Philadelphia, June 28 -- Croatia secured a place in the FIFA World Cup Round of 32 with a resilient 2-1 victory over Ghana in their final Group L encounter at Lincoln Financial Field here on Sunday IST, recovering swiftly from a late setback to seal second place in the group.
The victory took Croatia to seven points from three matches, enough to finish runners-up behind England, who defeated Panama 2-0 in the other Group L fixture. Ghana ended their campaign with four points after one win, one draw and one defeat.
Croatia controlled much of the opening half, dictating possession and patiently probing Ghana's defence in a contest that initially offered few clear-cut chances. Nikola Vlasic came closest midway through the half when his effor...