‘Lucky’ Croatia shoot out hosts
SOCHI, July 8
Russia’s World Cup dream ended within agonising sight of the semifinals as they went down 4-3 on penalties to Croatia on Saturday after another gallant performance in front of their fanatical fans which again belied their lowly ranking.
Having knocked out Spain on penalties in the previous round, Russia, 70th in the FIFA rankings, again defied the odds to take 20th ranked Croatia to a shootout with a 2-2 draw after extra time but on this occasion their marksmanship deserted them.
Croatia, a shadow of the team which cruised through their group with maximum points, won the shootout when Ivan Rakitic calmly netted and they will face England in the semifinals in Moscow on Wednesday.
As usual, Russia went down fighting in front of a raucous crowd as Mario Fernandes headed a dramatic equaliser with five minutes of extra time left, only for the Brazilian-born player to turn villain as he missed their third shootout kick.
Before that, Denis Cheryshev had rifled Russia in front with a long-range thunderbolt in the 31st minute before Andrej Kramaric equalised for Croatia six minutes before halftime.
Crotia then went in front with a soft header from substitute Domagoj Vida in the 101st minute, the first goal scored in extra time at the tournament.
Russia coach Stanislav Cherchesov, whose side were without a win in seven matches before the finals, prompting many to fear an embarrassing group stage exit, was typically belligerent. “I am very pleased at how the team played the whole World Cup, how it showed its character and worked to the maximum,” he said. “But you always start questions with negative things. This World Cup has been organised in the best possible way. What has happened, happened. We have been a very good host from the point of view of football and sports, organisation and administration.”
Croatia, who reached their first semifinal since 1998, dominated possession over the 120 minutes but were let down by poor final passes and were vulnerable to Russia’s aerial game. “We should have finished the job before penalties, but maybe it’s written in the stars that we have to go through the extra drama,” said inspirational playmaker Luka Modric.
Lively start
After a lively opening, the intensity of the game dropped off, with sessions of head tennis in midfield, but it was Russia’s more rustic approach which paid dividends first as they went ahead out of the blue, in stunning style. Cheryshev collected the ball near the halfway line, exchanged passes with Artem Dzyuba and curled a superb 25-metre shot past the transfixed Subasic.
Slack defending allowed Croatia to level eight minutes later. Striker Mario Mandzukic ran unchallenged into the penalty area and chipped a low ball back into the centre where the unmarked Kramaric scored with a glancing header. Croatia were agonisingly close to taking the lead on the hour when Russia’s defence failed to clear the ball and Ivan Perisic’s shot hit the inside of the post and rebounded harmlessly across the face of the goal.
Croatia did finally go ahead when Vida met a corner with a weak downward header which found its way through two sets of legs and rolled into the net.
To their eternal credit, Russia still did not give in and hit back again. — Reuters
Shootout mania
2 Croatia are only the second side in World Cup history — after Argentina in 1990 — to win two penalty shootouts in the same edition
1 Russia is the first country in World Cup history to contest two shootouts while hosting the event
30 The match was the 30th time that a game was decided on penalties at the World Cup. The first was the 1982 semifinal between West Germany and France
Thrill of extra time
1 Vida’s header was not only the first goal scored in extra time at Russia 2018 but the first ever for Croatia in the additional 30 minutes at a World Cup
115 Fernandes’ goal in the 115th minute (114:11) is the latest goal Russia (and USSR) have ever scored in a World Cup match
Congratulations to my lads but also to the Russia team, who fought well. This was not a beautiful game, it was a fight, a battle for the semifinal. We were lucky. I was concentrated throughout the match but after Rakitic’s penalty, it came bursting out of me. I felt really relieved. Those emotions just burst out of me. I don’t cry often but now I have a good cause. — Zlatko Dalic, Croatia coach
We trusted ourselves. We could only prove our worth by working hard. I believe that people did not only start trusting us but they are in love with us. The entire country of Russia is in love with us. — Stanislav Cherchesov, Russia coach
}Another drama for us. We didn’t play well in the first half, we didn’t control the game as we wanted. From the start of the second half we played much better, but unfortunately we couldn’t finish the game. We showed the character again! We are in the semifinals, we will enjoy the game. — Luka Modric
Man of the match: Luka Modric
- Minutes played 131
- Total passes 93
- Assists 1
- Shots on goal 3
Modric was a metronomic presence in the Croatia midfield yet again, spraying passes around and helping his side to starve Russia of the ball. He also showed character to convert his penalty in the shootout again, having missed from the spot during normal time against Denmark
Short passes
Argentine pope consoles Brazil after exit
Vatican City: Pope Francis is trying to cheer up Brazilian soccer fans after the team’s quarterfinal exit from the World Cup. The Pope, an Argentine and an avid soccer fan, noted a preponderance of Brazilian flags on display in St. Peter’s Square during his traditional Sunday blessing. He told the crowd: “I see a lot of Brazilian flags: Have courage! There’ll be a next time.”
Hierro leaves job as Spain coach
Madrid: Fernando Hierro, who stood in as Spain coach when Julen Lopetegui was sacked on the eve of the World Cup, will not continue in the role, the Spanish football federation said Sunday. Under the former Real Madrid and Spain defender, who had little previous coaching experience, 2010 winners Spain lost on penalties to hosts Russia in the last-16. “After travelling many kilometres together, the Spanish Football Federation and Fernando Hierro have put an end to their relationship,” the federation said. Hierro declined to return to his previous job as the federation’s technical director and “will undertake new professional challenges”, the federation wrote.
Fans cheer for Russia in war-torn Ukraine
Donetsk: Scores of Russia-supporting fans gathered in a cafe inside the disused Donbass Arena in conflict-stricken eastern Ukraine to watch their favoured team play Croatia. Some came with Russian flags in support of the country which they consider to be their homeland, jumping up and applauding. It is six years since the arena hosted stars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta during Euro 2012, and four years since the outbreak of a deadly conflict in this eastern part of Ukraine. The war has left the arena in disrepair and locals are subject to a curfew. But for a few nights at least, the curfew has been relaxed and fans have been able to enjoy broadcast games. Three weeks after the World Cup kicked off, the pro-Russian separatist authorities finally fulfilled their promise to open a cafe at the stadium.
World Cup ref gets life ban for bribery
CAIRO: A Kenyan linesman who had been due to officiate at the World Cup in Russia has been handed a life ban after being caught in a bribery sting. Marwa Range was filmed receiving a $600 bribe during the African Nations Championship in Morocco in January and is one of 22 referees sanctioned by the Confederation of African Football in an unprecedented clean up, announced at the weekend. Rage, who was a reserve at the 2014 finals in Brazil, had earlier been removed from the list of match officials due to officiate in Russia. The life ban was handed out by CAF’s disciplinary board who also banned 10 other referees for between two to 10 years for similar offences.
Next stop Moscow for England fans in a camper
SAMARA: England fans Nigel Holder and Larry McNulty climbed into the cab of their camper van on Sunday and set off for the next leg of their World Cup odyssey, the 20-hour journey to Moscow, venue for their team’s semifinal match. The two building contractors from Cheltenham, who drove all the way out to Russia in their Mercedes van last month, watched their team defeat Sweden. Their next stop is the Russian capital, but there is one snag: they don’t have tickets for the game, when England will take on Croatia. “If anyone’s got any tickets out there, we’re desperate for the semifinal,” said Holder. — Agencies
