Croatia eliminate Japan on penalty kicks, advance to World Cup quarterfinals

AL WAKRAH, Qatar (AP) — Croatia goes deep at one other World Cup, and the crew is taking the lengthy route as soon as once more.

Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three penalty kicks Monday in Croatia’s 3-1 win over Japan in a shootout, securing a return to the quarterfinals for the runner-up within the 2018 event.

On its run to the ultimate 4 years in the past, Croatia wanted additional time in every spherical within the knockout stage _ and twice got here by way of a penalty shootout.

This time, Mario Pasalic transformed the clinching penalty for Croatia after the groups have been tied at 1-1 after additional time.

Livakovic saved penalties from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitomo and Maya Yoshida, and it was the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper who took many of the acclaim from the jubilant Croatia crew after the shootout.

Japan had been seeking to attain the quarterfinals for the primary time however fell quick once more, similar to in 2002, 2010 and 2018. The Asian crew misplaced to Paraguay in a penalty shootout within the spherical of 16 in 2010.

Croatia, which additionally reached the semifinals in 1998, will play both Brazil or South Korea subsequent.

In an excellent 90 minutes of regulation play, Daizen Maeda put Japan forward within the forty third minute by sweeping in a close-range end. Ivan Perisic equalized by assembly Dejan Lovren’s cross from the proper with a header into the underside nook from close to the penalty spot within the 57th.

The outcome ensures not less than yet another World Cup sport for 37-year-old Croatia captain Luka Modric, the most effective midfielders of his era.

Since 1998, all of Croatia’s knockout matches at a World Cup or European Championship have gone to additional time apart from the 2018 World Cup remaining loss to France.