Croatia fans find reason to celebrate despite World Cup loss

TAMPA (FOX 13) - Sunday was a historic day for the small country of Croatia as their soccer team played in the championship match of the FIFA World Cup. The team had only qualified for the tournament 4 times previously. 

Though the team failed to win, their fans still found a way to celebrate. 
"I'm so proud because Croatia is a very small country. There's not many of us out there and most of the population base is in New York or Chicago," explained Michael Baric. 
Michael and his sister, Therese Baric-Schmahl, watched the final game with dozens of fans at the Croatian Club of Tampa Bay. 
The club hosted a watch party for fans to come together and cheer on their team, and their culture. 

"I'm so proud of our culture and it's so nice that we're getting this exposure because Croatia is a beautiful country," Baric-Schmahl added. 

Croatia lost to France with a final score of 4-2 in FIFA World Cup Final.