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Solid Morocco hold Modric’s Croatia at World Cup

arabnews.com

AL KHOR, Qatar: Morocco held Croatia to a 0-0 draw in their opening game of the World Cup on Wednesday, producing a spirited display against the 2018 runners-up led by Luka Modric.

Backed by Qatar’s large Moroccan community at the Al Bayt Stadium, the Atlas Lions followed up north African rivals Tunisia’s strong performance against dark horses Denmark a day earlier to frustrate Croatia. “This was an extremely difficult game,” said Croatia captain Modric. “I do believe as the tournament goes on we’ll be better and we’ll adopt a more proactive attitude.” Modric insisted Croatia are capable of making another deep run despite a sluggish start in the early afternoon heat. “We’ve not come here to just play and get out the group,” said Modric. “Our ambitions are a bit greater on the basis of our Russia achievement, but we need to take it one step at a time. “Even before the 2018 World Cup we said our primary goal was to make it out the group.

If we manage to do that we can be a dangerous opponent for any team.” Coach Zlatko Dalic had urged Croatia to exercise caution following Saudi Arabia’s shock win over Argentina, a result Morocco captain Romain Saiss said had “opened the door” for the tournament’s less-fancied teams.

Morocco took the game to a Croatia side featuring four players who started the 2018 final but struggled to create genuine chances against a defense marshalled by the experienced Dejan Lovren.

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DOHA: Argentina and Lionel Messi face Croatia on Tuesday in a World Cup semifinal that pits South American flair against the guile of Luka Modric and a remarkable fighting spirit. In the second semifinal on Wednesday, reigning champions France take on giant-killing Morocco, the first African team ever to reach the last four of a World Cup. But first all eyes will be on the cavernous Lusail Stadium, where Messi, now 35, will attempt to guide Argentina into the final for the second time in eight years against the beaten finalists in 2018. Messi, who suffered defeat to Germany in the 2014 final, is desperate to crown an extraordinary career by finally winning the World Cup and emulating another Argentinian legend, the late Diego Maradona. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was a pivotal figure in Friday’s stormy quarter-final win over the Netherlands, when a record 18 yellow cards were shown and players from both sides were involved in a melee as the referee fought to regain control. The match ended with Argentina players appearing to taunt their distraught Dutch opponents before sprinting away to celebrate after a penalty shoot-out win. Even the normally mild-mannered Messi was caught up in the bad blood, shouting abuse at Dutch players while he was being interviewed after the game. Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni defended his players’ conduct in an eve-of-game news conference on Monday, insisting they had nothing to apologize for. “The game the other day was played in the right way by both teams. That is football,” said the 44-year-old Argentina coach. “I don’t buy this idea that we don’t know how to win. The game was played in the right way.”
DOHA: Lionel Messi and Argentina’s bid for a third World Cup crown is being boosted by hordes of traveling fans that have transformed each of their matches in Qatar into virtual home games. Argentine football venues are renowned for their seething intensity — iconic Buenos Aires cauldrons such as the Bombonera or Monumental tremble with passionate ferocity.
DOHA: Morocco’s 1-0 victory over Portugal on Saturday made them the first African team to reach the last four of a World Cup. Three African teams had fallen in the quarter-final stage before Walid Regragui’s side finally ended the continent’s long wait for a semifinal spot. Cameroon in 1990, Senegal in 2002 and Ghana in 2010 had all made strong runs in the tournament but were unable to go beyond the last eight.
When Wolves had one of the best defensive records in Europe last season and Romain Saiss seemed to be in the form of his life, Bruno Lage came up with a new nickname for an otherwise unheralded centre-back: “The Moroccan Maldini,” reports www.independent.co.uk.

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