MANAGER: Zlatko KRANJČAR


GOALKEEPERS:

1 Stipe PLETIKOSA
12 Joey DIDULICA
23 Tomislav BUTINA

DEFENDERS:

2 Darijo SRNA
3 Josip ŠIMUNIĆ
4 ROBERT KOVAĆ
5 Igor TUDOR
7 Dario ŠIMIĆ
11 Mario TOKIĆ
13 Stjepan TOMAS

MIDFIELDERS:

6 Jurica VRANJEŠ
8 Marko BABIĆ
10 NIKO KOVAĆ ©
14 Luka MODRIĆ
15 IVAN LEKO
16 JERKO LEKO
19 Niko KRANJČAR
20 Anthony ŠERIĆ

FORWARDS:

9 Dado PRŠO
17 Ivan KLASNIĆ
18 Ivica OLIĆ
21 Boško BALABAN
22 Ivan BOŠNJAK


3-5-2 FORMATION:



GK PLETIKOSA
CB D. ŠIMIĆ
SWP R. KOVAĆ
CB ŠIMUNIĆ
DMF TUDOR
DMF N. KOVAĆ
RWB SRNA
LWB BABIĆ
AMF N. KRANJČAR
CF KLASNIĆ
CF PRŠO

Captain: Niko Kovač
Short Free Kick: Darijo Srna
Long Free Kick: Darijo Srna
Free Kick 2: -
Left Corner: Niko Kranjčar
Right Corner: Darijo Srna
Penalty: Dado Pršo
Players to go up on free kicks and corners: Robert Kovać, Josip Šimunić, Igor Tudor

Team Strategy

★Pressure
★Counter Attack


HOME & AWAY KITS:

 

CROATIA X AUSTRALIA (Group Stage WC2006 - June 22, 2006)

Croatia follows mostly the same strategy throughout the match:


1) MAIN STRATEGY



4-4-2 Formation ("Diamond-shaped midfield")
Pletikosa - GK
Šimunić - CB
Tomas - CB
Šimić - RB
Babić - LB
Tudor - DMF
N. Kovač - CMF (CAPITAIN) (Performs attacking runs by both sides)
Srna - RMF (Moves up the right wing)
Kranjčar - AMF
Olić - SS (Changes sides with Pršo)
Pršo - CF (Changes sides with Olić)


2) After Jerko Leko comes in for Kranjčar ('65)



4-4-2 Formation ("Diamond-shaped midfield")
Pletikosa - GK
Šimunić - CB
Tomas - CB
Šimić - RB
Babić - LB
Tudor - DMF
N. Kovač - CMF (CAPITAIN) (Performs attacking runs by both sides)
Srna - RMF (Moves up the right wing)
J. Leko - AMF
Olić - SS (Changes sides with Pršo)
Pršo - CF (Changes sides with Olić)


3) After Modrić comes in for Olić ('74)



4-5-1 Formation
Pletikosa - GK
Šimunić - CB
Tomas - CB
Šimić - RB
Babić - LB
Tudor - DMF
N. Kovač - CMF (CAPITAIN)
Modrić - CMF
Srna - RMF (Moves up the right wing)
J. Leko - AMF
Pršo - CF


4) After Klasnić comes in for Tomas ('84), until Simić is sent off ('85)



4-4-2 Formation
Pletikosa - GK
Šimunić - CB
Šimić - CB (Slots in for Tomas)
Srna - RB (Slots in for Šimić)
Babić - LB
Tudor - DMF
N. Kovač - CMF/DMF (CAPITAIN)
Modrić - CMF
J. Leko - AMF
Klasnić - SS (Changes sides with Pršo)
Pršo - CF (Changes sides with Olić)

5) After Simić is sent off ('85), until the game ends (JOSIP ŠIMUNIĆ is sent off at the final whistle)



3-4-2 Formation
Pletikosa - GK
Šimunić - CB
Srna - CB/RB (Still attacks, leaving the D-line)
Babić - CB/LB (Still attacks, leaving the D-line)
Tudor - DMF
N. Kovač - CMF/DMF (CAPITAIN)
Modrić - CMF
J. Leko - AMF
Klasnić - SS (Changes sides with Pršo)
Pršo - CF (Changes sides with Olić)


NOTES:
'56 - Jerko Leko in, Kranjčar Out
'79 - Modrić in, Olić Out
'90 - Klasnić in, Tomas Out

Dario Šimić - Yellow Card '33 (Throwing the ball away from Kewell, who was trying to take a free kick)
Igor Tudor - Yellow Card '38 (Protesting the ref's decision of Stjepan Tomas' handball penalty)
Josip Šimunić - Yellow Card '61 (Blocks and brings down Kewell near the edge of the box)
Stipe Pletikosa - Yellow Card '70 (Wastes time, takes too long to deliver a free kick)
Dario Šimić - 2nd Yellow Card - Red Card '85 (Trips Kewell from behind)
Josip Šimunić - 2nd Yellow Card '90 (Tackles Kennedy) - Red Card is not given by referee Graham Poll, thus Šimunić does not get sent off.
Josip Šimunić - 3rd Yellow Card - Red Card '90+'3 (Protests against confusion in Croatian box - Disallowed aussie goal).

Short Free Kick: Darijo Srna
2nd Free Kick: Marko Babić | Niko Kovač
Long Free Kick: Igor Tudor | Josip Šimunić | Niko Kovač | Marko Babić
Left Corner: Niko Kranjčar | Luka Modrić
Right Corner: Darijo Srna
Penalty: -
Capitain: Niko Kovač
Up on Corners: Josip Šimunić and Dario Šimić

SHIRT NAMES: TOMAS ŠIMUNIĆ N.KOVAČ BABIĆ KRANJČAR SRNA TUDOR ŠIMIĆ PLETIKOSA PRŠO OLIĆ J.LEKO MODRIĆ KLASNIĆ + R.KOVAČ (as seen vs. Brazil) + I.LEKO (I suppose, judging by the KOVAČs and by the fact that Ivan Leko does not play any games in WC2006)

Legendary moment, one of the oddest ref decisions in the history of football.