Modric’s Croatia left giant killer Japan on penalties

Luka Modric’s Croatia, world runners-up, continue to Qatar 2022, on the way to another success like Russia 2018, after an exciting round of 16 matches in which they eliminated Japan on penalties, one of the great surprises of the tournament and dreamed of their first quarter. The Japanese team beat two world champions in the first stage, Spain (2-1) and Germany (1-2), but was not included in the round of 16 with Croatia (who will face Brazil or North Korea) and will go home with the maximum. penalties (1-3, after 1-1). Livakovic became the hero of the Croatian national team stopping three pitches in the shootout.

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In one of the most memorable moments of the night, Luka Modric, captain and captain of Croatia, was replaced, amid huge applause, in extra time. Lovro Majer came into the middle for Real Madrid in the 99th minute, the same minute Nikola Vlasic took over from Chelsea midfielder and former Real Madrid player Mateo Kovacic. Modric scored with a beautiful shot. Gonda, Japan’s goalkeeper, sent the ball into a corner, with the score 1-1.

But let’s go to the beginning of the game. Modric’s Croatia started to dominate, controlling, combining, but without precision in the search for the goal. Then he found that Japan, where Take Kubo did not play. He put in gear, as he usually does when his rival is overconfident in opportunities, and began to cause the world runner-up plenty of problems with his fast, intuitive, intense game. Which allowed him to win two world championships in the first stageSpain and Germany (which were removed from the first exchange as in Russia 2018).

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And at 43′ the Japanese team, one of the big surprises in this World Cup, They progressed thanks to a goal from Daizen Maeda, a Glasgow Celtic winger who beat Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic after some good collective action and an assist from Maya Yoshida. Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol, one of the most stylish defenders on the current scene, could not react to the play.

natural, Croatia came out to bounce back in the second half and Ivan Perisic, one of Russia 2018’s all-timers, came to the rescue. The Tottenham winger leveled the scoring with a header in the 56th minute. This is Zenit defender and ex-Liverpool Dejan Lovren who assisted Perisic on a long snap.

After the goal, Croatia managed to score the second goal in a game between Kramaric and Osasunista Ante Budimir (who entered after 62′ for Bruno Petkovic), as well as a shot by Modric. But, as was the case with Japan, they did not succeed in achieving this, which is why the first extension of this World Cup was reached.

And, on balance as the exciting round of 16 games went, it was Japan who came out the better at the start of extra time. Livakovic deflected a shot from Kaoru Mitoma. With seconds remaining in extra time, Majer fired wide for what would have been Croatia’s winning goal. And finally, it was Japan who cried over the sanctions. Croatia, which in the 2018 World Cup already left Denmark and Russia with maximum penaltiesending the Hajime Moriyasu-led team’s dream of reaching the quarterfinals of a World Cup for the first time.

penalty shootout

0-0, Minamino, for Livakovic

0-1, Vlasic, goal

0-1, Mitoma, for Livakovic

0-2, Brozovic, goal

1-2, Donkey, goal

1-2, Livaja, hits the post

1-2, Yoshida, for Livakovic

1-3, Pasalic, goal