It was a exceptional turnaround after Brazil had seemed set for victory when Neymar opened the scoring with an exquisite strike halfway via further time that allowed him to equal Pele’s Brazilian file of 77 worldwide targets.
Croatia’s defender #22 Josip Juranovic, Croatia’s defender #06 Dejan Lovren, Croatia’s midfielder #10 Luka Modric, Croatia’s midfielder #13 Nikola Vlasic, Croatia’s goalkeeper #12 Ivo Grbic and Croatia’s defender #05 Martin Erlic have a good time with their supporters after they gained the Qatar 2022 World Cup quarter-final soccer match between Croatia and Brazil at Education City Stadium in Al-Rayyan, west of Doha, on 9 December 2022. Picture: AFP
DOHA – Croatia surprised favourites Brazil to reach 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.
Marquinhos missed the essential spot-kick in the shoot-out, hitting the submit when he had to rating to hold Brazil in it after Rodrygo’s earlier try had been saved by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic and Croatia transformed all 4 penalties.
It was a exceptional turnaround after Brazil had seemed set for victory when Neymar opened the scoring with an exquisite strike halfway via further time that allowed him to equal Pele’s Brazilian file of 77 worldwide targets.
But Bruno Petkovic hit again on the different finish in the 117th minute for Croatia to power a shoot-out, and Zlatko Dalic’s group adopted up their win over Japan on penalties in the final spherical with this victory, which should go down as their greatest-ever triumph.
They advance to the semi-finals, whereas Brazil could have to wait not 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 rating.
But it didn’t break Croatia’s resistance because the 2018 World Cup finalists hit again to stage.
Brazil had by no means performed with the identical attacking aptitude as in their last-16 win over South Korea.
Croatia had been as stubborn and tough to break down as ever, they usually have now gone to further time in eight of their final 9 main match knockout matches, with the exception being their defeat to France in 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 in their demolition of South Korea, after they celebrated their targets with choreographed dance strikes that appeared to upset some onlookers.
FEAR OF LOSING
But the problem for Brazil coach Tite’s facet –- given the large stress that’s all the time on the Brazilian nationwide group at a World Cup –- was to not let the worry of dropping take away all that pleasure.
The stakes get greater because the match progresses and Brazil got here into Friday’s sport at Doha’s Education City Stadium trying to keep away from falling into one other entice set by an completed European facet.
Brazil had been knocked out of the final 4 World Cups at both this stage or in the semi-finals, each time by European opposition.
Croatia could also be a nation of simply 4 million folks however they obtained 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 in opposition to Brazil too.
The Selecao had scored 4 occasions in the primary 36 minutes in opposition to South Korea. Here they managed simply three makes an attempt on the right track in the primary half, and nothing significantly troubled the Dinamo Zagreb shot-stopper Livakovic.
Brazil almost scored inside two minutes of the second half as an Eder Militao cutback was nearly changed into his personal by Josko Gvardiol, earlier than Livakovic produced saves from Richarlison, Neymar and Paqueta.
Further Livakovic stops from Neymar and from Paqueta adopted, draining among the perception from tense Brazilian help.
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, supposed to take Brazil’s closing kick, didn’t get the prospect, and his match ends in tears.