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The head coach of the Croatian national team, Zlatko Kranjčar, will send Stjepan Tomas and Dario Šimič to the field instead of Roberto Kovač in Thursday's match against Australia in Stuttgart, where they will form a defensive duo in the midfield. R.Kovač will have to miss the game because he received his second yellow card in Sunday's match against Japan. "As always, my first thought was a good thought," said coach Z.Kranjčar. "It is a big loss because we were used to his style of play. It won't be easy, but we have other players as well," goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa spoke about the upcoming match against Australia. "We are a more technical team than them. The winner of the match will be decided by character and team spirit." Furthermore, the outcome of the match will also be decided by goals or the lack thereof, as it is a major issue for the Croatian national team, which has struggled to score a goal since their victory against Italy in the 2002 championship. Even the usually reliable Dario Srna missed a penalty kick in Sunday's match against Japan. For Croatia to advance to the next stage, they must win Thursday's match, as they have already lost to Brazil and drew with Japan."
