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Croatia thought to have won this World Cup quarterfinal epic even before it had done so. Domagoj Vida will not evaluate his overtime head as the most powerful of his career, but he was surely the most valuable.
When he joined Luka Modric's corner, the balloon came a long way. He arrived at the end. Substitute Vedran Corluka nibbled after rebounding while another substitute, Russia's Fedor Smolov, was on the scene. The result was that the goalkeeper, Igor Akinfeev, saw him late and he snuck into the farthest corner
Game over? Not at all. Russia had other ideas. This team, eliminated before the start of the tournament, does not know when they are beaten and the scenes that hosted the late equalization of Mário Fernandes were amazing.
After the right back directed his free header towards Danijel Subasic, there was noise explosion and all the substitutes of Russia sprinted to celebrate with him behind the goal. The drama was incessant and it crackled throughout the shooting session.
These two nations had gone through the 12-yard drama in the last 16 minutes. their nerve and when Ivan Rakitic – just as he had done against Denmark – brought back the winning shot, their joy knew no bounds. Finally, they have imitated the glory boys of France 98, who have reached the semifinals, and it is they who will meet England in the last four Wednesday.
Poor Russia. They gave everything in a performance of intensity and no small offensive intent but this time the shooting gods were against them. Their villains were the substitute Fedor Smolov and, cruelly, Fernandes. At least, this country will have good memories of a heroic race.
Croatia believed that they had the superior quality, that it was up to them to set the tone and it was certainly a statement of intent of the director, Zlatko Dalic, to let Side defensive midfielder Marcelo Brozovic and start with an additional striker, Andrej Kramaric. Dalic's two midfielders were Luka Modric and Ivan Rakitic. The alignment was as close to the total attack as one could have imagined.
Yet, Russia did not start as the team that had locked the door against Spain in the last 16. Far from there. As expected, Stanislav Cherchesov had returned to four, but what was surprising was the way Aleksandr Golovin, number 10, was sometimes solicited as the second striker. Russia remained strong, with Artem Dzyuba, the muscular center forward, focal point and ram. The energy was crackling. It was remarkable to see the slickness and the franchise of the original nation. Croatia looked a little scared in the first minutes and they suffered some swings, one of which featured a clearing head from Sime Vrsaljko. Dzyuba filed the volley just for Dejan Lovren to block it.
It was an action-packed opening and, if the atmosphere did not start at fever, it was still pulsed. Strangely, in the middle of the intensity, home support sent a waving Mexican wave to the floor in the 15th minute. Denis Cheryshev scored Russia's first game against Croatia in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Sochi "src =" https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/b577f505c0613c10566e2a76e0807f912bcb016b/0_174_5206_3124/master/ 5206.jpg? w = 300 & q = 55 & size = & Auto uSM = 12 & did = & s = max decec6b1c652068e6a8afc56f1497ffb "/>
From here, Croatia could have been ahead. Ante Rebic, the powerful winger, won possession on the byline and then on a corner. From there, he stood up to meet Lovren's film and it was really a free head. He sent it high. Croatia would regret a better opportunity at 11 minutes. Vrsaljko crossed the finish line and Mario Mandzukic, who found space, made the difference.
Denis Cheryshev apparently came out of nowhere at this World Cup. A late inclusion in the team Cherchesov, he was pressed in the queue when Alan Dzagoev injured his hamstring in the opening match against Saudi Arabia. Everyone knows him now and he has lit up this tie with a nice opening purpose. Cheryshev took possession of the ball, avoided Rakitic and exchanged passes against Dzyuba before continuing. Modric jumped in a slipping shot but Cheryshev slalomed away from him and, from a position to the left of the center, 25 yards out, he deployed a left-back curler who began his trip to the outside. Danijel Subasic's post. It would come back inside and the crowd could revel in another moment of pinch. Subasic did not even dive.
Croatia has been shaken. Lovren and Ivan Strinic collected yellow cards. Still, they found the equalizer before the interval, which looked like a perfect timing case. The move began when Mário Fernandes, the right-back of Russia, engaged in a high head and did not win it. His team was stretched, with Ilya Kutepov, the right middle half, forced to pass.
The Dalic team worked the ball smartly on the flank, from Strinic to Ivan Perisic to Mandzukic and, when he passed through, Kramaric arrived to guide a header after Igor Akinfeev. Briefly, there was the sound of silence. Croatia had wanted control in the midfield and it proved elusive in the first half, but they started to get it after the interval. They petted the ball that way and that, looking for the opening, and Modric's influence increased, although the clear chances proved to be difficult.
Cherchesov had pressed the crowd after the Kramaric equalizer to maintain the noise levels they did, and it became a startling sight. As Croatia pushed, home support chanted the name of their team. They tried to keep their opponents by the sheer force of the will. Croatia has announced the next goal and only the width of one right has denied them. Luck was introduced at the time when two red shirts clashed following the Kramaric cross and when the ball broke at Perisic he shot against the inside of the far post. Dalic introduced Brozovic for Perisic in a bid to strengthen the midfielder, which allowed Modric and Rakitic to play a little higher, but Russia shook, with substitute Alexsandr Erokhin at the head. 19659500] Subasic felt his hamstrings towards the end of normal time, which was a brief drama since Dalic had used three substitutes, but he would continue.
Croatia could be grateful as it would save Smolov.
