Croatians low after shock loss

Source: Agencies  |   2008-6-22  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

A PALPABLE sorrow spread across Croatia yesterday as Turkey's comeback in the European Championship quarterfinals sent the national football team out of the competition.

Despite the 1-3 loss in a penalty shootout, Croats tried to stay positive, focusing on their best result in an international championship since reaching the semifinals at the 1998 World Cup.

"Keep your heads up!" the cover of the leading daily Vecernji list wrote. Jutarnji list declared, "We love you anyway," and daily 24 Sata said, "We are still proud of you."

Croatia won all three of its opening matches and finished first in Group B to reach the quarterfinals. The team appeared certain to advance to the semifinals when Ivan Klasnic scored in the 119th minute on Friday in Vienna to give the team a 1-0 lead over Turkey. But its dream was dashed moments later when Semih Senturk scored an equalizer and then added a penalty in the shootout.

"It was a thriller that broke our hearts," commentator Petar Grubisic wrote in Vecernji list.

Croatia coach Slaven Bilic did not let the disappointment show, however.

"I congratulate the guys, ours and the Turks," he said. "That's why football is the best, the most dramatic sport on earth."

But the last two minutes of the match will torment Bilic for the rest of his life. "The misfortune will chase us like a nightmare, forever. The last two minutes of the game will torment us all our lives."