Croatia defeated Ghana 2-1 in the final group match of the FIFA World Cup Group L, advancing to the knockout stage as group runners-up. Vlasic, who scored the winning goal, told Croatian media after the match that the team played a tough, characteristically Croatian game and believed the squad had a good blend of experience and youth, with their best still to come.
Vlasic said: "This match was as difficult as we expected. The opponent defended very compactly and didn't give us much space, but I think we handled that well. We made good use of counter-attacks and half-counter-attacks, creating many opportunities after winning the ball in midfield. Except for about 10 minutes before and after conceding the goal, we controlled the rhythm of the game for most of the time. The team was indeed a bit nervous during that period. Overall, I think we played a very tough game with Croatian characteristics.
Conceding a goal certainly disrupts the rhythm, but after the initial shock, you have to keep your focus on the game. In the end, thank God, we won the match. Everyone is very happy with the win because I believe this national team still has great potential. We have a good blend of experience and young players, and I think our best performance is yet to come. Scoring a goal certainly feels good, and this was a very important victory. The goal was wonderful, but honestly, no matter who scored, the result would be the same for me. This is a very good team, and everyone is always united.
We all pray together. God is very important in our lives. You can see the strong cohesion among us and feel that we are like a big family."
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