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

The clock struck midnight on Iceland's quest to qualify for their first ever World Cup after they suffered a crushing 2-0 defeat against Croatia, who earned a trip to Brazil in 2014.

After fighting to a scoreless draw in Reykjavik during Friday's first leg, Croatia entered Tuesday's home leg knowing anything short of victory would prevent them from advancing. That desperation was evident early in the match, as they came out swinging at full force and dominated the entire bout in Zagreb.

Even while playing half of the match with 10 men, Croatia limited Iceland to just one shot on goal. 

Croatia put their foot on the pedal from the get-go, with Mateo Kovacic sailing a shot over the net during the match's opening minute. They quickly recuperated, earning a corner kick just two minutes later.

While Iceland fended off their advances, Croatia made it clear that they would not take their opponents lightly this time around.   

During the 26th minute, Croatia finally broke the scoreless drought. Ivan Rakitic pooched the team's fifth corner of the afternoon short, darting the return pass to Ivan Perisic in front of the post. Perisic guided the ball to Mario Mandzukic, who was waiting on the right side to notch his 13th goal of the year through all play.

From that point forward, all the pressure promptly shifted over to Iceland, who had been thoroughly outplayed and needed at least one score to keep their improbable run alive.  

But things got interesting before halftime, when Mandzukic was ejected with a red card after fouling Johann Berg Gudmundsson just 10 minutes after becoming the hero with his score. Mandzukic flared his foot in the air and caught Gudmundsson with his spike.

Nevertheless, the home team was again forced to play a large portion of the match with 10 men. Last time, Iceland's Olafur Skulason was sent packing early in the second half. That could have reinvigorated a fleeting Iceland squad, but Croatia instead continued their attack.

Anyone who stepped out for a moment at the half might have missed Darijo Srna add on another goal in the 47th minute to commence the second portion of the contest.

Even after gaining the 2-0 edge, Croatia refused to relent, never easing up or allowing their opponents a window back into the game. While the two squads finished with an even time of possession, Croatia controlled the ball throughout the second half before shifting to a defensive mindset late in the slate.

The Croatians were certainly not lacking confidence heading into the second leg. In fact, striker Ivica Olic was angry that the underdogs thought they even stood a chance of emerging victorious. He vented to the Associated Press, via SFGate.

"

I am aware that they are high on expectations, full of enthusiasm, but to be honest, I have no idea where their optimism comes from. They did not come to our goal in the first leg. We all know how important this is. We are better team, we will score more than once, we will win and go to Brazil. I have been at the World Cup, I know what it meant to me and the whole country.

"

Harsh, but accurate. Croatia thoroughly manhandled their adversaries, who were trying to become the smallest country ever to reach the World Cup. While the novelty made Iceland an appealing team to root for, Olic's bold and cruel declaration ultimately rang true. 

Croatia was the better team, and they'll live to fight another day in Brazil next year.

Grades

Position	Player	Grade
GK	Stipe Pletikosa	A
DF	Josip Simunic	B+
DF	Vedran Corluka	B+
DF	Darijo Srna	A
DF	Danijel Pranjic	B+
MF	Ivan Perisic	A-
MF	Ivan Rakitic	A-
MF	Luka Modric (off 89')	A-
MF	Ivica Olic (off 80')	C
MF	Mateo Kovacic (off 74')	B
F	Mario Mandzukic	B
Substitutes		Substitutes
74'	Ante Rebic	B-
80'	Nikica Jelavic	C+
89'	Dejan Lovren	C-

Ivan Rakitic, Croatia: A-

Rakitic was all over the place for the Croatians.

The midfielder made his presence felt throughout the match, most notably firing a crosser that helped set up the series' first goal. He was a calming, steady presence for his side, putting his teammates in the right position to succeed.

Per WhoScored.com, Rakitic touched the ball 78 times, maintaining a sterling pass accuracy rating of 85 percent. He also played swarming defense with four tackles, leading him to receive a player rating of 8.5.

The 25-year-old worked tirelessly to keep his squad in firm control of possession, and his seamless passing helped them engineer a smooth offense that finally broke through with some goals.

Darijo Srna, Croatia: A

Srna sealed the deal with his second-half goal, making a comeback nearly impossible for an Iceland squad that couldn't compile two shots on goal, let alone scores.

The 31-year-old picked the perfect time to score his first goal in World Cup qualifying play. He also played an efficient match, completing 78 percent of his passes in 73 touches, whiling winning all of his aerials. 

WhoScored.com gave him an 9.3 rating, the highest mark of anybody in the match. 

Not usually the player everyone looks to, Srna put on a clinic for Croatia to ice Iceland.

Position	Player	Grade
GK	Hannes Thór Halldórsson	B+
DF	Birkir Mar Saevarsson	B
DF	Ragnar Sigurdsson	B
DF	Kári Arnason	B+
DF	Ari Freyr Skúlason	B
MF	Johann Berg Gudmundsson	B-
MF	Birkir Bjarnason	B-
MF	Gylfi Sigurdsson	B
MF	Aron Gunnarsson (off 72')	C-
F	Alfred Finnbogason	C+
F	Eidur Gudjohnsen (off 64')	C
Substitutes		Substitutes
64'	Rurik Gislason	B-
72'	Emil Hallfredsson	B+

Hannes Thor Halldorsson, Iceland: B+

There's no question which keeper was forced to work harder throughout these two matches.

While Stipe Pletikosa spectated for most of the match, only to occasionally collect a lazily hit ball sent his way, Hannes Thor Halldorsson was forced to execute acrobatic saves to give his nation a chance.

The KR Reykjavik made two diving stops during the first half that otherwise would have sent the meeting spiraling out of control. He at least kept them in position to keep their hopes alive, needing one goal against a short-handed squad to realize their World Cup aspirations.

In the second half, he had to stop Mateo Kovacic after the cut in between and past two Iceland defenders to carve out a clear path to the net. Overall, he finished with seven saves, but a mishap early in the second half dampened his record.

On Mandzukic's goal, it's hard to blame Halldorsson when two perfect passes and a whole bunch of idleness on Iceland's part settled the score.

Had Halldorsson not displayed some excellent agility around the net, Croatia probably would have piled up the score even more in each of their two showdowns. 

What's Next?

Croatia will now wait for the drawing to see what opponents lie ahead in their fourth World Cup appearance. Although Iceland won't trek forward into Brazil, they've put their squad on their map as a team to watch.