How the Croatian playmaker Luka Modric outclassed his direct opponent Frenkie de Jong

They rarely meet in physical duels, in the more than 120 minutes they are on the field, Wednesday evening in De Kuip. Which is amazing, because Frenkie de Jong and Luka Modric are constantly walking near each other, always keeping an eye on each other. It is an exciting mirror battle in and around the center circle – a dance for the ball, a game for space.

They know each other’s qualities in detail, mainly due to the confrontations between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona in recent years. They belong to the outside category among the playmakers, with their insight, passing, technique and fast movements. In a similar role, rising from the back, building from the ashes – although the way they do it differs.

Inevitably, thoughts go back to March 2019, when Ajax player De Jong overpowers Modric with almost playful open-mindedness and Ajax wins 4-1 in Madrid. The robbery is flawlessly illustrated in a photograph of Modric sitting on the grass of the Bernabéu, the bewilderment in his eyes, as he has just been carelessly cut out by De Jong, who mounts another attack in the background.

Four years later, Modric, three months before his 38th birthday, is superior to his counterpart in the semi-final of the Nations League between the Netherlands and Croatia, which wins 4-2 in extra time. A master class. He controls the midfield as in his best days, creates triangles, throws almost perfect passes, mostly outside the right foot. He tirelessly squeezes it out of his slender body, deep into extra time, in his 65th game this season. On Sunday evening he will play the final against Spain, where the Netherlands awaits the consolation final against Italy that afternoon.

Frenkie de Jong pales in comparison, as great as Modric’s supremacy is in Rotterdam. How did that dominant display come about? And what is the most important Dutch player missing that Modric does have? An analysis, based on the Netherlands – Croatia.

Kick-off: leadership

The undisputed leader enters the field first. He is the captain, guiding Croatia to second and third place in the past two World Cups – unprecedented for a country of just under 4 million people. Luka Modric talks to his teammates shortly before kick-off, where Frenkie de Jong is silent. Although undeniably the best Dutch player at the moment, he is not the captain, that is Virgil van Dijk.

As the face of a generation of people in their mid-twenties who will have to carry the Dutch national team in the coming years, it is expected that De Jong (26) will come into the picture. He recently wore the band for the first time at FC Barcelona, ​​because the captains ahead of him in the pecking order were missing or had been changed. The question is whether he has the authority and natural superiority for a structural leadership role.

“Characterological dominance,” said one Fidelitycolumnist that in 2020, referring to his position at FC Barcelona after a volatile first season. The tenor of the column was that the “modest” De Jong lacks that personality. “Frenkie is still that normal, nice boy – and that’s just about it.” This is now also the case with Orange. The question is whether a leading role like Modric suits him, and whether De Jong aspires to it.

First five minutes: dominance

On the field, Modric dictates directly. It takes him less than five minutes to set the line for the rest of the game – how he finds the spaces, creates danger and what his intentions are in putting pressure on De Jong.

He is immediately close to De Jong when he gets the ball around the center line after 28 seconds. Modric chases fiercely on which De Jong is forced to drop back slightly. That’s how he fixes it. Under that pressure, De Jong passes ahead, but it is unclear to whom. He seems to be intended for central defender Lutsharel Geertruida, who has a new role in his second international match, as a retracting midfielder in order to create a surplus.

The doubt in the first minute shows that the renewed Orange has not yet caught up, where the experienced Croats form a well-oiled unit. With fellow midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, Modric already played the World Cup final against France in 2018. De Jong’s pass ends up in nothing and is picked up by a Croat.

After three minutes, Modric’s first through ball of many follows. After a short corner kick, he finds space on the square meter, he sends Mateo Kovacic away in the depth between Xavi Simons and De Jong. It creates danger, foiled by defensive work from striker Cody Gakpo, who has completely dropped back. It immediately shows how much the Orange has to do to find an answer to Modric’s offensive passing.

It’s a cat-and-mouse game where every bit of freed up space can have major consequences. De Jong notices this after four minutes, when he and teammates try to chase the defense of Croatia high up the field. Without result, after which Modric is in free position. Exactly what he wants.

