Croatia vs. Morocco, 2022 FIFA World Cup 3rd Place match: Match thread and discussion

We have reached the final weekend of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and we get it started with the match that no one wants to play in: the 3rd place match. It’s the match between two teams that wish they were playing tomorrow instead for the trophy, but instead Croatia and Morocco will battle it out to try and get one more win.

Photo by JUAN MABROMATA/AFP via Getty Images

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The two teams met each other to open up their World Cup back on November 23rd, a 0-0 draw at Al Bayt Stadium to open up Group F play. Belgium and Canada, their fellow group opponents, can take solace in the fact that their Group produced 2 of the 4 semifinalists in this World Cup. However, Croatia and Morocco both stumbled in their semifinal matches, with Croatia losing to Argentina and Morocco losing to France. As a result, they’re in the 3rd place match to try and get one last win for their fans who made the trip to Qatar.

The thing about this match that we saw the first time around was that both teams are excellent defensively, something that carried them to this point. Croatia had only conceded 3 goals before they lost to Argentina in the semifinals. The only goal that Morocco gave up before their semifinal loss to France was an own goal against Canada. So, it will be a nice chess match between two teams that want to push forward methodically without giving up any space for a counter.

A lot of the stars that could feature in this match have logged heavy minutes throughout the tournament, so it will be interesting to see how each coach rotates their squad. It could be Luka Modrić’s last World Cup match, so you expect him to get some time. But’s he’s logged more minutes than just about anyone in this tournament, so does Croatia allow him the rest? Despite it being the loneliest match in soccer, it should be a nice match between two teams that have captured the hearts of so many with their tremendous play over the last month.

How to watch

Croatia vs. Morocco

Location: Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan

Kick-off time: 10:00am Eastern, 7:00am Pacific

Available TV: Fox (English), Telemundo (Spanish)

Available streaming: Fox Sports Go (App/Website), Telemundo (Website), Peacock (Website), FuboTV (Free Trial), SiriusXM FC (Radio)

This thread will be your match thread. We don’t have many rules here. We just ask that you don’t insult each other personally and treat each other with respect. Debates can get heated and that’s fine, but name-calling and petty insults will get you banned. If you see a comment that you feel is out of line, please report it and it will be dealt with.