Japan vs Croatia.
Croatia beat Japan on penalties to reach World Cup quarter-finals.
Absolute heartbreak for Japan, who’ve put so so much, not just into this game but into this competition! But – and I despise saying this – they froze in the shootout, while Livakovic grew! He saved three kicks, and is a national hero! What a feeling for him! He’ll never, ever feel like this again as long as he lives!
Croatia beat Japan 3-1 on penalties!
Pasalic keeps calm, finds the bottom left, and Croatia are into the last eight!
Japan 1-2 Croatia
Yoshida goes left … and Livakovic reads it, saving easily again! Japan’s misses have all been so weak! Croatia can win it now….
Japan 1-2 Croatia
Livaja ambles up, pauses, looks up, an taps against the post like Gonda’s gone the wrong way!
Japan 1-2 Croatia
Asano scores easily, Livakovic going left as he goes right.
Japan 0-2 Croatia
Gonda goes to his right and Brozovic clips down the middle! If Japan don’t score this one, Croatia can win next go!
Updated at 12.42 EST
12.41 ESTJapan 0-1 Croatia
Livakovic saves again! Mitoma goes low but not in the corner, and the keeper saves to his right this time!
Updated at 12.41 EST
12.41 ESTJapan 0-1 Croatia
Vlasic sweeps home!
Updated at 12.41 EST
12.40 ESTJapan 0-0 Croatia
A miserable effort from Minamino, Livakovic saving low to his left without having to go very far.
It’s Minamino to kick, and when you see the angle from behind him, the goal looks very small and Livakovic looks very big…
Japan to go first, and at their end; the ref tells the keepers what he expects from them.
Updated at 12.39 EST
12.38 EST
Gonda, though, seems to me like the kind of confident, athletic keeper who saves penalties.
I guess Croatia have the experience, but that means they also have the fear. Or in other words, I’ve not a clue what’s going to happen next.
Updated at 12.37 EST
12.35 ESTFull-time in extra time: Japan 1-1 Croatia
It’s lottery time!
Updated at 12.35 EST
12.35 EST
120 min Anyone know what the Japanese fans are singing? But excuse me whole I interrupt myself, Brozovic powering into the box from the left and seeing his shot blocked by Tomiyasu! And Croatia keep at it, Majer collecting the ball outside the box, taking a touch, and seeing the celebration and headline! He’s got a clear sight of goal! He can be the hero! But he can only shoot a yard or two wide of the near post!
119 min Croatia win a free-kick down the left which Barisic pumps into Tanaka. He wears it pretty well, going down but refusing treatment in favour of a moment; we’re almost done.
Updated at 12.33 EST
12.32 EST
118 min Brozovic, who’s been disappointing, dinks a nondescript ball into the box – is nondescript a philosophical paradox, given by deploying it, we’ve disproved the point it’s trying to make? – and Yoshida, who’s been excellent clears.
Updated at 12.32 EST
12.31 EST
117 min Japan have never reached the last eight of the World Cup. They’re about to endure, and perhaps enjoy, the most important few minutes in their country’s football history.
Updated at 12.31 EST
12.30 EST
116 min Barisic loses possession to Ito, scythes him down, and as soon as he’s stretched out his cramp, he’s booked.
Updated at 12.30 EST
12.29 EST
115 min Now Japan counter, and Sakai has a chance to cross … but scuffs his effort and Croatia clear the box. But then Tanaka finds Endo in a nice position down the right and he crosses, but Mitoma opts to go for goal instead of knocking back across, and Livakovic collects well.
114 min Mitoma thinks he’s letting the ball out, and Pasalic somehow sneaks up on him to win a throw. Again, here comes Juranovic to luzz into the box … but again, out comes Gonda to claim confidently.
Updated at 12.27 EST
12.26 EST
113 min Croatia are having a good couple of minutes and win a thrown down the right which Juranovic hurls at Pasalic, who gets a flick, and underneath it we enjoy the unusual spectacle of a cowering defender, Sakai doing what we’d all do, but to allow Gonda to rush out and hold.
Updated at 12.26 EST
12.25 EST
112 min …but Gonda rushes out to double-fist clear. He’s been solid tonight.
Updated at 12.25 EST
12.24 EST
111 min Majer nashes down the right and crosses; Japan don’t get the ball clear, and Croatia have a corner, so here come the big men…
Updated at 12.24 EST
12.24 EST
110 min Both sides are absolutely bushed, but it’s Japan who look fresher now, Mitoma again holding the width before trying to move inside and giving the ball away.
109 min And here he is now, collecting a square pass from Tanaka down the left, but his cross is poor and Croatia get it away.
Updated at 12.23 EST
12.21 EST
108 min Mitoma robs Pasalic and nips down the left, but running out of space, he passes infield and backwards. He looks the likeliest gamebreaker.
Updated at 12.23 EST
12.20 EST
107 min Those changes removing likely penalty-takers, suggest both sides would like to get this done in the next 15 minutes.
Updated at 12.23 EST
12.20 EST
106 min We go again!
