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

Croatia kept their World Cup hopes alive with an emphatic 1-0 victory over Panama on Tuesday thanks to a second-half goal from Ante Budimir.Budimír scored in the 54th minute, just four minutes after coming on as a substitute. Josip Stanišic crossed into the box and Budimir positioned himself perfectly to guide the ball into the empty net.A win will keep Croatia in the hunt for a place in the knockout stages ahead of their final Group L match against Ghana on Saturday. Meanwhile, Panama crashed out of the tournament, going without a World Cup point in their two appearances.After a quiet first half at BMO Field, Croatia came forward after the break and found the breakthrough through Budimir.The 2018 runners-up almost doubled their lead moments later. Seasoned midfielder Luka Modric, making his 200th appearance for Croatia, released Marco Pašalic on the counterattack with a fine pass. However, Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera made an important save to deny Pašalić.Panama pushed hard for an equalizer and came closest in the 67th minute. Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic came to the rescue with three excellent saves in quick succession, including a stop that pushed the ball over the bar.The battle for qualification from Group L will proceed to the final round. England and Ghana are level on four points, while Croatia have three points.On Saturday, England face Panama in East Rutherford, while Croatia take on Ghana in Philadelphia with a place in the knockout stages.