: More than a quarter of the game gone, and I still haven’t had a shot to tell you about.
23 mins: A singe Argentina goal doesn’t really change much for Iceland, who had to win anyway and would move into second if they take the lead.
22 mins: A lengthy exchange of Croatia passes ends with the ball being given away in midfield and Gylfi Sigurdsson very nearly being played through on goal.
Updated
20 mins: Bjarnason returned to the fray for a while, but has now been sent back to the touchline to have fresh cotton wool crammed up his nose, and for a change of shorts.
19 mins: Still 0-0.
Updated
17 mins: I am of course entirely impartial, but I find the idea of a France v Argentina second-round match quite enticing.
15 mins: Argentina are a goal up against Nigeria, a certain Lionel Messi with it.
14 mins: Pjaca has been booked, while Bjarnason is on his feet and carrying his blood-soaked towel to the touchlines. There didn’t seem a lot of intent there, but there certainly was impact.
Updated
12 mins: Bjarnason, harrying Pjaca from behind, gets a flailing arm in the face and goes down, bleeding.
11 mins: Finnbogason has the ball on the right wing, while away to his left Bjarnason runs into an empty area, entirely unmarked. Any kind of decent cross would have given him an excellent goalscoring chance, but sadly it was not forthcoming. “Am in a bar on a promise they would be showing Croatia,” writes Ian Copestake, “but both screens are filled with Messi running through the middle before losing the ball. I am too English to move of course.”
I am not sure why a neutral would want to watch Iceland v Croatia reserves instead of Nigeria v Argentina, but I’ll be here to fill in the gaps.
9 mins: Pjaca picks up the ball, shields it from Gunnarsson and, when he’s a yard outside the area, goes down. He ran about 10 yards under the same amount of pressure and chose the best moment to go down, and for this cynicism the referee refuses to award the free kick. He was being impeded though.
7 mins: But then Iceland have the first significant attack, Gylfi Sigurdsson sending in a low cross that was cleared by a defender.
6 mins: Latest completed pass statistics: Croatia 39, Iceland 1.
Updated
5 mins: Iceland have just moved off 0% pass accuracy, with 14 seconds of the fifth minute to play, after the ball was rolled gently back to the keeper.
3 mins: Croatia aren’t so much dominating possession as entirely monopolising it.
1 min: Peeeeeep! Iceland, in white, get the game under way and immediately pump it long into the penalty area.
And Ihave pictures! Not before time: the ball is in the centre circle, the players ready to go.
The players are out (I’m assuming; the BBC haven’t started their coverage of this match yet)!
Updated
The surnames of Iceland’s starting XI average 11.4 characters each (Croatia’s average 7.8 characters). Get ready, typing fingers. You’re in for a busy night.
A nice little story from Kari Tilinius: “Iceland wasn’t good at football when I, or anyone older than six, was growing up, but now football is centre stage. To give an example, the song Ég er Kominn Heim (I have come home) was an obscure old pop song but was taken up by Iceland supporters. I bought a songbook for my three-year-old this spring and the first song in it was Ég er Kominn Heim. All of us Icelanders are aware that we’re living through a golden age of Icelandic football and we’re going to enjoy every second that’s left for us in this tournament, whether we continue, or as is more likely, go home. Whenever the team gets home they will be serenaded with Ég er Kominn Heim.”
Here’s a video of the Iceland supporters singing the song at Euro 2016:
One of the most notable things about the World Cup, though perhaps mainly notable to journalists, is the number of ridiculous surveys, normally funded by betting companies, that are sent to you by PR people during the tournament. My favourite so far arrived today, funded this time by a brand of deodorant (Sure Men Sport Cool, which is surely just four random words put together rather than an actual thing) and revealing that seven out of 10 British males believe a Batshuayi to be a kind of cheese.
The teams in full:
Iceland: Halldorsson, Saevarsson, Ingason, Ragnar, Sigurdsson, Magnusson, Gunnarsson, Hallfredsson, Johann Berg Gudmundsson, Gylfi Sigurdsson, Bjarnason, Finnbogason. Subs: Schram, Fridjonsson, Albert Gudmundsson, Sigurdarson, Arnason, Eyjolfsson, Olafur Ingi Skulason, Gislason, Traustason, Bodvarsson, Ari Freyr Skulason, Runarsson.
