AL WAKRAH, Qatar, Dec 5 – Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three spot-kicks as Croatia beat Japan 3-1 in a penalty shootout to succeed in the World Cup quarter-finals for the third time after an enthralling 120-minute contest completed deadlocked at 1-1 on Monday.
Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma and Maya Yoshida have been all denied by Livakovic earlier than Mario Pasalic coolly despatched Japan keeper Shuichi Gonda the improper option to arrange a last-eight date for the Croatians with Brazil or South Korea on Friday.
Three instances within the knockout rounds in Russia 4 years in the past the Croatians got here from behind to advance after further time earlier than shedding to France within the ultimate.
They as soon as once more confirmed their resilience and endurance by coming from a aim all the way down to tame a vigorous Japan staff who had crushed Germany and Spain within the group stage.
Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for Japan within the forty third minute and Ivan Perisic headed the equaliser 10 minutes after the break however the groups couldn’t be separated over the rest of the sport.
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For Japan, this was last-16 heartache for the fourth time after a loss to Turkey in 2002, exiting on penalties in opposition to Paraguay in 2010 and giving up a 2-0 result in lose to a stoppage- time aim in opposition to Belgium 4 years in the past.
The recreation was extra open than anybody had cause to count on, with Croatia ratcheting up the physicality to steadily take management of midfield and Japan attempting to hit them on the break.
Perisic was put by way of on aim within the eighth minute however Gonda pushed away his shot and Bruno Petkovic additionally had a one-on-one, solely to faucet an tried cross tamely by way of the Japanese goalkeeper’s legs.
Japan confirmed much more journey than they’d within the first half of their group matches and Shogo Taniguchi, Daichi Kamada and Maeda all had possibilities to open the scoring earlier than the latter broke the impasse within the forty third minute.
Ritsu Doan took the ball from a brief nook and curled it into the field the place Bruno Petkovic deflected it again throughout the six-yard space beneath shut consideration from Yoshida and Maeda pounced to tuck it into the web.
The equaliser got here 12 minutes later with a cross from the identical flank, Dejan Lovren lofting a magnificence into the field and Perisic getting in entrance of his marker to move the ball powerfully into the underside proper nook of Gonda’s aim.
That introduced Japan out of their shells and Wataru Endo was quickly firing in a long-range effort which Livakovic tipped over the bar.
Luka Modric had a sweetly struck shot from vary turned over by Gonda within the 63rd minute and substitute Ante Budimir steered header huge of the publish.
Gonda once more needed to be at his finest to maintain out a rocket of a shot from Perisic within the 77th minute, whereas on the different finish Japan continued their raids however with out carving out any clear-cut possibilities.
Extra time was slightly extra ragged though an exciting run and piledriver of a shot from Japan substitute Kaoru Mitoma introduced a high-quality save out of Livakovic simply earlier than the break.
Japan stored their nerve all through the match however they crumbled within the penalty shootout as Nikola Vlasic and Marcelo Brozovic put Croatia 2-1 forward earlier than Pasalic sealed the deal for Croatia.
-Reuters
