Croatia stored their unbeaten report in World Cup shootouts alive by beating Brazil within the quarter-finals on the Schooling Metropolis Stadium. AP
Doha: Croatia surprised favourites Brazil to succeed in the World Cup semi-finals on Friday, successful 4-2 on penalties after a nailbiting last-eight tie completed 1-1 on the finish of additional time.
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Marquinhos missed the essential spot-kick within the shoot-out, hitting the publish when he needed to rating to maintain Brazil in it after Rodrygo’s earlier try had been saved by purpose keeper Dominik Livakovic and Croatia transformed all 4 penalties.
It was a outstanding turnaround after Brazil had seemed set for victory when Neymar opened the scoring with an exquisite strike halfway via additional time that allowed him to equal Pele’s Brazilian report of 77 worldwide objectives.
However Bruno Petkovic hit again on the different finish within the 117th minute for Croatia to drive a shoot-out, and Zlatko Dalic’s staff adopted up their win over Japan on penalties within the final spherical with this victory, which should go down as their biggest ever triumph.
They advance to the semi-finals, whereas Brazil must wait no less than one other 4 years earlier than successful a record-extending sixth title.
Neymar — who left the pitch in tears — had fired Brazil into the lead on the finish of the primary half of extra-time, working one-twos with Rodrygo and Lucas Paqueta earlier than rounding goalkeeper Livakovic to attain.
But it surely didn’t break Croatia’s resistance because the 2018 World Cup finalists hit again to degree.
Brazil had by no means performed with the identical attacking aptitude as of their last-16 win over South Korea.
Croatia had been as stubborn and troublesome to interrupt down as ever, they usually have now gone to additional time in eight of their final 9 main event knockout matches, with the exception being their defeat to France within the World Cup closing 4 years in the past.
It was by no means going to be straightforward for Brazil to play with the identical freedom and pleasure as of their demolition of South Korea, once they celebrated their objectives with choreographed dance strikes that appeared to upset some onlookers.
– Concern of dropping –
However the problem for Brazil coach Tite’s aspect –- given the massive stress that’s at all times on the Brazilian nationwide staff at a World Cup –- was to not let the worry of dropping take away all that pleasure.
The stakes get increased because the event progresses and Brazil got here into Friday’s recreation at Doha’s Schooling Metropolis Stadium trying to keep away from falling into one other entice set by an completed European aspect.
Brazil had been knocked out of the final 4 World Cups at both this stage or within the semi-finals, each time by European opposition.
Croatia could also be a nation of simply 4 million individuals however they received to the ultimate 4 years in the past and Luka Modric, their inspiration then, stays one of many most interesting gamers on the planet at 37.
It seems {that a} midfield three of Modric, Chelsea’s Mateo Kovacic and Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic can maintain its personal towards Brazil too.
The Selecao had scored 4 occasions within the first 36 minutes towards South Korea. Right here they managed simply three makes an attempt on the right track within the first half, and nothing critically troubled the Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper Livakovic.
Brazil practically scored inside two minutes of the second half as an Eder Militao cutback was virtually become his personal by Josko Gvardiol, earlier than Livakovic produced saves from Richarlison, Neymar and Paqueta.
Additional Livakovic stops from Neymar and from Paqueta adopted, draining a few of the perception from a tense Brazilian assist.
It appeared as in the event that they had been heading for defeat when Neymar broke the impasse, however Croatia confirmed all their resilience to equalise when Petkovic utilized a first-time end to a low centre by fellow substitute Mislav Orsic.
Then got here penalties, and Nikola Vlasic, Lovro Majer, Modric and Orsic all transformed for Croatia, whereas Rodrygo and Marquinhos got here up brief.
Neymar, purported to take Brazil’s closing kick, didn’t get the possibility, and his event ends in tears.
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