Croatia kept theirs FIFA World Cup they hope to stay alive with an emphatic 1-0 win over Panama on Tuesday, thanks to Ante Budimir’s second goal.Budimir scored in the 54th minute, just four minutes after coming on as a substitute. Josip Stanišic delivered a curling cross into the box and Budimir was well placed to head the ball into an empty net.The win keeps Croatia in the hunt for a playoff spot ahead of their final Group L game against Ghana on Saturday. Panama, meanwhile, were eliminated from the tournament and remained without a World Cup point from their two matches.After a quiet first half at BMO Field, Croatia stepped up after the break and secured the win through Budimir.The 2018 fans nearly doubled after that. Veteran midfielder Luka Modricmaking his 200th appearance in Croatia, he took out Marco Pašalic with a good win in the fight. However, Panama’s goal-scorer Orlando Mosquera made a crucial save to deny Pasalic.Panama pushed hard to equalize and came closest in the 67th minute. Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved his team with three saves in a row, including a fingertip stop that pushed the ball over the crossbar.The fight for freedom from Group L will go to the end of the game. England and Ghana are tied on four points, while Croatia is on three.On Saturday, England will face Panama in East Rutherford, while Croatia will take on Ghana in Philadelphia with a knockout spot on the line.
