Kovac double lights up Croatia
Saturday, 26 March 2005
[1] Croatia moved above Bulgaria into second place in FIFA World Cup qualifying Group 8 after defeating Iceland 4-0 at the Maksimir stadium in Zagreb.
Kovac double
[2] Niko Kovac scored twice for the home side who went into half-time 1-0 in front before running away with the game after the restart. Kovac, Josip Šimunic and Dado Pršo all struck within the final 19 minutes to lift Croatia to ten points from four matches, two points behind leaders Sweden but with a game in hand.
Srna impresses
[3] Kovac opened the scoring on 39 minutes when he got on the end of an excellent right-wing cross from Darijo Srna, who dazzled down the flank for Croatia throughout the match. It was Srna who then broke the game open during a six-minute spell midway through the second half, setting up further goals for Šimunic, on 71 minutes, then Kovac again five minutes after that.
Pršo goal
[4] A dispiriting evening for Iceland was compounded in added time when Pršo capped an excellent team and personal performance with his side's fourth. Croatia could go top of the group on Wednesday should they win at home to Malta. Iceland, second bottom with just one point from five matches, are not in action again until 4 June when they play host to Hungary.
Croatia's Ivan Klasnic (left) vies with Petur Haflidi Marteinsson