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06/27 19:58 CDT Vlasic scores winner as Croatia beats Ghana 2-1 to reach World
Cup knockout stage
Vlasic scores winner as Croatia beats Ghana 2-1 to reach World Cup knockout
stage
By DAN GELSTON
AP Sports Writer
PHILADELPHIA (AP) --- Luka Modric lined up for a corner kick intent on trying
to float the ball to the top of the 6-yard box. Nikola Vlasic jumped high among
the scrum and headed it in for a goal --- good enough to advance Croatia in the
World Cup and give Modric a slice of tournament history.
The 40-year-old Modric became the oldest player in World Cup history with an
assist, and Vlasic and Petar Sucic scored to help Croatia earn a spot in the
knockout round with a 2-1 win over Ghana 2-1 on Saturday.
"I told him after the game, you play like you're 20 years old," Sucic said. "He
was incredible today. He runs a lot. He goes into every duel. He was incredible
with the ball. He is our leader; he is our best player and we're so happy he
can lead us in this World Cup. He can play until he wants, he's so good."
Ghana had already secured advancement from the group stage for the first time
since 2010.
Vlasic headed home Modric's corner in the 83rd minute to score the winner and
put Croatia back in contention after it finished third in 2022. The win means
Croatia finished second behind England in Group L, with Ghana third.
"On the goal, I think I needed to do a block," Vlasic said. "But the ball
arrived to me so I shot it with my head. It's not like it was some action but
thank God the goal went in and we won the game."
Modric at 40 years, 291 days set the assist record back to records kept since
1966.
Modric won the Ballon d'Or in 2018, the only time from 2008-21 that Lionel
Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo didn't win it. He played in his 200th international
game in this World Cup and remained the best player for the Vatreni in this
tournament.
"Luka was unbelievable today," Vlasic said. "I swear, it seems like he turned
time (back) 10 years. Really, one of the best performances I saw him doing in a
Croatia shirt."
Sucic scored in the 31st minute for Croatia on an absolute rocket from outside
the box for his second career international goal.
Derrick Luckassen scored the equalizer that ---- after a brief review --- sent
thousands of fans wearing yellow into a frenzy. Luckassen, brother of the
Netherlands' Brian Brobbey, found the bottom right corner in the 73rd minute to
make it 1-1 and the first of the five group stage games in Philadelphia where
both teams scored.
Ghana goalie Benjamin Asare briefly kept it a tie game on a diving stop off the
top of his hand that sent the ball over the net but failed only a minute later
to stop Vlasic.
Vlasic wagged his tongue and ran toward his teammates with outstretched arms in
celebration.
Sucic helped Croatia take a 1-0 lead into halftime in a game where a couple of
near misses prevented it from building a more comfortable lead. Vlasic bonked
one of the posts earlier in the half, and Modric's cross on a free kick into
the box was headed over the bar by Marin Pongracic.
Ghana seemed poised to tie the game late in the half when Antoine Semenyo beat
his man and fired a shot that slid across the Kentucky bluegrass and went just
wide of the left post.
Semenyo was one of the few prominent attackers in this tournament to go without
a goal in the first three games. He finished third in the Premier League with
17 goals last season and was one of Manchester City's best players after it
bought him from Bournemouth, yet couldn't connect in the World up against
Panama, England and even Croatia's backline.
Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbapp and Erling Haaland have dazzled in the World Cup
where every game has seemed like a showcase for the tournament's top stars.
The good news for Semenyo is, there's at least one more shot for him to bust
through for Ghana.
Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz said the fatal mistake on the header cost the Black
Stars the game.
"Two easy goals," Queiroz said. "When you score one more goal than the
opponent, that means you have the merit to win the game."
Croatia won the last of the five group stage games in Philadelphia with the
next one set for the knockout round on July 4. The match will include the
winner of Germany-Paraguay vs. the winner of France-Sweden.
"We didn't lose our head," Vlasic said. "We believed in ourselves, and today we
can celebrate a little bit because we showed character."
___
See more of AP's World Cup coverage here
