England and Croatia begin their respective World Cup opening matches in Dallas, with Zlatko Dalic issuing a strong warning to England ahead of the match
Coach Zlatko Dalic speaks ahead of Croatia vs England (Image: Getty Images)
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has warned England that they will not be “just defending” in their opening World Cup match. Both teams will meet in Dallas on Wednesday night to begin their group campaign.
Although England go into the match as favorites, both teams are expected to advance to the knockout stages, with some suggesting they will go all the way to the Three Lions to claim the trophy.
Coach Dalic knows his team will face a difficult challenge, but vowed that his team will do everything in its power to win the match.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, the 59-year-old said: “It’s the start of the World Cup and we have some tough games ahead of us, against the toughest opponents imaginable. We’ve prepared well and we’ll be happy if we can show that tomorrow.”
“It’s an important game against England, but it’s not a decisive one. We know their quality, especially on the flanks, and they have one of the best strikers in the world. We will do our best. We want more than just defending. That’s how we have prepared.”
Croatia will aim even higher in the US, Canada and Mexico. They reached the final in Russia in 2018, beating England in the semi-finals in the process.
Dalic’s team reached the semi-finals again four years later, but their run was halted by eventual champions Argentina. And while the Croatian coach praises the team’s growth in recent years, he hopes to make history.
He added: “I feel the same as the first time. The medal was amazing. No one expected it. We created a miracle of the world and that is history. The medal was amazing.”
“We can’t live on that forever. Now we want to do great things again and we have big ambitions. We are ready for high expectations, but there are many other quality teams who want the same things as us.”
England reignite their rivalry with Croatia after losing in the semi-finals in 2018 (Image: Getty Images)
Following the game against England, Croatia will now turn their attention to their second group game against Panama in Toronto, before facing Ghana.
Speaking about their upcoming opponents, England manager Thomas Tuchel said, “It’s a very difficult start. They’re an experienced team and an experienced manager in tournament knockout football. They’re a top soccer country and a very strong opponent. I expect their center of gravity to drop a little bit and move to a back three.”
“From Croatia’s core midfield three, only Kovacic and Modric are still left. They are now playing with a midfield two. They are playing with a fluid number 10 and wing-backs. But the core is still Modric and Kovacic.”
“And they have Perisic, who is always a threat with his crosses. He’s probably one of the most dangerous crossers in world football. Left-footed or right-footed, he doesn’t even need space to put a cross in. That’s remarkable. And they’re strong on set pieces.”
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