Croatian forward Budimir discussed the victory over Panama in a post-match interview with HRT. He stated that the team increased their aggression in the second half and hoped to build on this win to continuously improve throughout the tournament.
On the Match
Budimir said: "We knew Panama was a direct-playing team with very fast players, strong individual ability, and good technique. I think they were very focused throughout the game, constantly fighting for second balls and looking for space behind us. They certainly have many excellent players, and there's a reason they're ranked 30th in the world. We didn't underestimate them, but they played very well in the first half. In the second half, we increased our aggression and were more active in challenging for second balls, then scored early in the second half.
We had a few counter-attacking opportunities, with Marko's being the best, which perhaps could have sealed the game. But the match remained suspenseful. Regardless, we need to build on this victory. We hope to gain valuable experience from it and continue to improve, which is very important for us to perform better in this tournament."
On Modric
Budimir said: "I am very happy that we have a captain like Luka. For all of us, he is a very important role model, showing us how we should fight for the national team jersey."
On Ghana
Budimir said: "It's clear that Ghana is a defensively compact and very difficult team to play against. Of course, we still have plenty of time to prepare. The next match will be tough, as every match in the FIFA World Cup is. We still need to focus on ourselves first. Every detail is important; today we did well on set pieces and didn't concede. These details are crucial for the upcoming matches."
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