England Match No. 816 - Croatia - 21 June 2004

England Football Online
	Page Last Updated 5 April 2014	*Hrvatska*

814 vs. France ~ 815 vs. Switzerland 816 817 vs. Portugal	Monday, 21 June 2004 Campeonato Europeu de Futebol 2004 First Phase Group B, Match Five/Six Croatia 2 England 4 [1-2]
		Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Bairro Dona Leonor, Lisboa, Portugal switched from Est�dio Municipal de Coimbra Attendance: 57,047, maybe upto 63,000; Kick-off: 7.45pm WEST and BST; Live on BBC One (UK) - Commentator: John Motson
		Croatia - Niko Kovač (rebound from a James save following a Cole mis-clearance 5), Igor Tudor (header 73). England - Paul Scholes (in from a Rooney header 40), Wayne Rooney (twenty-four yard shot 45+1, eighteen-yard side-foot from an Owen pass 68), Frank Lampard (dribble then shot 79).	Match Summary Croatia Squad England Squad
Results 2000-2005		Croatia - Dario Šimić (63)
		England kicked-off. 95 minutes (47 & 48).

Match Summary

Officials from Italy	Croatia	Type	England
Referee (Silver) - Pierluigi Collina 44 (13 February 1960), Bologna, FIFA-listed 1995. Assistant Referees - Marco Ivaldi, 42 (4 July1961) and Narciso Pisacreta, 43 (16 August 1960). Fourth official - Manuel Enrique Mejuto González, 39 (16 April 1965), La Felguera, Asturias, Spain, FIFA-listed 1999. UEFA Delegate - Frantisek Laurinec, Slovakia. UEFA Referee observer - Jozef Marko, Slovakia.	13	Goal Attempts	19
	8	Attempts on Target	14
		Hit Bar/Post
	4	Corner Kicks Won	6
	3	Offside Calls Against	1
	17	Fouls Conceded	15
	50%	Possession	50%

Croatia Team

Rank:	FIFA (9th June 2004) =20th EFO ranking Group 4 ELO rating =16th	Colours:		Made by Nike - Blue v-necked jerseys with white collar, yellow piping, red and white chequered sleeves with blue cuff, blue shorts with yellow rear piping, blue socks with white/red tops;
Capt:	Boris Zivković	Manager:		Otto Barić, 71 (19 June 1933 in Austria), appointed 12 July 2002 24th match, W 11 - D 8 - L 4 - F 32 - A 23. Barić is the oldest manager at any Euro Finals match.
Croatia Lineup
12	Butina, Tomislav	30	30 March 1974	G	Club Brugge KV, Belgium	15	0
21	Kovač, Robert, off 46th min.	30	6 April 1974 born in West Germany	CD	FC Bayern München, Germany	39	0
3	Šimunić, Josip	26	18 February 1978 born in Australia	LB	Hertha, Berliner SC von 1892, Germany	27	1
13	Šimić, Dario, off 67th min.	28	12 November 1975	RB	AC Milan, Italy	70	2
13	Šimić cautioned in the 63rd min. for Unsporting Behaviour for a foul, after bringing down Rooney on the half-way line.				AC Milan, Italy	70	2
5	Tudor, Igor	26	16 April 1978	CM	Juventus FC FC, Italy	37	1
6	Zivković, Boris	28	15 November 1975	DM	VfB Stuttgart 1893, Germany	38	2
7	Rapaić, Milan, off 55th min.	29	16 August 1973	LM	AC Ancona, Italy	45	5
20	Rosso, Ðovani	31	17 November 1972	RM	Maccabi Haifa FC, Israel	19	1
9	Pršo, Miladin	29	5 November 1974	F	Rangers FC, Scotland	15	4
10	Kovač, Niko	32	15 October 1971 born in West Germany	CM	Hertha, Berliner SC von 1892, Germany	40	6
11	Šokota, Tomislav	27	8 April 1977	F	Sport Lisboa e Benfica, Portugal	8	2
Croatia Substitutes
scoreline: Croatia 1 England 2
19	Mornar, Ivića, on 46th min. for R.Kovač	30	12 January 1974	F	Portsmouth FC, England	20	1
18	Olić, Ivića, on 55th min for Rapaić	24	14 September 1979	F	PFC Central Sport Club of the Army, Moskva, Russia	26	6
8	Srna, Darijo/Dario, on 67th min. for Šimić	22	1 May 1982	M	FC Shakhtar Donetsk, Ukraine	18	2
result: Croatia 2 England 4
unused substitutes:		1-Vladimir Vasilj, 2-Mario Tokic, 4-Stjepan Tomas, 16-Marko Babic.
team notes:		Robert and Niko Kovac are brothers. Nico Kovac at 32 years, eight months and six days, Kovac is the oldest player to score a European Championship goal for Croatia and became the eighth oldest player to score in a European Championship match.

