Monday, June 3 in Niigata (2:30 am ET) Group G: CROATIA (0-0-0, 0 pts.) vs. MEXICO (0-0-0, 0 pts.) (TV: Live, ESPN2, Univision 2:30 am ET; Tape, Telefutura, 10 am ET/PT) Mexico coach Javier Aguirre says the key against Croatia is to control the rhythm of the game. The loss of the suspended Jesus Arellano will hurt Mexico, whose weak link is its midfield. Some consider Croatia only a shadow of its '98 team that finished third. Holdovers Robert Prosinecki and Davor Suker and Alen Boksic, who was injured and missed the '98 finals, are now all 32 or older. But the addition of German-based players Robert and Niko Kovac and Boris Zivkovic provide some needed muscle. PROBABLE LINEUPS: Croatia — 1 Pletikosa, 6 Zivkovic, 21 R.Kovac, 3 Simunic, 17 Jarni, 4 Tomas, 14 Soldo, 8 Prosinecki, 10 N.Kovac, 9 Suker, 11 Boksic. Mexico — 1 Perez, 5 Vidrio, 4 Marquez, 16 Carmona, 22 A.Rodriguez, 3 Garcia, 19 Caballero, 6 Torrado, 11 Luna, 10 Blanco, 17 Palencia. REFEREE: Lu Jun (China). SUSPENSIONS: Mexico: J. Rodriguez, Arellano (1 game carried over from qualifying). NUMBER: 5 Only five Croatians who played on the third-place team at France '98 made the 2002 World Cup team: Dario Simic, Robert Jarni, Robert Prosinecki, Dacor Suker and Zvonimir Soldo.