- Title: Iceland and Croatia prepare for 2018 World Cup qualifier
- Date: 11th November 2016
- Summary: ZAGREB, CROATIA (NOVEMBER 11, 2016) (REUTERS) ICELAND CAPTAIN, ARON GUNNARSSON, AND ICELAND COACH, HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON, IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICELAND CAPTAIN, ARON GUNNARSSON, SAYING: "Well, you learn from every game you play, basically. It was weird to play against a good team, away from home, when you expect the fans to be heated and to support their team. It's going to be strange again to come to a place like this where they have passionate fans, and they won't be supporting them in the stand. But it's down to us to react to the game and how we start the game is vital for us, because they probably want to start on a high and try to control the game but we have to be ready to give everything in the game, even though there will be no fans here." (SOUNDBITE) (English) ICELAND COACH, HEIMIR HALLGRIMSSON, SAYING: "I think... I don't remember the game, what did you say, 11 years ago? I don't remember that one. But I remember the one that we played here. Almost every player in this group was here. It was a sad memory, but... the result was really bad, but it was a turning point for the Iceland national team. So I look at that game as some kind of a turning point for the Iceland national team. After that this team hasn't looked back. So in a way this game was good for the national team, because you can learn a lot from losses, and we did a lot of things wrong before that game, which we have improved, both coaching-wise, the organisation around the team, and so many other things, we have improved a lot since then. Hopefully we can show that on the pitch tomorrow." WIDE OF GUNNARSSON AND HALLGRIMSSON IN NEWS CONFERENCE ICELAND PLAYERS COMING ONTO PITCH TO TRAIN ICELAND PLAYERS WALKING ON PITCH ICELAND PLAYERS KICKING AROUND BALLS VARIOUS OF ICELAND PLAYERS STANDING IN CIRCLE ON PITCH ICELAND PLAYERS JOGGING AROUND PITCH/PASSING BY CAMERA CROATIA MIDFIELDER, IVAN RAKITIC, AND CROATIA COACH, ANTE CACIC, IN NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) CROATIA MIDFIELDER, IVAN RAKITIC, SAYING: "Iceland have achieved a great result in the last Euro, so that everything is already known about their team. Their style of play and the qualities they have are well known. It is up to us to find and use their weak spots, and we have to be at our best level since we will be facing one of the best teams in the last European championship, and we have to show - in an empty stadium, unfortunately - that we are playing at home, that we are best when we are all together, that every time we play home we can give a good performance and win." (SOUNDBITE) (Croatian) CROATIA COACH, ANTE CACIC, SAYING: "Luka (Modric) is on the way to a full recovery of his match fitness. He went through a break from playing, and only recently came on for 30 minutes on Sunday (in the Spanish championship). He is getting better through these few training sessions that we had, and then we'll see how and in which part of the game we intend to use him. But he will certainly appear in the match." CROATIA PLAYERS TRAINING ON PITCH CROATIA MIDFIELDER LUKA MODRIC TRAINING CROATIA FORWARD MARIO MANDZUKIC TRAINING VARIOUS OF CROATIAN PLAYERS IN TRAINING CROATIA MIDFIELDER MATEO KOVACIC TRAINING CLOSE OF LUKA MODRIC KICKING BALL CROATIA PLAYERS ON PITCH TRAINING
- Embargoed: 26th November 2016 20:55
- Keywords: World Cup Iceland Croatia qualifier
- Location: ZAGREB, CROATIA
- City: ZAGREB, CROATIA
- Country: Croatia
- Topics: Soccer,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA0015802URJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Both Iceland and Croatia seemed confident ahead of their 2018 World Cup qualifier in Croatian capital Zagreb on Saturday (November 12).
After three rounds played, the two teams top Group I with 7 points each, so this might prove to be a crucial tie for either side in securing first place or an automatic berth at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The match in Zagreb will be played behind closed doors, the second home qualifier without fans for Croatia, ordered by FIFA following incidents at two friendlies before the qualifiers had started.
Iceland's previous away qualifier was in Ukraine in September, also was played behind closed doors.
Team's captain Aron Gunnarsson said that playing in front of empty stands was always a "weird" experience.
"Well, you learn from every game you play, basically. It was weird to play against a good team, away from home, when you expect the fans to be heated and to support their team. It's going to be strange again to come to a place like this where they have passionate fans, and they won't be supporting them in the stand. But it's down to us to react to the game and how we start the game is important for us, because they probably want to start on a high and try to control the game but we have to be ready to give everything in the game, even though there will be no fans here," Gunnarsson told a news conference.
Iceland and Croatia met twice earlier, in 2005 they were drawn in the same group in the 2006 World Cup qualifiers, and again they met in 2013 when Croatia knocked out Iceland in the 2014 World Cup qualifying play-off, ending what was at the time Iceland's best effort at qualifying for a major tournament in history.
"I think... I don't remember the game, what did you say, 11 years ago? I don't remember that one. But I remember the one that we played here (in 2013). Almost every player in this group was here. It was a sad memory, but... the result was really bad, but it was a turning point for the Iceland national team. So I look at that game as some kind of a turning point for the Iceland national team. After that this team hasn't looked back. So in a way this game was good for the national team, because you can learn a lot from losses, and we did a lot of things wrong before that game, which we have improved, both coaching-wise, the organisation around the team, and so many other things, we have improved a lot since then. Hopefully we can show that on the pitch tomorrow," Iceland coach, Heimir Hallgrimsson said.
Since then, Iceland successfully qualified for the 2016 European Championship in France, where they reached the quarter-finals and were the biggest surprise of the tournament.
"Iceland have achieved a great result in the last Euro, so that everything is already known about their team. Their style of play and the qualities they have are well known. It is up to us to find and use their weak spots, and we have to be at our best level since we will be facing one of the best teams in the last European championship, and we have to show - in an empty stadium, unfortunately - that we are playing at home, that we are best when we are all together, that every time we play home we can give a good performance and win," Croatia midfielder, Ivan Rakitic said.
Croatia coach Ante Cacic said that Luka Modric, a key player for Croatia and Spanish giants Real Madrid, was on the way to full recovery from injuring his knee in Real Madrid's game against Borussia Dortmund more than a month ago.
"Luka (Modric) is on the way to a full recovery of his match fitness. He went through a break from playing, and only recently came on for 30 minutes on Sunday (in the Spanish championship). He is getting better through these few training sessions that we had, and then we'll see how and in which part of the game we intend to use him. But he will certainly appear in the match," Cacic told reporters. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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