After Brazil match: Modric's special praise for HSV's Vuskovic | OneFootball

Another strong performance on a big stage was followed by high-profile praise. Luka Vuskovic once again put himself in the spotlight in Croatia’s international against Brazil.

The 19-year-old HSV defensive leader impressed for long stretches in the 1-3 defeat in Orlando despite the loss. After the match, he even received praise from superstar Luka Modric.

Over 82 minutes against the five-time world champions, Vuskovic delivered a mature display, showing no signs of being intimidated by stars such as Vinícius Júnior or by the pressure. Just as in the previous 2-1 win over Colombia, he looked composed and strong in the tackle. The teenager won six of his ten duels and also completed 52 of 53 passes to a teammate. All the more bitter: shortly after he was substituted, the game swung in Brazil’s favor.

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Modric predicts a great career for Vuskovic

Croatia captain Modric still chose to focus on the positives. “In the end, it’s a shame because of the result. But I think we showed a lot of good signs,” he told the newspaper Slobodna Dalmacija. The veteran was even clearer when speaking about his young teammate: “He played two very good games, he has a great future ahead of him, he just has to keep going like this.”

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Croatian media are also in agreement: with his performances in the USA, Vuskovic has made a lasting impression and should have all but secured his place in the World Cup squad. It was particularly remarkable that the defender impressed both in a back three and in a back four.

But despite all the excitement, it is now a race against time. Immediately after the match, Vuskovic began the long journey back to Hamburg. As early as Saturday (3:30 p.m., Sky), the teenager is expected to be on the pitch at the Volkspark against FC Augsburg. Coach Merlin Polzin knows about the strain: “Of course, the effort is extreme for Luka when it comes to the travel stress.” Nevertheless, those at HSV are hoping that their in-form defensive leader can once again play a key role this weekend.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.