DOHA, Qatar | Brazil knew it was a bad idea to go to extra time against Croatia and they paid the price, suffering quarter-final elimination in the penalty shootout, which the Croatians won 4-2. The score was tied, 1-1 after 120 minutes of play.
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The Croatians scored in each of their four tries. Rodrygo was stopped by Dominik Livakovic from the Brazilians’ first shot. After two goals from those, Marquinhos needed to hit the ropes to keep Brazil’s hopes alive. He hit the post.
The Croats started running towards their goalkeeper, hero of the match.
It was however clear that Brazil had to avoid extra time against Luka Modric’s band. She had just won a second game in a row on penalties, she had done it in Japan in the round of 16.
It was also the fifth time in their last six knockout matches that the Croatians needed extra time. The Croatians have gone to penalties four times at the World Cup, they have always won.
Brilliant Livakovic
Dominik Livakovic had a thunderous game with 11 saves, a high in a single game at this World Cup.
He started to stand out in the second half, when the players in yellow started to come a little closer to his net.
A stop with the tip of the foot, another with the heel against Neymar, a stop on Lucas Paqueta (twice rather than once) or an exit against Neymar. And he stopped Casemiro at close range in extra time stoppage time to maintain the tie.
The Croatian goalkeeper kept his team-mates in the game as they weathered the mounting Brazilian pressure.
Because Croatia is like that. She tries to keep the midfield closed as long as possible. And when it starts to open up it folds back trying not to break waiting for a chance to come up the field.
Late goals
Brazil thought it was in the pocket after a moment of grace from Neymar in the added time of the first extra period (105 +1). Brazil finally broke the tie 0-0.
The Paris Saint-Germain star charged towards goal almost floating, while making two passes to teammates who quickly handed the ball to him each time. He thus found himself alone in front of Dominik Livakovic, whom he beat with a high shot. And that’s what it took because the Croatian goalkeeper was brilliant.
But Croats are persistent, stubborn, resilient. They attacked Allison’s net until Bruno Petkovic managed to tie the game 1-1 in the 117th minute.
We say it like that, but a goal against Croatia is also what Canada scored. And on a regular basis too. Yes, the comparisons stop there.
Two Styles
This quarter-final put two completely different styles in opposition.
On one side, we had the Brazilians, casual artists, and on the other, the Croats, guys who put on their work boots and go to the factory with their thermos every morning.
Brazilians dance with the ball, do lace, play to make it look pretty.
The Croats aim more for efficiency. They get their hands dirty by getting in the way of the opponent to steal as many balls as they can.
They are patient, they aim for the game of chess, the war of attrition, waiting for the adversary to make an error which will unlock their access to the opposing net.
But behind this blue-collar side hides an extremely intelligent game in midfield, where the Croats know how to sniff out opposing tendencies to use them to their advantage.