Behind a record-tying three saves from goalkeeper Dominik Livaković in a penalty-kick shootout, Croatia advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals after defeating Japan in a tense, back-and-forth contest.
The Samurai Blue opened the scoring in the 43rd minute courtesy of Daizen Maeda, but Croatia answered back early in the second half thanks to Ivan Perišic’s 55th-minute strike.
After a goalless extra-time period, Livaković saved three of Japan’s four chances in the penalty-kick shootout with a masterful performance, and Mario Pašalić converted the decisive spot-kick to send the 2018 runner-up back to the quarterfinals. It marked the second straight World Cup in which a Croatian goalkeeper made three saves in a shootout to secure passage to the quarterfinals after Danijel Subasić accomplished the feat in Russia against Denmark.
Widely written out of a knockout appearance before the tournament, the Samurai Blue stunned the world with massive upsets over Spain and Germany to win Group E. But it couldn’t manage to make history as the first Japanese men’s team to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals.
Croatia, meanwhile, didn’t look all too sharp in its three World Cup matches that featured scoreless draws against Morocco and Belgium and a drubbing of Canada. Yet it brought plenty of experience into the knockout stage after enduring three extra-time encounters in the 2018 knockout rounds.
Croatia will now face the winner of Brazil vs. South Korea in the quarterfinals.
Japan looked up to the task early with Shogo Taniguchi coming close in the second minute. The defender rose to an open header but sent his chance just wide of the target as Croatia stood by watching.
In the eighth minute, Takehiro Tomiyasu slipped after misplaying a back pass, which allowed Perišić to have an open chance on goal with just the keeper to beat. But Shuichi Gonda came up with a massive save on the solo effort to deny Croatia a great chance to take the lead.
Japan was inches away from taking the lead in the 12th minute when Junya Ito sent a perfect ball across the face of goal, but Maeda just missed connecting on the chance as he slid through.
Croatia bounced back with another great chance in the 26th minute when Bruno Petković was played through on goal. Thehe Dinamo Zagreb striker opted not to shoot as Andrej Kramarić was open down the right wing, but Petković’s pass was blocked and the chance fizzled out.
Two minutes later, Perišić’s flick-on nearly found Kramarić at the back post as the teams traded quality chances.
Japan put together a beautiful team play at the edge of the area with Maeda leading the charge with clinical one-two play by the corner flag. But Daichi Kamada just sent the subsequent chance over the bar in the 40th minute.
The Samurai Blue took the lead in the 44th minute when Ritsu Doan sent in a dangerous cross that found Maya Yoshida, who passed the chance across goal to Maeda as the forward swept in the chance for the 1–0 lead.
But Croatia pulled level with Japan early in the second half. In the 55th minute, Dejan Lovren sent a perfect cross into the box that found Perišić, who dispatched a storng header past Gonda to tie the match at 1–1.
Croatia continued to turn the tables on Japan and nearly had a second if it wasn’t for a tremendous save from Gonda. In the 63rd minute, Luka Modrić sent a picture-perfect volley toward goal that seemed destined for the top corner, but Gonda read it and stretched to make a brilliant stop.
Ante Budimir had a wide-open header in the 67th minute at the far post, just moments after coming on as a sub, but the Croatian forward couldn’t steer it toward goal.
Perišić nearly scored his second of the match in the 77th minute when he rifled a shot from distance that swerved wide of the post. It proved to be the last major chance of regular time with the sides needing 30 minutes of extra time plus a shootout to decide the victor.
While the teams cautiously tried to push forward in the first extra-time period, Croatia made a surprising move by subbing off both Modrić and Mateo Kovačić.
Kaoru Mitoma put together the best chance of extra time in the 105th minute when he cut through the center of the Croatian defense and rifled a chance at goal that was parried away by Livaković.
Mitoma found himself in another scoring position in the 109th minute but opted to pass rather than shoot as the chance was cleared away.
Mislav Oršić created a series a dangerous chances in extra time, first sending a sharp corner into the area that needed to be punched away by Gonda. Then in the 121st minute, his shot from distance was deflected before Lovro Majer had an open chance from the edge of the area that went just wide.
In the penalty shootout, Livaković saved the first effort after Takumi Minamino sent his chance right at the keeper.
Nikola Vlašic then followed by blasting his chance past Gonda to make it 1–0 in the shootout.
Mitoma then saw his chance saved by Livaković to give Croatia the clear advantage.
Marcelo Brozović converted the chance for Croatia to make it 2–0 in the shootout.
Takuma Asano was able to manage Japan’s first tally in the penalty shootout to cut Croatia’s advantage to 2–1.
However, Japan was given a lifeline when Marko Livaja’s shot hit the post.
But Livaković came up big once again with this third save of the shootout on Yoshida’s chance.
Pašalić then stepped to the spot and converted his chance to win the match for Croatia.
After surviving the shootout, Croatia’s next match will come Friday in the quarterfinal against either Brazil or South Korea.
