World Cup 2022: Croatia beats Japan in the quarterfinals – thanks to keeper Dominik Livaković

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Praise from the old master: Luka Modrić is happy with keeper Dominik Livaković

Photo: Abir Sultan/EPA

More than a penalty killer:

Croatia got through the group stage with just one goal.

The stable and experienced defense and Belgium attacker Romelu Lukaku, who missed chances in a bizarre way, received praise for this.

The performance of keeper Dominik Livaković fell a bit short.

He made six saves in the group stage – after the round of 16 at the latest, the whole football world knows the 27-year-old.

In the penalty shoot-out against Japan, the Dinamo Zagreb keeper saved Japan's first two attempts before letting one pass.

Nevertheless: Schalke's Maya Yoshida, the fourth shooter for the Japanese, stepped towards the penalty spot, visibly unsettled, and pushed the ball into the bottom left corner.

Livaković was there before the ball reached the goal.

Result:

Croatia are in the World Cup quarter-finals after a 3-1 (1-0, 1-1, 1-1) penalty shoot-out.

Japan missed out on making it into the top eight teams in the world for the first time and are out.

Here is the match report.

Master of efficiency:

The game of football, which is actually so simple and yet so complicated, is now being measured using all kinds of metrics.

One that has prevailed is the determination of the goals to be expected, the expected goals.

Germany could have scored 10.1 goals based on their chances in the preliminary round.

In the end there were six and the preliminary round.

Japan and Croatia made at least four out of 3.8 expected goals.

cold efficiency.

Full attack:

At the start of the game, both teams didn't want to rely on making every chance a goal.

Japan's Shogo Taniguchi headed over early (3'), Ivan Perišić shot unfocused (8').

Andrej Kramarić just missed the ball (28'), Frankfurt star Daichi Kamada scuttled through and aimed too high (41').

It was an unexpectedly lively game.

Again millimeters:

The lead then succeeded the Japanese.

After a variant from the corner, Junya Ito crossed into the middle and the ball bounced in front of Daizen Maeda, who scored from a few meters (43').

The Japanese cheered - and then hesitated.

The hit was – of course – checked.

suspected offside

A short time later the resolution: The world direction played pictures that should prove that there was no offside.

It wasn't obvious, it was a matter of millimeters.

As with Japan's winning goal against Spain, when the ball just was

out of bounds.

Croatian all-stars:

Since 2006 there hasn't been a starting XI as old as the one that Croatia fielded against Japan in the knockout stages of the World Cup.

The old warriors used all their experience.

The Japanese leadership?

Raised at most a shrug.

Croatia is a team that has grown over the years, calm in itself.

And no one is above themselves for dirty work.

Luka Modrić kept helping out in defence, throwing himself into tackles and dragging the balls forward.

The longer the game lasted, the more confident the Croatians became.

Ronaldo, Messi and?

With all their experience, the Croatians then equalised: Dejan Lovren, 33, crossed to Perišić, 33, who was lurking at the back post and headed the ball into the goal from around 13 meters (55').

Perišić overtook the previous Croatian record holder Davor Šuker with his tenth World Cup goal.

The Tottenham Hotspur winger has shot himself into an illustrious circle.

Only four players have scored in the past three World Cups.

Lionel Messi, of course.

Cristiano Ronaldo, sure.

A little more surprising: Xherdan Shaqiri.

And now Perišić.

As far as your legs can take you:

It seems as if the elderly Croatians always want to exhaust their tournaments to the last second.

In any case, seven of Croatia's last eight knockout games in major tournaments have gone into overtime.

At the 2018 World Cup, Croatia won the round of 16 and the quarter-finals on penalties, while Mario Mandžukić decided the semi-final against England in extra time.

In the final against the overwhelming French, the tank was empty.

Head held high:

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu is a master of his craft and the victories against Germany and Spain were no coincidence.

He also made his team appear variable against Croatia.

Aggressive at first, then Japan locked themselves in at the back and waited for a counterattack.

In extra time, he ordered his players further forward, but neither team became dangerous anymore.

Nevertheless: In Japan something grows together.

The fact that the team can play disciplined football is not new.

The passion with which the Japanese now go to work has rarely been seen before.

Moriyasu cried as the anthem played before the game and celebrated the opening goal as if after a title.

Japan drives home proud.

No keeper problem

: Dominik Livaković was still on the bench in Russia 2018 and watched keeper Danijel Subašić become a hero.

After Subašić's retirement, that role belonged to himself - and he immediately emulated his only teammate.

Subašić became the second goalkeeper in World Cup history against Denmark in 2018 to make three saves from penalties.

Only Portugal's Ricardo had previously done so.

Now Livaković has entered this short list.

A strong keeper and an experienced squad.

Croatia's recipe for success.