FIFA World Cup: Croatia ousts favourite Brazil 4-2 on penalties to reach semifinal

Dominic Livakovic turned hero for Croatia again as Croatia pipped Brazil in a penalty shootout in the quarterfinal at the Education City Stadium on Friday.

Croatia celebrates an epic victory over Brazil. | Photo Credit: Darko Bandic/AP

Brazil, out to avenge its four consecutive knockout-round losses to European opponents, staggered like a sailor’s gang who had one too many tipples and tripped out of the World Cup.

Croatia, supposedly old and knackered, defied its age and the doubts of those critics to stop the Brazilian dance for 105-long minutes. It refused to cower even after left panting by a Neymar moment. Bruno Petkovic equalised with three extra-time minutes to play and then the Croatians held their nerves while the Brazilians lost theirs in the penalty shootout.

Vinicius Junior did show some early promise as he sauntered inside from the left but failed to find a teammate. His aim from the rebound was right but the zing went missing, and Dominik Livakovic was not complaining. The Brazilian threat thereafter was nothing to write about as Croatia sat deep, forcing Neymar and his pals to go on an endless merry-go-around of square passes and aimless runs.

A VAR review for handball by Josip Juranovic after the break gave the Croats a few anxious seconds, but the check was quickly over as the assistants failed to find anything illegal. A smart turn from Richarlison found Neymar with space inside the box, but the Paris Saint-Germain forward was stopped again by Livakovic, blocking the ball with his leg. He was the bouncer that no lurching lad could pass, and Neymar and Lucas Paqueta tried their luck, but the goalkeeper was in no mood to budge. 

As the Croatians passed around to slow the tempo down, the crowd, that had turned the Education City Stadium yellow, jeered as if they sensed the Brazilian end was near.

This was now a war of attrition that Croatia had fought before – in five of its last six World Cup knockout games. Tite, no longer the jovial figure on the bench, introduced a new-look forward line, but was there a way past these brave men?

This game needed a hero and Neymar thought he had delivered the salvation.

The Brazilian No. 10 suddenly sparked to life when all seemed lost to power past Borna Sosa’s shoulder brush to round off Livakovic, impenetrable till then, and hit the roof of the net.

But Petkovic’s deflected strike meant the penalties were here. Croatia’s first two – by Nikola Vlasic and Lovro Majer – was blasted through the middle while Rodrygo and the Brazilian bench watched in horror as Livakovic pounced to his left to make a save. Casemiro, Luka Modric, Pedro and Mirslav Orsic scored the next four, but Marquinhos could only hit the post.

Brazil’s end came early, as Croatia refused to believe that it was ever beaten.