FIFA World Cup 2022: Croatia on Monday, December 5, defeated Japan 3-1 on penalties at Al Janoub Stadium in the Round of 16 match. They also advanced to the quarterfinals.
New Delhi,UPDATED: Dec 5, 2022 23:42 IST
FIFA WC: Croatia beat Japan on penalties to book quarter-finals berth. Courtesy: AP
By Sabyasachi Chowdhury: Croatia, on Monday, December 5, advanced to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup 2022 after beating Japan 3-1 on penalties at the Al Janoub Stadium.
It was also the fourth time that Japan qualified for the Round of 16, but failed to progress further in their seven appearances in the history of the mega event.
Daizen Maeda gave Japan a much-needed 1-0 lead in the 43rd minute and raised hopes of taking down another big opponent after their triumphs over Germany and Spain in the group stage. It also happened to be Maeda’s second goal in only his 11th appearance for Japan.
After Japan earned a corner, Maya Yoshida’s header was received well by Maeda, who reacted quickly. However, the jubilation for the Japanese team was short-lived as Ivan Perisic gave Croatia an important equalizer in the 55th minute.
Dejan Lovren sent in a cross, after which Perisic headed the ball into the goal. It was also the 10th time that Perisic was directly involved in 10 goals (6 goals and 4 assists) in the World Cup.
Thereafter, both Japan and Croatia held on as the match went into extra time. After 30 minutes of jaw-dropping action, it all came down to penalties, the first of the ongoing World Cup in Qatar.
In the penalties, Japan missed their first two goals, after which it was only a matter of time for Croatia to go through. Mario Pasalic, Marcelo Brozovic and Nikola Vlasic found the net to take Croatia past the finish line.
Takuma Asano was the only scorer for Japan in the penalties.
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