Cameroon saw their World Cup ambitions ended by a rampant Croatia this evening as they fell to a 4-0 defeat in Manaus.
An Ivica Olic opener was exacerbated five minutes before the break when Cameroon were reduced to 10 men courtesy of a red card shown to Alex Song.
It was all Croatia from then on, with Ivan Perisic and Mario Mandzukic (2) finishing off the scoring to give the Europeans a resounding victory in Group A.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look at who impressed during another action-packed encounter.
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CAMEROON
Goal
Charles Itandje: Made a decent save to deny Perisic in the first half, but could have done better for each of the last three goals. The second was particularly poor from him as he went to ground too early and allowed Perisic the chance to slot it past him at the near post, having been the one to give the ball away in the first place. (4/10)
Defence
Stephane M'bia: One of few bright sparks for Cameroon today. Was up and down the right flank all night and looked as likely as anyone on his side to create something. However, he did play Mandzukic onside for Croatia's fourth goal. (7/10)
Aurelien Chedjou: Was the man sacrificed at half time as Volker Finke looked to switch things around following the red card. Was solid enough during his 45-minute spell on the field, and may not be too upset to have come off following his side's second-half defensive display. (6/10)
Nicolas N'Koulou: Part of what was, at times, a shambolic defensive showing in the second half. However, he was still the most solid of the lot and made a few vital tackles and blocks to keep the score down to just four. (6/10)
Benoit Assou-Ekotto: Was left isolated at times due to the lack of help from players in front of him. Played a couple of good crosses into the box when he did go forward, but was not convincing at the back. Had a spat with teammate Moukandjo late on and appeared to throw a headbutt in the argument. (5/10)
Midfield
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: Did not fulfil his defensive duties and offered very little in attack either. Was one of the men who failed to get close to Mandzukic for Croatia's third goal. (4/10)
Alex Song: Threw the game away for his side with a stupid and needless red card. His short fuse left his side struggling in the heat of Manaus with a man fewer for more than half of the match. Had played fairly well up until his red card, but the manner of the defeat rests mainly on his shoulders. (3/10)
Joel Matip: Another who struggled in midfield as Croatia took control of the match in the second half. Was not helped by Song's red card, but still played poorly. Also failed to get close enough to Mandzukic for the third goal. (5/10)
Eyong Enoh: Did a good job in keeping Modric and Rakitic quiet alongside Song in the first half, but was understandably unable to keep that up on his own following the red card. One of Cameroon's more solid performers. (6/10)
Benjamin Moukandjo: Was among Cameroon's most positive and willing players, but lacked quality in the final third. Wasted a number of good positions, but at least looked eager to get into those positions. (6/10)
Attack
Vincent Aboubakar: Came into the match with the pressure of replacing Eto'o but made a very bright start. Looked lively whenever he was given the chance throughout, but became something of a peripheral figure once Croatia took control of the game. (7/10)
Substitutes
Dany Nounkeu: Came on at half time and struggled to stem the flow of Croatian attacks. Was introduced in a tough situation and couldn't do much to stop it. (6/10)
Pierre Webo: Replaced Aboubakar with 20 minutes remaining but made very little impact on the match. Failed to make his presence felt. (5/10)
Edgard Salli: Injected pace into the Cameroon attack and actually looked to run at the Croatian defence. Was a breath of fresh air when he came on, but still failed to conjure up a consolation goal. (7/10)
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CROATIA
Goal
Stipe Pletikosa: Had very little to do all night. Even when it was 11 vs. 11, Cameroon rarely threatened his goal, and he will not get many easier 90 minutes at this World Cup. (7/10)
Defence
Darijo Srna: Took a while to get into the match, but became a constant threat down the right flank once Croatia got their man advantage. Kept going all night, showing great stamina for a veteran in tough conditions. (7/10)
Vedran Corluka: Was rarely threatened as Cameroon failed to trouble the Croatian defence enough, particularly in the second half. Solid display. (7/10)
Dejan Lovren: Much like his defensive partner, had a solid night without having to be at his best to keep Cameroon at bay. (7/10)
Danijel Pranjic: Started off fairly poorly as Cameroon enjoyed some success down his flank, but grew into the game. Became more of an attacking threat as the match wore on, but failed to make any major contributions. (6/10)
Midfield
Ivan Perisic: The best player on the park. His pass for the opening goal was sublime and showed magnificent composure and vision when many players would have gone for goal themselves. Then went on to score a superb solo effort to cap off a fine individual performance. (8/10)
Luka Modric: Struggled to make an impact in the first half as Song and Enoh kept close to him and Rakitic. Was afforded more room following the red card, and subsequently had a bigger say on running the game. (7/10)
Ivan Rakitic: The same as Modric. Found it hard to shake off the attentions of Song and Enoh until the red card, which freed him up and allowed him to help his side dictate the match. (7/10)
Ivica Olic: Took his goal well, although it would have been a bad miss following Perisic's pass. Was a threat throughout before being replaced with 20 minutes to play. (7/10)
Attack
Sammir: Didn't manage to make much of an impact having been handed a place in the starting lineup. Was eventually taken off in the 72nd minute. (6/10)
Mario Mandzukic: Made Croatia a much more imposing attacking threat following his return from suspension. Played a part in the opening goal and then scored two of his own, although both were fairly routine finishes for a player of his quality. (8/10)
Substitutes
Eduardo: Could have played a bigger part than he did. Had a couple of chances to get on the scoresheet himself, but managed to play a role in one goal as his shot was parried into the path of Mandzukic for the fourth of the night. (7/10)
Mateo Kovacic: Also played a big part in the fourth goal with a lovely cut back to find Eduardo in the box when other players may have lumped it in towards Mandzukic. (7/10)
Ante Rebic: Was a threat on the left after coming on and had a few decent sights of goal to add to Croatia's lead. Was no doubt helped by the end-to-end nature of the match at that point, but still looked dangerous. (7/10)
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