Kolarov’s stunning free-kick eases Serbia ‘pressure’
Aleksandar Kolarov produced a moment of captain’s inspiration, curling home a superb free-kick as Serbia got their Group E campaign up and running yesterday.
The former Manchester City fullback had appeared to be injured in the warm-up but recovered to curl in the winner against Costa Rica.
Serbia had dominated the match but chances were at a premium until Kolarov made the breakthrough in the 56th minute.
With Brazil favourites to win the group, which also features Switzerland, the victory delivered a potentially vital three points for Serbia and lifted a weight from coach Mladen Krstajic, in what was his first competitive game. “There was a great deal of pressure on the team, and on me, over the past seven months,” said Krstajic, who took the job in October.
Krstajic’s relief was matched in equal measure by the disappointment of Oscar Ramirez, the Costa Rica manager, whose side are now in a precarious position.
“Maybe we have lost a certain margin for qualifying,” he said. “It’s going to be difficult, but our intention remains the same. I told the lads ‘This isn’t over’.”
If Costa Rica are going to recover, they will need to rediscover the defensive organisation and clinical counter-attacks that propelled them to the quarter-finals four years ago.
Serbia found it hard to break them down, but they rarely looked troubled at the back and, barring a late half-chance for substitute Joel Campbell, they coasted through the game.
The match began in furious fashion, with Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic having a header scooped off the line and Costa Rica’s Giancarlo Gonzalez failing to convert two chances with his head.
But it soon settled into a more predictable pattern. Serbia dominated possession as their enterprising midfield, fusing the experience of Manchester United enforcer Nemanja Matic and the raw talent of Sergej Milinkovicsavic, got on top.
Mitrovic failed to score with a good chance early in the second half, but it mattered little when Kolarov, the Roma left-back, produced his moment of magic, curling a free-kick, left-footed, over the wall and past the dive of goalkeeper Keylor Navas.
“It is great to have three points, but we are not finished. I don’t want to do the maths yet,” Kolarov said.
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