Brazil have been knocked out of the FIFA World Cup 2022 through penalties as Croatia now head towards the semifinal. The South American giants were knocked out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup quarterfinals as well, with Belgium proving the better side then.
Neymar did manage to score and equal Pele’s record as Brazil’s highest scorer, but it was not enough to give Brazil the required firepower to qualify for the next round.
Croatia kept up their persistence despite conceding a goal late into the stoppage time of the extra time’s first half. Their determination eventually paid off as Bruno Petkovic equalised and brought back the two teams on level terms.
The match was a tightly-knit affair. Brazil completed 684 passes in the match compared to Croatia’s 692. In terms of ball possession, Croatia led 51-49. The one thing in which the South Americans proved to be the better side was shots on target. Brazil had 11 shots on target in the match compared to Croatia’s one. However, the European side’s goalkeeper, Dominik Livakovic, played one of the best games of his career in the match, making 11 saves in total.
He has also saved four goals during FIFA World Cup penalty shootouts, which is a joint-record in the tournament’s history.
After the match, Brazil coach Tite announced that he will be quitting as the side’s head coach. He had been at the helm of affairs for the Selecao since 2016, winning the 2019 Copa America and the Superclásico de las Américas.
Croatia will now face the winner between Argentina and Netherlands in the semifinal, which is set to be held on December 13. At the other end, England and France are set to clash in the quarterfinal while Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal will be up against Morocco.
