*Today's semifinal croatia vs. england
Moscow
1 p.m. • Ch. 9
World rankings
Croatia 20, England 12
HEAD TO HEAD
Overall: Croatians played for Yugoslavia before splitting off in 1990. England leads 4-2 with one draw. The teams have not met since qualifying for the 2010 World Cup.
WHY croatia WILL WIN
A generation of players in their primes, or just past their primes, led by a strong midfield with Ivan Pericic (29), Ivan Rakatic (30) and Luka Modric (32), with Mario Mandzukic (32) heading the attack.
WHY england WILL WIN
After falling short for generations, coach Gareth Southgate has put together a team that is playing like a team. Striker Harry Kane was the only standout heading into the tournament. Plus the Croats are coming off consecutive penalty-kick wins and figure to have to more tired legs.
Associated Press
