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The city of Belgrade is used to hosting electric games of football. After all, the Eternal derby between Serbias two most popular clubs, Red Star and Partizan, is one of the most intense rivalries in the sport. However, Fridays visit of Croatia in a pivotal World Cup qualifier took the citys footballing history to a new level. Twenty years ago, these two nations were fighting off the field in a brutal civil war, and for the first time since then, Serbia hosted their hated rivals in a heated matchup from Group A of UEFAs qualifying process for Brazil 2014. Much of the talk coming in was about reconciliation between the two teams, despite the plot lines unearthing deep, thick wounds. Serbian boss Sinisa Mihajlovic and his Croatian counterpart, Igor Stimac, played together for Yugoslavia, winning the 1987 World Youth Cup, but were then both famously sent off in the brutal final of the 1991 Yugoslavia Cup playing for their respective clubs, Red Star and Hajduk Split. In the first meeting between the two countries back in March, Croatia beat Serbia 2-0 and at the end of the match, the two coaches hugged each other in a sign fences were being mended between the two men, and, perhaps, between the countries. However, shortly before kick off on Friday when the two captains, Branislav Ivanovic and Darijo Srna, tried to address the crowd with some words of peace, the locals made it known that they had no interest in their plan. This game was all that was left now for the home team and their fans. Mihajlovics side have had a disastrous qualifying campaign and needed to win their remaining three games, and have Croatia lose their last three, to get second place in the group. It was a dream for every Serbian football fan but never a reality. In a chaotic and feisty game, Serbia were by far the better side. A back four consisting of three Premier League players - Ivanovic, Matija Nastasic and Aleksandar Kolarov, plus Borussia Dortmunds Neven Subotic (Nemanja Vidic is one of a few players who isnt playing for his country due to the atmosphere the manager has created with some strong rules and principles) were rarely threatened in the first half as their young forwards caused Croatia many problems. Lazar Markovic, now of Benfica, was the brightest of their young trio up front and showcased some outstanding movement and strength on the ball. Jose Mourinho was in attendance and it was no surprise that rumours suggested he was there to watch the 19-year-old, who scored a fantastic goal for his side against Sporting Lisbon last week. Croatia looked a very nervous, timid outfit, confused with their identity and what exactly Stimac wants his team to look like. With Luka Modric and the defensive-minded Ognjen Vukojevic in midfield, they got outrun by a more energetic home side through the middle. Sensing that, the impressive Ivan Rakitic, on the left, often needed to come inside to make up the numbers, but this exposed his flank and Zoran Tosic and right back Ivanovic often got the better of Southamptons Dejan Lovren, playing left back. Serbias best chances came from the right wing, highlighted by Tosics shot saved by Stipe Pletikosa in the first half, and it was no surprise when Serbia scored in the second half from a free kick won by Ivanovic after more poor discipline from Lovren. By then, though, Croatia had the lead and it had taken all of seven seconds to silence the electrifying atmosphere. In control of possession, once again, the home sides attack down the left was quickly intercepted by Srna, who immediately drove forward and slotted a perfect ball, splitting the stranded duo of Subotic and Nastasic. Through the middle ran Mario Mandzukic and like all great finishers, the Bayern Munich made no mistake on a one-on-one with the goalkeeper, slotting home his first and only chance of the match. Croatia barely deserved the lead and less than 15 minutes later, lost it for good when the impressive young forward Aleksandar Mitrovic rose high to send the home fans wild. The fans never sat down after that as the final quarter of the match reached the crescendo many expected, with both teams getting a man sent off. Referee Felix Brych did an outstanding job of keeping his cool while others around him were losing theirs and when he blew the whistle for full time, he didnt just finish a match. Gone now are Serbias chances to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil and despite that being a formality for a month, that shouldnt make it less of a story than it is. You have likely never heard of the football team Ludogorets. Yet, when the Bulgarian side knocked out Serbian league champions Partizan Belgrade from the third qualifying round of the Champions League back in July, it represented a real low for Serbian football. Days later, Red Star Belgrade lost their Europa League third round qualifying tie and to rub salt into the wound even more, Partizan, given one last chance at European football, lost to FC Thun in the final qualifying stage of that competition. Belgrade, once home to giants sitting at the top table of European football, has been left out of the party completely. Now the national team, less than four years after defeating Germany at the World Cup in South Africa, will miss out on the party in Brazil. For a country that produces many talented players, including some of the finest defenders in the game today, that is simply not good enough and changes will be made, starting with a new manager for the 2016 European Championship qualifiers. The final whistle also cemented Croatias place in Group A. Leaders Belgium beat Scotland 2-0 to move five points clear with two matches to go, meaning Croatias 1-1 draw on Friday leaves them in second place and a likely two-legged playoff game against another group runner-up to attempt to make it to Brazil. Despite not being able to realistically win the group, their next game against Belgium, who finish with a home match against Wales, will provide them with another acid test to see whether they are good enough to be amongst the best 13 in Europe. Junes loss to Scotland