Croatia vs Panama, FIFA World Cup Match Result: Croatia beats Panama 1-0 to stay alive in knockout race Football News:

Croatia kept theirs FIFA World Cup hopes of surviving a hard-fought 1-0 win over Panama on Tuesday, thanks to a second-half goal from Ante Budimir.Budimir scored in the 54th minute, just four minutes after coming on as a substitute. Josip Stanišic delivered a curling cross into the box and Budimir was perfectly placed to guide the ball into an empty net.The win keeps Croatia in the hunt for a place in the knockout stage ahead of their final Group L match against Ghana on Saturday. Panama, on the other hand, were eliminated from the tournament and remained without a World Cup point in their two appearances.After a quiet first half at BMO Field, Croatia stepped up after the break and found the breakthrough through Budimir.The 2018 runners-up almost doubled their moments later. Veteran midfielder Luka Modricmaking his 200th appearance for Croatia, released Marco Pašalic with a good pass in the counter attack. However, Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera made a crucial save to deny Pašalic.Panama pushed hard for an equalizer and came closest in the 67th minute. Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic helped his side with three outstanding saves in quick succession, including a fingertip stop that pushed the ball over the crossbar.The battle for qualification from Group L will come down to the final round of matches. England and Ghana are level on four points, while Croatia sit on three.On Saturday, England take on Panama in East Rutherford, while Croatia take on Ghana in Philadelphia with a place in the knockout stage on the line.