Croatia stun Brazil with late comeback to win penalty shootout and reach semifinals

AL-RAYYAN, Qatar -- They did it again. Croatia, 4 years aft a stunning tally to the last successful Russia are backmost successful the World Cup semifinals aft upsetting Brazil, 4-2 connected penalties aft a 1-1 draw, to sound retired the tourney favorites. They volition look either the Netherlands oregon Argentina adjacent week.

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Brazil, and the thousands of the yellow-shirted fans that packed Education City Stadium, were near stunned. Marquinhos collapsed to the crushed successful daze aft his decisive punishment rebounded disconnected the near station portion Croatia's goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, led his teammates connected a glorious sprint toward the mediate of the field.

It seemed arsenic though Brazil had the crippled -- aft immoderate sizeable effort -- successful their hands. Neymar's extremity astatine the extremity of the archetypal play of other clip felt decisive, but Croatia didn't wilt. Mislav Orsic brought the shot down the near and chopped it backmost for Bruno Petkovic, whose left-footed onslaught took a deflection and nestled into the backmost of the nett successful the 177th minute.

When Rodrygo had Brazil's archetypal effort successful the shootout saved by Domink Livakovic, Croatia had bid and didn't fto go. Orsic's 4th punishment was drilled perfectly into the near corner; Marquinhos past tried to replicate but wasn't precise enough. Brazil were out. Croatia -- again -- were through.

JUMP TO: Player ratings | Best/worst performers | Highlights and notable moments | Postmatch quotes | Key stats | Upcoming fixtures

Rapid reaction

1. Livakovic gives his squad a accidental -- and they instrumentality it

Croatia manager Zlatko Dalic called Brazil's extent "scary" successful the build-up to this quarterfinal, but past qualified that by saying his squad shouldn't beryllium afraid. And wherefore not? They had a crippled program they believed successful and a goalkeeper successful the signifier of his life.

After carrying Croatia done the shootout triumph implicit Japan successful the circular of 16 with 3 saves, Livakovic was adjacent much awesome here. Dalic organized his squad successful an effort to clasp the shot and choke disconnected Brazil's quality to interruption -- which mostly worked -- but determination were ever going to beryllium cracks. And Livakovic filled astir each of them.

Yes, Josip Juranovic and Josko Gvardiol snuffed retired plentifulness of Brazilian opportunities, but Livakovic was the backstop. He acceptable a Croatian World Cup grounds with 9 saves, including captious stops connected Neymar (more than once) and Lucas Paqueta, arsenic good an unthinkable absorption halt connected Gvardiol, who astir turned the shot into his ain nett conscionable aft half-time.

Without him, Petkovic's changeable -- Croatia's archetypal effort connected people of the crippled -- doesn't substance astatine all. With him, it was everything.

2. Neymar ties Pele's grounds -- but it isn't enough

As they arrived astatine the stadium astir 90 minutes earlier kick-off, Neymar was the lone subordinate to look from Brazil's autobus wearing sunglasses (he kept them connected adjacent erstwhile wrong the stadium) and helium joined, conscionable for a moment, Vinicius Junior successful dancing his mode into the dressing room. Brazil, for each the unit that comes with being favorites, has tried to person amusive astatine this tournament.

This lucifer was work, though, and Brazil spent astir of it being stymied. The Croatian defence collapsed connected Neymar, implicit and over, Vinicius Jr. ne'er rather got going and Richarlison was seldom a factor. After the romp implicit South Korea, Brazil's onslaught was sluggish each night. At the extremity of 90 minutes, Neymar swiped astatine the writer successful irritation.

Neymar did person his infinitesimal of brilliance: Brazil had tried their one-two regular with nary occurrence respective times earlier, but this clip it came disconnected perfectly. Few players would person the beingness of caput to gaffe to the broadside of Livakovic, enactment upright and decorativeness from the space Neymar had, but the Brazilian superstar made it look elemental and tied Pele with 77 planetary goals, astir by a Brazilian successful history.

A heady grant for Neymar, to beryllium sure. But connected a nighttime he'll surely similar to forget.

3. How acold tin Modric and Croatia go?

If this ends up being Luka Modric's last World Cup -- and helium said arsenic overmuch earlier the tourney -- the 37-year-old volition permission his sport's biggest signifier aft 2 of the game's astir singular runs.

The third-place decorativeness astatine the Russia World Cup was historic, and Croatia's show present has been hard to fathom: the come-from-behind triumph implicit Canada and grinding stalemate with Belgium successful the radical signifier to qualify, past a stout and dependable show against Japan, the tournament's Cinderella, to scope the past 8 earlier Friday's elimination of Brazil.

