Croatia v United States (1990)

On October 17, 1990 Croatia hosted the United States in an international friendly in Zagreb's Maksimir stadium. This was Croatia's first international match.^[1]

Background

Croatia's first democratic parliamentary elections took place from April 22 to May 7 of 1990. Subsequently, a riot took place on May 13, 1990 in Maksimir during a match between the Croatian club Dinamo Zagreb and the Serbian club Red Star Belgrade. Croatian midfielder Zvonimir Boban was suspended by the Belgrade-based Football Association of Yugoslavia for six months, causing him to miss the FIFA World Cup 1990 and the pre-tournament exhibitions.^[2] Yugoslavia's World Cup 1990 tuneup in Maksimir on June 3 saw the local Croatian fans booing the Yugoslav anthem and team, and cheering for the opposing Netherlands side which won the match 2-1. On September 26, Hajduk's game against Partizan Belgrade at Poljud stadium was cancelled after fans stormed the pitch and tore down the Yugoslav flag.^[3]

Game

The United States was on a tour of Europe where the team was already scheduled to play Poland. Croatian businessman Jure Klarić financed the $90,000 needed for the Americans to subsequently travel to Zagreb.^[4]

The exhibition took place on October 17, 1990. The match took place at the same time as the final of the 1990 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, in which several young Croatian talents played for Yugoslavia (Zvonimir Boban, Davor Šuker, Robert Jarni, Igor Štimac, Robert Prosinečki and Alen Bokšić). The exhibition was permitted by the Croat secretary of the Football Association of Yugoslavia, Ante Pavlović, who suspended the decision of the association's own committees regarding the match.^[5]

Despite conflicting with the Yugoslav juniors' match in the European finals, the match drew 30,000 spectators.^[1] Croatia won the match 2-1.^[1] The match was officiated by a group of Italian officials consisting of Sergio Coppetelli, Dario Boemo, and Giancarlo Dal Forno, with the Croat Atif Lipovac being the fourth official.^[6]

The match marked the debut of the Croatian national team's checkered jersey, designed by Miroslav Šutej who also designed the modern Flag of Croatia and the banknotes for the Croatian kuna.^[7]

Croatia v United States 1990

October 17, 1990	Croatia	2 – 1	United States	Maksimir Stadium, Zagreb Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Sergio Coppetelli (Italy)
	Asanović  29' Cvjetković  33'	(Report)	Dayak  80'

Squads

Croatia 2 (2) Dražen Ladić Zoran Vulić Drago Čelić Darko Dražić Vlado Kasalo Saša Peršon Kujtim Shalla Zlatko Kranjčar Ivan Cvjetković Aljoša Asanović Marko Mlinarić Substitutes: Tonči Gabrić Gregor Židan Mladen Mladenović Manager: Dražan Jerković

United States 1 (0) Tony Meola Steve Trittschuh Marcelo Balboa Desmond Armstrong Robin Fraser Jimmy Banks John Harkes Eric Eichmann Paul Krumpe Bruce Murray Peter Vermes Substitutes: Mike Windischmann Brian Bliss Troy Dayak Manager: Bob Gansler

Footnotes

1. ^ ^{a b c} Croatia - International Matches 1990-1995, RSSSF
2. ^ The Day Yugoslav Soccer Died
3. ^ Knjiga o najvećim Hajdukovim utakmicama
4. ^ Modri zakon o oplodnji, Jutarnji list
5. ^ Ante Pavlović odlikovan Ordenom Reda časti
6. ^ Hrvatska - SAD 2:0
7. ^ Croatian checkers a hit again

See also

• Yugoslavia v Netherlands (1990)

External links

• Game footage