Croatia reach quarterfinals

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AL WAKRAH, Qatar, Dec 5, (AP): Croatia are going deep at another World Cup, and the team are taking the long route once again. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three penalty kicks Monday in Croatia’s 3-1 win over Japan in a shootout, securing a return to the quarterfinals for the runners-up in the 2018 tournament. On their run to the final four years ago, Croatia needed extra time in each round in the knockout stage – and twice came through a penalty shootout.

This time, Mario Pasalic converted the clinching penalty for Croatia after the teams were tied at 1-1 after extra time. Livakovic saved penalties from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitomo and Maya Yoshida, and it was the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper who took most of the acclaim from the jubilant Croatia team after the shootout. Japan had been looking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time but fell short again, just like in 2002, 2010 and 2018. The Asian team lost to Paraguay in a penalty shootout in the round of 16 in 2010.

In an even 90 minutes of regulation play, Daizen Maeda put Japan ahead in the 43rd minute by sweeping in a close-range finish. Ivan Perisic equalized by meeting Dejan Lovren’s cross from the right with a header into the bottom corner from near the penalty spot in the 57th. The result guarantees at least one more World Cup game for 37-year-old Croatia captain Luka Modric, one of the best midfielders of his generation. Since 1998, all of Croatia’s knockout matches at a World Cup or European Championship have gone to extra time except for the 2018 World Cup final loss to France. Meanwhile, Four Uruguay players were charged with offensive behavior by FIFA on Monday for their angry pursuit of the referee after being eliminated from the World Cup.

The Uruguayan soccer federation also faces an extra charge of discrimination, FIFA said without giving details. The Uruguay team thought they should been awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time of their 2-0 victory over Ghana on Friday. One more goal would have sent Uruguay to the round of 16 instead of South Korea.

FIFA said Edinson Cavani, José María Giménez, Diego Godín and Fernando Muslera face disciplinary cases for “offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play” and misconduct. Cavani, Godín and Muslera were each playing at their fourth World Cup and Giménez was at this third. They were among a group of players who confronted German referee Daniel Siebert after the final whistle at Al Janoub Stadium

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