That means code red for Orange. De Jong has to give full chase, but he is too late, Modric has already passed through to Brozovic. The Croats seem to know exactly what to do when Modric touches the ball, attackers immediately look for depth. It almost leads to a great opportunity for Croatia, but Geertruida intercepts the ball before the striker can reach it. As far as he didn’t already know, De Jong has been warned: give Modric some space and Croatia is gone.

First half: depth

The situation is identical to the one after 28 seconds. Again Modric puts full pressure on De Jong around the halfway line, now after eleven minutes. The difference is that De Jong opts for the safe option this time, a ball back. As a consequence, the Netherlands loses offensive intentions. He does not look after Geertruida, who presents herself in the ashes. The risk-free ball back shows that Modric got into De Jong’s head in the early stages.

Modric is everywhere, roaming the field, almost elusive. When he threatens to touch the ball, you immediately see De Jong anticipating. He is constantly observing the game and his opponent with short nods of his head – called scanning in jargon. And vice versa. Modric is almost impossible to get off the ball, only Teun Koopmeiners manages to conquer it once, when he suddenly comes out of his back.

What Modric does with the ball differs substantially from De Jong. In his passing he almost continuously provides depth and danger, where De Jong often plays wide. For example, after fourteen minutes, Modric carelessly gives a diagonal deep ball to the left flank, from his own half, where back Ivan Perisic comes to advance. It almost leads to an opportunity, Denzel Dumfries defuses the situation. Later he will give another beautiful pass with the outside right to striker Andrej Kramaric, which almost results in a goal.

That depth is missing in De Jong’s passing, which plays a role in the fact that attackers Xavi Simons, Cody Gakpo and Donyell Malen are difficult to get loose. Moreover, De Jong does not shoot on goal during the entire match – a point of criticism on his game, he scores few (two goals in 51 international matches). Modric tries to do that in the first half, a dangerous situation arises.

Second half: cunning

Gakpo comes to the ball in a difficult position, on the edge of the penalty area, facing his own goal. His first ball is not good, Modric registers the problems with the striker, sits on his neck, gives no breathing room and conquers the ball. In that one moment, Gakpo grabs hold of him, Modric lets himself fall easily. penalty kick. Modric immediately points to striker Andrej Kramaric, who can take him. Clumsy from Gakpo, crafty from Modric.

37 years old, but still so fit that he has the sharpness to watch for moments like this. He will run almost 14 kilometers this evening and is therefore in the top six.

Another smart thing – it goes so fast you hardly notice it. Modric pretends to lean forward tiredly when Croatia has possession at the back, in minute 84. De Jong is next to him, Croatia slows down. But then Modric suddenly moves towards the ball, gets it played halfway through his own half and starts the combination. With one short touch with the right, he puts the ball ready for an emerging teammate. It seems simple, but precisely in that short foot movement lies the refinement. De Jong sprints after him, but cannot do anything. In midfield there is a lot of room for a dangerous Croatian attack.

Extension: applause

Modric paces, on the left side of the field. Apparently there is no danger for the Orange, in minute 98, until he plays in Bruno Petkovic with a pass with the outside of his foot, who turns away from the eagerly incoming De Jong. Petkovic shoots hard into the corner, from about twenty meters: 2-3. Strike when the opponent is not paying attention.

Moments later, De Jong almost scores an own goal when he defends a low cross. He stretches out on the floor for a few seconds, pulls at his feet. Sigh, visibly tired. Last week he traveled to Japan with FC Barcelona for a lucrative exhibition match, after a long, tough season. It resembles. He did not feel like the possible consolation final, he said this week. Modric keeps going. Shortly afterwards, he sends Mario Pasalic away with a splitting deep pass, which almost leads to a goal – De Jong barely prevents it.

Croatian fans chant his name, Dutch spectators clap, Orange national coach Ronald Koeman compliments him when Modric walks by after his audience change – just before that he used a penalty kick. Sky Sports is the only player to give him a 9.

De Jong thought he was “not good enough”, he says afterwards at the NOS. “I could have claimed the game more.” Couldn’t get rid of him. He thought Modric was “very good”. “But he usually plays well.”