Croatia are through to the semi final after an upset win over Brazil in a penalty shootout. Neymar put Brazil ahead at the end of the first half of extra time, but Croatia equalised in the 117th minute. A combination of an in-form keeper, solid as a rock penalty taking, and a couple of poor attempts from Brazil gave Croatia the win.
Quarter Final Croatia v Brazil Match Review
Match Summary
Minutes that Mattered
Welcome to the briefest of match summaries, like a minute by minute you find on professional websites except one that has only the minutes that matter. All wheat, no chaff.
And if the below isn’t enough, for those in Australia you can catch up via the SBS World Cup on Demand.
4′ Min First shot on target of the game and it comes from Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior. A nice curling shot from just outside the box. It’s been a start for the passing fans out there, there might be a few left over since Spain exited the World Cup last round.
10′ Min Like a jerk of an older sibling Brazil with a toy the younger sibling clearly wants, Brazil are dominating possession and refusing to share.
12′ Min Chance for Croatia. 15 crosses the ball into the box and both 22 and 4 can’t quite make connection as the ball passes through.
14′ Min First corner of the game to Croatia. Nothing happens directly, but not long after the Brazil defence is caught napping getting rid of the ball and Luka Modric steals it and looks for a way to make Brazil pay but can’t. Best period of the game for Croatia though.
20′ Min Best attack of the game so far for Brazil, with a couple of shots being fired in as play is camped around the penalty area of Croatia. Still no goals, and you wonder if the longer this goes scoreless, the more it suits Croatia, and grumpy ex footballer commentators who hated Brazil’s dancing in their previous game. Hope you’re happy now killjoys.
24′ Min Free kick to Croatia and first yellow card of the game to Danilo, which was fair enough. Although unintentional while the Brazilian was trying to trap a high ball, a boot to the face is never much fun, and worth a little something extra. Luka Modric free kick right on the edge of the box fizzes out.
30′ Min Good attack from Croatia with Josip Juranović continuing to worry Brazil down the right. He crosses for Ivan Perisic who puts his shot a lazy ten metres over the crossbar.
38′ Min As Croatia continue to frustrate Brazil, we thought we’d give a shout out to Marcelo Brozović who has our favourite neck tattoo for the game. And it is a surprisingly big field. Brozović has gone with a simple cartoon bomb which isn’t far away from exploding.
40′ Min Free kick right on the edge of the box for Brazil. Neymar and Raphinha standing over the kick. It was Neymar, and there was a slight deflection, but under control for the Croatian keeper.
The first half ends 0-0 and this is fair enough based on the play. Neither side had the upper hand, Brazil were best early but Croatia slowly grew into the game and were at least matching Brazil in the end for possession and chances.
HALF TIME – CROATIA 0 BRAZIL 0
47′ Min Multiple chances for Brazil. One sees a charge down the right and a cross met by a Croatian defender and the keeper averts a potential own goal. They clear the ball again not long after as a penalty area scramble sees several shots fired at goal. Nice start to the second half though.
48′ Min VAR Check for Penalty. VAR check for a potential handball in the box from Croatia but is ruled OK.
53′ Min Another chance for Croatia who break away through the man of the match so far Josip Juranović. Ivan Perisic puts a dangerous cross into the box but if unable to be met by a team mate.
55′ Min Big chance for Brazil as Neymar gets one on one with the Brazilian keeper, he tries to beat him at the near post and is swatted away by Alisson.
62′ Min Brazil make their second substitution of the second half as they look for answers to break through Croatia. Raphinha and Vinícius Júnior, both so good in their all-dancing, all-singing win over South Korea are both off now.
66′ Min Big chance for Brazil again. A bouncing ball in the box falls to Lucas Paquetá and his point blank shot is covered by the Croatian keeper. A resulting corner sees another half chance cleared by Croatia.
72′ Min Despite topping the possession %, shots and shots on target, and bleached hair stats Brazil were still unable to break down Croatia. The lack of Brazil lead probably being cheered in an office of a betting company in Australia whose introductory offer gave $100-1 for every nation to win the World Cup, and many people chose Brazil.
76′ Min Another chance for Neymar, another save from Dominik Livaković. This one was close as Neymar had almost nutmegged the Croatian keeper but the ball hit his back knee as he slid across.
80′ Min Lucas Paqueta’s shot from on the edge of the box is saved by the Croatian keeper.
81′ Min Brazilian coach Tite is seen on the phone to Bunnings to order a kitchen sink to go along with the everything else he needs to throw at the Croatian defence. His team are starting to get some good shots away but Croatia’s keeper and defence continue to frustrate.
85′ Min A rare trip into the Brazilian half and penalty area for Croatia. Is this where they steal the game away from Brazil. Na, no shot on target, so hard to score.
86′ Min Corner for Brazil, and like most of the preceding 86 minutes, good defending from Croatia who have been immense it must be said. This game is heading to extra time. Then probably penalties. And there’s just something we don’t trust with Brazil for penalties. Especially against the Croatian keeper.
90′ Min Four minutes of added time. Brazil have the ball and are all over Croatia, but can’t break them down. A corner for Brazil amounts to the sum of all the previous ones, but they still have the ball in the Croatian half.
Brazil have the better of the second half and most of the shots, but they can’t get past. One would argue if they couldn’t do it with their better players in 90 minutes, what will an extra 30 minutes do. Well, we will find out soon.