3-(1-4)5-2		Butina - Šimić (Srna), R.Kovac (Mornar), Šimunić - Zivković - Rosso, Tudor, N.Kovac, Rapaić (Olić) - Pršo, Šokota.
Averages (Starting XI):		Age	28.7	Appearances/Goals		32.1	2.2

England Team

Rank:	FIFA (9th June 2004) 13th EFO ranking Group 3 ELO rating 6th	Colours:		The 2004 away uniform - Red crew-neck jerseys with red/white shoulder cross and blue hem, silver shorts with red trim and blue hem, red socks with white calf trim.
Capt:	David Beckham, 35th captaincy.	Head Coach:		Sven-Göran Eriksson, 56 (5 February 1948), appointed 30 October 2000, took post 12 January 2001, 41st match, W 22 - D 12 - L 7 - F 80 - A 40.
England Lineup
1	James, David B.	33	1 August 1970	G	Manchester City FC	27	21 ᵍᵃ
2	Neville, Gary A.	29	18 February 1975	RB	Manchester United FC	66	0
3	Cole, Ashley	23	20 December 1980	LB	Arsenal FC	29	0
4	Gerrard, Steven G.	24	30 May 1980	CM	Liverpool FC	27	4
5	Terry, John G.	23	7 December 1980	CD	Chelsea FC	10	0
6	Campbell, Sulzeer J.	29	18 September 1974	CD	Arsenal FC	61	1
7	Beckham, David R.J.	29	2 May 1975	RM	Real Madrid CF, Spain	71	13
8	Scholes, Paul, off 70th min.	29	16 November 1974	LM	Manchester United FC	65	14
9	Rooney, Wayne M., off 72nd min.	18	24 October 1985	F	Everton FC	16	8
9	the 313th (180th post-war) brace scored	18	24 October 1985	F	Everton FC	16	8
10	Owen, Michael J.	24	14 December 1979	F	Liverpool FC	59	25
11	Lampard, Frank J., off 84th min.	26	20 June 1978	CM	Chelsea FC	22	4
England Substitutes
scoreline: Croatia 1 England 3
15	King, Ledley B., on 70th min. for Scholes	23	12 October 1980	D	Tottenham Hotspur FC	7	0
23	Vassell, Darius C., on 72nd min. for Rooney	24	13 June 1980	F	Aston Villa FC	21	6
scoreline: Croatia 2 England 4
14	Neville, Philip J., on 84th min. for Lampard	27	21 January 1977	D	Manchester United FC	49	0
result: Croatia 2 England 4
unused substitutes:		12-Wayne Bridge, 13-Paul Robinson, 16-Jamie Carragher, 18-Owen Hargreaves, 19-Joe Cole, 20-Kieron Dyer, 21-Emile Heskey, 22-Ian Walker.
team notes:		Gary Neville and substitute, Phil, are brothers. This victory marks only the second time England have won successive European Championship matches. The first time was in Euro 96 when they beat Scotland and Netherlands. This is the first time England progress beyond the group phase when the European Championship is staged outside of England. It was Paul Scholes' first goal in 29 international appearances. With his second goal of the match, Rooney became the third Englishman to have scored twice in a European Championship match. He joins Teddy Sheringham and Alan Shearer who both scored twice against Netherlands in 1996.

4-4-2		James - G.Neville, Terry, Campbell, Cole - Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard (P.Neville), Scholes (King) - Rooney (Vassell), Owen.
Averages (Starting XI):		Age	26.1	Appearances/Goals		41.2	6.4

Match Report (Mike Payne's exclusive report coming shortly)

A Wayne Rooney brace and goals from Paul Scholes and Frank Lampard ensured England will meet Portugal in the quarter-finals of Euro 2004. England went behind in the sixth minute after Niko Kovac poked the ball home. But Scholes' close-range header drew England level and Rooney then arrowed a shot past keeper Tomislav Butina. In the second half Rooney beat Butina with a cool finish and although Igor Tudor scored for Croatia, Lampard added a fourth with a run and a shot. England's defence had struggled with a series of free-kicks in the previous game against Switzerland and Croatia were quick to exploit that nervousness.

David Beckham fouled Milan Rapaic and the Croatian midfielder's free-kick to the far post saw Ashley Cole mis-kick towards his own goal as he tried to clear. David James got a hand to Cole's panicky clearance but Niko Kovac was quickest to react and he flicked the ball home. England began to lay siege to the Croatian goal and Butina made a superb save to deny Scholes after the Manchester United midfielder had been sent clear by Rooney.

Butina looked less assured midway through the first-half when he nervously punched away a Sol Campbell header and then a Gary Neville cross. Croatia were quick to break whenever an England attack broke down and James had to get down to smother Tomislav Sokota's shot. The England keeper made an even better stop after Dado Prso unleashed a shot from just outside the box. Six minutes before the interval England put their best move of the half together and the result was Scholes' goal. Steven Gerrard fed the ball to Lampard and the Chelsea midfielder's pass sent Michael Owen clear.

Butina came out bravely to deny Owen, but the ball broke to Rooney whose header across goal was nodded into the net by the stooping Scholes. In first-half stoppage time, Scholes turned creator, flicking the ball into the path of Rooney, who unleashed an unstoppable shot past Butina. Emboldened by the change in their fortunes, England were quickly back on the attack after the interval. Butina saved well again from Scholes, while Owen's chip over the Croatian goalkeeper landed on the roof of the net.

England took control of the game in the 68th minute when Rooney latched on to Owen's pass and the Everton striker stroked the ball past Butina to claim his fourth goal of the tournament. Tudor pulled a goal back for Croatia with a header, but Lampard restored England's two-goal advantage after he broke into the box with a surging run and then drilled the ball past Butina. The win means England have qualified for the knockout stages of the European Championship for the first time on foreign soil. And there can be no doubt Rooney has been the catalyst, with another top-class performance that is sure to draw yet more lavish praise, and spark yet more transfer gossip, both in England and across Europe.

Source Notes

Digital Spy
BBC Sport
ESPN Soccernet
UEFA Euro 2004 website
TheFA.com
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CG