Russia vs. Croatia: World Cup 2018 Live Updates
Russia and Croatia both have the weight of history on their teams as they face off in Sochi: Croatia is trying to match the 1998 squad’s memorable run to the World Cup semifinals, while Russia is trying to reach the final four for the first time.
• Refresh here for live World Cup updates and analysis from Russia.
• England vs. Sweden: Here’s what happened.
| Home | Game Info | Away |
|---|---|---|
| Russia | Croatia | |
| Quarterfinal | ||
How to watch: In the U.S., Fox and Telemundo have the broadcast at 2 p.m. Eastern, but you can stream it here.
Russia vs. Croatia Top Story Lines
• Every team faces pressure at this stage of the tournament, but Croatia has that loved/dreaded label of “Golden Generation” applying some extra weight. It’s the last chance for the offensive core of Mario Mandzukic of Juventus (32 years old), Luka Modric of Real Madrid (32), Ivan Rakitic of Barcelona (30), to play together at the World Cup in their prime, and a relatively easy route to the semifinals only adds to the pressure.
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Continue reading the main story• Croatia’s main task? Slowing Artem Dzyuba, the 6-foot-4 striker who has three goals in four games for Russia. That responsibility will fall primarily to Dejan Lovren, the 6-foot-2 Croatia defender who plays for Liverpool in the Premier League, in what should be a tough physical battle all game.
Continue reading the main story• Croatia has had some international-tournament success recently, winning its group at the 2008 and 2016 European Championships, but losing its first knockout game each time. The 2008 exit was particularly painful, with Modric and Rakitic both missing in a penalty shootout against Turkey. But both earned some redemption in their round of 16 win, converting their penalties in a win over Denmark.
• There’s already one Cup in Moscow for Russia to celebrate: Alex Ovechkin, the Washington Capitals star from Russia, brought the Stanley Cup he won last month to provide some inspiration for the fans watching in the capital.
Ovechkin carrying the Cup into World Cup Fanfest. He was enveloped by security and media. He had to come back and to get security to let me, @ikhurshudyan and a few others through. pic.twitter.com/gT3AmCA8kf
— Tom Gulitti (@TomGulittiNHL) July 7, 2018
Some Pregame Reading
• Think the stands in Sochi are packed with club scouts hoping to find the next young Russian or Croatian star? Probably not the case.
• We asked acting coaches to rate players’ injury-faking at this World Cup. They weren’t impressed.
Continue reading the main storyOriginal ArticleSports
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