National Team Friendly

National Stadium
Spectators: 10314 (Terracing: 7736, Seating: 2372, VIP seats: 206) It was fairly windy and cold on the field when Dominick Antheunis kicked off to start the match. A collision led to U21 Croatia getting a freekick after 2 minutes play. Mijo Karamatić hit a great ball. In the 3rd match minute, U21 Croatia was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Bo Nesta to maneuver through the defense. After a defensive mix-up in U21 Croatia's zone, Benny Van der Poorten stole the ball and had only the goalie to beat. Ivan Krile came out of the goal and Benny Van der Poorten tried to chip the ball over his head. To his dismay, the ball went over the crossbar and out of play. In the 6th minute Bo Cantona shot on, it seemed, an open goal, but Harold Meys saw the ball coming and threw himself on it before it passed the goal line. 7 minutes had been played when some careless play by U21 Belgium's defense caused the ball to cross the line for a corner. Bo Cantona was slow to take the kick. During this time U21 Croatia's players had a chance to rest. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Bo Cantona in the 9th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Harold Meys saved U21 Belgium from getting behind. The referee was alert and spotted a serious foul by Florian De Werdt during the 10th minute. The player immediately received a yellow card. Dominick Antheunis blasted a shot towards the goal in the 13th minute, but the shot hit the top of the crossbar and went out without Ivan Krile having to make a save. Florian De Werdt could have scored with his fast shot on goal in the 17th minute of the match, but Ivan Krile made a huge save. U21 Belgium's attacker deliberately struck the ball against an opponent to win a corner for his team. The corner was taken by Benny Van der Poorten in the 19th minute. The audience thought a goal was coming when Florian De Werdt got free with Ivan Krile in the 23rd minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. In the 27th minute, Bo Cantona ran past the defenders and hit a shot which went straight ahead into goal. Harold Meys was frozen by the shot and now it was 0-1. Harold Meys showed brilliant goalkeeper skills when he caught the ball after a hard shot from Bo Cantona in the 34th minute of the match. 35 minutes into the match, U21 Croatia's goal looked a bit too open when Dominick Antheunis came free, but Ivan Krile reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. In the 37th minute, Dominick Antheunis made a precise shot to the right of Ivan Krile. U21 Croatia's defense was at fault, and the scoreboard reflected the new score, 1-1. The audience thought a goal was coming when Dominick Antheunis got free with Ivan Krile in the 40th minute, but the goalkeeper managed to catch the ball with a huge effort. After 46 played minutes, U21 Croatia's Bo Cantona shot from a long distance, and at first it looked like the ball was going into the goal, but the goalkeeper Harold Meys came through and got his fingers on the ball before it flew over the goal line. He then quickly gripped the ball tighter before the forwards in U21 Croatia reached it. Harold Meys showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Mislav Oršić, who was totally free with the ball in the 47th minute. The score stood at 1-1 when the half time whistle went. Both sets of players seemed reasonably pleased with how the match was going.

U21 Croatia's Bo Ibrahimović was substituted for Franjo Fabijanić. When the second half was about to start, both teams quickly lined up and Bo Cantona made a kick off. 52 minutes into the match, U21 Croatia's goal looked a bit too open when Florian De Werdt came free, but Ivan Krile reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Harold Meys showed his good apprehension of the play when he made a fantastic save on a shot from Bo Cantona, who was totally free with the ball in the 61st minute. When U21 Belgium's Dominick Antheunis in the 62nd minute got a chance for a shot 62nd didn't hesitate and placed the ball to the right of the goalie. A beautiful save bye U21 Croatia's goalie prevented a goal. Harold Meys took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Bo Ibrahimović, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. The supporters of U21 Croatia booed when U21 Belgium was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 66 match minutes in a wonderful position. Nicolas Specht didn't get a good kick on the ball. U21 Croatia made a substitution. Hrvoje Lukašek replaced Sofyan Amrabat. After 67 played minutes U21 Belgium got a freekick which was hit by Nicolas Specht. A collision led to U21 Belgium getting a freekick after 69 minutes play. Benny Van der Poorten hit a great ball. U21 Belgium's Harold Meys played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Bo Ibrahimović in the 72nd minute of play. Florian De Werdt scored 2-1 in the 76th match minute with a shot that went into the goal to the right of Ivan Krile, who was just a little too slow in reacting to the shot. When the match had gone on for 81 minutes, Mislav Oršić took a quick shot and it went in 2-2 without a chance for Harold Meys to make any attempt to save it. With a couple of smart ball manuevers Leopold Asselberghs in the 84th managed to get into a good position. With a left leg Ivan Krile saved U21 Croatia from getting behind. Didac Vassaras hit a great freekick 87 minutes into the match. In the 88th minute, U21 Croatia's Mislav Oršić ran free of his marker and smoothly shot the ball into the goal behind Harold Meys. Harold Meys yelled at his defense, as they had left him out to dry. 2-3. U21 Belgium's Harold Meys proved his good apprehension of play when he, in the 94th minute of the match, managed to save U21 Belgium from getting a goal against them. In the 97th minute, Nicolas Specht hit a crossing free kick to the open man running down the field. The long shot by Vlaho Ćavar in the 98th minute really tested Harold Meys's skills. The ball was on its way into the goal to the left of him when he managed to stretch himself and save the shot and avoid a goal.