Pašalić: Croatia is in a difficult group at the World Cup, but it has a reputation

Croatian footballer Mario Pašalić said that his team is in a difficult group at the World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, but that they are coming to the tournament with a reputation.

"We are all used to the World Cup being harder to get to, with the expansion some teams had an easier path. We will see in the end. There is no need to waste too many words on England, Ghana was the strongest in the fourth pot, and Panama is an unknown. The group is tough, but we come with a reputation," Pašalić told reporters in Alexandria, Hina reported.

Pašalić has played for all national teams, and made his debut for the A team in 2014 in a match against Cyprus. So far, he has played 85 games and scored 12 goals.

This is his second time playing at the World Championships, having won bronze four years ago in Qatar.

"We have a good mix of experience and youth, the young people took advantage of the opportunity and imposed themselves. I am sure we can repeat the results from the past," said Pašalić.

He commented on coach Zlatko Dalić's announcement that he is preparing two playing systems for the World Cup.

"Most players are used to changes, in modern football coaches tend to have more options. For years we played with four players in the back line, now we have the option of three players. In some games it looked good, in others a little less so," added Pašalić.

Croatia will play their first match of the tournament on Wednesday at 22 p.m. against England in Arlington, and Pašalić said that his team's defense will be key.

"The key will be the defensive phase, that we are compact, that we defend ourselves, there must not be too much distance between defense and attack. We have quality when we have possession and we can always do something in attack," he said.

Pašalić stated that he watched the opening of the tournament and the first half of the match between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada.

"I watched the opening and first half of BiH, it's too early to judge. The teams are cautious, it's the opening of the championship, it's important not to lose the first game," he said.

He assessed that the Croatian national teams from the last and this World Cup were "about there in terms of quality".

"It is difficult to announce success from Doha, and we are striving for that," said Pašalić.