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This is an archive article published on July 13, 1998

Total RECALL/ 3rd place PLAY-OFF

Croatia 2, Holland 1Goals: Croatia:Prosinecki 13, Suker 36.Holland:Zenden 21Yellow cards: Croatia:Krunoslav Jurcic 34, Igor Stimac 51, Aljos...

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Croatia 2, Holland 1

Goals: Croatia:Prosinecki 13, Suker 36.Holland:Zenden 21
Yellow cards: Croatia:Krunoslav Jurcic 34, Igor Stimac 51, Aljosa Asanovic 58, Mario Stanic 73Holland:Edgar Davids 88, Wim Jonk 88
90 minutes in a nutshell:The biggest moment for the tiny country which didn’t exist a decade ago. But the cheers for Davor Suker’s winner for Crotia were overshadowed by boos for the hated Slaven Bilic. Robert Prosinecki opened scoring in the 13th minute and Dutch pressure was rewarded in the 21st when winger Boudewijn Zenden smacked in a superb equaliser from outside the penalty area. Suker became the tournament’s top scorer when he drove home his sixth goal in the 37th minute, securing the bronze medal for Croatia in their first ever appearance at the World Cup finals. However, the French crowd soon made it clear there would be no forgiving or forgetting Bilic’s ham-acting which got national hero Laurent Blanc sent off in last Wednesday’ssemi-final.
Boy done good:Prosinecki, after being left out for three matches and brought on only for the last 10 minutes of the semifinal, proved a point by opening scoring.
Two left feet:Patrick Kluivert. As against Brazil, missed one too many chances but you can’t blame him either. If you are not first, the rest don’t matter
Magic moment:Beginning his run from the half-line, Zenden gets past three defenders and sent in a crashing left-footer which curled away from a surprised Ladic’s hands.
Mr Sitter:A lot of close shaves but no particularly horrendous haircuts.
Shiver the timbers:Solid throughout.
Cheered:The Dutch team, especially Zenden, after his spectacular goal and at the end of the match, Croatia.
Jeered:Bilic, booed all through the match, everytime he touched the ball.
Turning point:Kluivert’s miss early in the second half.Ref-er-ee!: Epifanio Gonzalez Chavez (Par). Red card remained in the pocket but yellow was allaround.
Terrace talk:Croatia: Which move did we miss?
Holland:The spirit was not willing, nor was the flesh, but Suker was.

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