Panama vs Croatia: World Cup do-or-die for both teams

World Cup kick-off time for Panama vs Croatia na 7pm EDT wey be 12am BST and 9am AEST. Dis match go determine who go still dey alive for Group L.

Group L standings show say England dey top with 4 points and +2 goal difference, Ghana follow with 4 points and +1 GD, while Panama and Croatia dey bottom with zero points each. Panama get -1 GD, Croatia get -2 GD.

Although a win no go guarantee Round of 32 spot, defeat go eliminate any side wey still get one game to play. Dis na real pressure for both teams.

When Panama-Croatia originally assign to Toronto, e be among di more affordable games wey involve prominent Uefa team. Di Cat-3 entry point na $180 (€158), but dynamic pricing don change am.

Matt Hughes get exclusive say di US-based staff advise against using customer-unfriendly pricing model, but dem overrule dem. Leander Schaerlaeckens dey di grounds to provide colour for di match.

Sappy Croatian power ballad dey play, and di sea of Croats dey go absolutely nuts belting am out. E be like Eurovision stuff. We need hot tea for hydration break. E dey positively chilly for di press box.

Luka Modrić don become di fourth man to earn 200 international caps. No Coco Carrasquilla for Panama lineup as e dey return from pre-tournament knock, though di Pumas midfielder dey bench.

Panama lineup: O. Mosquera; J. Córdoba, C. Blackman, J. Ramos; A. Andrade, C. Harvey, C. Martínez, A. Murillo; J. Rodríguez, J. Fajardo, Y. Bárcenas (c). Croatia lineup: D. Livaković; J. Gvardiol, M. Pongračić, J. J. Stanišić; M. Kovačić, M. Baturina, L. Modrić (c); I. Perišić, P. Musa, M. Pašalić.

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalić warn say losing open match “can destroy everything” for team for major tournament. History show dis: Croatia open Euro 2024 with 3-0 defeat to Spain and subsequently bow out for group stage.

World Cup final kick off with win over Nigeria; for 2022, draw against Morocco put both teams on path to semifinal. Di question na: how destroying di opening 4-2 loss to England go prove to be?

If Luka Modrić appear today, e go become just di fourth man to log 200 international caps. To date, 30 women don play at least 200 international matches. Di top five men: Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 230), Bader Al-Mutawa (Kuwait, 202), Lionel Messi (Argentina, 201), Luka Modrić (Croatia, 199), Soh Chin Ann (Malaysia, 195). Asterisk denote active player.

While Panama and Croatia never face off for competitive fixture before, both men’s national teams don see dia reputation greatly enhance since 2018 World Cup. For Panama, e be dia first trip to World Cup after finishing above United States for Concacaf qualifying. Na “happy to be here” debut with three defeats and -9 goal difference. For Croatia, e be di high point of golden generation, inspired run to first World Cup final and second-place finish.

Both teams don remain around dia confederations’ contending class. Panama don continue to frustrate US and Mexico as one of di region’s rising challengers, joining Canada and Costa Rica among di usual suspects. Croatia struggle at Euro 2020 but rebounded to reach another World Cup semifinal for 2022, settling for third place.

Dis summer, both squads skew towards di veterans. Panama youngest member na 24 years old, while veterans Luka Modrić, Ivan Perišić, and Andrej Kramarić fend off more youthful alternatives to add one more tournament to dia considerable CVs.

Panama play without fear, no longer among di tournament’s freshest faces, and get di guile and physicality to frustrate any opponent – but conceding at di death against Ghana don put dem under pressure to find path to knockouts against pair of Uefa qualifiers. Croatia no fit keep stride with England and go hungry to respond to dia own opening defeat.

Comfortable 24°C (75°F) for Toronto as di evening near. Important Group L clash dey await! La Marea Roja arrive in full voice. After dia historic World Cup debut at Russia 2018, dem mean business dis time round, and want to progress from di group. With Michael Murillo leading from di back, di midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla providing creative spark and di captain, Aníbal Godoy, still di heart and soul of di team, Panama ready to write new chapter.

Panama look improved for possession and arrive for North America full of confidence off di back of reaching di quarter-finals of di 2024 Copa América and di final of di 2023 Gold Cup.

Croatia na among di oldest teams at dis World Cup, with roughly half or more of dia starters into dia 30s and di captain, Luka Modric, now 40. Dat mean loads of experience and winning mentality but also raise some uneasy questions. Can di old guard of Modric, Kovacic (32), Ivan Perisic (37) and Andrej Kramaric (turning 35) still cut am? Are di younger, lesser-known players ready to step up? Croatia don dey use to punch above dia weight and dia success for di past two World Cups don set di bar impossibly high, but dem seem determined to deliver one last hurrah.