The World Cup is always full of shocks, and this summer’s tournament has been no exception.
On Friday night, Croatia shocked everyone by defeating Brazil in a penalty shootout after 90 minutes of regulation play and 30 minutes extra time. The match was cruel for Brazil; it ended in defeat for the nation considered one of the favorites to win the tournament.
Croatia will now advance to face either Netherlands or Argentina in their semi-final matchup on Wednesday. The winner will advance to the final on Sunday. The losers will be sent home early.
We’ll go through the winners and losers for this game below:
Winners
Here is a look at the winners of the match:
Dominic Livakovic
The knockout stages of the World Cup have been a rollercoaster of emotions for fans. Croatia has secured a spot in the semi-finals with their victory over Brazil. However, they had to come from behind in their previous matches.
One unsung hero for Croatia has played between the sticks: Dominik Livakovic. In the game against Japan, he showed greatness in their penalty shootout, stopping three of the four penalties.
Despite Neymar scoring in the game’s dying minutes, it wasn’t over for Livakovic as he managed to save two penalties during the shootout to secure Croatia’s place in the semi-finals.
Luka Modric
Luka Modric is class personified, and he showed it again as Croatia clinched their second-ever World Cup semi final with a 2-1 win over Brazil.
At 37 years old, Modric showed that he is still in his prime, dominating the midfield in partnership with Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic. His passing ability dictated the game, and his presence on the pitch constantly threatened Brazil’s defense.
Modric’s performance will be remembered as one of the highlights of this tournament. He has cemented his name among the greatest midfielders of all time and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players to play for Croatia.
Losers
Here is a look at the losers of the match
Neymar
In the end, Neymar’s World Cup ended in heartbreak.
The Brazilian star’s hopes of cementing his legacy with a World Cup trophy were dashed by Croatia on Friday night. The loss is a big dent to his career and hopes of cementing his career with a World Cup trophy.
However, there were some positives from this game. For one thing, he scored the goal that would have brought him level with Pele as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer—a milestone that seemed tantalizingly close as he was about to take the field for the second half.
Tite
Tite got it wrong.
For the first time in this World Cup campaign, Tite’s Brazil was undone by the same problems that have plagued them for years: a lack of creativity and an inability to break down teams that defend well.
Tite was blessed with a bolstering attack of amazing European talent: Antony, Rodrygo, Richarlison, Pedro, Raphinha, and Vinicius. But even these players could not unlock the door for Brazil, who had no answer to Croatia’s defensive tactics and toothless attack