FULL TIME (90 Mins) – CROATIA 0 BRAZIL 0
92′ Min Early chance and early Klinsmann Trophy nomination for Brazil. There was as much contact on the cross from Brazil as there was on Paqueta who went down clutching his knee. For the record no one scored.
95′ Min Replays show that Neymar was lucky not to be booked after giving a Croatian a decent kicking. Does he have a mega brain fade in him?
101′ Min Half arsed shot from Brazil as Pedro slips as he tries to get a sort-of overhead shot away. It’s about the highlights of the chances.
103′ Min Chance for Croatia. Bruno Petković runs down the left beating two defenders, jinks inside around some more Brazilian and passes across to Marcelo Brozović who blasts the shot well over and into the cheap seats.
105′ Min Deciding that his one goal in 50 matches record might just be the winning ingredient, Danilo shoots from outside the box and it misses by around the same distance he was from the goal.
105 +1′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR BRAZIL
Neymar produces the big moment when Brazil needed it most and he matches Pele’s scoring record. It is some effort from Neymar, who does a one-two on the edge of the penalty area then battles his way past the Croatian defence and rounds the keeper to blast the ball into the net. Was it worth the wait at 2 something in the morning. Of course.
CROATIA 0 BRAZIL 1
HALF TIME (EXTRA TIME) CROATIA 0 BRAZIL 1
109′ Min Corner for Croatia. No dice for Croatia but a potential Brazil is halted too. A net zero return, but not quite what is needed when down 1-0.
117′ Min GOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLL FOR CROATIA
Just as Brazil look to be seeing off the game and keep their 1-0 win, Croatia break down the left and Mislav Oršić crosses the ball into the penalty area, waiting patiently is Bruno Petković whose shot deflects off Marquinhos and past Alisson and into the goal.
CROATIA 1 BRAZIL 1
120′ +1′ Min Free kick for Brazil on the touch line but in line with the penalty box. Last chance to win the game before the penalty shootout. In the scramble Brazil get a shot away, but once again are foiled by the Croatian keeper.
So penalties it is. And does the deflation of losing the lead so late flow through to Brazil’s penalties, especially with the Croatian keeper in such fine form?
FULL TIME (EXTRA TIME) CROATIA 1 BRAZIL 1
PENALTY SHOOTOUT
Croatia Kick 1 SCORES – Nikola Vlašić – Goes up the middle and high with power, keeper dives right.
CROATIA 1-0
Brazil Kick 1 SAVED – Rodrygo- Goes right with not much conviction, keeper left, and it looked too easy for the Croatian keeper who is in sensational form.
CROATIA 1-0
Croatia Kick 2 SCORES – Lovro Majer – Goes low and middle and Alisson dives left again.
CROATIA 2-0
Brazil Kick 2 SCORES – Casemiro – Goes left, keeper goes right and the ball wins this time.
CROATIA 2-1
Croatia Kick 3 SCORES – Luka Modric – Goes left, keeper does the same, easy as they like for Croatia. Pressure on Brazil now. One more miss and they are done.
CROATIA 3-1
Brazil Kick 3 SCORES – Pedro – Does the stuttering run up but rolls it in to the left as the keeper goes left too.
CROATIA 3-2
Croatia Kick 4 SCORES – Mislav Oršić – Goes left and just sneaks it into the net and just away from the keeper who almost gets there.
CROATIA 4-2
Brazil Kick 4 MISSES – Marquinhos – Stuttering run up and he hits the post to the left and Brazil are out!!!!!!!!!!
CROATIA 4-2
Final Score
CROATIA 1
Bruno Petković 117′
BRAZIL 1
Neymar 105′ +1
HT 0-0
FT 0-0
CROATIA WIN 4-2 on penalties.
Player of the Match
Josip Juranović or Dominik Livaković
Points of Interest
- Coming into this game, as per our preview, Brazil had lost their last four World Cup knockout games against European teams. And Brazil clearly didn’t enjoy playing Croatia. Whether that’s because they’re European or just good. But the loss now makes it five from five.
- Gotta love the Brazilian fans, who continued to sing and dance even with the game remaining 0-0.
- Is 30 minutes of extra time too much. Or should we have extra time at all? Take this game for instance, if Brazil couldn’t break down Croatia in 90 minutes with their best players what chance they could do it with 30 more minutes. Also, with 30 minutes of extra time looming, some teams put up the shutters and close up the game. Maybe the threat of instant penalty shootout would be better. Unless there’s golden goal, most extra time is dull. Of course this one wasn’t, but if Extra time was removed would we have got that action in the 90 minutes.
- How many shots on target do you need to win a game? Just one according to this game. The one in the 117th minute that gave Croatia their only goal.
Quarter Final Croatia v Brazil Match Stats
Quarter Final Croatia v Brazil Starting Teams
CROATIA (4-3-3)
1 Livakovic
22 Juranovic
6 Lovren
20 Gvardiol
19 Sosa
10 Modric
11 Brozovic
8 Kovacic
15 Pasalic
9 Kramaric
4 Perisic
BRAZIL (4-2-3-1)
1 Alisson
14 Militão
4 Marquinhos
3 Thiago Silva
2 Danilo
7 Lucas Paquetá
5 Casemiro
11 Raphinha
10 Neymar
20 Vinícius Júnior
9 Richarlison
