Mario Mandzukic marked his 2014 World Cup debut with a brace to help Croatia to a 4-0 victory over Cameroon in Manaus.
The score was a bit misleading after Cameroon started the game brightly, only to give a goal to Croatia against the run of play through Ivica Olic.
The Indomitable Lions did well to continue pressing, and enjoyed some nice play down the wings, before Alex Song was shown a straight red card that changed the game. In the 2nd half, Ivan Perisic’s fantastic individual effort opened the floodgates and Mandzukic struck his brace, one by head and one by foot.
The match began well for Cameroon, hustling down the wings with a pace and hunger that lacked in the opening match 0-1 loss to Mexico. A flurry of chances came up empty and in the 11th minute Croatia took the lead when Luka Modric swung the ball out to the right wing where Drijo Srna found himself in space. The Shakhtar defender wasted no time whipping in a ball for Mandzukic who went shoulder-to-shoulder with defender Nicholas Nkoulou. The resulting ball fell to the feet of Perisic, who crossed hard and low for Olic to finish from close range.
Cameroon battled and arguably was enjoying the run of play when Song daftly chased down an off-the-ball Mandzukic on a 40th minute counter attack and ripped him down from behind with an elbow punch. Straight red was the obvious decision and Cameroon were down to 10 men, visibly deflated.
From there, Croatia took the game to Cameroon and only three minutes into the second half Ivan Perisic doubled the lead, picking up Cameroon goalkeeper Charles Itandje’s poor clearance and dribbling 45 yards into the box, outrunning Dany Nounkeu along the way, and cooly finishing low to the keeper’s right.
After flubbing a glorious chance from a Sammir though-ball, Mandzukic rose high on Pranjic’s 61st minute outswinging corner to thump it into the back of the net. Fifteen minutes later and the wantaway Bayern Munich striker had his brace after Mateo Kovacic cut a clever pass to fellow substitute Eduardo, who sent teasing right-footed shot on Itanjde. The keeper parried the shot right to the feet of Mandzukic, who finished easily.
Late in the match Cameroon pushed forward and nearly scored off efforts by Benjamin Moukandjo and Stephane M’Bia but it was not to be for the Lions, who will be heading home after their final group stage match against Brazil on June 23rd.
LINEUPS:
Cameroon – Itandje, Assou-Ekotto, Nkoulou (c), Song, Moukandjo, Aboubakar (Webo 70′), Choupo Moting (Salli 75′), Chedjou (Nounkeu 46′), Mbia, Enoh, Matip
Croatia -Pletikosa, Pranjic, Perisic (Redbic 78′), Corluka, Lovren, Rakitic, Modric, Srna (c), Mandzukic, Olic (Eduardo 69′), Sammir (Kovacic 72′)
Goals – Olic 11′, Perisic 48′, Mandzukic 61′, Mandzukic
Discipline – Song 40′ (red), Eduardo 69′ (yellow)
