Why Zlatko Dalic is smart to keep his cards close to his chest

Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has stated that he had made key decisions regarding his starting XI for the group stage games in Russia, but added that he is not sharing these names and formations with the media as the tactics and personnel are subject to change due to form and injury. 

Whilst there is no true “group of death” at the World Cup this time around, Group D is perhaps the closest. As mentioned in my previous article about Messi and Argentina, this particular group of teams is very intriguing, also featuring Iceland and Nigeria. There are a vast range of playing styles and tactics that will be on show in Russia, and this group is a perfect showcase of that. Argentina are an attacking powerhouse, Nigeria have speed and strength in abundance, Iceland are perhaps the hardest working team on the planet, and Dalic’s Croatian outfit have some of the greatest playmakers, and are a very well organized team. The man is therefore very smart in choosing to not reveal anything just yet, as his setup and coaching job, unlike many, will vary from game to game, meaning that it will take him a while to truly figure out the best plans to help Croatia advance to the knockout stages. As many might know, Brazil Coach Tite has already announced 15 players to his roster, and my views on this can be read in another previous article.

Personally, I think Dalic is a very underrated coach. Taking charge of Croatia just last year, he managed to propel the squad to Russia via the playoffs from the European qualifying process. Dalic has had great success in his previous coaching endeavors, most of which were in the Middle East, and he himself was a defensive tactician in his playing days. He definitely knows how to play well balanced soccer, and will need to organize his team well to progress from a very competitive group. Also as part of his coaching staff, Dalic leads former players Ivica Olic and Ognjen Vukojević into their first World Cup as members of the coaching staff rather than the team. Both of these players enjoyed illustrious careers, and both are known to have great soccer brains. With minds like this at his side, Dalic is sure to have some wisdom into the mindsets of many of his players, which will help him create a unique team for each match.

With some incredible talent at his disposal, including the likes of Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic, Coach Dalic will need to alter his team to best suit the diverse opponents Croatia will be facing in June. It is truly anyone’s guess as to who progresses from Group D, but one thing that is certain is that we are in for some fantastic games.

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