Croatia vs. Cameroon, 2014 World Cup: Final score 4-0, Croatia eliminates the Indomitable Lions
Croatia rolled past 10-man Cameroon, keeping their hopes of advancing alive while eliminating the Indomitable Lions.
Stu Forster
Croatia kept their hopes of advancing alive with an emphatic 4-0 victory over 10-man Cameroon. Ivica Olić put Croatia up early, and after Alex Song was sent off late in the first half, the Vatreni poured it on in the second half, and eliminated Cameroon.
Despite a strong start from Cameroon, it is was Croatia who opened the scoring on their first really good attacking foray of the half. In the 11th minute, Aurélien Chedjou tried to clear Dariko Srna’s cross, but thanks to Mario Mandžukić, his attempt deflected right to Ivan Perišić. The Wolfsburg midfielder wasted no time crossing the ball to Ivica Olić at the far post for a relatively easy tap-in, giving Croatia a 1-0 lead.
In the 41st minute, Alex Song decided to lose his mind and take a swing at Mandžukić‘s back for absolutely no good reason at all. Worst still, it was right in front of the referee, who wasted no time showing Song a red card, leaving Cameroon to play with 10-men for the rest of the match.
Croatia wasted little time adding a second goal, needing less than three minutes to double their lead at the start of the second half. Perišić, who assisted on the first goal, did the heavy lifting, cutting off a long clearance by Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje, and racing down the left wing before hitting his shot to the left of the keeper.
Mandžukić ensured that Cameroon would not make a comeback in the 61st minute, burying a header from short range off a Danijel Pranjić corner kick. No one picked up the Bayern Munich striker, and he easily got up and over the defenders to direct the ball past Itandje, and extend Croatia's lead to 3-0.
Because one is never enough, Mandžukić scored a second goal in the 73rd minute after Itandje left a massive rebound in front of the net. The Cameroon keeper was able to stop Eduardo’s initial effort, but the parried save went right to Mandžukić for a simple finish into the empty net.
Cameroon: Itandje, Assou-Ekotto, N’Koulou, Matip, Chedjou (Nounkeu 46’), Song, M’bia, Enoh, Moukandjo, Aboubakar (Webó 70’), Choupo-Moting (Salli 75’)
Goals: None
Croatia: Pletikosa, Pranjić, Lovren, Ćorluka, Srna, Modrić, Rakitić, Sammir (Kovačić 72’), Perišić (Rebić 78’), Mandžukić, Olić (Eduardo 69’)
Goals: Olić (11’), Perišić (48’), Mandžukić (61’, 73’)
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