Round of 16 2022 FIFA World Cup Review: Croatia Win on Penalties!

Round of 16 2022 FIFA World Cup Review: Croatia Win on Penalties! The Croats will play in the next stage of the competition.

Croatia defeated Japan 3-1 on penalties in their 2022 FIFA World Cup round of 16 encounter. It was the first time that a match had gone to penalties in this year’s edition of the tournament.

Japan 1:3 Croatia (Croatia wins 3-1 on penalties) – Round of 16

Japan surprised everyone with their performances and results in the group stages of the tournament. They finish top of a group which had former champions Spain and Germany in it.

Because of this, they were the favourites even though Croatia is the better side. The Asians took the lead through a Daizen Maeda goal.

Croatia equalised with a fine header from Ivan Perisic. The game ended at 1-1 after extra time; penalties ensued.

Dominik Livakovic was the hero as he saved three Japanese penalties.

“I don’t know what to say,” goalkeeper Livakovic spoke.

“The only thing I can say is that I’m glad that I’ve made the Croatian people happy this evening. Not just the fans who were here tonight, but everyone.

“It was a pretty tough game, but we showed that we can take on anyone and play our game. My whole life in football flashed before my eyes before the first penalty, emotions that I’ll definitely never forget.

“We know that whoever we face in the next round will be a great team, so we’ve just got to do what we’ve always done and see how that works.”

Man of the Match: Dominik Livakovic (Croatia). Round of 16 2022 FIFA World Cup Review: Croatia Win on Penalties!