Croatia beat Japan 3-1 on penalties to e book their place within the quarter-finals of the World Cup.
Croatia have overwhelmed Japan on penalties in a carefully fought World Cup final 16 tie, to say a spot within the quarter-finals.
Mario Pasalic scored the successful spot kick to see Croatia by way of 3-1 on penalties on Monday within the match’s final sport on the Al Janoub Stadium in Wakrah, south of Qatar’s capital.
A goalless additional time adopted 90 minutes that had completed 1-1 with targets from Japan’s Daizen Maeda and Croatia’s Ivan Perisic.
Perisic and Croatia captain Luka Modric, skilled penalty takers, had each been taken off the pitch earlier than the ultimate whistle.
Japan’s first two penalties, from Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma, had been saved by Croatian keeper Dominik Livakovic, who will certainly now be a nationwide hero again dwelling. Each Croatia’s first two efforts had been slotted into the online.
Takuma Asano scored with Japan’s third shot. Croatia’s Marko Livaja stepped up with an off-the-cuff effort however hit it into the submit. Japanese captain Maya Yoshida’s poorly struck penalty was additionally saved. Pasalic took the ultimate, profitable kick, to sprint Japan’s goals.
For a lot of the primary half, Japan had been glad to take a seat again, permitting Croatia to take the vast majority of possession, as a substitute specializing in lightning-quick counterattacks. This, don’t neglect, was a group who had overwhelmed each Germany and Spain within the group stage.
Croatia had an excellent spell of play simply earlier than the half-hour mark, with Modric looping in pinpoint crosses, which his teammates did not convert into something greater than sustained stress in Japan’s field.
Japan’s effort and endeavours paid off within the forty second minute, with Celtic’s Daizen Maeda getting onto the top of a scrappy nook for a well-deserved aim in entrance of the 42,523-strong crowd.
Modric commanded the midfield as ever, the Croatian captain main an skilled and strong line, however Croatia lacked attacking choices to take the sport to Japan’s again 4 – and for lots of the time, lacked the need to attain.
A stunning Croatian cross within the 54th minute was met with a golden header; a play out of nothing, out of nowhere – an experimental, probing, supply merely fell comfortably for Ivan Perisic, whose headed shot bent contained in the submit for the equaliser.
The transfer sparked life into the sport. Japan’s Wataru Endo tried a reply simply two minutes later, a curling effort which needed to be tipped over the bar by keeper Livakovic.
With quarter-hour of regular time remaining, the ball fell once more to Perisic, who let fly a corker of a shot, although a deflection from Takehiro Tomiyasu despatched it excessive and large.
Further time had a sluggish begin, however Japan appeared sure to attain on the stroke of midway, although Kaoru Mitoma’s mazy run ended with a bolting strike straight into Livakovic’s gloves.
The second interval of additional time noticed Japan elevate their power ranges, however a breakthrough might nonetheless not be discovered. Croatia lastly had an actual likelihood within the thirtieth minute of additional time, however Lovro Majer snatched at it, sending it large. And it was all the way down to penalties.
Croatia might not have had the very best of this sport, however they're those going by way of to the quarter-finals to face the winner of tonight’s conflict between five-time winners Brazil and South Korea at Training Metropolis on Friday.
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