coupled with this underwhelming showing in Belgrade means the jury remains out on Croatias qualifying hopes. They used the play-off system two years ago to make it Euro 2012 but Stimacs side still have a lot of question marks before anyone can say they are a team that deserves to be playing at next summers World Cup. They are not underachieving like Serbia, but they are not far off it. Discount Rams Jerseys .J. Barea during a three-game shooting slump that was getting him booed off his home court with regularity. Brian Allen Jersey .Y. -- The New York Islanders were merely content with a lopsided victory. http://www.cheapramsjerseyschina.com/ . - Free agent defensive end Will Smith has signed with the New England Patriots. Travin Howard Jersey .com) - The University of Montana named Bob Stitt as its new head football coach on Tuesday. Micah Kiser Jersey . Bjoerndalen broke the record he shared with cross-country skiing great Bjoern Daehlie, also matching his fellow Norwegians record of eight gold medals. Bjoerndalen earlier won gold in Sochi in the mens sprint biathlon.NEW YORK -- The latest high-priced addition to the New York Yankees stood on the dais in front of a large news conference, put on his pinstriped jersey with No. 19 and smiled. "Hello. My name is Masahiro Tanaka," he said slowly in English. "Im very happy to be a Yankee." After chartering a Boeing 787 Dreamliner for his trip from Tokyo to New York, the 25-year-old right-hander with the $155 million, seven-year contract was presented Tuesday not in the news conference room downstairs at Yankee Stadium, but in the Legends Suite Club, where the high rollers congregate on game days. Yankees spokesman Jason Zillo concluded the teams latest Pacific overture drew New Yorks most-attended news conference since Hideki Matsui was introduced in January 2003. Managing general partner Hal Steinbrenner said obtaining Tanaka was worth the economic pain of exceeding the $189 million luxury tax threshold New York had hoped to stay under. "We needed another starter, and when we do things, we try to do them right," Steinbrenner said. "And this guy, hes tough. Hes got tremendous ability. We all know that. And hes going to be very exciting to watch. And hes going to be great for the team, a great teammate. And $189 (million) or not, we wanted a good quality starter, and we got it." Tanaka charted a Japan Airlines plane, which seats about 200, for the trans-Pacific trip to New York, reportedly costing about $200,000. There were just five passengers on the plane, including his pop star wife Mai Satoda, plus their poodle Haru. The flight, originally scheduled to depart at noon, was delayed many hours by a snowstorm. "There wasnt many choices of planes," he said through a translator when asked about the big jet. And a lengthy commercial trip could have been uncomfortable. "I thought about my conditioning, just wanted to get here in the best condition possible," he said. For his first meal in New York, he ventured outside his room at the Mandarin Oriental hotel overlooking Central Park. "I ate a sushi," he said, "which I bought at a grocery store nearby." New York, which also added Brian McCann, Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran during the off-season, figures to have a big following in Japan this year. Tanaka joins pitcher Hiroki Kuroda and outfielder Ichiro Suzuki on the roster, and reliever Yoshinori Tateyama will be at spring training with a minor league contract. "This would make the Boss proud," general manager Brian Cashman said in a reference to late owner George Steinbrenner. "The Yankeees obviously are about always trying to acquire the best talent and a collection of talent that can compete for a championship, but he also liked a lot of attention, and this certainly represents a lot of attention.dddddddddddd So this is Yankee big. This is Steinbrenner big." Tanaka was 24-0 with a 1.27 ERA last year, leading the Rakuten Golden Eagles to the Japan Series title. That left him with a 99-35 record and a 2.30 ERA in Japan, where he had 53 complete games in 172 starts. New York had one of the most successful Japanese players in the major leagues with outfielder Hideki Matsui, the 2009 World Series MVP. And the Yankees experienced costly flops with pitchers Hideki Irabu and Kei Igawa. Manager Joe Girardi was behind the plate for Irabus debut in 1997. "They feel a little bit more weight of representing their country than maybe players that are here on an everyday basis, because they kind of pave the way for the next guy and then the next guy," he said. Girardis advice: "Dont feel like you have to live up to the contract." On a tour of the U.S. with a Japanese high school all-star team in 2006, Tanaka met Matsui when one of the young pitchers games was rained out. During the off-season, he spoke briefly by telephone with Matsui about his pending decision. New York appealed to Tanakas desire to pitch on the biggest stage. "This is where you need to be. A great star. The biggest franchise. The biggest brand. The biggest city," Yankees President Randy Levine remembered saying during the teams pitch session with the player on Jan. 8 in Beverly Hills, Calif. "He said some other teams he had met with wanted him to transition in, and he didnt like that. He wanted to take the ball on Day One, and that told us a lot about him." Tanaka sounded prepared for the Yankees win-or-else mentality. "Ive heard that this place is -- it could be very harsh to you at times," he said. "Just wanted to put myself, though, in this environment and try to see where I can get to with my ability." Cashman is trying to lower expectations, saying Tanaka will slot in as No. 3 in the rotation behind CC Sabathia and Kuroda. "We could be getting more than a three. Maybe its a two. Maybe its even a one at some point," Cashman said. "I think that the adjustments are real, and as excited as we are to have and as much as we need a player of his capabilities, I want to make sure that people understand how difficult this game is over here and that there should be expectations of growing pains." 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