TRACTOR TAUNT COSTS CROATIA

FIFA fined the Croatian soccer federation $72,500 for verbal abuse by fans aimed at Canada goalkeeper Milan Borjan at the World Cup. The charge against Croatia was related to “use of words and objects to transmit a message that is not appropriate for a sports event.” Borjan was born in an ethnic Serbian region of Croatia. He and his family left their hometown in 1995 when it was taken by Croatian forces. The ethnic Serbs are said to have fled on tractors. During Canada’s 4-1 loss on Nov. 27, one banner displayed by Croatia fans used a flag of tractor manufacturer John Deere and changed the marketing slogan to target Borjan.