DOMINIK Livakovic had dived the wrong way but after Marquinhos’ penalty crashed back off the upright, he was up on his feet and ran towards his team-mates who were rushing to him from the other side of the pitch. Livakovic and Croatia had done it once again in four days, once again in a penalty shootout, once again in a World Cup knockout match. This time, they had floored Brazil. It doesn’t get bigger than this.

At the centre of the pitch, the ageless Luka Modric roared in joy. His journey at his last World Cup continues. Brazil’s journey ended here on the pitch of the Education City Stadium. Their players sank to the grass. Neymar was in tears, so were his younger team-mates who he inspired. Once again, it’s a quarter-final exit at the hands of European opposition for the five-time champions. They had hoped to end a two-decade wait for the title here in Qatar but they will now return empty-handed, Neymar didn’t even want to leave the pitch. He’d done almost everything here to make sure Brazil stayed here with his stunning extra-time goal giving Brazil the lead in the 105th minute.

But Croatia made it 1-1 with three minutes of extra-time to play through Bruno Petkovic’s first-time finish. The question remains how they do this; how do they muster this great mental strength to drag teams into submission and then have the conviction that they will be ones going through? They do this all the time. Most of their players came through the Balkan War and it’s that battling spirit that shines through.

There is no other team apart from them that relishes deciding knockout matches at the World Cup after normal time. Once their quarter-final against Brazil went to extra time, there was a feeling there would be only one winner. This is their fifth successive win in a knockout game at the World Cup that went beyond ninety minutes. They probably would’ve won the final as well four years ago in Russia if it had gone into extra time. Four days ago, they had beaten Japan in a penalty shootout in the last-16.

Here on Friday night, they did it the hard way. After the tie remained goalless in normal time Brazil had pressed for the lead and got it through Neymar when the Brazilian talisman exchanged one-twos with Rodrygo and then Lucas Paqueta to sail into the Croatian box and lift the ball over Livakovic. It was magic, sparking madness and delirium among Brazil supporters who had gathered in large numbers.

Croatia, though, weren’t done and Mislav Orsic had been on the pitch for barely four minutes when he found himself on the end of Modric’s pass on the left and found the time to cross into the path of Petkovic, whose shot defle­cted off Marquinhos and gave Allison no chance.

Belief restored, Croatia didn’t flinch in the shootout even if Thiago Silva, Brazil’s captain had decided that the spot-kicks would be taken on the side where his country’s supporters had gathered en masse. It didn’t distract Livakovic, fresh from his penalty-saving heroics against Japan. After Nicola Vlasic had netted Croatia’s first effort, Livakovic dived to his right to deny Rodrygo. Five successive penalties followed, including one from Modric who punched the air after his conversion, and when Marquinhos stepped up, he knew he had to score. He couldn’t, and Croatia won the shootout 4-2 to advance to the semi-finals where Netherlands or Argentina await.

For Brazil, this will hurt. They had come to this World Cup with high expectations after their defeat to Belgium at the same stage in Russia. Their coach Tite had survived that but it doesn’t look likely that he will stave this off after his side was largely neutralised by Croatia.

A loud, expectant wall of canary yellow greeted Brazil as they took to the pitch; their midfielder Paqueta saying out a loud prayer. If they were for a good start to the game, they hadn’t been answered. Brazil had shown their verve in their romp past South Korea in the last 16 but this was a different game, a different opposition. Win this and there’s just one more step to the final. This is where the pressure is telling; the stage where the best show what they’re made of.

Sixteen years ago in Dortmund, Zinedine Zidane rose to the occasion against Brazil and their four-man attacking square comprising Ronaldo, Adriano, Kaka and Ronaldinho. Here too, Brazil had a four-man attack and Modric was making hay and dictating the play. Ever-willing to pass and receive all around the park, it’s sometimes hard to believe he’s 37. He’s everywhere, winning the ball off his former Real Madrid team-mate Casemiro in the Brazil half, initiating play from his own box. It’s the sheer power of will.

Brazil too needed to show the same; Neymar was finding it difficult to break through and create and as he moved forward to join Vinicius Jr, Richarlison and Raphinha, it left spaces in the midfield which Croatia exploited to good effect by attacking Brazil from the wide areas.

Marco Pasalic, who scored the winning penalty in the shootout against Japan, started here and both he and right-back Josip Juranovic were making marauding runs down the right. From one of those crosses by Pasalic, Croatia had their best chance but it came too fast for Ivan Perisic to react. Brazil had a few shots at Livakovic but never really troubled him.

Brazil started the second half with more purpose but the Croatian chokehold was so strong that even with their nifty footwork and dazzling skills, the Samba stars were having difficulty in finding the space to breathe, to get more time on the ball. Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic were superb in midfield; Josko Gvardiol once again outstanding as the leader of the defence.

On the few occasions that they did find a way past Croatia’s well-organised ranks, the inspired Livakovic was proving to be an immovable object. Livakovic denied Richarlison with his boot after the Brazil forward attempted to turn in Raphinha’s fizzing cross early in the second half and then punched away a shot from Neymar after Richarlison had sent him through with a sharp reverse. Tite had seen enough and in the space of eight minutes, he threw on Antony for Raphinha and Rodygo for Vinicius. Paqueta then had a chance out of nothing but once again Livakovic was up to it and the Croat also denied Neymar with 15 minutes to go.

Brazil ramped up the pressure, their supporters willing them on. Paqueta shot straight into the arms of Livakovic after good work down the right by Antony and then inside the box by Rod­rygo. It was evident that Brazil wanted this to be finished in the ninety, to res­erve their energy for the battles ahead.

In another throw of the dice, Tite replaced Richarlison with Pedro. There were times when all of Brazil’s outfield players were camped in the Croatian half; waiting to seize any opportunity. But they couldn’t find a way through and Croatia were where they like to be.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2022