World Cup: Croatia coach pledges 'this is not the end' after beating Brazil
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Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic celebrates after the penalty shootout as Croatia progress to the semi finals.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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DOHA - Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic pledged that “this is not the end” after his team sensationally dumped Brazil out of the World Cup on penalties in the quarter-finals on Friday.
The match finished 1-1 after extra time, with Bruno Petkovic cancelling out in the dying minutes Neymar’s brilliant solo opener.
Croatia, finalists at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, then won the shoot-out 4-2.
Marquinhos missed the crucial spot kick, hitting the post when he had to score to keep Brazil in it after Rodrygo’s earlier attempt had been saved by goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic.
Croatia converted all four of their penalties.
“This is a victory for Croatian people,” said Dalic.
“A great match. We eliminated the main favourites... This is Croatia – pride, courage, faith and patriotism.”
He added that his team had risen to the challenge when they were under the most intense pressure.
“Croatia is the best when it’s needed. When it matters, Croatia always succeeds. No one should underestimate us,” he said.
“This is not the end, we are moving on. We can achieve a lot.”
Croatia will next face Argentina, who also triumphed in their penalty shoot-out against the Netherlands, in the semi-finals on Tuesday.
Croatia’s Josko Gvardiol, Ante Budimir, Dejan Lovren, and Lovro Majer celebrate qualifying for the semi finals, as Brazil’s Marquinhos looks dejected after missing a penalty and being eliminated from the World Cup.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Croatia, like Dalic claimed, are no strangers to operating under pressure.
In 2018 they needed two shoot-outs and an extra-time win to reach the final.
Despite that runner-up performance in Russia, few were giving the talented but ageing side much chance of getting beyond the round of 16 in Qatar.
The road looked a dead end going up against a star-studded Brazil side who danced their way into the quarter-finals oozing confidence.
But that confidence was quickly shaken by a rough and tumble Croatian team who refused to give ground, even an inch, denying Neymar and company the space to work their brilliance.
In the end it was determination and self-belief that prevailed, as Croatia refused to wave the white flag.
In total, the Croats have won all four penalty shoot-outs in their history at the World Cup – two in 2018, against Denmark and Russia, and two in Qatar, against Japan and now Brazil.
“We have very strong character and we do not give up, we were prepared for anything today,” said Dalic.
“It has become quite normal for us in shoot-outs to become favourite, it’s as though we have already won at that point, but you need to get to the penalties first. It’s a feature of our team.”
The Croatia coach also reserved special praise for his star veteran midfield maestro Luka Modric.
The 37-year-old played a part in the build-up to Petkovic’s 116th-minute equaliser before converting one of their spot kicks.
“The way he plays is unbelievable,” Dalic said. “He’s not tired and he didn’t fall away when the game went to extra time. It’s the second time in four days that he’s played in a match that has gone beyond 90 minutes. It shows that he is one of the best players in the world.
“I believe the recipe for success is his seriousness and his professionalism. He is a gentleman and he is impeccable in training. He always tries his best and he lives for football. At 37, he’s shown his quality for Real Madrid and for his country.” AFP, REUTERS
