SISTER clubs Melbourne and Adelaide Croatia have severed ties following the bungled transfer of striker Mladen Putanec. And the ill-feeling could turn into an even messier affair with Adelaide Croatia vice-president Carlo Zaga threatening to take legal action in an attempt to claim the $6000 transfer fee for the player …
Read More »Time to stop pulling punches over spectator violence
Again the actions of a thoughtless minority have cast Australian soccer in a bad light, and again the administrators face the dilemma of whether they have the guts to do anything about it. A specially-convened national league tribunal in Adelaide next week will decide what action should be taken concerning …
Read More »Souths take title the hard way
MELBOURNE: South Melbourne are the new National League champions, but only after fate dealt them a helping hand in an often drab but ultimately dramatic grand final at Olympic Park yesterday. On an afternoon marred by several outbreaks of unruly behaviour from the Melbourne Croatia fans, Souths came back from …
Read More »TEAMS’ SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON REACTION TO EUROPEAN CHANGES
SYDNEY Croatia meet Melbourne Croatia in a national league match at Edensor Park this weekend, and Bradley Report or not, these two clubs have some serious soul-searching to do. The basis of this introspection should be whether sport and politics mix, and whether the motivation which led to the clubs’ …
Read More »Injury sours Croatia’s celebrations
SYDNEY: Victory celebrations for Melbourne Croatia were soured slightly after their thrilling 2-1 win over Parramatta Melita yesterday with world cup soccer defender Alan Davidson rushed to hospital suffering concussion. – With only six minutes remaining, Croatia goalkeeper David Miller tried to clear a Melita cross but ended up punching …
Read More »Adzic the player’s player
EXCITING Melbourne Croatia striker Zeljko Adzic has won the prestigious John Warren Medal as the National Soccer League Players’ Player of the Year. Adzic, who is currently in Yugoslavia with first division club Dinamo Zagreb, won by 13 votes from team-mate Branko Milosevic with newcomer Greg Brown from Parramatta Melita …
Read More »OLD BOYS’ CLUB IS ALIVE AND WELL IN ZAGREB
ZAGREB, Thursday: Greetings from Zagreb where I have the pleasure of writing this week’s column. Apart from this city of one million being the capital of the northern Republic of Croatia, it is rich in history – boasting one of Europe’s oldest cathedrals and a university which is more than …
Read More »Melbourne Croatia No 3
MELBOURNE: Melbourne Croatia climbed into the National Soccer League top five yesterday after beating Sydney Olympic 2-1 at North Sunshine. It will occupy third position at least until the balance of the present round has been played. Goalkeeper Clint Gosling was Olympic’s hero, saving a penalty by Zeljko Adzic in …
Read More »THE CONTENDERS – AND THE PRETENDERS
IT’S that time of the year for our national championship – the crucial time that separates the men from the boys, the final championship contenders from the also rans. To accommodate the “summer” season kick-off in October, this year’s championship finishes in August and as such is already almost two-thirds …
Read More »Kelic keeps Croatia in the hunt
Young goal-scoring sensation Ivan Kelic maintained his outstanding record as league leaders Melbourne Croatia shared the points with St George in a 2-2 draw at St George Stadium last night. Kelic, 20, scored twice within the space of eight minutes midway through the first half, both from inside the six-metre …
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