The epic of Japan is shipwrecked on penalties against Croatia, with Livakovic as the new national hero

The epic of Japan was wrecked on penalties.

The boards weigh in such a way that it is like going up to the gallows without knowing if you are the executioner or the condemned.

Three errors on four pitches was sentence enough.

Croatia has them all, a team made of survivors from the Balkans that survives everything, even overtime and penalties.

With or without

, who was no longer on the pitch.

The laurels went to

, a new national hero in a country that has deep reasons for patriotism.

Modric kissed him on the grass as one kisses a son, after making his hat trick of victory under the sticks.

The Asian team aspired to the first quarters of its history, encouraged during the more than 120 minutes by a tireless public.

They weren't fans of cut and paste.

They were real.

Under the spectacular roof of the Al Janoub Stadium, in the shape of the old Qatari boats, Japan made water after a World Cup that has changed its history even if it has not made history.

After seven consecutive extensions in World Cups or Euro Cups since 2008, Croatia goes through another one, this time with success, and prolongs its life in a World Cup in which seven of the finalists survived in Russia, four years ago.

Modric, at 37, in front.

Livakovic is not one of them, but he already has the honors of him.

The wear and tear, however, led Zlatko Dalic to replace the Real Madrid player in extra time despite his confidence in shooting.

FRANTIC START

Japan did not come out to the match as against Germany or Spain.

He started the way he ended up against both football powers: revolutionized.

Otherwise, it is vulnerable and is nothing more.

In this way, it is vulnerable but it is hurtful, because it attacks as if it were the flight of 'kamikazes'.

Devilish speed is his weapon, but executed by a group of footballers with a good technical level, such as

,

,

and

.

The coach

left

on the bench , because he really had better arguments for what he wanted.

Croatia could not be surprised.

It's just not for that pace of play.

Neither did Spain or Germany support it, but the Balkan team is somewhat thicker.

Saved when Modric clarifies the game or throws

, it is slow.

He retains the competitive profile that took him to the zenith, enough to be in the quarterfinals, but he no longer has that flight.

It is no coincidence, then, that the goal that served to equalize the match came from a cross, not from transition.

PERISIC, FROM MISSING TO GOAL

The risks of Japan were going to grant him, however, spaces, but Perisic badly resolved a one-on-one that came heeled in front of

.

In a similar situation he reached the

box , which he missed again.

Croatia needs to optimize their chances a lot and their strikers didn't do it in the whole first half.

The intentions of Japan, long in the opposite field, also prevented Modric from approaching the balcony of the area, as he usually does.

They practically did not occur until the last stretch, already with the tie, when a long shot from the madridista provoked an excellent response from Gonda.

The Asians went out of their way from the first minute and did not stop after the goal, minutes before the break, the work of Maeda, who turned, electric, in Livakovic's area.

As on other occasions, Japan came with many players, additions that made it impossible to control a defense with a static profile, with

as a reference.

They had done it before, in vertical or choral actions that

, Maeda himself or

did not finish .

Japan was faced with the dilemma of how to manage victory.

They maintained the initiative but not with the same intensity, a fact that favored Croatia in their approach.

In a side cross, Perisic headed into the corner, flawless.

He gave strength to the ball, since his shot was far away, but inaccessible to the goalkeeper.

The Japanese defense was candid.

The goal felt worse for Japan than it had meant for Croatia to concede.

That is where the experience is appreciated.

Gonda looked for the long shots in search of points that his coach had to relieve due to the effort made.

The party train was already the one in which Croatia could feel calmer.

Extra time came and went without too many dangerous actions taking place, on the contrary, as if the two teams preferred the risk of penalties to others.

tried an individual action and shot and

had the chance in the last minute of extra time.

Croatia came to penalties without their great captain, but the hero was in their goal.

Livakovic stopped three of the four shots.

Only Mitoma, among the Japanese, got it right.

silenced the Asian chants of Al Janoub.

It was Livakovic's day.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

• Croatian Soccer Team

• Japan Soccer Team

• Luka modric