Here we go again!<\/p>\n
Ghana send on Fatawu and Oppong for Adjetev and Owusu.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n You can keep an eye on the England match with Scott Murray. It does not sound like a great watch \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Chris gets in touch to say: \u201cThe first action I caught when I tuned in to this one was the Ghana keeper collecting a cross with no one around and falling on the ball for 5-10 seconds, one-nil-lead-in-stoppage-time style. Problem was, it was the 8th minute. That\u2019s typically not a good sign for the neutral.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Sydney Kemme Nash emails: \u201cWriting in from the stadium where I\u2019m watching the game with my boyfriend who gave me tickets several years ago as a birthday present. <\/p>\n \u201dThe Ghana fans behind us spent the first quarter counting the number of passes their team had to make sure they got to 100 before half. At least the rain has stopped here!\u201d<\/p>\n At least it is dry.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n As things stand, Croatia<\/a> are going through as group winners.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Some half-time transfer news from me \u2026<\/p>\n Leeds defender Pascal Struijk is being targeted by Brighton. Talks have begun and the Belgian could be on his way to the Amex<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Half time: Croatia 1-0 Ghana<\/p>\n Not a classic but Croatia<\/a> deserve their lead, purely by being the only side trying to win the match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 45 mins: Three minutes added on.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 42 mins: Ghana are still just knocking it about at the back, maybe they\u2019ve heard England are still drawing with Panama.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 mins: Ghana have a throw high on the left but they do not give it to Semenyo to launch, lumbering it backwards. In fairness, the ball does come back and Semenyo finally has a chance to attack the goal, driving into the box and firing just wide.<\/p>\n Antoine Semenyo fires just wide for Ghana. Photograph: Will Oliver\/EPAShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.48 EDT<\/p>\n 39 mins: Croatia<\/a> are not keen on giving the ball away.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.39 EDT<\/p>\n 38 mins: It is still all Croatia<\/a> as Ghana just sit back and allow their opponents to do what they want. It\u2019s a fascinating gameplan.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 36 mins: Semenyo must wonder if Quieroz has seen what he can do.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 34 mins: Will this bring Ghana out of their well-constructed shell? Probably not.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n GOAL! The ball reaches Petar Sucic around 25 yards from goal, he is allowed time to get it out of his feet and take aim, finding the bottom corner.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>GOAL! Croatia 1-0 Ghana (Petar Sucic, 31)<\/p>\n Into the bottom corner!<\/p>\n Petar Sucic scores for Croatia! Photograph: Brian Snyder\/Reuters Photograph: Dan Mullan\/Getty Images Photograph: Kevin C Cox\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.36 EDT<\/p>\n 31 mins: Ghana are yet to have a shot on goal in the World Cup<\/a> during the first half of matches. They haven\u2019t even tried for one this time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 30 mins: Modric has a chance to whip in a free-kick from the left, which is flicked towards goal by Perisic but well held by the \u2018keeper.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 28 mins: The Macarena was played during the break, which is enough reason to restart the match.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 25 mins: The tournament\u2019s most pointless hydration break has been called. What a colossal waste of time.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 24 mins: There is greater intent from Croatia<\/a> here, while Ghana are happy to ensure their brick walls are intact.<\/p>\n Budimir goes down in the box while tussling with Luckassen. Croatia want a penalty but I would suggest they have no chance.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 mins: Croatia<\/a> have a free-kick around 35 yards or so from goal. Modric is over it and swings it into the box \u2013 after a delay for pushing and shoving \u2013 and Pongracic heads over.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20 mins: Maybe this will force Ghana to up their game, not wanting to be outshone by a pedestrian Croatia<\/a> in this walking football clash.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 18 mins: A SHOT! Croatia<\/a> are gifted the ball in midfield, allowing Budimir to drive forward. Vlasic receives possession on the edge of the box and flashes a shot towards the bottom corner but it flicks the outside of the post and goes wide. This is what we need.<\/p>\n Nikola Vlasic has a decent chance for Croatia. Photograph: Darrian Traynor\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.26 EDT<\/p>\n 16 mins: I would suggest this game has been poor to utterly dreadful so far. I think I could survive in midfield considering the slow pass at which it is being played.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 14 mins: It is edge of the seat stuff as Croatia<\/a> with a throw near the corner flag. Do not worry as within two passes it is back at the halfway line.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12 mins: No one has broken sweat yet, so there really should be no need for a hydration break on a very mild day. This is like watching a training game where the aim is to not get into the opposition box.<\/p>\n Luckassen plays the most optimistic pass in history and it naturally goes out for a goal-kick.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 10 mins: Ayew gives away a free-kick to at least imply someone is will to show aggression.<\/p>\n Perisic chips a cross into the box but Asare has not trouble catching it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 mins: Neither side looks committed to sending men forward to attack. I suspect the centre-backs will have seven times the amount of passes than anyone else on the pitch because knocking it around at the back is the order of the day.