AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Croatia has already put an end to Neymar’s World Cup dream. Now he hopes to do the same with Lionel Messi.
Croatia, runners-up in 2018, is the next hurdle Argentina must overcome on Tuesday in the semi-finals as Messi aims to win the only major trophy that has eluded him.
But Croatia, who lost to France in the final in Russia, is on a mission to go one step further this time.
“I don’t think we should fear anyone. We need to look at ourselves to play our best game,” defender Josip Juranovic said on Sunday. “I would say that the secret of our success is our union, our unity. The fact that we act and play as a family.”
Neymar was left in tears after Croatia beat Brazil 4-2 on penalties following a 1-1 draw after extra time in their quarterfinal match.
Messi has been inspired during Argentina’s run to the semi-finals, scoring four goals in five games. His assist for Nahuel Molina against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals was a moment of magic for the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner.
Messi appears to have taken it upon himself to lead his country to its third World Cup triumph and first since 1986.
Argentina last reached the final in 2014, losing 1-0 to Germany at the Maracana Stadium in Brazil. That was the closest Messi ever got to lifting soccer’s biggest trophy and he’s just one game away from getting another chance to do it.
Croatia looks calm for now ahead of the game at Lusail Stadium.
“We don’t have a specific plan, at least not yet, to stop Lionel Messi,” Croatia striker Bruno Petkovic said. “Normally we don’t focus on stopping just one player but the whole team.
“The way we approach that is we have to stop them as a team. Not by man marking or some kind of similar tactic. Argentina is not only Messi”.
One of Croatia’s main strengths is a midfield led by Real Madrid star Luka Modric.
Croatia manager Zlatko Dalić described him as the best midfield in the world after beating Brazil, adding that he “paralyzed” Neymar and Brazil.
“I think Mateo (Kovacic), Luka (Modric) and Marcelo (Brozovic) are the best Croatian midfield ever,” added Juranovic. “When you pass the ball to them it’s safer than having your money in the bank. Everything becomes very easy when you play with them.”
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
