Croatia must improve focus after Panama scare, says coach Dalic

Croatia must improve their focus and ability to handle pressure if they aim for a deep run in the World Cup, according to coach Zlatko Dalic. His comments came after a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama, a result that secured their progression from Group L.

Panama displayed impressive speed and organization, nearly taking the lead with a header that struck the crossbar, saved by the Croatian goalkeeper. Dalic admitted his frustration with his team's performance, particularly in the first half, stating they were "under a lot of pressure" and struggled to maintain possession.

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They were really under a lot of pressure and each and every ball was in the possession of the opponent and many other balls as well that really destroyed us. And we didn't manage to overcome this initially, and this is why I was a little bit angry, and I reacted to this.

"They were really under a lot of pressure and each and every ball was in the possession of the opponent and many other balls as well that really destroyed us," Dalic said after the match. "And we didn't manage to overcome this initially, and this is why I was a little bit angry, and I reacted to this."

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I didn't expect that it was going to be such a difficult match, to be quite honest. We didn't react the best, and perhaps it could be due to the pressure, because we really needed to get these three points to move on to the second stage.

Following a loss to England in their opening match, Croatia understood the critical importance of securing three points against Panama to avoid elimination from the expanded 48-team tournament. Despite the high stakes, the 2018 finalists started slowly against a determined Panamanian side before their experience ultimately prevailed.

"I didn't expect that it was going to be such a difficult match, to be quite honest," Dalic confessed. "We didn't react the best, and perhaps it could be due to the pressure, because we really needed to get these three points to move on to the second stage." He emphasized that the team's performance needs enhancement across all segments, particularly defense, ahead of their upcoming match against Ghana.

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I am not the happiest to be with the play, to be honest, especially, especially in the first half. But I will forget this, and now focus on what awaits us.