I strolled through the Menil Collection yesterday and stood before a de Kooning — all that controlled chaos, form emerging from apparent disorder — and I thought, yes, this is what Modrić does to a midfield. Croatia's control through the centre will be suffocating for Panama, whose midfield simply lacks the tactical vocabulary to contain Luka's tempo, and Kramarić will punish every hesitation with ruthless efficiency. Panama's goalkeeper Mejía will face a relentless examination, and even his best efforts cannot hold back a tide this inevitable.

Croatia's midfield superiority here is simply overwhelming — Modrić and company will pull Panama's compact defensive shape in every direction until it snaps, and with 27 estimated attacks against just six for Panama, this feels less like a football match and more like a siege. Livaković barely needs to work, while Mejía will face a relentless evening between the posts that his modest squad depth simply cannot collectively absorb. Houston's kolache scene inspired me to attempt a proper Czech-Texan kolache last week, and much like Panama's defensive block tonight, my pastry held together admirably for about twenty minutes before completely falling apart. Croatia's quality is a tier above — this is a comfortable, professional dismantling.