The previous statement by Canadian coach John Herdman, which he revealed after the defeat to the Belgians (0-1), to his players, sparked great reactions. “Let's kill the Croats.”His statement was picked up by the world sports press, but the specialist was also supposedly aware that it was happening, which is why many speculate that what he said was more aimed at easing the burden on his players, such as Alphonso Davies, who missed the match. Penalty. In fact, the Canadians may have been disappointed, as they played more dangerously than their opponents, and Herdman may have wanted them not to give themselves up, given their performance, as it seemed impossible to beat the Croats or advance either. Regardless, his expression could be considered tasteless. The Croatian press also broke the fuse, with a local tabloid called 24sata, for example, superimposing Herdmann's head over a naked body and then placing it on the front page of its (covering certain parts with a maple tree) paper. Trees, which are a symbol of Canada) with the question “Your mouth is big but so are your capitals?” By the way, the captain's wife showed the card, stressing that it seemed like her husband should train more.
When a newspaper asked the English coach the next day if he had really said that, he did not hold back, but added that he did not want to be disrespectful… He was proud to play, but disappointed with the result, and it came out like this in the midst of this. moment, and he continues to do so, his goal being to lead his band to the highest level possible. The Croatian national team's reaction was relatively diplomatic. For example, Croatian national team captain Zlatko Dalic, according to CBC, saw that“It's not nice to say such things, but of course you have the right to do so. We have to show on the pitch that we are better.”
Dalic added that they deserve more respect, because they are the silver medalists in the World Cup.
Croatian midfielder Lovo Majer had the same opinion, stressing that they would not stay awake from such statements. Perhaps there would be more pressure on the Canadians, as in the event of a loss, they would not be able to qualify from the group. We're sure the Croatians won't mind if Herdman gets ridiculed for his words after the game, plus facing two very motivated teams on Sunday – the Canadians will likely go at the Croatians with the same enthusiasm they did the Belgians in the first round.
