Dalić: “I hope this win gives us confidence and makes things easier”

On the Victory

"Congratulations to the players on earning three points, and also to our opponents, who were good, organized, and tough, making life difficult for us. We wanted to play with greater width through the wings, which is why Marco Pašalić was preferred to Petar Sučić, to provide width and depth, and that worked as intended. However, we played under pressure and were not relaxed. During halftime, I tried to wake the players up because we were too hesitant and stood too far from our opponents, especially when dealing with long balls that we failed to reach. They created chances from those situations, which is why I was upset. Now we need to put this match behind us and focus on Ghana, and I believe things will be easier from here."

On Panama’s Strong Performance

"I did not expect it to be this difficult. Panama were powerful, fast, and competitive throughout the entire 90 minutes, always looking for the win. Their organization surprised me, and their coach deserves a lot of credit. Part of our difficulty came from the pressure of needing a victory—we simply had to take all three points. The most important thing is that we scored, although I am not entirely satisfied with our performance, especially our defensive phase in the first half. We truly need to improve, particularly in defense, and stop allowing opponents to move forward so comfortably. We were not at the required level in either of our first two matches and gave too much away. I hope this victory gives us confidence and helps us play with less tension."

On the Halftime Substitutions

"We made two changes at halftime because we were having too many problems, especially defensively, and we needed to address them. At the start of the match, we looked powerless, too slow and sluggish, and we were forced into a lot of recovery runs. I think the substitutions worked well and brought us greater security and stability."

On Luka Modrić’s Milestone

"I am delighted that we were able to give Luka a victory on this special occasion. Reaching 200 appearances is remarkable even at club level, let alone for a national team. He played a very good 80 minutes and guided us to victory, and we are thrilled to have him. The fact that he gives everything he has and receives standing ovations from both our supporters and opposing fans says everything about his qualities and his strength of character. He enters history forever as one of the world’s greatest players and one who has maintained this level for such a long time. I only wish him good health going forward.

He would probably prefer to avoid all the celebrations because he is such a humble person. His character is what makes him a natural leader. He performs his role at the highest level while remaining modest, and that is why he is respected wherever he goes."

On the Support from the Fans

"This means a great deal to us. We know how much this victory means to the many Croatian people living in Canada. Thank you for your support. They are always with us, and today was a particularly special match here in Toronto. The connection we felt with them carried us forward, and that support always means a lot."

Looking Ahead to Ghana

"Ghana have shown their strength and quality. They earned a point against England, who were not as dominant as expected. Ghana defended very well, and just as they showed against Panama, they are willing to wait for their opportunity and then decide matches. With four points, they have practically secured qualification for the next round. That speaks to their quality, and we must prepare very well because the challenge will be similar to today’s. Their counterattacks can be very dangerous. They created chances against England and beat Panama in a similar way. They are not unbeatable, but they are certainly a strong and talented team capable of causing serious problems in transition."

Copyright by Croatian Football Federation. Quoting text from this article is granted subject to appropriate credit being given to HNS as a source and providing direct link to the original content at hns.family. Re-use of the photographs is not permitted.