Croatia lost 3–1 to Brazil in their second friendly in Orlando, conceding twice in the closing stages after appearing to have done enough to earn a draw.
The decisive moment came in the 86th minute, when the referee awarded Brazil a penalty following a challenge between Josip Šutalo and Endrick inside the box. Igor Thiago stepped up and converted from the spot.
Moments earlier, Croatia had looked set to take something from the match. In the 84th minute, Petar Musa won possession high up the pitch before Toni Fruk found Lovro Majer, who finished to level the score at 1–1. The equalizer, however, proved short-lived.
As Croatia pushed forward in stoppage time in search of another equalizer, they were caught on the break. Thiago led the counter and set up Gabriel Martinelli, who finished past Dominik Livaković to seal the result.
The first half had largely been defined by Livaković’s performance in goal. The Croatia goalkeeper made a series of key saves to deny clear chances from Danilo Oliveira, João Pedro, and Matheus Cunha. However, he was eventually beaten in first-half stoppage time after a Brazilian counterattack led by Vinícius Jr., with Oliveira converting the chance.
Croatia had its own opportunities before the break. Luka Vušković came close with a header that forced a strong save from Bento, while Andrej Kramarić saw his effort blocked.
Head coach Zlatko Dalić highlighted both positives and areas for improvement after the match.
“In the first half, we were compact and didn’t allow Brazil much, apart from a couple of chances that came from our own mistakes,” Dalić said. “In the second half, we were better, more dominant, with good possession and more dangerous overall. But we cannot concede goals like that, especially at the end of the first half and in those final moments.”
He also pointed to the importance of cutting out individual errors. “We cannot lose the ball so easily, especially after our own set pieces. Against teams like Brazil, every mistake is punished.”
Despite the defeat, Dalić stressed that the two-match tour in the United States provided valuable insight ahead of the World Cup. He also confirmed that the tactical setup used against Brazil, featuring a back three, was a deliberate test against a top-level opponent.
“We wanted to try this system against a team of Brazil’s level, similar to what we will face against England. We’ll see how things develop, especially when players like Gvardiol and Kovačić return.”
Captain Luka Modrić echoed that sentiment, focusing on the bigger picture.
“It’s a shame because of the result, but we showed a lot of good things,” Modrić said. “There were mistakes, and we need to fix them, especially against top teams, but overall, the feeling from both matches is positive. We’ll correct what needs improving.”
He also acknowledged the key moments that shaped the result. “The first goal came from our mistake after a corner, the second from the penalty, and the third again from losing the ball. At this level, that’s decisive.”
Modrić highlighted the value of the U.S. tour as preparation. “These were two very good tests. We need to build on this for what’s coming at the World Cup.”
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