It feels arsenic though Croatia should beryllium bushed -- 8 of their past 9 knockout matches astatine large tournaments person required 120 minutes -- but someway they conscionable support rolling. Modric's centrifugal inactive purrs successful the midfield, the defence has been ceramic sturdy and they look to ever find a mode to conscionable the moment.

They'll apt beryllium underdogs against either Netherlands oregon Argentina but ... would you prime against them astatine this point?

Player ratings (1 = worst, 10 = best)

Croatia: Dominik Livakovic 8, Josip Juranovic 8, Dejan Lovren 7, Josko Gvardiol 7, Borna Sosa 7, Luka Modric 8, Marcelo Brozovic 8, Mateo Kovacic 8, Mario Pasalic 7, Andrej Kramaric 6, Ivan Perisic 7.

Subs: Nikola Vlasic 6, Bruno Petkovic 7, Lovro Majer 6, Ante Budimir 6.

Brazil: Alisson 6, Eder Militao 8, Marquinhos 7, Thiago Silva 7, Danilo 7, Lucas Paqueta 7, Casemiro 7, Raphinha 6, Neymar 8, Vinicius Junior 6, Richarlison 6.

Subs: Antony 6, Rodrygo 6, Pedro 6, Fred 6, Alex Sandro 6.

Best and worst performers

BEST: Dominik Livakovic

It wasn't rather the spotlight of the shootout against Japan, but the Croatian goalkeeper utilized his feet, his hands and immoderate other helium needed to blunt Brazil for astir of the nighttime and support his squad successful the game.

WORST: Marquinhos

It feels cruel to tag him with this but erstwhile you miss the punishment that sends your squad retired of the competition, aft being portion of a defence that conceded truthful precocious successful the game, it's hard to look elsewhere. A brutal finish.

Highlights and notable moments

Neymar initiated an onslaught adjacent the extremity of the archetypal play of other time, and finished disconnected a stunning squad determination to people the opening goal.

But, contempt Brazil scoring 1 of the goals of the tourney successful other time, Croatia's precocious leveller took the lucifer to penalties, wherever Marquinhos' footwear deed the station and sealed his team's exit.

After the match: What the players and managers said

Brazin midfielder Casemiro: "Losing ever hurts, particularly erstwhile you person a goal, a imagination and you person worked toward it for years. Four years to this moment. That is wherefore it is hard to find words close now. Now we person to prime our heads up. Life goes on. We are sad, I americium definite that everyone successful the radical did their best. We are upset by the mode it happened. It was successful our hands and it slipped close through. It is simply a hard moment. But we are calm and we cognize that beingness goes on."

Key stats (provided by ESPN Stats & Information)

This was the 26th lucifer to beryllium 0-0 astatine half-time. Only the 1990 World Cup had much matches beryllium 0-0 astatine half-time (28).

Domink Livakovic's 9 saves acceptable a caller grounds for a Croatia goalkeeper astatine a World Cup. Drazen Ladic made 7 saves against Netherlands successful the 1998 third-place playoff. Livakovic is tied with Poland's Wojciech Szczesny for astir saves successful a azygous lucifer astatine the 2022 World Cup.

This was Croatia's 5th World Cup lucifer to spell to other time. In all, 8 of Croatia's past 9 knockout matches astatine large tournaments person gone to other time.

As good arsenic equalling Pele's haul of 77 goals, Neymar's archetypal open-play extremity for his state since Since October 2021 saw him articulation Ronaldo arsenic lone Brazilian men to people aggregate goals astatine 3 antithetic FIFA World Cups.

Bruno Petkovic's 117th infinitesimal equaliser was Croatia's lates-ever extremity astatine a satellite Cup, and the latest equaliser successful World Cup history. It was besides Croatia's archetypal changeable connected target.

Brazil had won 3 of their 4 erstwhile World Cup shootouts, lone losing against France successful 1986.

Croatia person won each 4 of their World Cup punishment shootouts, going level with Germany arsenic the teams with the astir wins without losing a azygous shootout.

Brazil person been eliminated successful 5 consecutive FIFA World Cup knockout signifier games vs European opponents.

Croatia person precocious to the semifinals successful each 3 of their FIFA World Cup quarterfinal appearances (1998, 2018, 2022).

Up next

Croatia: Modric & Co. volition present beryllium preparing for a immense semifinal clash against either Argentina oregon Netherlands connected Tuesday, Dec. 13 astatine the Lusail Iconic Stadium.

Brazil: The Selecao caput location without immoderate planetary fixtures scheduled for 2023 arsenic yet. Which is astir apt conscionable arsenic well, arsenic this effect volition instrumentality immoderate getting over.