World Cup live updates: Brazil and Croatia scoreless as quarterfinals begin
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After a couple of days off, the World Cup resumes Friday in Qatar with the quarterfinals. The first matchup of the final eight pits five-time world champion Brazil against Croatia, the 2018 runner-up. The top-ranked Brazilians looked the part in their round-of-16 game against South Korea on Monday, dancing their way to an easy 4-1 win. Things were a bit tougher for Croatia, which needed a penalty shootout to advance past Japan. Follow along for live updates and highlights from the game.
10:33 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Croatia’s first yellow card went in the 31st minute to Marcelo Brozovic, who yanked Neymar’s jersey to keep him from sprinting toward goal.
10:27 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Danilo drew a yellow card in the 25th minute for his spikes-high challenge to the face of a streaking Josip Juranovic. Luka Modric’s free kick from the side of the box was headed away, however.
10:21 AM: Analysis from Scott Allen, Reporter covering D.C. pro and local college sports
In its round-of-16 match with South Korea, Brazil scored two goals in the first 13 minutes of its eventual 4-1 win. As predicted, Tite’s squad is finding the Croatian defense tougher to crack. Nearing the 20-minute mark, Brazil has a slight advantage in possession, but Vinícius Júnior’s long-range shot in the fifth minute remains its best scoring chance.
10:16 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Croatia got a sneaky chance in the 13th minute, when Mario Pasalic sent a nice cross from the right flank, but an open Ivan Perisic couldn’t get his best foot on it. Brazil’s defense almost got caught napping.
10:10 AM: Analysis from Scott Allen, Reporter covering D.C. pro and local college sports
It’s been a fairly even start, and Brazil and Croatia remain scoreless through the first 10 minutes. A set piece played into the box by Croatia’s Luka Modric in the third minute was headed away. Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior put a curling shot on target in the fifth minute from outside the box, but Dominik Livakovic made the save.
10:05 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
Brazil hasn’t beaten a European team in the knockout round since a 2-0 win over Germany in the 2002 final. It’s lost its past five elimination games against teams from Europe, including three in the quarterfinals.
10:00 AM: Analysis from Scott Allen, Reporter covering D.C. pro and local college sports
The quarterfinal match between Brazil and Croatia is underway from Education City Stadium in Doha. It’s the third meeting between the teams at the World Cup and the first in the knockout stage. Brazil won the first two matches in 2006 (1-0) and 2014 (3-1).
9:53 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
DraftKings lists Brazil as a -255 favorite on the money line to win in regulation, while Croatia is a +750 underdog and the draw is +380. Remember, money line bets in the knockout round only are on the first 90 minutes; extra time doesn’t apply. There are separate bets for teams to advance: Brazil is -600, and Croatia is +450.
9:46 AM: Analysis from Scott Allen, Reporter covering D.C. pro and local college sports
Croatia’s starting 11 features two changes from its round-of-16 win over Japan. Defender Borna Sosa returns from an illness and will start in place of Borna Borisic, and midfielder Mario Pasalic gets the nod over forward Bruno Petkovic.
9:38 AM: Analysis from Matt Bonesteel, Reporter covering breaking news
For its quarterfinal against Croatia, Brazil keeps the same starting lineup that put up four first-half goals against South Korea in the round of 16.
9:31 AM: Croatia’s goalkeeper was a shootout hero, and history repeated itself
WAKRAH, Qatar — As spry as Japan performed Monday against 2018 runner-up Croatia, as loose and liable as the last few minutes of this round-of-16 standoff turned, there was a creeping sense at Al Janoub Stadium that the first match of this World Cup to drift into extra time was inevitably going to come down to penalty kicks.
That meant Croatia was almost surely going to win.
Four years after two shootout victories helped propel them to the final in Russia, the Croatians were at it again: a 1-1 draw through 120 minutes and a 3-1 decision on penalty kicks against a gutted opponent seeking its first quarterfinal berth.
The hero was goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who stopped one, then another and one more to lift Croatia into Friday’s meeting against Brazil.
“In Croatia, we do things that way,” Livakovic said. “You could see that four years ago, and I continued that tradition.”
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By: Steven Goff
9:16 AM: Brazil’s latest win was another chance to witness gasping World Cup beauty
DOHA, Qatar — Earth’s team, technically named “Brazil,” remains emphatically in this World Cup after Monday night’s win, granting the planet’s biggest sporting event a persisting array of extravagant promise.
There’s the forecast for further yellows, greens, songs and horns filling the shiny new metro cars, escalators and stadium walkways, which bustled again before the round-of-16 match with South Korea at Stadium 974 by the Persian Gulf. There’s the certainty of the global consensus only Brazil can provide given the sprawling number of nationalities that cotton to its allure and wear its yellow cottons. Mostly, though, there’s the promise of a gasping beauty the Brazilians just left strewn all over a 4-1 passage to the quarterfinals.
“How do you say it?” said Tite, their avuncular 61-year-old manager. “What’s it called? The offensive boldness of this team. They are bold. They play individual football, which is something that is very impressive.”
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By: Chuck Culpepper
9:01 AM: Soccer’s heavyweights prepare for the quarterfinals
RAYYAN, Qatar — The upstarts from Australia, Senegal and the United States went as far as they could go. Japan headed home after two famous victories and a near upset, while Saudi Arabia left after one shocker. Heavyweights took on defeat but proceeded, nonetheless.
After a rambunctious 2½ weeks of soccer, order has been largely restored to this World Cup, except for Morocco, which has captured the hearts of the Arab world — and underdogs everywhere — by crashing the quarterfinal party.
Brazil, Argentina, France and England have combined for 10 world trophies and six second-place medals. Add the Netherlands and Croatia into the mix, and the number of championship appearances grows to 20 overall.
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By: Steven Goff