Croatia is through to the World Cup final against France this Sunday, but the team didn't make it easy for itself with a lengthy journey to reach the pinnacle of soccer.
All three of their knockout matches went to extra time, meaning that they had ultimately played an extra game compared to their opponent France, which managed to defeat all of its opponents within 90 minutes.
Two of Croatia’s three knockout stage victories came via a win in a penalty shootout, the first against Denmark and the second against host nation Russia.
The penalty shootout against Russia captivated the small nation, including this group of Croatian firefighters.
In the video, you can see all of them crowded around the television, about to watch Croatia’s midfield talisman Ivan Rakitic put his nation through to a semifinal match against England. However, the fire alarm in the building goes off before they can see the kick, and they race to get ready and head out to put out a fire or maybe even help a cat get out of a tree. No one really knows what the emergency was.
Some reports have said that the video was staged in order for the Croatian public to recognize the potential of the firefighters missing out on what is the most important match in Croatia’s history.
We’ve all seen the videos of Croatian watch parties with multiple flares going off, and as a result the firefighters will have to come and make sure the flares don’t harm anyone.
How true those reports are, we do not know, but the message is clear: Croatia, don’t be stupid and start a fire during the World Cup.
Be safe on Sunday, Croatia. The least you could do is let these incredibly hard-working Croatian firefighters enjoy the game without having to be called for duty.
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