Cameroon will have to suffer the consequences of their despairing 4-0 defeat against Croatia by walking out of the World Cup empty-handed, June 18, at the Arena Amazonia at Manaus.
Niko Kovac, Croatian team coach must be feeling better now with their win, as compared to their opening match against the host, Brazil, where they controversially lost because of an undeserved penalty.
This match was a far cry from the said scene, as it is evident that Croatia did not even have second thoughts about crushing their opponents on the field.
The game started with a goal from Ivica Olic just eleven minutes from the opening. Olic now holds the record of being the oldest World Cup goal scorer in his home land. It was also thanks to Ivan Perisic's pass that the score was made.
Perisic had a great game, too, as he consistently challenged the Indomitable Lions in their conquest for an equalizer. But that point never came in neither the first half of the game, nor the second one.
In fact, Cameroon did not even look threatening to the Croatian team.
Ultimately, the second goal, which came from Perisic, should be blamed at goal keeper Charles Itandje. The Croatian striker took advantage of the Itandje's weak effort to clear the vicinity of the net from any balls as he moved away from his post.
The third and fourth goal was delivered by Mario Mandzukic, at the 61st and 73rd minute of the match. Again, the last goal was the goal keeper's personal mistake, as he took no notice of Mandzukic's shot for he was too busy taking care of Eduardo's.
The bell rang, and it meant a victory for Croatia. Kovac's men might even get a chance to play for the next round of 16 if they can pull off a few tricks against the El Tri. If this happens, it will be the first time since 1998 that they surpass the group level.
