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Just when it looked like Croatia was lacking the spirit and edge it showed in 1998 and 2018, just when it looked like Scotland might steal one and finally advance out of the group stage, Croatia’s talisman and captain stepped up. The record-setting Luka Modrić goal vs Scotland confirmed his side’s place in the last 16 of Euro 2020 and helped Croatia secure a 3-1 victory in the Group D finale on Tuesday at Hampden Park in Glasgow.
Luka Modrić is a marvel. He’s a dynamo in midfield, a warrior in on both ends, a masterful tactician and an inspirational leader. He’s an ageless wonder who nearly singlehandedly sent Croatia into the Round of 16 in Euro 2020.
Croatia, the 2018 World Cup runner-up, looked lackluster in a 1-0 defeat to England and 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic. Zlatko Dalić’s men knew a win over Scotland would be enough to get through the group stage but found themselves tied 1-1 at halftime. A draw would do neither side any good, but neither side looked good enough to find a winner.
Then a 35-year-old once again ascended to the pinnacle of his sport.
Luka Modrić has played 62 games since the start of the 2020-21 season, including grueling LaLiga and Champions League campaigns with Real Madrid. Maybe that was why he and the rest of his team felt a bit off the pace in the opening two matches.
With Croatia facing elimination, the quality of the 2018 Ballon d’Or winner came through with one of the classiest goals of the tournament. In the 62nd minute of his 62nd match, Modrić swept through the ball with the outside of his right foot, creating glorious spin to curl the ball around keeper David Marshall and inside the far post. It was the type of effort that could have just as easily gone out for a throw-in but Modrić has the technical abilities to put on target more often than not. The camera angle starting at about 0:56 in the video below shows just how amazing the strike was.
Luka Modrić Goal vs Scotland
It’s a cliché to say it, but the goal changed the game. After Modrić’s strike, Croatia once again looked like the team that reached the 2018 World Cup Final. Scotland never really had a chance, and Ivan Perišić put the game away with a glancing header in the 77th minute.
When the final whistle blew, Croatia had jumped up to second place in the group and Scotland once again failed to get out of the group stage.
Goal that almost certainly knocks Scotland out of yet another tournament at the group stage was a Modric stunner. I ache for Scotland and am reminded of Homer's wisdom
“Kids, you tried your best, and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try” pic.twitter.com/0dcCdmYIMJ— roger bennett (@rogbennett) June 22, 2021
It wasn’t just the Modrić goal against Scotland that stood out. The midfielder was all over the place, pressing Marshall in one moment, helping Croatia build out of the back in the next.
Even at 35, the man hasn’t slowed a bit; and even if he has, he’s still miles ahead of his peers. Modrić is like soccer’s version Grand Theft Auto V or Skyrim, which remain infinitely replayable nearly a decade after release.
Luka Modric's game by numbers against #SCO
115 touches (most)
98 passes (most)
2 shots
1 interception
1 clearance
1 chance created
1 take-on completed
1 assist
1 goalAnd one of the best goals of the tournament. pic.twitter.com/svkkpeyLwU
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 22, 2021
I’ll be honest, a part of me wishes I could hate on Modrić.
He’s a former Tottenham player who is exactly two days older than me, a constant reminder of both my favorite club team’s failures and my lost youth. Modrić is now Croatia’s all-time youngest and all-time oldest goal scorer at the Euros — a remarkable record for any player. I broke my glasses the last time I played indoor soccer.
35y 286d - Luka Modric is now both the youngest (22y 273d, v Austria in 2008) and the oldest (35y 286d today v Scotland) Croatian goalscorer in the Euros. Evergreen. #EURO2020 #CRO pic.twitter.com/scFbWSrIDp
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) June 22, 2021
We’ll get to see Luka Modrić at least once more at Euro 2020, when Croatia takes on the Group E runner-up (potentially Sweden, Slovakia, Spain or Poland) on Monday in Copenhagen. At 35, there’s no guarantee he’ll make another major international tournament, so enjoy the magnificent magician for as long as we’re fortunate enough to watch him on the international stage.
