Doha – Despite a tough challenge for 2 hours and 7 minutes at the Al Janob Stadium in Al Waqar, Croatia entered the last eight, chasing their dream of reaching the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Japan for the first time, after a weak performance in the penalty shootout.
The match lasted 127 minutes with 90 minutes, extra 30 minutes, and 7 minutes of injury time. In the tiebreaker, 27-year-old goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic stopped the shots of three players from Japan and led Croatia to the quarterfinals. Livakovic’s save was good, leading Croatia, runners-up four years ago, to victory.
The goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was the Croatia hero with three saves from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and the captain, Maya Yoshida, each penalty struck low and without conviction. Moriyasu and his Croatia counterpart Zlatko Dalic understandably singled out the Dinamo Zagreb keeper as the contest’s defining influence but Livakovic put it best himself. “I don’t think these penalties were too difficult to defend,” he admitted. “They shot in a strange manner. These were not perfect penalties.”
Japan’s spot-kicks were as tame as the preceding 120 minutes. The game itself was a monumental letdown before Croatia substitute Mario Pasalic sent his country into the quarter-finals with the decisive penalty. The veteran defender Yuto Nagatomo had evoked the spirit of the Samurai on the eve of the game, promising bravery and a never‑say‑die attitude from Japan. But this was less warrior, more hypnotherapist treating an insomniac. Incense burning in the corner.
Croatia was 2-1 up, but Marko Livza hit the post after accurate shots from Nikola Vlasic and Marcelo Brozovic. After Livakovic stopped Yosida, Mario Pasalic slotted home with ease to send Croatia into the last eight with a 3-1 win in the tiebreaker. Japanese goalkeeper Suichi Gonda couldn’t do anything about the penalty. After Germany and Argentina, Croatia became the first team to win three consecutive tiebreakers at the World Cup.
Croatia won two tiebreakers in Russia 2018, where they fell to Denmark in the last 16 and hosts Russia in the quarterfinals. There, Luka Modric’s side, who defeated England in extra time to reach the final, lost 4-2 to France in the title race.
With a comfortable 3-0 win over Senegal at the Al Bayat Stadium on Sunday, England confirmed their place in the semi-finals against defending champions France. England, aiming to win the World Cup after 64 years, had a one-sided performance against African champions Senegal. Ellis Cisse’s team could never challenge England. England was in full control of the match and the result was the same.
Jordan Henderson opened the scoring in the 38th minute from Jude Bellingham’s cross. Phil Foden, in collaboration with Bellingham, doubled England’s lead in first-half injury time when captain Harry Kane put the ball into the net. Foden once again created the scoring chances in the last 16 contest, with Bukayo Saka’s superb finish past goalkeeper Eduard Mendy in the 57th minute to put England 3–0 up and secure a place in the quarter-finals.