Croatia defeated Japan in the penalty shootout (3-1), after drawing 1-1 at the end of extra time, to reach the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup. Dominik Livakovic, Croatia’s goalkeeper, was key to their win, as he saved three penalties, andfans shared their enthusiasm on social media.
Japan took the lead thanks to Daizen Maeda’s goal at the 43th minute. Hajime Moriyasu’s team seemed to be on their way to another big upset, after defeating both Germany and Spain in the group stage.
However, Croatia didn’t give up and Ivan Perisic scored the equalizer just seven minutes into the second half. From then on, neither of the teams could find a way to get the victory, and the match had to be decided with penalties.
Croatia defeated Japan on penalties shootout: Funniest memes and reactions
Livakovic was the hero for Croatia, as he stopped the first two shots by Japan. However, things got tense as Marko Livaja failed his penalty. But it was only a matter of time, as Livakovic stopped another shot, and then Mario Pasalic sealed the victory. Check out the funniest memes and reactions:
