Live Ticker: Croatia 2 : 2 Australia
June 22, 2006Group F final games
Time for the teams of group F to fight it out for the last slot in the last sixteen. Brazil are through but will play Japan to win and secure their top position. DW-WORLD.DE will follow the game between surprise team Australia, currently second, against Croatia who havent been able to convince after their strong first game against Brazil but still have a good chance to go through. They will need to beat the Socceroos, who could play for a draw. We will also keep you updated on the Japan-Brazil game.
The line-ups
Croatia (4-4-2):
1-Stipe Pletikosa; 7-Dario Simic, 13-Stjepan Tomas, 3-Josip Simunic, 8-Marko Babic; 2-Darijo Srna, 5-Igor Tudor, 10-Niko Kovac, 19-Niko Kranjcar; 18-Ivica Olic, 9-Dado Prso
Coach: Zlatko Kranjcar
Australia (4-5-1):
18-Zeljko Kalac; 7-Brett Emerton, 2-Lucas Neill, 3-Craig Moore, 14-Scott Chipperfield; 13-Vince Grella, 5-Jason Culina, 4-Tim Cahill, 21-Mile Sterjovski, 10-Harry Kewell; 9-Mark Viduka
Coach: Guus Hiddink
Referee: Graham Poll (England)
Stuttgart full of Croatian fans.
20 000 Croatians fans are expected in the stadium and many, many more are on the streets,
Twelve minutes to go and the stadium is now packed. The chequered red and white of the Croatian fans dominate the scene.
The teams are on their way through the corridors to take the pitch.
52 000 fans are cheering as the teams come out on the field.
The anthems.
There are perhaps more Croatian fans in the stands but the yellow and green of the Socceroo fans is also well distributed around the arena.
Kovac wins the toss.
1. min.
Australia kicks off the game.
1. min.
Croatia try a first attack at high pace but the cross is poor.
2. min.
Croatia.
Viduka brings down Kovac. Good free-kick position for Srna who scores!!!
2. min.
Great free-kick from twenty five meters by Srna. The ball goes over the wall and finds its way into the top left corner of the goal. What a start for Croatia.
5. min.
Srna gets a cross in but there are no Croatian feet to take the shot.
6. min.
Australia try to keep cool and get the ball into Viduka in the box where he is being held around the waist by Simunic. The Socceroos want a penalty and they probably should have gotten one.
8. min.
The Stadium sings in Croatian but the Aussies are not stunned.
9. min.
Viduka gets a perfect pass that opens the way to the box but unfortunately for the Australian striker he stumbles on the ball.
11. min.
Kewell on his way in but holds on to the ball for too long and the Croatians can break.
12. min.
The game has begun in high tempo, kept up by the early goal. A long cross from Srna reaches Olic at the far left but the ball is taken back by the Australian defense.
13. min.
Kewell tries a shot from more than thirty meters. A bit optimistic and the ball sails slowly to the right of the Croatian goal.
15. min.
Free-kick Australia close to the right flag. Chipperfield hits it but it's headed away.
16. min.
There is blood, sweat and tears in this game. Kewell gets the ball in to the box from where it bounces out to Culina who fires away a good shot that hits a leg.
18. min.
The Socceroos are hardly letting the Croatians leave their half at the moment.
20. min.
The Croatians are trying to bring down the tempo to get the Aussies out of their attack rhythm but the Socceroos won't have it.
22. min.
A lovely long cross from the middle reaches Sterjovski who's out run Babic on the right. It results in an Australian corner.
24. min.
The Croatian defense is struggling as the Socceroos glue themselves to the box line but the really good chances are not there.
25. min.
A chance to breathe for the Croatians and they slowly build up a move towards the Australian goal.
26. min.
The Aussie onslaught is losing slightly in speed but the Socceroos still control the game as they have ever since the Croatian goal.
28. min.
The Aussies will have to be careful not to invite Croatia back in the game.
29. min.
Double chance for the Socceroos.
A ball comes into the Croatian box and Cahill heads it on goal. Half a minute later Kewell gets a perfect shot on goal which Pletikosa can't hold. The goalie has to punch it away.
32. min.
Simic gets booked as he tries to win some time.
33. min.
Culina trickles through and fires a shot from twenty meters but is goes wide.
34. min.
How long can the Croatian defense stand firm? Another cross into the box is putting pressure on the leaders.
35. min.
An unusual visit to the Aussie box.
37. min.
Penalty Australia
37. min.
Tomas is caught using his hand in the box.
38. min.
GOAL Australia.
Moore hits the penalty into the left side of the goal.
38. min.
Tudor gets booked as he complains to the ref.
40. min.
Inevitable
The Croatians backed home way too far and too early. The Aussie equalizer comes as no surprise.
