HOT OR NOT: Luka Modric fires back at the doubters with stunning strike for Croatia

It’s Hot or Not time again as Sportsmail’s Craig Hope reveals what’s been making him feel warm and what’s been leaving him cold this week. 

HOT 

Jon Rahm

The Spaniard was more hot-streak than hot-head as he claimed his first major at the US Open. 

He had led in his previous tournament only to be forced to withdraw with Covid. 

But rather than a positive test proving a negative, Rahm kept a level head to go six under par in San Diego, including back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 to take the title. 

Well played.

Denmark

Even as a neutral it would have been enjoyable enough to see a team win 4-1 in their final group match to go through. 

But no one is a neutral after the incident involving Christian Eriksen, so the sight of Denmark running riot against Russia was truly uplifting. 

Denmark’s progression into the last-16 in thunderous style brought a smile to anyone watching

Luka Modric

Just when old man Modric and his ageing Croatian comrades were being written off, he produces a performance to roll back the years. 

Modric sees things others cannot and his 20-yard strike to help Croatia through against Scotland was as beautiful as it was brutally executed.

Luka Modric is in the Autumn of his career but the Croatian maestro showed he’s still got it 

NOT 

Mason Mount AND Ben Chilwell

Ok, they were unfortunate in that the one person they chose to have a 20-minute chat with — Scotland’s Billy Gilmour — turned out to have Covid. 

But why ignore the rules in the first place? They deserved to be sent to their bedrooms for being so foolish. 

Imagine, though, your parents saying, ‘You come downstairs when you’ve thought about what you’ve done — but give it 10 days first’. It’s a harsh lesson.

Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell were careless when they stopped for a chat with Billy Gilmour

Third-place qualifiers

Euro 2020 has been brilliant. But imagine the added drama if Germany’s late goal against Hungary had actually eliminated Portugal, rather than knocking them into the safety-net of third? 

Also, scrap head-to-head as a separator and go back to goal difference, for it opens up more possibilities in the final round of games.

Germany’s late winner against Hungary could have been even more dramatic for Portugal 

Scotland

Ah, Scotland. Twenty-three years away and they live up to their tournament stereotype of old. 

Fail to show in a winnable opening game? Yep. Respond with a valiant display against a bigger boy? Yep. Suffer misfortune beyond their control? Yep. Crash out on with bit of a whimper? Yep. 

It’s as if they’ve never been away. 

It was the same old story for Scotland in tournament football as they fell well short once more