Croatia vs Argentina, the first semi-final match of the World Cup in Qatar was born.
In the quarter-finals that ended this morning, Croatia eliminated the favorites Brazil through a penalty shootout (1:1 in extra time, 4:2 in penalties), while Argentina also defeated the Netherlands in a penalty shootout (2:2 in extra time). 2, penalty kick 4:3).
As the runner-up of the last World Cup, the Croatian team led by Modric is known for its tenacity and is good at fighting tough battles.
Even though the Brazilian team is full of talents, they failed to create many scoring opportunities in the first half.
After entering the second half, the Brazilian team, which had not opened up the situation for a long time, dispatched troops, and strikers such as Anthony, Rodrigo, and Pedro were replaced one after another.
But the Croatian goalkeeper Livakovic is still brave, repeatedly defusing the opponent's offensive.
With a score of 0:0, the two sides entered overtime.
The picture shows the scene of the game
Compared with the five-star Brazil, Croatia is more familiar with overtime.
In the four knockout matches of the last World Cup, the Plaid Army experienced overtime three times.
In the quarter-finals of this year, they also eliminated Japan in a penalty shootout after overtime.
The game climaxed in extra time: Neymar scored in the 105th minute and the Selecao opened the door to the semi-finals; however, Petkovic's goal brought Brazil back to the starting line just before the whistle.
After 120 minutes, the two sides drew 1:1.
Even in the case of conceding the ball first in overtime, the extremely tough Croatia still dragged the Samba Army into the quagmire called "penalty shootout", and with their rich experience, they got rid of their powerful opponents and landed safely.
Goalkeeper Livakovic was once again a team hero as he saved Rodrygo's shot.
Croatia advanced to the semi-finals as Marquinhos' penalty hit the post.
Neymar burst into tears after the game, which should have been his game.
Neymar, who scored the 77th goal of his national team career, tied Pele's record and became the top scorer in the history of the Samba team.
However, in the face of tragic results, the memories brought by personal honor are not happy, only bitter.
The hope of winning the championship and all the enthusiasm of the Brazilian team came to an abrupt end at the moment of the last penalty kick.
The Croatian team is still advancing, and their next opponent is another protagonist of the "South American duo", Argentina, who is also the favorite to win the championship with Brazil.
Argentina's opponent in the quarter-finals is the "uncrowned king" Netherlands.
On one side is the Argentine attack group led by Messi, and on the other is the Dutch defense line commanded by Van Dijk. This is a direct collision of spear and shield.
Strong dialogue creates classics.
The pace of the game was not fast in the first half, but there were many collisions on the court.
Players from the two teams gather together to reason with each other from time to time, and even the benches of both teams are carded by the referee.
As time passed, the scene remained stalemate.
In a game that requires a superstar to shine, Messi once again stood up.
In the 35th minute, Messi sent a through ball as precise as a scalpel to help Molina single-handedly score, and Argentina led 1:0.
The lagging Dutch team had no other options.
But when the offensive needs to be strengthened, the shortcomings of this team are also revealed. The Oranje lacks the means to change the rhythm in the offense.
The picture shows Messi and Van Dijk hugging before the game
Leading Argentina extended the lead in the 73rd minute.
Acuna wins the penalty and Messi makes it easy.
This is his tenth goal in the World Cup, thus tying Batistuta and becoming the top scorer in the World Cup in team history.
The Dutch team, which was behind by two goals, made a desperate move and continued to create threats through high balls, which actually had a very good effect.
In the 83rd minute, Weghorst scored with a header, rekindling the suspense of the game.
The Dutch team pressed across the board at the last moment, and even Van Dijk rushed into the opponent's penalty area.
The miracle appeared in the 10th minute of stoppage time. Oranje played a wonderful tactical free kick, Weghorst scored twice, and the buzzer sent the Dutch team into overtime.
The picture shows the moment of Messi's penalty kick
In overtime, the Argentine team got several chances, but failed to rewrite the score, and a penalty shootout ensued.
Argentine goalkeeper Damian Martinez saved the penalties of Van Dijk and Boguis one after another.
Although Enzo Fernandez missed the goal, the Argentine team still entered the semi-finals as they wished.
In the semifinals, they will face Croatia.
From tonight to tomorrow morning Beijing time, the other two quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar will be held soon.
The specific matchups are:
23:00 Morocco vs Portugal
03:00 England vs France
England vs. France, a star-studded battle of focus, a strong dialogue that has attracted much attention.
The two teams are both traditional European teams and have a lot of history.
However, according to statistics, this is the first time that the two sides have met in the knockout round of the World Cup or European Cup.
This game is bound to become a battle between Britain and France different from the past.
Although Asian and African teams performed well in the group stage, after entering the knockout round, European and South American powerhouses became the protagonists.
Seven teams in the quarterfinals came from Europe or South America, and Morocco became the last "only seedling".
Tonight, this "single seedling" will challenge another European team, Portugal.
For Morocco, which has created its own best record, every step forward is history.