Jarni of Croatia challenges Ecuador's Tenorio (Allsport).

By Ian Parkes, PA Sport, Yokohama

Croatia only have themselves to blame for suffering World Cup heartbreak - handing the lucky Italians a place in the knockout stages on a plate.

It is hard to fathom just how one of the best teams in the world has qualified for the second round of the competition when they have been made to look so ordinary by both Croatia and Mexico.

But that is exactly the fortunate fate the Azzurri have enjoyed, and it is likely several crates of Chianti will be making its way to Ecuador's players as a thank you.

In truth, no-one really deserved to finish as runners-up to winners Mexico such were the poor performances of Italy and Croatia, and to a lesser extent Ecuador, who started as Group G underdogs, but at least gave their all.

Croatia have simply been an enigma in this tournament as they were woeful against Mexico, brilliant against Italy, and then back to woeful again in the International Stadium Yokohama as the debut-making Ecuadorians celebrated their first World Cup win.

They deserved it too, because other than the final 10 minutes when Croatia staged a late, yet ultimately fruitless rally, they were the team which wanted the win more.

With Italy being held to a draw at the Big Eye Stadium in Oita, it meant a Croatian victory over Ecuador was required, and after their display against Italy in Ibaraki on Saturday few would have bet against it.

Coach Mirko Jozic claimed his players died for one another on the Kashima Stadium pitch, but they barely broke sweat against Ecuador until it really mattered and their hopes were on the line.

Jozic had opted for an attacking line-up, playing one of the goalscorers against the Azzurri in Ivica Olic from the start alongside Alen Boksic.

It was Middlesbrough's Boksic who had the best opportunities - indeed Croatia's only opportunities of the first half - with his first in the 34th minute after Milan Rapaic and Olic had worked a one-two into the path of the 32-year-old.

Boksic produced a delightful edge-of-the-area shot on the turn which had Cevallos beaten, only for the ball to clip the outside of the post.

Cevallos then needed the help of Augusto Poroso on the stroke of half-time as a Boksic flick was on its way goalwards until the head of the Emelec defender steered the ball wide.

Three minutes after the restart Edison Mendez earned himself a place in Ecuador's history books by scoring what proved to be the winner with a sweet left-foot half-volley after Southampton's Agustin Delgado had knocked a Ulises de la Cruz right-wing cross down into his path.

Even then, Croatia continued to canter, although came close to an equaliser in the closing stages, with Davor Vugrinec volleying over when well placed and Olic seeing a header cleared off the line by a combination of Cevallos and Alex Aguinaga.

But it was too little, too late, and in the end Croatia deserved to be heading home.

Teams

Ecuador: Cevallos, De la Cruz, Hurtado, Guerron, Marlon Ayovi, Mendez, Obregon (Aguinaga 40), Poroso, Carlos Tenorio (Kaviedes 76), Chala, Delgado.

Subs Not Used: Ascensio, Walter Ayovi, Burbano, Espinoza, Fernandez, Gomes, Ibarra, Sanchez, Edwin Tenorio, Viteri.

Booked: Chala.

Goals: Mendez 48.

Croatia: Pletikosa, Simunic, Tomas, Simic (Vugrinec 52), Robert Kovac, Jarni, Niko Kovac (Vranjes 59), Saric (Stanic 67), Rapaic, Olic, Boksic.

Subs Not Used: Balaban, Butina, Prosinecki, Seric, Soldo, Suker, Vasilj, Vlaovic, Zivkovic.

Booked: Tomas, Simunic.

Att: 65,862

Ref: William Mattus Vega (Costa Rica).