#Japan – #Croatia – Played on 12/05/ 2022 ( 1 – 1 ) ، ( 3-1 )
Japan – Croatia – Penalties ( 3 – 1 )
The Croatian national team achieved victory over Japan by penalty kicks, after the end of normal and extra time, with a positive draw (1-1) today, Monday, in the final price competitions, in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, at Al Janoub Stadium.
Daisen Maeda scored for Japan in the 43rd minute, while Ivan Perisic scored for Croatia in the 55th minute.
With this victory, the Croatian team awaits the winner between Brazil and South Korea in the quarter-finals.
The match started with pressure from the Japanese national team, as Taniguchi received a cross inside the penalty area, and hit a header next to the right post in the 2nd minute.
The response came quickly from the Croats, through Perisic, who took advantage of a mistake from the Japanese defense and launched into the penalty area and hit a powerful ball that was saved by goalkeeper Gonda in the 7th minute.
Gvardol, a Croatian player, shot a powerful ball from outside the penalty area, which passed over Japan’s goal in the 23rd minute.
Japan’s most dangerous attempt came in the 40th minute, with a shot from Kamada, but it passed over Croatia’s goal.
Daisen Maeda grabbed the lead for Japan in the 43rd minute, as he received a pass from his teammate Maya Yoshida after a mistake by the Croatian defender, and put the ball into the net.
The first half ended with Japan leading 1-0.
At the start of the second half, the Japanese continued to threaten, with a shot from Kamada that passed over Croatia’s goal in the 46th minute.
Mateo Kovacic, the Croatian national team midfielder, shot a ball from outside the area, which passed near the right post in the 48th minute.
And Ivan Perezic succeeded in scoring the equalizer for Croatia in the 55th minute, as he received a cross from the right side through his colleague Diane Lovren and hit a header to the left of the goalkeeper.
Gonda, the Japan goalkeeper, shone in blocking a powerful shot from Luka Modric in the 62nd minute.
Perezic hit a powerful ball from outside the penalty area, which passed by the right post in the 76th minute.
The attempts continued without any real effectiveness so the original time ended with a positive tie, and the extra runs were taken.
Mituma sent a shell from outside the penalty area, which was brilliantly saved by the Croatian goalkeeper in the 104th minute.
Lovro Mayer hit a ball on the edge of the penalty area, which passed by the right post.
The two teams headed for a penalty shootout, which smiled at the Croats with a score (3-1), after Minamino and Mituma lost the Japanese players.
