Croatia vs. Iceland: Best and Worst Performers from World Cup Play-Off

It wasn’t pretty, but Croatia eventually secured their spot on the plane to Brazil with a 2-0 aggregate win over Iceland. 

The Nordic nation, which has a population of just 320,000, was aiming to become the smallest to qualify for the World Cup. 

Lars Lagerback’s side put themselves in a good position to do so with a 0-0 draw at home in the first leg of their play-off against Croatia. But in the return leg in Zagreb, Croatia's individual quality shined through.  

Here’s a look at the best and worst performers from the two play-off legs. 

Best Performers

Josip Simunic

Veteran centre-back Josip Simunic used his wealth of experience to keep Iceland at bay over the two legs. 

The 35-year-old may not have been up against the most potent of strike forces, but he did the job that was asked of him. He put in some crucial blocks and tackles, and he looked composed when carrying the ball out from the back. 

With the in-form Southampton man Dejan Lovren on the bench, Simunic needed to impress, and he did. 

Mateo Kovacic

Mateo Kovacic started on the bench in the opening leg, but he justified his spot in the starting lineup for the return game in Zagreb. 

Starting in the hole behind Mario Mandzukic, he looked lively throughout. His mazy run through the heart of the Iceland midfield set up Darijo Srna for the second goal that all but secured Croatia’s place in Brazil. 

Kovacic is a rising star of Croatian football. At just 19 years of age, he has made 12 appearances for Inter Milan this season, per ESPN FC.  

The No. 10 will be one to watch in Brazil, especially if he continues to keep Eduardo out of the side. 

Darijo Srna

After a relatively quiet first leg, Srna came alive in front of his home crowd.

His surging runs from right-back were a constant threat, and his efforts were rewarded when his sweet first-time strike found the bottom corner of the net.  

The Shakhtar Donetsk defender will face sterner tests behind the ball, but he looked impressive with it at his feet over the 180 minutes against Iceland. 

Hannes Thor Halldorsson

Hannes Thor Halldorsson was his country’s best performer over the two legs. 

The Icelandic goalkeeper, who is a film director by day, plies his trade in Iceland’s domestic league, and he would’ve been forgiven for looking out of his depth as Mandzukic and Co. came bearing down on him. 

But he stood his ground, keeping the Croatian attack at bay in the first leg in Reykjavik with some excellent saves. He pulled off 13 saves in total across the two legs, according to ESPN FC.

There was little he could do to prevent the two goals that ultimately cemented Croatia’s spot in Brazil.

Worst Performers

Eidur Gudjohnsen

Eidur Gudjohnsen has been a great representative of Icelandic football over the last two decades, but his performance in Zagreb was far short of what he was once capable of. 

The 35-year-old came off the bench in the first leg to replace the injured Kolbeinn Sigthorsson, and he retained his place in Zagreb. 

His touch let him down throughout the second encounter, and he was dispossessed with ease. 

The former Chelsea man failed to get a shot away in either leg, per ESPN FC.

Luka Modric

Luka Modric wasn’t exactly the worst player on the pitch, but by his high standards, the Real Madrid man should have done a lot better.

This was the type of game he should have thrived in. As Iceland worked tirelessly for the cause, there should have come a time when Modric’s talent shined through, but it didn’t. 

His passes in the first leg went astray too often. His performance improved somewhat in Zagreb, but Croatian fans will be hoping the real Modric shows up in Brazil. 

Aron Einar Gunnarsson

The Iceland skipper looked out of his depth in both legs, particularly away from home. 

He did little while in possession, often misplacing passes, and he failed to offer his team any spark in the centre of midfield. 

He was also a liability behind the ball, fouling frequently—he committed three in the first leg alone, per ESPN FC—to make up for the deficiencies in his game.