42. min.
Kewell tries a bicycle-kick inside the box on a cross from Sterjovski.
42. min.
Chipperfield fools his defender and hits a cross from the left which Viduka gets a head on. Pletikosa saves.
44. min.
Babic runs the ball to the edge of the Aussie box and fires a shot that bounces off a defender's leg.
45+1. min.
The Croatians have managed to get a few crosses in during the last minutes of the first half and it's about time they try to come back into the game.
45+2. min.
The first half is over.
Croatia has had a very hard time after their early lead was scored. The Socceroos has dominated and put tremendous pressure on the Croatians through the whole first half. It resulted in the equalizer and as it stands, the Aussies are through. Keep with DW-WORLD.DE for the conclusion of this game.
45. min.
Second half is on the way.
47. min.
The Croatians try to keep the ball in the Aussie half but soon enough the Socceroos are on the counter attack and manage to get the first ball into the box.
48. min.
Croatians fire their third corner way over to the other side of the pitch where the ball goes over the sideline.
48. min.
Emerton runs with the ball through the Croatian half and attempts a shot that goes wide.
50. min.
Kranjcar fires away the rebound from a free-kick. It goes over the Aussie goal but the shot was a good attempt.
51. min.
Chipperfield gets the ball in the Croatian box but his cross stays on the ground and is kicked away by the defense.
53. min.
Free-kick for Croatia. Srna hits it in to the box where Niko KOvac gets the head on the ball which goes high.
55. min.
Another free-kick for Croatia leads to a counter attack without result.
55. min.
Goal Croatia!!!!
55. min.
Niko Kovac
Niko Kovac advances outside the box on the left side and shoots with his right foot. Kalac in the Aussie goal is there but loses the grip on the ball that finds its way into the net.
59. min.
Just like first half
A nightmare start again for the Socceroos. Will they have the strength to come back one more time? Very tough for Kalac in the Aussie goal who stands in tonight for Schwarzer.
61. min.
Simunic sees yellow
after the ref blows for an Aussie free-kick just outside the Croatian box.
63. min.
Aloisi goes on for Grella
It is an attempt by the Aussie coach to strengthen the attack.
64. min.
The Croatians had a chance to puncture the game as they play their way into the goal but the finish is snapped up by the defense.
65. min.
Jerko Leko comes on for Kranjcar
67. min.
A counter attack by the Socceroos is wasted when Aloisi tries to heel the ball into the box. His pass goes straight to the feet of the Croatian defender.
68. min.
The Aussies can not put on the pressure they had in the first half.
69. min.
Pletikosa gets booked as he spends too much time with the ball.
70. min.
Sterjovski out, Bresciano in
70. min.
A long throw-in reaches Kewell on the spot. His shot is saved by Pletikosa. Great chance. Great save.
71. min.
Cahill rushes towards the Croatian goalie and the ball and gets a foot on it. The ball is on the goal line but the ref has given a free-kick to the keeper.
73. min.
Olic goes out for Modric.
73. min.
Kennedy comes on for Chipperfield before an Aussie free-kick.
76. min.
Modric gets a harmless shot on goal after a cross from Prso.
79. min.
Goal Australia!!!
79. min.
Kewell shoots the ball to take the Socceroos to the last sixteen?
Bresciano crosses from the right, Aloisi touches the ball with his head to Kewell who can fire it in behind a chanceless Pletikosa from three meters.
80. min.
Emerton gets booked.
82. min.
Ten minutes left.
Can the Croatians turn this around? They've been in the lead twice and the Aussies have equalized twice partly because of a too passive Croatia.
83. min.
Tomas leaves the pitch for Klasnic.
85. min.
Simic
Emotions run wild.
86. min.
What a chance for Croatia!!
Tudor free in front of the goal but the ball is stopped on the goal line by the Aussie defender.
87. min.
Emerton leaves the game after handling the ball.
88. min.
The Croatians are doing everything they can but so far there's been an Aussie foot on all attempts.
90. min.
Simunic
The Croat has to hold onto Viduka who is on his way to get a free passage.
90+1. min.
No mercy in the Aussie box.
The ball was bouncing around in the box for a minute before the Socceroos managed to get it out.
90+3. min.
Kovac gets the whistle for false throw-in.
90+3. min.
Chaotic ending as Simunic sees red and the Aussies think they score a third goal.
90+3. min.
The Aussies score but the ref gives the final whistle just before. Simunic most likely gets his card for choosing his words to the ref a bit unwisely.
The Aussies are through.
For the first time ever Australia has reached the second stage of the World Cup. They finish second after Brazil in group F and will play Italy in the next game. Brazil will play Ghana. Thus ends groups E and F. Join us again at DW-WORLD.DE tomorrow for the final games of groups G and H.