No fans, no goals: England and Croatia play to a dull draw
DEPRIVED OF a seat inside the stadium through no fault of their own, a small band of loyal England supporters watched the game from a hilltop overlooking the virtually empty ground. There wasn’t much to see. England and Croatia played to a 0-0 draw in the UEFA Nations League yesterday, a lackluster match that took place in front of no fans as the Croats completed a stadium ban imposed in 2015.
While this was Croatia’s fifth behind-closed-doors international, it was a first for England, and that made it a somewhat bizarre experience for not only the players, but the few dozen fans who decided to travel to the coastal city of Rijeka to support their team.
DISTINCT SOUNDS
The shouts of the players and the thud of a kicked ball could be heard distinctly as could the occasional chants of “Engerland” and “God Save The Queen” that drifted into the stadium from outside. The only people in the stands were match delegates and members of the media.
Given the eerie atmosphere, perhaps it was no surprise the game was such a dud. England struck the goal frame twice – through Eric Dier and Harry Kane – and Marcus Rashford wasted two golden opportunities when one-on-one with the goalkeeper as England had the better of the chances.
This was a repeat of the World Cup semi-final won by Croatia in July, and it seemed a world away from that tense, nerve-jangling night in Moscow.
SEARCHING FOR FORM
The two teams are searching for the form they showed at that tournament, in particular the Croatians. This result came after last month’s 6-0 loss to Spain in their opening match of the Nations League. England lost 2-1 to Spain in their Group 4 opener in the top-tier League A.
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