体坛英语新闻：Croatians upbeat for World Cup opener against Brazil

ZAGREB, May 8 (Xinhua) -- It's been a busy but fruitful week for the Croatian national team. The training ground in their Brazilian camp is open and the supporters have chosen Croatia's official song for the World Cup.

Author of the song, simply named "Hrvatska" (Croatia), is award winning Croatian musician Bruno Krajcar and it is performed by Tomislav Bralic and klapa "Intrade". Klapa (translates as a "group of friends") is a traditional Croatian chorus of five to eight men or women that sing "a cappella" music. In 2012 klapa was inscribed in UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. In the first 24 hours since its introduction on YouTube the song had been played almost 64,000 times.

A few days before releasing the official supporter's song on the other side of the world, in the Brazilian town Mata de Sao Joao, Croatian ambassador in Brazil, Drago Stambuk has officially opened the training ground that Croatia will use as its training center during the World Cup.

"It's a blessing to get a chance to play against the host team in the World Cup opener because this will be one of the most viewed events in the world this year. I will dream that Brazil and Croatia will play one more time, in the final game of the World Cup, at Maracana on July 13," Stambuk said during the ceremony.

Brazil and Croatia will open the World Cup on June 12 in Sao Paulo and in some way Croatia already won one small battle more than a month before the official start of the tournament. Football's world governing body FIFA had decided that the Croatian team should wear its blue "away" uniform for the World Cup opener.

However, the Croatian Football Federation (CFF) asked FIFA's officials to reconsider that decision and let Croatians wear worldwide recognized red-and-white checkered shirts.

"I believe you are aware that our red-and-white squares are known and recognized all over the world. It would mean a lot to us if we could use our original shirt in such an important game," CFF president Davor Suker wrote in his letter to FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke.

As it turned out, Croatian arguments were strong enough for FIFA and best Croatian footballers will wear red and white checkered shirts not only in the World Cup opener but in the other two group matches, as well, on June 18 against Cameroon and on June 23 against Mexico.