FRANCE 98 – Match preview n°63

Holland and Croatia clash in the low-key World Cup play-off match and the players and coach will be forgiven for looking ahead to plans for next season than hotly contesting third place. The highly technical Croatia and Holland meet at the Parc des Princes on Saturday (kick-off 9pm 1900 GMT) following highly impressive performances.

But Holland coach Guus Hiddink refused to write off Saturday’s game. “Despite the fact we would prefer to be playing on Sunday, we will be taking this game seriously, “ he said.

Croatia, who matched Portugal’s 1966 record of reaching the semi-finals in their first World Cup, might have beaten France had Lilian Thuram not equalized so quickly after Davor Suker scored seconds after the break. Should Suker score another goal, he will be out on his own with six and only Ronaldo on four could realistically prevent him being World Cup top scorer.

Sukerman, currently on five goals with Argentina’s Gabriel Batistuta and Christian Vieri of Italy, has top clubs lobbying for his signature after spending most of last season on the Real Madrid subs bench. However, he will have to improve on Hristo Stoichkov’s showing four years ago. The striker, trying to finish ahead of joint top scorer Oleg Salenko of Russia with six goals, had a dreadfully selfish game as Bulgaria crashed 4-0 to Sweden.

Holland, who cancelled out Ronaldo’s opener through the head of Patrick Kluivert, were only ousted by Brazil in a penalty shoot-out in their Marseille semi-final. Kliuvert is another player keen to impress. He is being chased by London clubs Tottenham and Arsenal, after a miserable 12 months with AC Milan, with bait of 48,000 dollars a week in wages.

Marc Overmars, Aron Winter and Michael Reiziger are all doubtful and have been doing only light training at the Dutch base at La Turbie near Monaco.  Overmars still has a left hamstring pull, Winter has an infected toe and Reiziger has a right shoulder knock from the Brazil match.

Skipper Frank de Boer finished that match with a painful left knee. ” I think we deserved better at this World Cup, “ said Hiddink. ” It hurts being knocked out in the semi-finals on penalties. But that’s the reality.” The Spanish press are tipping Hiddink as the most likely replacement for coach Jose Antonio Camacho, who only lasted 22 days following a row with Real president Lorenzo Sanz, as Real Madrid coach.

Skipper Zvonimir Boban is the only Croatia injury doubt after his recurrent thigh problem was at the root of a major row during the semi-final. Coach Miroslav Blazevic refused to let his skipper come off at half-time, even though the AC Milan star was struggling after just 20 minutes. Defender Slaven Bilic will surely be booed when he touches the ball in front of the French public at the Parc after helping to get Laurent Blanc sent off in the semi-final by collapsing after a mere push.