MEMORY LANE: Croatia 2018: World Cup Hysteria
Sometimes the stars align. With the 2018 Croatia trip dates planned well over a year in advance, there was no way for VoyEdge Rx to know what was to happen during the week of our group's trip to Croatia that year.
As the 2018 World Cup group stage came and went, it became clear that the Croatian National Team was in a great position to advance to the playoff round and to perhaps make a fairly deep run. It started a day before the group arrived with Sasha and Tony in Zagreb a day before the trip started. As Croatia took on Russia in the quarterfinals, the energy in the main square in Zagreb was off the charts. Surrounded by thousands and thousands of new friends, Croatia completed the upset and advanced to the semifinals! The fans jumped into the fountain, poured beer on each other, sang songs, lit flares. It was mayhem in a joyous sense of the word.
The group arrived in Zagreb sort of knowing that Croatia was going to be playing in a few days while we were in Makarska. In the meantime we walked the stunning waterfalls of Plitvice National Park, boat cruised around the islands near Split, and explored Diocletian's Palace. After our kayaking trip in the Adriatic, we set off for Makarska and another experience we would soon not forget.
The main square of Makarska was small but felt that if it needed to, millions could have fit in it. The game was projected onto the wall of a building. There was an aura of happiness. Just a couple of feet to the left of the screen there were bullet holes in the wall. A stark reminder that just 27 years earlier, this area was a war zone in the fight for independence and now, every Croatian was coming together again to cheer on their countrymen.
England is good at football (soccer). One of the best ever, so to the couple of Croatians that were able to open their mouths for the match and talk with us, they, of course, wanted to win but they also knew there was no shame in losing that match. England took an early lead but the resilient Croatia tied it 1-1 with 22 minutes left in regular time. As the 90th minute approached, extra time was all but certain. Another 30 minutes was to be played. The extra time halftime came and went with no goals. Then….it happened! Mario Mandžukić put away the go-ahead goal with just 6 minutes left in extra time! As the seconds ticked away on the cloak, the flares started to light and suddenly the square erupted into cheer as the final whistle blew. Croatia was going to the finals!
After the match, we went down to the boardwalk with the sounds of horns honking, music blaring, and so many hugs.
The trip sadly ended the day before the final match against France but many in the group were able to stay back in Dubrovnik and watch Croatia put up a fight against another world football power. This time it ended 4-2 in favor of France to give Croatia a second-place finish.
Croatia is an amazing country regardless of how well their football team is doing. The awestricking moments that took place in Zagreb, Split, Makarska, and in Dubrovnik are to be relished and remembered and odds that we happened to be there during the world cup run made the trip that much more memorable. Even non football fans were excited to see everyone so happy. We were taken in by the Croatian people and given honorary Croatian fandom for cheering alongside them.
Even though Croatians fought together 27 years ago to gain independence, there are disagreements between the areas of Croatia. Each area needs different things and to this day there are many disagreements. As a cab driver in Zagreb told us, ‘Croatians come together for two things, war, and football.’ In the future, we hope that these disagreements get resolved and there are many more times Croatians can come together not for war or for football, but as countrymen and countrywomen.
