Can Iceland defeat Croatia in the first leg of World Cup playoffs? The Cinderella team will certainly do its best to pull off the feat.
"Because they haven't made it to a final tournament before, it makes it extra big for them," Iceland Coach Lars Lagerback recently stated about the importance of pulling off the upset, according to The Star Online. "From being a small country and not believing it in the beginning, it's bigger in that way."
Here are a few reasons why Iceland can believe.
Momentum
For the record, Iceland has been the better team in this game in recent play. Croatia has the likes of Luka Modric and Mario Mandzukic, but the team is in shambles and recently saw its coach get fired after failing to win in its final four World Cup qualifiers; the team has not won a qualifier since March.
Meanwhile, Iceland went undefeated in its final for qualifiers and managed an impressive 4-4 draw with Switzerland; the team trailed 4-1 at one point in the game before rallying for the draw. Clearly this is a team that believes and that alone could help it.
Home Field Advantage in the First Leg
How you finish is always essential, but how you start could be of greater importance. If Croatia scores the opening goal and wins the first leg, then few will give Iceland a chance in Croatia. However, the team will have its fan support to help ease the tension and should be able to apply a tremendous sense of pressure against a team that is already feeling the heat. Iceland won three and lost two in the group stage; the team scored eight at home while conceding seven in five matches.
Pressure
Speaking of pressure, it always helps to be the underdog. No matter how this turns out for Iceland, the team will be regarded as a huge success; the country has never made it this far in the tournament - EVER. A failure for Croatia will not be seen in the same light, especially after the team had a huge opportunity to win Group A against a young Belgian side. The fact that Croatia starts the playoffs in a hostile environment should only add to the tension.