Croatia kept their hopes of reaching the World Cup last 32 alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama on Tuesday, a result that eliminated the Central American side from the tournament.
The 2018 runners-up and 2022 semi-finalists were seeking a response after their opening 4-2 defeat to England in Group L. They eventually secured all three points in Toronto thanks to Ante Budimir's decisive goal early in the second half.
Panama, appearing at only their second World Cup, produced another disciplined display under coach Thomas Christiansen and came close to taking the lead before the break. In the 23rd minute, Jose Luis Rodriguez directed a header towards goal, but Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic managed to get his fingertips to the ball, diverting it onto the crossbar.
Croatia's captain Luka Modric, making his 200th international appearance, also threatened in the first half, although his early header drifted over the bar.
The match turned shortly after the restart. In the 54th minute, Josip Stanisic delivered a cross that Budimir converted from close range, prompting celebrations among the crowd of 43,000, the majority of whom were supporting Croatia.
The European side almost doubled their advantage moments later. A precise pass from Modric released Marco Pasalic through on goal, but goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera saved his initial effort. The rebound fell back to Pasalic, who sent his second attempt well over the bar while off balance.
Panama continued to push for an equaliser but were unable to break through, extending their run without a goal at the World Cup. They will conclude their campaign against England on Friday.
Speaking afterwards, Christiansen expressed pride in his players despite the defeat.
"You cannot win a match if you don't score," he said.
The Danish-born coach added that he was "super proud" of his team for the way they competed against higher-ranked opponents and believed the experience would benefit them in the future.
"These players, after these two World Cup matches, won't be where they are today," he said.
The victory moved Croatia onto three points. They will now face Ghana, who are on four points after drawing 0-0 with England, in a decisive match for a place in the last 32.
