Croatia tops Japan on PKS
AL WAKRAH, Qatar — Croatia is going deep at another World Cup, and the team is taking the long route once again.
Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three penalty kicks in Croatia's 3-1 win over Japan in a shootout on Monday, securing a return to the quarterfinals for the runner-up in the 2018 tournament. The match was tied at 1-1 after extra time.
On its surprising run to the final in Russia four years ago, Croatia needed extra time in each round in the knockout stage — and twice came through a penalty shootout.
“History keeps repeating itself,” Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said with a smile.
Livakovic was the backup goalkeeper to Danijel Subasic in 2018 but took center stage this time, diving to his left to keep out Japan's first penalty by Takumi Minamino, to his right to block Kaoru Mitoma's effort from the second penalty, and then again to his right to deny Maya Yoshida off the fourth.
That gave Mario Pasalic the chance to put away the clinching penalty. The substitute joined the rest of Croatia's jubilant players in heading right for Livakovic after hitting the back of the net.
“In Croatia, we do things this way,” Livakovic said. “I continued the tradition.”
The similarities with 2018 do not stop there. Just like in every game in the knockout stage that year, Croatia fell behind to Japan when Daizen Maeda swept in a closerange finish in the 43rd.
Ivan Perisic equalized by meeting Dejan Lovren's cross from the right with a header into the bottom corner from near the penalty spot in the 57th.
Dalic said his team's ability to recover from losing positions “reflects the Croatian people," with a nod to a psyche the players forged growing up in a country ravaged by war as the former Yugoslavia broke up in the 1990s.
“We never give up ... We have been through so much pain and the players have great pride,” Dalic said. “The whole of Croatia is supporting us and this is a way of giving them faith for a better tomorrow.”
While Croatia — also a semifinalist in 1998 — prepares to take on Brazil in the quarterfinals, Japan exits a World Cup in the round of 16 for the fourth time, just like in 2002, 2010 and 2018. The Asian team also lost in a penalty shootout to Para-*
guay at that stage in 2010.
Japan made its mark in Qatar, though, beating Germany and Spain — two of the last three World Cup champions — in huge upsets in the group stage.
“The players showed a new era of Japanese football, I think,” Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. "They should use this feeling of being upset and try to go further next time.
BRAZIL 4, SOUTH KOREA 1
It was the same old Neymar out there, looking fit and scoring a goal to move closer to Pelé's all-time record and lead Brazil into the World Cup quarterfinals.
Neymar returned from injury and converted a first-half penalty in Brazil's win over South Korea. He reached 76 goals with the national team, one shy of the mark set by Pelé, who said he would watch the match from his hospital bed in Sao Paulo.
The 82-year-old Pelé is recovering from a respiratory infection that was aggravated by COVID-19, leaving fans in Brazil and in Qatar worried about his condition. Neymar carried a banner with the soccer great's image and “Pelé” written on it after the match, and the entire team then posed behind it near midfield.
South Korea was trying to advance past the round of 16 for the first time since its historic run to the semifinals as a co-host in 2002.
Neymar damaged ligaments in his right ankle in the team's opening match against Serbia and at the time there were doubts if he would play again at the World Cup. He was clearly back, and there were no signs of the injury as he led Brazil to a comfortable victory and a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals for the eighth straight time.
Brazil will next play Croatia on Friday.