Updated at 12.23 EST
12.19 EST
Change for Japan: Tanaka replaces Morita. And two changes for Croatia: Livaja and Orsic for Budimir and Perisic.
Half-time in extra time: Japan 1-1 Croatia
Both sides are trying to win this, but neither has much left nor anyone they can rely on to score. But the nerves are getting right on top, and when that happens, who knows?
105+2 min These last few minutes have been better.
Updated at 12.16 EST
12.15 EST
105+1 min We’ll have two added minutes.
Updated at 12.15 EST
12.15 EST
105 min They’ve been quiet in extra time but Japan spring, Mitoma collecting possession in his own half and attacking the inside-left channel before, suddenly, he sees a space inside so his attacks it and unleashes a powerful shot … that’s straight at Livakovic, who beats away! Japan maintain pressure, but when the ball comes back, Tomiyasu, waiting ages for it to drop, can’t think of anything goof to do when it does and though a corner eventuates, it comes to nowt.
Updated at 12.15 EST
12.12 EST
103 min Aaaarrrggghhh! A poor header backwards from Mitoma has his hands covering his swede immediately, but Asano is on-hand to clear up his mess before Pasalic can pounce.
103 min Endo wins possession in midfield and sticks a ball in behind Gvardiol for Asano. Yeah, good luck getting that, old mate.
Updated at 12.15 EST
12.10 EST
101 min Croatia win a throw dow the right and when it’s hurled in Budomic gets flick, but it won’t arrive at Budomir quickly enough, Sakai and Asano sliding in to block.
Updated at 12.10 EST
12.09 EST
100 min As is often the case with extra time, the tension is greater than the quality, so the director cuts to Vida sticking an arm around both Kovacic and Modric, creating what looks like the world’s most fearsome football-monster.
98 min Changes for Croatia and might this be the last we see of the wonderful Luka Modric on the world stage? He departs – Kovacic too – with Majer and Vlasic arriving.
Updated at 12.08 EST
12.06 EST
96 min “Has no one mentioned Scabby Queen yet?” You know, same as Old Maid but the loser then has to cut the deck and receive be rapped over the knuckles with a pack of cards the resulting number of times? From memory, views were mixed on whether you had to stop when blood was drawn.”
Never! But we did slaps and scrapes: you cut, and if it was black you got rapped, but if it was red you had the deck dragged from on top of the knuckles, over them and down. This was, in my experience, far more likely to cause claret.
95 min Asano chases a ball to the line and it goes behind; the ref gives a corner, and Kovacic is enraged; if Japan score from this, there’ll be allsorts. But eeeeesh, the ball comes in, Tomiyasu heads Pasalic – he’ll need a spot of treatment – and the whistle goes for a foul.
Updated at 12.04 EST
12.02 EST
94 min Brozovic is caught upfield and Mitoma attacks the space, seeking Asano with a low cross … and Asano gives it the overs, but no one is behind him so Croatia clear.
Updated at 12.03 EST
12.01 EST
92 min A near-post cross is the answer, Taniguchi diving but unable to wrap head around ball and send across goal, so instead thunking wide.
Updated at 12.01 EST
12.00 EST
91 min “Watching from Japan,” tweets @tensaimon, “30+ minutes less sleep, though is there really any point going in for nine o’clock, none of my students will be coming to class....”
That seems like a win all round. Meantime, Japan force a corner down the right; what will Ito come up with this time?
Updated at 12.01 EST
11.59 EST
91 min We go again. Ah man, I love extra time.
Updated at 11.59 EST
11.58 EST
Japan look the likelier winners to me, but if I was betting, I’d back penalties. Neither side has a reliable goalscorer and chances have been in short supply since Croatia equalised.
game of ping pong but for every point scored the victorious team ‘won”’the right to slam the ball as hard as they could at the bare backs of their opponents (still from across the table). No one has lasting scars as far as I’m aware.”
Updated at 11.48 EST
11.46 EST
87 min Change for Japan, Minamino on for the excellent Doan. He’s my player of the match, for the nothing that’s worth.
86 min Kovacic appears, finds Perisic on the left, and the cross is a goodun – Japan have struggled getting these away second half – and Pasalic heads wide.
Updated at 11.45 EST
11.44 EST
85 min Asano has a run and thinks he can breeze past Gvardiol on the outside, so is now necking a whole pint of Nahman.
84 min “Really excellent game and cannot call who will win,” says Carol McCluskey. “Maeda played as he does for Celtic, giving it his all, unbelievable speed and energy but sometimes his touch is not quite there. In a straight choice between the two of them, I would have chosen Kyogo but both are exciting players. Game could easily go to those whose plates can cope with pressure to score a penalty. Loving the commentary, only gameI have watched live due to this a being Qatar and me being female and queer but have given this bar my money for beer.”
I’ve not seen loads of Kyogo, but I’ve seen enough to be surprised he’s not in their best 23 outfielders.
1h ago16.42 GMT
83 min “Reference Zafar Soban’s comments on 66 minutes,” begins Tim Howard, “I don’t recall this in the UK but I played this in Ecuador in 2005 so it’s still going strong. The version that we played when I was at school was called Red Arse and involved players aiming penalties at you while you bent over facing away from them.”