<\/p>\n Kwasi Sibo battles with Croatia’s Petar Sucic. Photograph: Matt Rourke\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a017.13 EDT<\/p>\n 6 mins: There is next to no atmosphere inside the stadium by the sounds of it.<\/p>\n Livakovic dallies over a backpass and subsequently kicks the ball out for a throw in panic.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 4 mins: Sutalo pings a crossfield but it goes nowhere near its intended target and out for a throw. A rather boring start, if I am being honest.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 mins: Croatia<\/a> are knocking it about in extremely casual fashion. Ghana have barely had a kick. A draw would suit both teams, so maybe this will be what happens for 90 minutes.<\/p>\n Zach Neeley emails: \u201cWhy wait almost a whole weekend day before starting a triple header? Maybe part of it is their commitment to never starting a match at the same time two days in a row.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s been a long old day, I can confirm.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Kick off<\/p>\n Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The players are in the tunnel.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I should probably read these.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Ghanaians know how to make an entrance.<\/p>\n The Ghana squad sing and dance on the way to the changing rooms. Photograph: Ezra Shaw\/FIFA\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a> double quotation markSince Argentina in 1978, there have been two new winners, and those were France and Spain, from the heart of Uefa, their success based on maximising the advantages of being European and wealthy; no countries have been so successful at industrialising youth production, so much so that they now provide the models for every country seeking to invest in academy programmes.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s a touch damp.<\/p>\n People play in the rain outside the stadium. Photograph: Peter Cziborra\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n The players have arrived!<\/p>\n Luka Modric walks from the bus to the stadium. Photograph: Pilar Olivares\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n It must be a big change going from Pep Guardiola\u2019s Manchester City to Carlos Quieroz\u2019s Ghana for Antoine Semenyo. He has not dazzled as of yet, but at least we get to see his long throw.<\/p>\n Antoine Semenyo<\/a>Share<\/a>Starting lineups<\/p>\n Croatia: Livakovic, Stanisic, Sutalo, Pongracic, Perisic, Modric, Kovacic, Vlasic, Petar Sucic, Baturina, Budimir<\/p>\n Subs: Pandur, Kotarski, Gvardiol, Caleta-Car, Moro, Kramaric, Mario Pasalic, Jakic, Fruk, Matanovic, Luka Sucic, Vuskovic, Marco Pasalic, Erlic, Musa.<\/p>\n Ghana: Asare, Senaya, Adjetey, Luckassen, Mensah, Partey, Owusu, Sibo, Sulemana, Ayew, Semenyo<\/p>\n Subs: Ati-Zigi, Anang, Seidu, Yirenkyi, Mumin, Fatawu, Thomas-Asante, Baah, Baba, Opoku, Williams, Boakye, Oppong, Nuamah, Adu.<\/p>\n Referee: Drew Fischer (Canada)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Obviously, if you\u2019re a touch more mainstream, you can follow England v Panama with Scott Murray.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n John Brewin on Football Daily duty? Yes please.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Croatia probably need a draw against Ghana to secure a spot in the last 32, but attacker \u2060Ivan Perisic is confident in his side\u2019s record against African opposition.<\/p>\n The 2018 runners-up and 2022 third-place finishers have three wins and a draw against \u2060African World Cup<\/a> \u2060foes since 2014, \u200bincluding their third-place victory over Morocco.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s something that we commented on,\u201d Perisic said. \u201cAnd we played against many \u2060teams in the past 10 years, and all of the results were positive. So I believe that this is going to be the same this time \u2060as well, and that we will be playing a very good match, just like we \u200bdid against the other teams.\u201d<\/p>\n England and Ghana \u200center the final Group \u200cL matchday on four points, while Croatia have three and Panama are already eliminated. The question is \u200cwhether this remains the same Croatia side of the last decade. After a 4-2 loss to England, Croatia narrowly defeated Panama 1-0 on Ante Budimir\u2019s 54th-minute goal.<\/p>\n Perisic is 37 and captain Luka Modric is 40. And even manager Zlatko Dalic admits the performances have looked unfamiliar.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to raise the level of our play,\u201d he said through an interpreter. \u201cWe\u2019re \u200cnot what Croatia can be. So we haven\u2019t shown the best we can, but tomorrow is the opportunity to do so. We never made so \u200bmany mistakes in some of the passes or when we were in the possession of the ball. This is where we had the force and we were really strong, but we seem to be losing the ball easily. We need to be quicker and we need to raise the \u2060level of concentration.\u201c<\/p>\n Perisic also was unsure whether Ghana\u2019s low-block approach, a \u200bstaple of several Carlos Queiroz-managed World \u200bCup sides, would continue. \u201cThey are \u200ba very good team,\u201d he said. \u201cVery compact. Perhaps they played the lower block \u200bin the past \u200ctwo matches. Given \u200bthat, maybe they \u200bmight be changing for tomorrow or something, but we have to be ready for both options.<\/p>\n \u201cBut yes, we\u2019re focusing on ourselves and our game and what we need to do. And we need to be a lot better than we were in the past two matches.\u201d Reuters<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Luka Modric is yet to find his groove in this tournament. Maybe he will be afforded more time and space against Ghana, if they defend as deeply as we expect.<\/p>\n Luka Modric<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pre-match reading courtesy of our very own Adrian Chiles.<\/p>\n Wasn\u2019t Adrian good with ITV News\u2019 Dan Hewitt this week on the radio?<\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jonathan_Wilson,_L.png\")
Jonathan Wilson<\/p>\n