Croatia’s Rhapsody in Sinj: Gibraltar crushed 9–0

Croatia took the lead with a superb team goal in the 38th minute, finished by Janja Čanjevac. Just a few minutes later, Ana Bakalar capitalized on the opportunity to double Croatia’s advantage.

Nenad Gračan’s side did not stop there – Tea Vračević headed home brilliantly after a cross from Karla Kurkutović in the 59th minute. Then came three goals in just seven minutes. In the 61st minute, Čanjevac struck again with an incredible effort almost from the byline, her cross surprising everyone and ending up in the net. Just four minutes later, Croatia raised the tempo and scored a fifth through Ivana Rudelić, who finished with an शानदार overhead kick following an assist from Petra Pezelj.

Lana Kukavica made it 6–0 in the 81st minute, followed four minutes later by Laura Vlastelica. Two minutes after that, in the 87th minute, Rudelić added her second goal of the match. Andrea Glibo sealed the final 9–0 in the 90th minute.

It was a match full of debuts and first goals – Lana Kukavica scored on her debut for Croatia, while Lucija Vrdoljak also made her first appearance. Janja Čanjevac netted her first two international goals, while Ana Bakalar, Laura Vlastelica and Andrea Glibo also opened their scoring accounts for the national team.

Ivana Rudelić further etched her name in history, becoming Croatia’s all-time top scorer with a total of 23 goals.

Head coach Nenad Gračan also commented on Croatia’s biggest-ever victory:
“I would like to congratulate our players, both those who played and those who didn’t. I’m glad we managed to bounce back, even though there was a lot of nervousness in the first match. As the goals kept coming, the players became more relaxed and did what was asked of them. There are many young players here and I’m truly happy to be leading such a group,” said Gračan.

Gibraltar held on until the 37th minute, after which Croatia took full control.
“It could have been even more convincing, but I told the girls after the match that our main priority is stability in our play. Gibraltar are a team that can always threaten with long balls and quick forwards, but in these two matches they practically didn’t create a single chance, which makes me happiest. Against both Kosovo and Bulgaria there were situations where the opponents could have scored, but we reacted well in those moments,” he added.

“I’m pleased that many players got on the scoresheet. That’s our goal – not to depend on one or two players, but to create chances from multiple lines, including midfielders and wide players. The girls relaxed today given the flow of the match and the result, but they remained responsible and focused until the very end,” Gračan said.

The generational transition has been ongoing and is now becoming increasingly evident.
“I’m glad that many players are scoring – that’s our goal, not to depend on just one or two players, but to reach the final third with midfielders and wide players as well. The girls relaxed today, that was the nature of the match and the result. They stayed responsible and serious until the very end. The transition started last year and is now becoming more visible. Some of the older players are nearing the end of their careers, while younger ones are coming through. It’s important that they play regularly at club level and maintain continuity. We will keep calling them up so they can develop properly and contribute to the national team,” he added.

After four rounds, Croatia has three wins and one defeat against Kosovo, with matches against Kosovo and Bulgaria coming up in June. Two wins will be needed to progress.
“Kosovo are a good team, we’ve played them. They have three or four excellent players who play for top clubs and should not be underestimated. But we showed we can compete with them and that we didn’t deserve to lose. I regret how it ended, but that’s football. We will do everything to show good performance in Kosovo and achieve a great result,” said Gračan.

Janja Čanjevac, who scored her first goals and a brace for Croatia, said after the match:
“First of all, I would congratulate the team – this is a big plus for us and for our progress. We needed this win. We struggled with finishing there, but here we showed who is key. Those three points are the most important and now the focus is on June.

It’s been a long time coming, I’ve been here for a long time, but the team always brings someone out – at this moment, it was me who scored my first goals.”

She also reflected on her role in the team:
“This time I played as a left winger, last match I was a left-back. But wherever the coach puts me, I give my best to fulfill my tasks and help the team.”

Speaking about the team’s ambitions, she added:
“Of course we can, that’s our goal. In June we have two intense matches ahead, we’re going for wins and we want to qualify for League B and the qualifiers.”

She also highlighted the team atmosphere:
“The atmosphere is excellent – we have really young players, and this gathering and the unity we have actually created this result.”

Ivana Rudelić also shared her thoughts after the match:
“It was a bicycle kick and a volley, I surprised myself a bit. I wanted to try it, although I didn’t think it would turn out that nicely.”

On the team’s performance, she said:
“You can see we had a lot of possession and chances, we used them all and were efficient, I’m happy for the whole team.”

On the conditions and previous match, she added:
“There was a strong wind in Gibraltar, although we shouldn’t make excuses – we lacked stronger passing, quality and all that, that’s what we were missing in the first match, but we showed that we can do it and we move forward.”

She concluded by stressing the importance of the result and upcoming matches:
“This means a lot to us, we scored many goals, which is great for goal difference. Two tough matches are coming, but if we continue like this, we can win those as well.”

Finally, she commented on the young players:
“There are young players and you can see the quality is there, and we older ones need to help them take the next step while we slowly step aside. It’s great to see so many young, talented Croatian players who know how to play football.”

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