Croatia beats Japan on penalty Shootout to advance to 2022 World Cup Quarterfinals
Croatia today defeated Japan on penalty shootout to advance to the quarterfinals stage of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Both countries had tied at 1:1 at full 90 limits. Japan scored first with Croatia equalizing. Ivan Perisic’s header tied the score for Croatia just after the half after Japan took the lead through Daizen Maeda. The match then went into extra 30 minutes at the end of which non of the teams could slot in an extra goal. The option was the dreaded penalty shootout.
Japan missed three of their kicks while Croatia only missed one. as the last kicks will not make any difference whether Japan scores or not, the match was decided. Croatia winning the penalty shootout 3:1
The hero of the game is the Croatian goal keeper, Dominik Livakovic , who saved the three penalty kicks of the Japanese. Dominik Livakovic, the Croatian goal keeper, is the first goalkeeper on record to save the first two penalties in a World Cup shootout.
However, you have to feel for the Japanese. They’ve had an outstanding World Cup run. Rio Ferdinand, Former England defender on BBC One said of the Japanese team, “This team have done their country proud. The Japanese people will be super proud of this team, the way they have conducted themselves, they’ve come back from adversity at times going a goal down against Spain and Germany”.
Also Peter Schmeichel, Former Manchester United goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live, said, “I think it has been a fantastic performance from Japan. To beat Germany the way they did, to beat Spain when they needed to. They have to be so proud of what they have done and travel back to Japan with their heads held high. They lost against a team that once it goes to a penalty shootout they win”.
They’ve gone beyond anything they’ve done before in this competition so they have to be proud of what they have done and they are going to be building for the future and they will come back stronger I’m sure.
Croatia will play either Brazil or South Korea on Friday in one of the Quarterfinal games.