Croatia: Lovre Kalinic, Jedvaj, Corluka, Caleta-Car, Pivaric, Modric, Badelj, Pjaca, Kovacic, Perisic, Kramaric. Subs: Livakovic, Vrsaljko, Strinic, Lovren, Rakitic, Brozovic, Bradaric, Mandzukic, Rebic, Vida, Subasic.
Referee: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz (Spain).
So after this afternoon’s matches we know that the winners of this group, almost certainly Croatia, will join Spain and Russia in the bottom half of the draw, and will play Denmark in Nizhny Novgorod at 7pm BST on Sunday. The runners-up head into the top half of the draw, along with Uruguay and Portugal, where they will play France in Kazan at 3pm on Saturday.
So Croatia keep Modric and Perisic, and change everybody else. Iceland make three changes.
And here’s Croatia’s:
🇮🇸🆚🇭🇷
— HNS | CFF (@HNS_CFF) June 26, 2018
⬇️#CRO starting lineup!#BeProud #ISLCRO #WorldCup #Vatreni🔥 pic.twitter.com/8TUla21c14
Iceland’s team is out:
👇 Our starting lineup for the game against Croatia.#fyririsland #vikingclap pic.twitter.com/uGDYJp3qnA
— Knattspyrnusambandið (@footballiceland) June 26, 2018
Hello world!
So, the basics: Croatia are through, and will win the group if they don’t lose, or if Nigeria don’t win, or if they do lose and Nigeria do win but the goal difference swing is less than five. For their opponents the situation is considerably more complicated. Iceland must win if they are to qualify for the knock-out stages. If the Nigeria v Argentina match ends in a draw, Iceland must win by two goals, and score at least one more goal than Nigeria, to go through. If Nigeria win, they are out whatever they do. If Argentina win, Iceland must simply match their result (though if Iceland’s winning margin is precisely one worse than Argentina’s with both teams scoring the same number of goals themselves, say by Iceland prevailing 2-1 while Argentina win 2-0, the teams would be divided by disciplinary record; Argentina have so far had three players booked, and Iceland none).
Here’s the Group D table:
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Croatia | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| 2 | Nigeria | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| 3 | Iceland | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| 4 | Argentina | 2 | -3 | 1 |
nd here’s what the Iceland coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson, thinks about Iceland’s chances of going through.
If it’s the Eurovision Song Contest we always think we’re going to win it. It’s the same here – we think we’re going to win all the games. And even if we lose we think we’re going to win the next one. I think it is in the genes – optimism.
Croatia are expected to rest several players for this game. “I don’t care what other teams are saying. We mind our own business,” says their coach, Zlatko Dalic. Hallgrimsson does not believe this will give his side an advantage:
It’s strange to say it but I think the players who have played in the first two games could be demotivated, thinking about not getting injured or not getting yellow cards. There are no rubbish players in the Croatia squad.
Now for a few facts and figures:
-
Croatia are yet to concede at this World Cup. Their all-time World Cup clean sheet streak is 281 minutes, which they will surpass if there is more than three minutes of stoppage time in today’s game.
- Iceland are the only team not to have had a player booked or sent off so far in this World Cup. Croatia have had six bookings.
- Croatia’s players have made 29 tackles at the World Cup, and Iceland’s 28. The teams with the fewest tackles are England, with a scarcely credible four, followed by Belgium with five, which probably says something about the merits of Panama and Tunisia.
- With 43, Croatia have given away by some margin the most free kicks of those teams still to play their final group games. Next is Sweden, with 33. Iceland have given away 25 (Japan, with 17, are the cleanest team by far).
- Iceland have only scored one goal so far, to Croatia’s five. But they have had 21 goalscoring opportunities, one more than Iceland’s 20.
- Luka Modric is the passiest player in either squad, having attempted 109 passes in the tournament so far. This puts him joint 74th on the overall list. There are four England players above him: Kyle Walker, John Stones, Harry Maguire and Jordan Henderson. Iceland’s passiest player, Hannes Halldorsson, has attempted a mere 63, and no team has attempted fewer passes than Iceland’s 481 (Sweden are 31st in that ranking, on a distant 630).
- The referee, Antonio Mateu, is a PE teacher from Spain. His favourite memory is the 2014 Copa del Rey final, which he officiated in his home town, Valencia.
So, that’s the scene set. Let’s do this.
