| Pos | Name | Age | Caps | Club |
| GK | Pletikosa* | 35 | 110 | FC Rostov (RUS) |
| RB | Srna* | 32 | 112 (21) | Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR) |
| CB | Ćorluka | 28 | 72 (4) | Lokomotiv Moscow (RUS) |
| CB | Lovren | 24 | 23 (2) | Southampton (ENG) |
| LB | Pranjić | 32 | 48 | Panathinaikos (GRE) |
| DM | Rakitić | 26 | 61 (9) | Sevilla (ESP) |
| DM | Modrić* | 28 | 74 (8) | Real Madrid (ESP) |
| RAM | Perišić | 25 | 28 (3) | Wolfsburg (GER) |
| CAM | Kovačić | 20 | 9 | Internazionale (ITA) |
| LAM | Olić* | 34 | 91 (18) | Wolfsburg (GER) |
| ST | Mandžukić | 28 | 49 (13) | Bayern Munich (GER) |
* Has appeared at a previous World Cup
Average Age: 27.7
Total Caps: 677
Best Odds: 200/1 (Stan James, SkyBet)
Player to Watch: Ivan Perišić
Player to Watch: Ivan Perišić
Croatia will enjoy all the pomp and colour of the opening game in Sao Paulo on June 12th. The 90 minutes that follow against tournament hosts and favourites, are unlikely to be as enjoyable. Predictions about the team that will start that game, or any game, are complicated greatly by both suspensions, and a complete lack of consistency in selection since winning a two legged play-off against Iceland. As these matches were the first in charge for new manager Niko Kovač, their performances in a qualifying group featuring both Scotland & Wales aren't terribly relevant.
What is sure is that Stipe Pletikosa will play in goal for the Croatians. With 109 caps the FC Rostov man has a wealth of experience between the posts for the Croatians, having played in both the 2002 and 2006 World Cups. Pletikosa came close to joining Celtic in 2011, but suffered a calamitous 45 minutes during a trial match against Wolves, before being subbed by Neil Lennon at half time. He is known an excellent shot-stopper, although at 35 years old oppositions may be keen to test if his ability to react has slowed down with age. This is likely to be established fairly early on against the Brazilians, in a match where he would be expected to be busy. He showed a weakness under high balls early in his career, but has worked on this aspect of his game, and his is probably unlikely to be highly tested in this regard by Brazil, Mexico or Cameroon.
At tims Croatia deployed a back 3 in qualifying, but Kovač has shown a preference for a back 4 since his appointment. The experienced Darijo Srna of Shakhtar Donetsk will start at right back, and captain the side. The hard tackling fullback will support attacks, and offers a threat from free-kicks in and around the box
Vedran Ćorluka, formerly of Man City and Tottenham will play at centre-back. Given his time in England he will be very familiar to most of my readers. He has been partnered by both Dejan Lovren and Gordon Schildenfeld of Panathanaikos in friendlies (Josip Simunic would almost certainly have played here, had he not picked up a 10 match ban for leading the fans in a Pro-Nazi chant to 'celebrate' following their qualification against Iceland). One clue may be that Lovren has been handed the #6 shirt for the tournament, while Schildenfeld has been allocated #13
At left back, Danijel Pranjić of Panathinaikos makes his world cup début, at the age of 32. Domagoj Vida has played here in the friendly against Mali, but he usually plays at right back or centre back, and his appearance there seems to have been a case of Kovač looking at options if he as to lose Pranjić for any reason. Again, Pranjić has been handed to #3 shirt.
In midfield one of the players tipped to star at this tournament is Ivan Rakitić. Europe's superpowers are circling around the Sevilla captain. Something that strikes me as odd about his emergence is that it has taken so long. Now 26, Sevilla paid only €1.5m for his services in 2011 to bring him to the capital of Andalusia as a 22 year old. Rakitić was joined in midfield in the Iceland games, by Luka Modrić. In the recent friendlies against Switzerland and Mail however, Mate Maleš (who is unfortunate to miss the world cup due to an ankle injury) and Ognjen Vukojević have played in midfield. It is inconceivable that Modrić won't play, but it may be that Kovač is considering a more defensive set-up, particularly for the game against Brazil, with either Rakitić or Modrić in a more advanced midfield position.
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| photo: Kroelleboelle |
The wide positions will be occupied by the Wolsburg duo of Ivica Olić and Ivan Perišić (right). Which side they play on tends to alternate from game to game, but the tendency is for Olić to play on the left, and Perišić on the right.
At 6'2”, and an excellent header of the ball, Perišić is also remarkably quick, and an excellent crosser of the ball. Sadly for Croatia he will be unable to meet his own crosses in the box! He will be a threat in open play, and Croatia will look to his aerial abilty from set-pieces.
At 34 this competition may well be a swansong for Olic. It may be problematic for him to live up to his reputation for hard work, with a lot of miles on the clock at this stage of his career.
The central Attacking midfielder is likely to be Mateo Kovačić of Internazionale. At 20, he injects some much needed youth into this ageing Croatian side. He began his career playing as a deep-lying playmaker, but has been asked to play this role for Inter this season, and despite initially struggling, he has shown signs of getting to grips with the position, laying on 3 assists against Lazio in his clubs penultimate fixture.
The lone striker for Croatia will be Mario Mandžukić of Bayern Munich. Tall, strong, fast, hard-working and capable of scoring with either foot, or from headers, he is a complete centre forward. He will however be suspended for Croatia's opener against Brazil, and will be a huge loss. Nikica Jelavić of Hull City played in a recent friendly and is likely to be his replacement, although with an impressive return of 29 goals from 63 caps, Eduardo da Silva will also be hoping to get the nod against the land of his birth.
Croatia undoubtedly have some top class talent at their disposal, however they are likely to find themselves playing catch-up after the first round of games. Any sort of result against Brazil could change all that, but if Brazil win their first 2 games as expected, Cameroon may face the advantage of facing a second string Brazil side in the last round of games. Their own game against Cameroon will also be played in the heat and humidity or Manaus, where some of Croatia's older players may struggle against the more youthful looking Cameroonians.
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