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ALEXANDRIA, Va. - Croatia got the win it had to have. Ante Budimir's second-half goal lifted the Vatreni to a 1-0 victory over Panama in Toronto on Tuesday night, reviving a World Cup campaign that had stumbled out of the gate — and doing it through players Alexandria has come to know well over the past two weeks.
Budimir, the 34-year-old striker who told the Brief's readers — through the team's reports — that he'd "sign right now" to repeat Croatia's Qatar run, came on at halftime and delivered the only goal of the night in the 54th minute. He knocked home a low cross from Josip Stanišić, becoming, at 34, the oldest goal scorer in Croatia's World Cup history.
It was a fitting combination: Stanišić, the Bayern Munich defender who days earlier described telling Harry Kane where he'd put his penalty, supplied the assist; Budimir, whom coach Zlatko Dalić had said would start the tournament on the bench before coming into the side, finished it.
Livaković stands tall again
If Budimir provided the goal, goalkeeper Dominik Livaković provided the safety. As Panama — needing a result to stay alive — threw everything forward, Livaković produced a remarkable sequence of saves to protect the lead, denying Amir Murillo twice in quick succession and then tipping a point-blank Carlos Harvey header over the bar off the ensuing corner.
It was the second straight match in which Livaković, who spoke during the team's Alexandria stay about feeling welcomed in the city, kept Croatia afloat with his goalkeeping. Croatia controlled midfield for much of the night — a contrast to the way it was overrun late against England — and had chances to extend the lead, with Mario Pašalić twice spurning openings to make it 2-0.
For Panama, the loss was decisive: the result eliminated them from advancing, though they will still play England in their group finale on Saturday.
What it means: a clear path now
The win lifts Croatia to three points and back into the qualification picture in a wide-open Group L. Earlier Tuesday, England and Ghana played to a 0-0 draw in Boston, leaving both on four points and keeping the door open. Croatia now sits third, with its fate largely in its own hands heading into the final round.
The math is favorable. With a win over Ghana in the group finale, Croatia can finish second in the group and book a place in the expanded tournament's Round of 32. Even a draw would give the Vatreni a chance at advancing as one of the eight best third-place finishers — though under FIFA's tiebreakers, a result against Ghana also carries head-to-head weight if the two finish level on points.
Adding to the drama, both of Group L's final matches — Croatia vs. Ghana and England vs. Panama — kick off simultaneously on Saturday, meaning the group's qualification picture will unfold in real time.
What's ahead in Alexandria
Croatia is expected to return to its Alexandria base on Tuesday night to prepare for the decisive final match, resuming training locally as it has between each match of the group stage. The team has been headquartered in the city since early June, training at Episcopal High School and returning to Alexandria after each road game.
The Vatreni close the group stage against Ghana on Saturday, June 27 at 5 p.m., at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia — the one match of Croatia's group stage within driving distance of its Northern Virginia home, and the first realistically reachable for Alexandria fans who have followed the team all month.
There is an added local twist: Ghana, too, spent time based in the Alexandria area before the tournament, training in the region and holding a farewell event in the city before departing for its Rhode Island base camp. Two teams with Alexandria ties will decide their World Cup fates against each other on Saturday.
It is, in effect, a knockout game before the knockouts: win, and Croatia very likely advances; a draw could still see the Vatreni through as one of the eight best third-place finishers, while a loss would put their tournament in serious jeopardy. After a shaky start, the team that has called Alexandria home now has its World Cup life largely in its own hands.
