This is the 94th most frequent Croatian word.
utakmice
"Utakmice" means "matches" or "games" (sports competitions) in English.
In this sentence, 'utakmice' is in the nominative plural form of the noun 'utakmica', referring to more than one match, as it is the subject of the verb 'su bile' (were).
Školske utakmice su uvijek bile vrlo natjecateljske.
School matches were always very competitive.
Here, 'utakmicu' is in the accusative singular form of the noun 'utakmica', meaning 'match', as it is the direct object of the verb 'gledao' (watched).
Jučer sam gledao utakmicu nogometa na televiziji.
Yesterday, I watched a football match on television.
Here, 'utakmica' is in the genitive plural form of the noun 'utakmica', used to imply possession or relation, here denoting 'of matches'.