Daizen Maeda gave Japan a half-time lead and Ivan Perisic headed home an equaliser for the 2018 runners-up before goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three of four penalties as Croatia won the shoot-out 3-1.
Croatia reached the quarter- tests of the World Cup on Monday with a dramatic 3- 1 penalty shoot- eschewal palm over Japan after a tense last- 16 clash ended 1- 1. Mario Pasalic struck the winning penalty to shoot Croatia through after Ivan Perisic had pulled Croatia position in the 55th nanosecond of normal time following Daizen Maeda’s nature for Japan just before the break. Croatia now face either Brazil or South Korea in the last eight and continued midfield icon Luka Modric’s stay at his fourth and likely final World Cup.
Japan’s shot to reach the last eight for the first time in their history came to a crushing end after another display of the kind which saw off Spain and Germany on their way to beating Group E.
Still they couldn’t claim one further big European crown in the shape of the 2018 finalists and go home in the alternate round, as they did four times agone, after having three of their penalties saved.
Japan could fluently have been ahead within three twinkles when Shogo Taniguchi glanced a title wide from point-blank range, and 10 twinkles latterly Daizen Maeda came near to turning in Junya Ito’s brilliantly placed low ball from the right hand.
In the meantime Perisic had let off a shot from a tight angle which led to a goalmouth scramble, but had Croatia scored they risked the thing being ruled out for what looked like a clear drive on Takehiro Tomiyasu.
Bruno Petkovic also wasted a great occasion in the 25th nanosecond, tromping through nearly unopposed onto a long through ball only to dawdle and fail to get a pass off to Andrej Kramaric who was charging into the box.
Kramaric was also too slow to latch on to Perisic’s dangerous film- on and from there Japan took control, and the lead.
Daichi Kamada had formerly blasted over after a superb end move when in the 43rd nanosecond Maeda fired in the nature after Ritsu Doan’s cross was knocked down by Maya Yoshida.
Japan looked the better platoon and ready to induce further damage but out of the blue Croatia’s most dangerous player Perisic levelled the scores with a pellet title from Dejan Lovren’s deep cross.
Nearly incontinently latterly Wataru Endo responded by having a good strike sloped over the bar by Dominik Livakovic, before Shuichi Gonda pulled off the save of the match to keep out Modric’s beautifully- struck, trickling shot.
Both Japan and Croatia squandered a many early openings to score. But, just twinkles before the half- time whoosh, Daizen Maeda opened the scoring for Japan from a well- worked corner kick. Beforehand into the alternate- half, Ivan Perisic put Croatia position 1- 1 through a atrocious title. The two brigades could not be separated in 90 twinkles, pushing the match intoextra-time for the first time in this edition of the FIFA World Cup. Indeed in theextra-time, the two brigades could not be separated. The Croatian goalkeeper stepped up in the shootout as his side secured a 3- 1( 1- 1) win in the penalty shootout. Read More News…
