I keep a journal of memories

“We don't refer to the past
When showing what we've done
Our generation gap
Means the war is never won
The past is in your head
THE FUTURE'S IN OUR HANDS!”

That was meant to be the motto, they were not the Vaterni of 1998, it was a new generation, new players, different players, not at those levels, and never meant to be compared to the greatest Croatian team of all time, likely for all time. But they were our boys, in an winnable group, cheered by the loudest and proudest fans in football, and if you don’t believe me I have the video from inside the Olympiastadion where we put the samba boys to shame on the pitch and in the stands….yet we went away empty handed, but heads held up high, full of pride, and confident of pasting the Japanese, not to mention sending Croatia B aka Australia back to the land of Kanga and Roo.

“Cos I'm a brat
And I know everything
And I talk back
Cos I'm not listening
To anything you say”

Applicable to the duo Kranjcar or as the British tabloid ‘the Sun’ appropriately referred to them as “Boozer and son shine” mocking the fact that our coach is a well known Alcoholic, and that his sun does anything but shine. But that’s we have, a corrupt Football Association (the HNS) that invests zero in player development, allows mafia bosses to run the clubs, and does nothing to stop the erosion of talent in the country. Croatia are regularly in the finals and semi finals for u17, u18, u19 and u21 teams…..yet we have not had a player from those teams come into the first team in years, none. At what point do our future stars or should they be called ‘brats’ fall through the cracks……
And what’s left to say of a man who starts his out of shape son who is 20 years old yet is outrun by our 35 year old captain playing with bruised ribs. How is it that we are the only team in the World Cup that complains about the heat, does the other team carry air conditioning packs on their backs, as my dad is fond of saying. No but then again the motto for most teams is not the above verse. Nor is nepotism the name of the game.

So what is left to say…?

“I keep a journal of memories
I'm feeling lonely, I can't breathe
I fall to pieces, I'm falling”

So the only thing that kept me together last night was the extraordinarily truth that we in fact did not deserve it. Sure we came out possessed, and scored a stunner that looked like Srna made amends for that dreadful penalty, I mean what a way to start, 1-0 within a minute. Then the incomprehensible came, we shrunk, right before my eyes, then fire was gone from our eyes, and we looked like we had no idea how to react, we were reduced to kicking the ball out of bounds to get a breather before repeating it. Australia was bound to score, they deserved it. But by unexplained fortune we went up 2-1, and one would expect to learn from the first half, but alas we are Croatians and every man, woman and child wearing a checkered shirt knew what was coming, though it was offside the goal was vindication for their hunger and willingness. Through it all, we could of stole it at the end had Igor Tudor managed to score the simplest of chances, to merely hit the ball and be a national hero, instead the dunce looked as confused and out of his element as the referee Graham Poll who stole the show with his performance, 3 yellow cards to Simunic before a red one.

And that summed up the night really, nothing went as it should of, not even usual system of two yellows equals a red card. Yet I cannot help but feel for the fans who are the best in the world bar none, to be let down by a coach who seemed drunk while standing on the sideline and making faces that the camera man slowed down and allowed us a moment of humor in what was a tragic evening.