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You are huddled in the middle circle with your teammates and Michael Krohn-Dehli has just scored for Denmark; you have to make that long walk to the next penalty area and unless you score, your team will probably still play another round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup. The burden lies on you – the camp captain and arguably the most talented central midfielder in your nation. What should have happened through Luka Modric's head when he took over to take Croatia's third penalty shootout?
Kasper Schmeichel held on as Modric headed for the ball. But so much had happened before the shootout started. Replay a quarter of an hour later and Modric was in a similar situation, facing Schmeichel after his perfectly flawless pbad helped Andrej Kramaric earn a penalty just to the death of added time. The Croatian skipper had already converted a penalty in Russia and his compound nature made him the ideal candidate for such a situation, but Modric failed and sent a weak shot into the central area of Schmeichel which allowed the Dane to reach the goal. save easily.
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Croatian players react on penalties against Denmark. AFP
The Danish goalkeeper had the game of his life, like most of his teammates. The spectators had not yet settled at the Nizhny Novgorod stadium when Denmark took advantage of a scrum in the Croatian penalty area after a long shot by Jonas Knudsen and Zanka gave them the lead with just 58 seconds to the meter. Mario Mandzukic would equalize less than three minutes later with a shot over Schmeichel, but the first five minutes were not a reflection of the next one hundred and fifteen minutes.
Age Hareide had promised a different Denmark from the one who had shown during the group stage and the boy, did they go out to play! Slowly but regularly, Denmark seemed to belong to this elite level while Croatia seemed more and more exhausted and frustrated by the tactics of Denmark. the best, the Danes had in fact developed a new strategy to supplant the extremely talented Croatian midfielder and provide Christian Eriksen the platform to go wild. Andreas Christensen started at the base of the midfield but the young center-center was constantly overtaken by the duo of Modric and Ivan Rakitic in the first half, which pushed Hareide to replace him with Krohn-Dehli at half-time. .
The Danish time trial for Croatian circles was to push their backs into overlaps so that Ante Rebic and Ivan Perisic would be pushed back into their own half and Mandzukic would be isolated even if he left them behind. exposed. the long and long pbad of the duo of Modric and Rakitic. Hareide's schemes worked perfectly as it was the Scandinavian nation that looked more likely source of a late win-win goal in the proceedings. Unfortunately for the Danes, they did not have as many teeth as their opponents, who played well below their optimal level.
Danish players equaled the Croatian inches per inch and the fact that the last real chance fell on the Danes was a testament to the sheer resilience demonstrated by Hareide's side. And they went into shooting with momentum in their favor, but Lady Luck looked in the other direction.
Penalties require a concoction of fortune and ability, calm and self-confidence – many have studied the science behind taking and saving penalties, but it's still the artistic nature of this aspect of knockout football which surprises the public. Ben Lyttleton called it "football all-or-nothing game" in his book on kicks-spot – Twelve Yards: Art and the Perfect Penalty Psychology
The value of a penalty is infinite, but many consider it a stroke of luck. Even the best penalty scorers can misinterpret their shots and this certainly levels things between favorites and outsiders. On Sunday, for the first time in 32 years, two knockout matches played on the same day progressed to penalties. While Igor Akinfeev's role was undeniable in Russia's victory over Spain, Croatia's victory over Denmark was as much a result of goalkeepers' brilliance as a misplacement. shots on penalties. suffering from a case of nerves was something their director had previously alluded to; and it is there that Modric and Croatia have excelled. Just as Denmark stammered temperament, Croatia seizes the opportunity with both hands, adding another gem in the crown of the "Penalty World Cup" that this summer turns out to be.
As Modric Intensified While Croatia In penalty shoot-out, Schmeichel went the same way as during the extension kick, but this time, the little Croatian was waiting and sending a powerful shot in the center, scoring a perfect penalty that paved the way for Croatia. The quarterfinals
With the elimination of Spain, half of Croatia was completely open, making Modric and Co one of the favorites for having traveled the entire distance. With a victory as memorable as grandiose, Croatia is no longer dark horses and, instead, are legitimate contenders at the World Cup.
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