Croatia’s Dominik Livakovic and teammates celebrate qualifying for the semi-finals as Brazil’s Marquinhos looks dejected. (Reuters pic)
1. Brazil’s last dance
The first dance came after Neymar transferred the gold from his shirt to his boots to flatten Croatian steel with an outrageous goal to complete a slick team move.
Just when Brazil thought they had won it in extra-time, Croatia danced. A flowing move was polished off by Bruno Petkovic to take the game to a nerve-shredding shootout.
The Selecao have only themselves to blame as Croatia schooled the Samba stars on penalties to end Brazil’s hopes of a sixth triumph.
With that they once again got dumped out of the competition by European opposition, and plunged their nation into mourning.
We should have expected nothing less from Neymar, the unused fifth penalty-taker, who idolises Brazilian great Socrates, the doctor who prescribed beautiful football.
By scoring his 77th international goal to equal Pele’s official mark, he lived up to Socrates’ wisdom, “to win is not the most important thing, football is an art and should be showing creativity.”
After scoring a priceless long range goal against the USSR in the 1982 World Cup match, the legendary midfielder Socrates said: “It was not a goal, it was an endless orgasm. It was unforgettable.”
Last night, Neymar would have felt the same way after his goal, in what could be his last World Cup, but the joy of his thumping effort could not douse the fire of Croatia’s 11 Vatreni (11 Fiery Ones).
2. Croatia’s powers of endurance and mental fortitude
Who would have seen this coming? With four minutes of extra-time to go, the 2018 runners-up were going home, but this is a team that just don’t go away.
While Brazil thought they had won it, Croatia never thought they had lost it.
Croatia are an efficient and dogged outfit, but they did not manage a shot on target until four minutes from the end of extra time as Petkovic’s side-footer beat Alisson.
It cannot be denied that Zlatko Dalic’s team are blessed with mental fortitude and have a trace of past Germany sides about them.
They don’t know when they are beaten. They have a habit of making you play on their terms.
Few know their way around a tournament more adeptly when fine margins need navigating.
Before playing Brazil, Croatia had won only once in 90 minutes – the 4-1 group stage win over Canada – out of four games in Qatar, two of which were goalless draws with Morocco and Belgium.
With the scalps of Brazil and Japan in this tournament, Croatia have won all four of their World Cup penalty shootouts. They beat Denmark in the last 16 and hosts Russia in the 2018 quarter-finals.
A jubilant Luka Modric.
3. Luka Modric, Croatia’s beating heart
At 37, after 159 caps, Croatia’s captain Luka Modric remains his nation’s beating heart, grinding his team towards more history.
Modric won the Ballon d’Or following the last World Cup. Four years on, he still stands as a top midfielder on the planet.
Against the quality of Brazil, any heavy Croatian legs would have been exposed, but “old” Modric was scampering all over the park.
Modric, Marcelo Brozovic and Mateo Kovacic played like they can control the midfield in their sleep and expect them to help write another memorable chapter in their face-off with Argentina in the semi-final.
The brain behind his team’s attacking approach, Modric’s influence is just as key off the pitch, acting as a father figure to the new generation of young players.
Centreback Josko Gvardiol, 20, is the poster boy of the new generation, one of the best defenders in Qatar. He has produced impressive performances which have showcased his maturity beyond his years.
4. When the air went out of the stadium
Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who saved three penalties in their last-16 shootout win over Japan, was the hero again.
He made a total of 11 saves – the most by a goalkeeper in this tournament – including the first Brazil spotkick by Rodrygo towards the bottom right.
It took a bit of time for his teammates to catch him after Marquinhos slammed his penalty off the base of the left-hand post to send Croatia through to the semi-finals.
The Education City Stadium fell quiet: Brazil fans were sobbing, so too were the Croatia fans, while Brazilian players sank to the turf, tears streaming down their cheeks.
A match commentator observed that the “air has gone out of this stadium big time.”
Should Neymar have taken the first penalty?
“Neymar was the fifth because that is the decisive one,” said Brazil manager Tite. “There is more pressure and the players who are more mentally prepared should be the ones to take this last penalty kick.”
But former Germany striker Jurgen Klinsmann disagreed, saying: ‘He would have been my number one penalty taker. You need him to set the tone.”
Brazil players slumped on the turf crying. (AP pic)
5. Death in the family
South American football expert Tim Vickery said: “This is like a death in the family. That is what it is going to feel like in the next few hours for Brazil fans.
“Croatia have sent the far bigger nation into mourning. This will really hurt for a long time.”
Vickery said he hoped there will not be a negative backlash on Brazil manager Tite and his boys “because this team don’t deserve it”.
