Croatia edges Panama for crucial win, Modrić reaches milestone

Croatia achieved a vital 1-0 win over Panama in their second World Cup fixture, breathing new life into their campaign. The team struggled for rhythm against a disciplined and fast Panamanian side in the first half, with Panama even coming close to scoring through José Luis Rodríguez, whose shot hit the crossbar.

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Luka played an excellent game at 40 years old and led the team to victory. He will go down in history as the greatest Croatian footballer of all time.

Coach Zlatko Dalić made tactical substitutions at halftime, bringing on Ante Budimir and Andrej Kramarić. The change paid off quickly when Budimir scored the decisive goal in the 54th minute, following a precise cross from Josip Stanišić. Panama pressed hard for an equalizer in the latter stages, with Carlos Harvey's header being tipped over the bar by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livaković, but Croatia held on for the win.

The match was also a landmark occasion for Croatian captain Luka Modrić, who made his 200th appearance for the national team at the age of 40. His teammates celebrated the prestigious milestone after the game. Coach Dalić acknowledged that the team's performance, particularly in the first half, was not satisfactory and stressed the need for improvement in concentration and defense before their next match against Ghana.

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I am not satisfied with the game, especially the first half.

Budimir, scoring his first World Cup goal, emphasized the importance of starting to win and learning from the match. With this victory, Croatia moves to third place in Group L with three points, keeping their hopes of advancing alive. Panama, having lost their second consecutive match, is eliminated from the tournament.

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It is important that we started winning. We must draw the right lessons from this match and build on it.