Croatia chase redemption as Modric makes history

There was no hiding from it in the Croatia camp. A 4-2 defeat to England in their opening match left Zlatko Dalic's side with plenty to fix and little room for excuses and the coach was the first to say so on the eve of their encounter with Panama.

"We have to be better and have to fix mistakes in defence. We gifted England a lot in the last match," Dalic admitted. 

The verdict was blunt, and so was the demand that followed: "Panama are a good side with some fast players, but we must be very courageous, very brave, very decisive and determined. We are the favourites, we have to act like it. And we expect results."

Croatia, who reached the 2018 final and finished third in 2022, know the maths. Dropping points in Toronto will endanger their hopes of reaching the next round going into the final match against Ghana. 

Dalic, for his part, refused to dodge the responsibility.

"There is always pressure. We have to be blamed for our current situation because we made so many mistakes in the first match", he said. "We have set the bar high for ourselves with two medals in the last two tournaments. You can't live off the glory of the old days. I know that we have a high expectation from our fans. Every match is an opportunity to prove yourself."

If there is one trait that defines this group, it is a knack for responding when their backs are against the wall. They've done so numerous times in 2018 and 2022. Mateo Kovacic, who was sidelined for long spells of the season with an injury but says he's feeling "better each day" and came on as a substitute against England, sees the difficulty of the situation as exactly the kind of stage on which Croatia tend to thrive.

"We have shown a number of times that we play our best matches whenever the situation is difficult for us. That is exactly what our quality is and where our pride lies", the midfielder said. "When things are difficult, we pull together and overcome the challenges." The England game, he conceded, had been "a tough game for us, both mentally and physically", but he was adamant the team could "raise our level of play in the next two matches".

For Dalic, who has shared a decade of national team football with Modric, the captain is both compass and inspiration. 

"He's my right hand on the pitch. Luka Modric sets an example to all on how we should do things", he said. 

"Luka has won the Golden Ball and everything possible in football. His key feature is the fact that he never gives up. He is the leader on the pitch and outside the pitch."

None of his team-mates want Modric's 200th cap to become a day to forget. And that, perhaps, is the strongest motivation of all to put things right against Panama.