Croatia gets back into the fight for qualify for the direct elimination phase. Budimir, coming off the bench, scored the winning goal against Panama who was up to the task and raised a game very serious, having the opportunity to tie on several occasions. However, finally the Canalero team failed to add your first point in the history of the World Cup, thus complicating their qualification options.
The game started and, almost immediately, Luka Modric gave the first warning. He did it in an unusual way in his repertoire, with a header that left brushing against the crossbar. Shortly after, Ivan Perisic was about to shoot from the penalty spotbut the ball never reached his boots, José Córdoba provided a providential cut. The veterans had to pull the wagon so as not to say goodbye to the World Cup in the group stage.
However, those initial arrivals were just a mirage. The next twenty minutes turned into a monologue of interspersed possessions and traffic jams in the spinal corda scenario that Panama took advantage of to stretch itself. The Canalero team began to prowl the rival area timidly, especially punishing by the lane of a hyperactive Michael Murillo along with his accomplice Martínez.
Wood ended up saving Croatia just before the hydration break. A lash of José Luis Rodríguezafter a new center from Murillo, crashed violently against the crossbarmaking the goal tremble Livakovicand setting off the alarms in the Balkan team, although finally the referee ended up invalidating the action for offside.
After that occasion, Panama went one more gear and, although they were not very inspired in the final meters, They were the ones who generated the dangerous occasions.Murillo He left tremendous flashes of quality, daring to throw a shot into the rival area to get rid of his pair.
The first shot between the three sticks was made to wait until added time before the break. Baturina tried her luck from afar with a powerful shot that forced Mosquera to tap in for a corner kick. Thus ending with a first part that It did not present many attractions in terms of attacking play.but Panama left the feeling of being superior.
Enter and kiss the saint
I was going to enter Budimir in the second half with the aim of providing more effectiveness in the offensive defense. Well, everything went as planned. Stanisic put a cross with music until the second stick so that Ante finished off and put the first on the scoreboard.
Goal by Ante Budimir (0-1) in Panama 0-1 Croatia
Then, Modric invented an extraordinary pass behind the Panamanian defense, breaking lines to leave Pasalic completely alone in front of the goalkeeper. However, the attacker forgave the unforgivable, failing on two occasions the goal that could have been the final one.
Panama kept trying in every wayMurillo had a double chance that the goalkeeper saved. Despite his commendable effort to rescue the tie and his great performance, the canal team leaves emptywithout being able to add what would have been the first point in their history in the World Cups, leaving It is very difficult to qualify for the next round.
