Livakovic continued the brilliant performance he had showed against Japan in the round of 16. He brushed aside Brazil's first shot from Rodrygo Goes.
By
SYAHNAN RANGKUTI
·4 minutes read
DOHA, KOMPAS — Underdog Croatia proved its mettle in holding off Brazil to advance to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup, with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic again emerging the savior by making 10 saves, including the decisive one on penalty shootouts.
Brazil was evidently harboring the ambition for victory with unrelenting offensives throughout the quarterfinal match at Education City Stadium in Doha on Friday (9/12/2022). However, it was eventually the Croats who were able to snatch a ticket to the semifinals, thanks to their 4-2 win on penalty shootouts after the two teams ended the 120-minute encounter with a 1-1 draw.
Both goals came in extra time after they played out to a goalless draw for 90 minutes. Brazil scored first through Neymar in 105+1 minutes before Bruno Petkovic revived the hope of "Vatreni" with his goal just by the end of the match.
Petkovic's goal was the only shot on target that Croatia made against Brazil. He beat Alison Becker with his ball deflecting off Marquinhos' leg before crashing into the net.
In the shootouts, Livakovic continued the brilliant performance he had showed against Japan in the round of 16. He brushed aside Brazil's first shot from Rodrygo Goes. His heroism capped the 10 saves he had made in regular and extra time to allow the “Vatreni” to cling to hopes amid the raining shots from Brazil.
The four Croatian executors, namely Nikola Vlasic, Lovro Majer, Luka Modric and Maslah Orsic, accomplished their job well. On the other side, two Brazilian players, Rodrygo and Marquinhos, failed to beat Livakovic while Casemiro and Pedro Guilherme managed to convert their shots into goals.
It was Croatia's back-to-back penalty shootout win in Qatar. They had previously eliminated Asia’s representative Japan 3-1 after a 1-1 draw in 120 minutes.
Against Brazil, Croatia struggled to contain the opponent's attack, with Livakovic being forced to make eight saves in normal time.
In the semifinals, Croatia will take on Argentina, which was also stretched beyond extra time to send home the Netherlands. Both teams drew 2-2 and Argentina emerged a 4-3 winner on penalty shootouts.
Stop the polemics
Seemingly being irked by questions about Cristiano Ronaldo at almost every press conference at the 2022 World Cup, Portugal coach Fernando Santos has pleaded with the press to stop "frying up" the issue about the "Selecao das Quinas" team captain. He is worried that exaggerating reporting could affect the harmony of his squad.
After talking and learning my reasons, he accepted the decision.
During a press conference, ahead of the match against Morocco in Doha on Friday (9/12), Santos immediately alluded to the publications that brought up his conversation with Ronaldo before the match against Switzerland on Tuesday (6/12). He said he had spoken personally with Ronaldo about his decision to put him on the substitutes’ list.
"Of course, that decision made him unhappy. Cristiano responded to my explanation about whether [leaving him on the bench] was a good idea. After talking and learning my reasons, he accepted the decision," Santos said.
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He said, "I made it clear we wanted him to stay on the national team [in Qatar]. I hope the public stops this polemic, as you see yourself on the field. Cristiano warmed up [with teammates], celebrated goals together; he even invited his teammates to acknowledge supporters after the game.”
Meanwhile, Morocco coach Walid Reragugui said if Ronaldo did not play, it would be a bit of an advantage for his team.
Following the scalp of Spain, the squad’s members are in tip-top psychological shape, and the coach expressed his confidence about carving a historical spotlight as they continue to carry the hopes of African and Arab football.
He pointed to the large section of supporters as playing an important role in the “Lions of Atlas” next game against Portugal.