Iceland vs. Croatia: Score, Recap and Post-Match Reaction

In search of their first-ever World Cup appearance, Iceland battled Croatia to a scoreless draw during the first leg of their qualifying playoff.

Croatia had their chances to put the underdog's unlikely quest to the World Cup in grave jeopardy, but they were unable to capitalize on their chances, which included a free kick on a red card during the second half. After playing to a draw despite Iceland playing most of the second half with 10 men, their second matchup will now determine who lives to fight another day:

The Reykjavik crowd, which orchestrated a sellout just hours after tickets became available, were at full force as Iceland battled to become the smallest country to ever qualify for the World Cup. 

Neither team entered the scoresheet during the first half. Although Iceland earned a corner kick just minutes into the match, the first half as a whole provided few scoring chances for either club:

But despite holding their ground, they suffered a significant scare when Kolbein Sigthrosson went down in pain shortly before the first half drew to a close. Darting toward the net, the star stopped short, avoiding a potential collision but instead getting caught in the turf.

He winced in agony on the ground before taking his exit:

Iceland nearly kicked off the second half in style, but Alfred Finnbogason missed wide on a clear look. To make matters worse, they were then forced to play the remainder of the match short-handed.

During the 50th minute, Olafur Ingi Skulason was handed a red card after tripping up Ivan Perisic, who gained a clear step on the defender with open space ahead of them. Perisic played a strong match, firing five shots while drawing three fouls. According to WhoScored.com, he earned a 77 percent passing accuracy rating as well:

The blatant foul forced the official to eject Skulason from action, but goalkeeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson bailed him out for the moment by punching away the free kick and another ensuing opportunity, keeping the match scoreless despite Croatia's golden opportunity.

The action heated up during the second half, as the pace quickened with each squad gaining more space on their attacks. Despite the intensified effort to find the net, neither team could succeed. Iceland should thank its goalkeeper for maintaining an even slate.

Halldorsson was on point all day for Iceland, notching six saves, including leaping to grab a shot fired over his head during the 69th minute: 

Another promising opportunity unfolded later in the match, but Ivan Rakitic saw his free kick from a Birkir Bjarnason foul blocked. That inability to seal the deal as the field's smallest country proved to serve as a theme throughout the 90-plus minutes of play.

On the other hand, Iceland was not able to muster much offense. They did not generate a single shot on goal during play, firing just four shots during the match.

After two minutes of extra time, the officials blew the whistle on the match, sealing a draw that Iceland can consider a moral victory of sorts considering the circumstances. Playing against 10 men, Croatia missed an alluring chance to gain the upper hand on their two-match playoff.

The two squads will meet again on Tuesday in Zagreb to determine who advances after their second leg.