The Best of Croatia   Created on: 5/27/2008   By: dank   Tags: Croatia ,   The Best of Croatia   Croatia achieved being a part of the world cup in glorious style, equalizing with Sweden on 24 points, Croatia topped the group on goal difference and matches won. Out of the 10 games Croatia played the team managed victory for 7 and draw for 3 of them. Until 1994 being a part of the Yugoslavia the team didn’t have a chance to enter the world cup, their first attempt at the world cup was of top class while they managed to finish in a respectable second runners up place in 1998, however this was not kept up to after that and in 2002 the team only made it as far as the first round, post to which they were knocked out. Croatia was not known as favorites in the World Cup ’06 but they had earned themselves enough to consider as a member of the elite group. Since being taking an active role in to international competitions by UEFA and FIFA, Croatia have qualified for five out of six major tournaments, and the only time they failed to do so, for the Euro 2000 finals, they just scored one goal. Croats are proud of their significant qualifying records in all World Cup and Euro qualifying games since 1994, they have suffered no more than five defeats, and considering World Cup qualifiers alone, just one - in September of 1997 in Copenhagen. Besides, the Croats have yet to be beaten in a competitive game at home. In the qualifiers for the forthcoming World Cup finals, Croatia finished at the top of a very competitive Group 8, ahead of Sweden, Hungary, Bulgaria, Iceland and Malta. Croatia's two 1-0 wins over Sweden (with Darijo Srna on the score sheet both times), meant Zlatko Kranjcar's squad edged the Scandinavians due to a better head-to-head record. The Croatian team is always compared to the nineties team, with Davor Suker, Zvonimir Boban, Robert Prosinecki and Robert Jarni, the knowing to be football super stars and having earned a sensational third place finish at the 1998 World Cup.     Croatia - World Cup 1998   Created on: 5/27/2008   By: dank   Tags: Croatia ,   Croatia - World Cup 1998   The current squad is less gifted with talent than the Golden Generation, relying instead on team spirit and the physical strength of all the individuals. The coach Zlatko Kranjcar, was appointed in July 2004, and has been praised for finding for every player his natural position. The system used is usually 3-5-2 or 3-4-1-2, where his son Niko is just behind the strikers. The current ideal starting XI for the World Cup has the following look: Butina; R. Kovac, Simunic, Tomas; Srna, Tudor, N. Kovac, Babic; Kranjcar; Prso, Olic (or Klasnic).     Croatian Legends   Created on: 5/27/2008   By: dank   Tags: Croatia ,   Croatian Legends