Vinay Nayudu
Doha
Gutsy Croatia lived up to their reputation as giant killers as they broke millions of hearts beating five-time champions Brazil 4-2 on penalties in the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 on Friday.
In what was a great shootout show, the 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia came as close to perfection as they could after the quarter-final played at the Education City Stadium was tied 1-1 after extra-time.
Rodrygo and Marquinos missed their first and fourth kicks for Brazil, with the crucial last one hitting the bottom of the left goal post - much to the agony of Brazilian supporters worldwide.
Nikola Vlasi, Lovro Majer, Luka Modric, and Bruno Petkovic (who made a brilliant kick) all scored for Croatia while only Casemiro and substitute Pedro were on target for Brazil.
The spectre of penalties had loomed large all through and while Neymar produced his magic to give Brazil the lead in extra-time (105+1’), Croatia bounced back with an equalizer through Bruno Petkovic (116’), and then to end Brazil’s (and their greatest star – the ailing Pele’s dream of a sixth title) in the shootout.
Brazil also paid the penalty for relaxing in the final 10 minutes after having taken the lead. It proved to be a titanic blunder as Croatia expectedly went for broke and equalized.
Extra-time experts Croatia, playing one for a fifth time in six knockout games at the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, were gifted a counter-attack, which was concluded by Petkovic.
In the shootout, Croatia’s goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic was as brilliant as he was against Japan. He stopped the first penalty which put Brazil players under great pressure right through.
Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, the mercurial forward who provided Brazil’s fans the big relief in the first half of extra time (105+1’) with a blitz of brilliance, initiating the move and breaking through the defence in the box to strike, was left in tears in the end.
Neymar’s magic moment came after Croatia had held back the Samba boys at times even threatening to break the deadlock. It also saw Neymar equal Pele as Brazil’s all-time men’s top scorer with 77 FIFA-registered goals. Meanwhile, Qatar 2022 continued to live up to its reputations as a World Cup of upsets and a tournament which is now seeing games being decided on spot kicks since the Round of 16.
Crotia had eliminated Japan by the same method in the last 16, have now set up a semi-final meeting with the Netherlands or Argentina on Tuesday.
The European side have been successful in a World Cup shootout for a fourth consecutive time now, after they beat Denmark and hosts Russia in 2018, and Japan here in Qatar.
Brazil, meanwhile, have kept the negative record of losing a World Cup knockout stage game against a European nation since beating Germany 2-0 in the 2002 final. They have been eliminated in the quarter-finals for the fourth time in five events since then.
Overall, Brazil lost their third shootout out of a total seven in World Cups.