How does one win such endeavour?
1h ago16.41 GMT
82 min As we suspected at the outset, extra-time looks extremely likely.
80 min Japan win a free-kick out on the right and the delivery is good so Croatia don’t clear properly and a lovely little ball down the side, from Mitoma, finds Tomiyasu inside the box, left-hand side, eight yards from goal! But, well, ohhhhh maaaate! Rather than hit ht, he squares to no one and Croatia clear! Japan are so much more inventive in and around the box, though.
1h ago16.38 GMT
78 min The corner is a goodun too, Pasalic knocking back and down for Barisic, who can feel the sweet, sweet feel of leather on leather … but Doan, who’s had a great game, slides in to filch the ball away from him!
1h ago16.37 GMT
77 min The World Cup-specialist is coming into this! A poor ball from Yoshida sets Perisic away and he drives through the inside-left channel, unleashing a venomous shot from 20 years that the stretching Tomiyasu deflects behind.
1h ago16.35 GMT
76 min Sakai and Barisic go up together and the latter lands awkwardly, so there’s a brief pause, but he’ll be fine.
75 min Another change for Japan, Sakai replacing Kamada – who’s had a good game. I’m surprised he’s been withdrawn.
1h ago16.34 GMT
75 min Another ball into the box from Croatia, Juranovic with it this time, but Pasalic can’t make anything of it.
Updated at 16.34 GMT
1h ago16.33 GMT
73 min The corner goes near post – Croatia have clearly been working on their set-pieces which makes sense given how hard they’re finding it to score in open play – but Perisic botches his attempted turn-back to the edge.
1h ago16.32 GMT
72 min Asano spreads to Ito down the right and again he crosses low, but this time Croatia turn it away at the front post easily enough. So Croatia counter, Mdoric darts a cross-kick towards the far post … and goodness me, that’s Ito sticking it out for a corner. He’s got some lungs!
1h ago16.30 GMT
71 min We’re back in our expected pattern, I think: Croatia passing, Japan coiling.
70 min Mitoma attacks Pasalic on the outside, but runs out of pitch. Meantime, Sam Hankins emails on “The other, better Murakami; if I might, I’d like to recommend the other, better Murakami ... Ryu. Almost Transparent Blue, Coin Locker Babies, In the Miso Soup, and Audition ... all are worthy expressions of a side of Japanese culture that the effete Haruki would never touch. Cheers.”
1h ago16.28 GMT
68 min Another change for Croatia, Pasalic on for Kramaric. Thing is, Croatia can keep making these changes but the truth is that they can’t find a proper goal-threat because they just don’t have one.
2h ago16.27 GMT
67 min Croatia’s delivery into the box has been much better since half-time, and Kramaric, out on the left, comes infield and curls to the far post … where Budimir lurks! This is a chance! But from eight yards, he can only head wide of the far post!
2h ago16.25 GMT
66 min “Do they still play this schoolyard game from the 70s?” wonders Zafar Soban. “Kick a ball around in a circle (or square) and whoever is responsible for it going out gets kicked by everyone else until he makes it out of the square. Heaven help you if you fell down in the middle far from safety!”
This is how rondos should end.
65 min I keep saying it, but this is really good game – by far the best of the round, by my calculations, and the tension is own going to increase.
2h ago16.24 GMT
64 min Now two changes for Japan, Asano and Mitoma replacing Nagatomo and Maeda. Maeda has given this game everything.
2h ago16.23 GMT
63 min Kovacic wins a big header as Japan clear another Lovren ball into the box – who knew he had this in him? - and Modric controls, the ball bounces, sits up, and he clobbers a looping shot that the flying Gonda tips over the bar.
Luka Modric wallops it agains the bar from distance. Photograph: Nigel Keene/ProSports/REX/Shutterstock
Updated at 16.29 GMT
2h ago16.21 GMT
62 min Change for Croatia, Budimir replacing Petkovic – who’s had a mare.
60 min Doan has been the best player on the pitch and again, he wanders infield, collects possession and, turning Barisic who’s right up against him, shoots from on the ground. But because of the pressure and position, he can’t get much purchase on the effort, and Livakovic saves easily enough.
2h ago16.19 GMT
59 min Oooh yeah, this is on a rolling boil now, Croatia finding the energy that was so conspicuous by its absence in the first half. Modric presses, wins it high, releases Perisic, and when the low cross comes in, it looks like it’s dropping for Brozovic, running on and poised to unleash the traction engine … only for a desperate slide, by Taniguchi I think, to take the ball away from him.
2h ago16.17 GMT
57 min Japan being Japan, immediately they fly down the other end and when Endo has a shy from 25 yards, the unsighted Livakovic is forced to tip over; the corner comes to nowt.
2h ago16.16 GMT
GOAL! Japan 1-1 Croatia (Perisic 55)
This is a goal of simple brilliance. Croatia knock it about aimlessly, then Lovren sticks a tremendous ball into the box and Perisic does superbly not only to get in front of his man and apply the nut, but to cut across it and send it across Gonda, curling into the far corner, from a fair old way out! Game on!