(Football news) Following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes, Croatia overcame Japan 3-1 on penalties in the 2022 World Cup Round of 16 to progress into the quarter-final, where they will take on pre-tournament favourites Brazil. The fixture between the two sides was the first knockout game to play an additional half an hour as both teams looked pretty evenly matched throughout the contest. Japan’s Daizen Maeda found the back of the net in the 43rd minute while Croatia’s Ivan Perisic equalised in the 55th minute.
Seven of Croatia’s last eight knockout games at major tournaments have gone into the added period. Both teams came close to finding a breakthrough with Kaoru Mitoma and Lovro Majer not being able to capitalise on their opportunities, resulting in a penalty shootout. The Blue Samurai failed to convert three penalties, with Croatia goalkeeper Livakovic saving them easily while the 2018 runners-up missed one but scored three from the spot to progress into the next round.
“I asked the players to decide for themselves. The players tried under such immense pressure and I would like to praise their efforts. We have to accept this result, but whether we succumb to pressure, I don’t think so. I think the goalkeeper was great and the players who took the penalty kicks were also courageous. In the end, of course we wanted to win and the result is very unfortunate, but it is what it is. It does not negate all of the effort of the players.”
Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu
“We had a fantastic goalkeeper. Today he was great, he saved each of the penalties in a very strong and stable manner. We practised penalties in training yesterday and he made several saves. When he had the penalty shootout today I was assured, yesterday he installed this confidence and I was sure he would show that capacity today. We couldn’t be dominant, but we have shown a strength of character. The Japanese might have underestimated us, never do that to Croatia. We are a small nation but we fight for what we want.”
Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic
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