History repeats as Croatia makes Japan pay the penalty 2022-12-07    

Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saves Takumi Minamino's penalty during his team's 3-1 shootout win over Japan at the World Cup. The match finished 1-1 after extra time.

AL WAKRAH, Qatar — Croatia is going deep at another World Cup, and the team is taking the long route once again.

Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three penalties in Croatia's shootout victory over Japan on Monday, securing a return to the quarterfinals for the runner-up in the 2018 tournament. The match finished 1-1 after extra time.

On its surprising run to the final in Russia four years ago, Croatia needed extra time in each round in the knockout stage — and twice came through a penalty shootout.

"History keeps repeating itself," Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic said with a smile.

Livakovic was the backup goalkeeper to Danijel Subasic in 2018 but took center stage this time, diving to his left to keep out Japan's first penalty by Takumi Minamino, to his right to block Kaoru Mitoma's effort from the second penalty, and then again to his right to deny Maya Yoshida off the fourth.

That gave Mario Pasalic the chance to put away the clinching penalty. The substitute joined the rest of Croatia's jubilant players in heading right for Livakovic after hitting the back of the net.

"In Croatia, we do things this way," Livakovic said. "I continued the tradition."

The similarities with 2018 do not stop there. Just like in every game in the knockout stage that year, Croatia fell behind to Japan when Daizen Maeda swept in a close-range finish in the 43rd.

Ivan Perisic equalized by meeting Dejan Lovren's cross from the right with a header into the bottom corner from near the penalty spot in the 57th.

Dalic said his team's ability to recover from losing positions "reflects the Croatian people", with a nod to a psyche the players forged growing up in a country ravaged by war as the former Yugoslavia broke up in the 1990s.

"We never give up ... We have been through so much pain and the players have great pride," Dalic said.

"The whole of Croatia is supporting us and this is a way of giving them faith for a better tomorrow."

While Croatia — also a semifinalist in 1998 — prepares to take on Brazil in the quarterfinals, Japan exits a World Cup in the last 16 for the fourth time, just like in 2002,2010 and 2018. The Asian team also lost in a penalty shootout to Paraguay at that stage in 2010.

Asia is still waiting for a second team to advance beyond the last 16, after South Korea on home soil in 2002.

Japan made its mark in Qatar, though, beating Germany and Spain — two of the last three World Cup champions — in huge upsets in the group stage.

"The players showed a new era of Japanese soccer, I think," Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said. "They should use this feeling of being upset and try to go further next time.

"We cannot be superheroes in one go. We have to improve step by step. But Japan is reaching a level where we can play on the world stage."

The result guarantees at least one more World Cup game for 37-year-old Croatia captain Luka Modric, one of the best midfielders of his generation.

The 2018 world player of the year had a quiet game, save for one pass with the outside of his right foot that sent Perisic away for a shot on goal in the first half.

Real Madrid star Modric was substituted in the first half of extra time and wasn't part of the shootout.

'Can't blame anyone'

After making it back to the last 16, Japan is headed back to the drawing board.

The Japanese reached the knockout stage of the World Cup for the fourth time, and then lost for the fourth time.

"Penalties. Nothing you can do," Japan midfielder Wataru Endo said. "You can't blame anyone. That we let it get to a shootout was the reason for the defeat. The preparation for the next one (World Cup) starts today."

Japan first reached the last 16 at the World Cup as co-host in 2002.The team made it that far again in 2010 and also in 2018.

But this year was different. Drawn into a difficult group, Japan beat both Spain and Germany by identical 2-1 scores in Qatar to finish first in the opening round.

Japan coach Moriyasu tried to soften the blow of another knockout loss, saying: "Although the result was not what we expected, I told them it does not negate everything we did.

"We could not break through the last 16 and we could not have a new perspective or see a new landscape, but the Japanese national team won against Germany and Spain, who have been champions in the World Cup... I think Japanese soccer can continue to grow."