Croatia beats Brazil on penalties, Argentina also advance to World Cup semifinals

Croatia stunned Brazil with a late extra-time equalizer, tying the match 1-1, and then took a 4-2 win in penalties on Friday to advance to a second consecutive World Cup semifinal.

The Croatians will take on Argentina who advanced after beating the Netherlands in penalty shootout. That match is scheduled to take place on Dec. 13.

Croatia is undefeated in five matches when a World Cup knockout round contest reaches extra time.

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After routing Korea Republic 4-1 in the round of 16, the high-flying Brazilians hit a wall against the 2018 World Cup finalists. Croatia held the game scoreless, with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic making eight saves in 90 minutes. The 27-year-old goalkeeper totalled 11 saves through extra time.

Meanwhile, Croatia failed to record a single shot on target but held on to force a second consecutive extra time period of the knockout stage.

Neymar finally gave his nation the moment it had been waiting for in the 105th minute. The superstar swerved through Croatia’s back line and beat Livakovic to score the goal that placed him level with Pele as Brazil’s all-time leading scorer.

Croatia threw ice water on Brazilian fans with an equalizer in the 117th minute. Bruno Petkovic hit the country’s first shot on target, which hit Brazil centre-back Marquinhos before finding the back of the net and force a penalty shootout.

Livakovic saved Brazil’s first penalty, giving Croatia a 1-0 lead. Marquinhos hit the post in the final penalty as Croatia took a 4-2 win in the penalty shootout.

Messi’s quest for World Cup continues

Lionel Messi converted his penalty in the shootout and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez saved two attempts as they beat the Netherlands 4-3 in a penalty shootout.

The match finished 2-2 after extra time, with Messi scoring one goal and setting up another. The Netherlands equalized in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time.

It is only the second time Argentina has reached the last four since 1990. In 2014, Messi was part of the team that lost to Germany in the final.

He looks in the mood to get there again in a tournament that he is turning into his own personal highlight reel.

When Lautaro Martinez’s penalty hit the net, Messi didn’t head to the striker _ unlike the rest of the team _ but sprinted to his goalkeeper and jumped into his arms.

Messi had produced a mesmerizing piece of skill to set up the opening goal for Nahuel Molina in the 35th minute and then converted a penalty in the 73rd to make it 2-0 with his fourth goal of this year’s World Cup.

It took him to 10 goals in the World Cup, tied with Gabriel Batistuta for the most for Argentina, and 94 goals in total in his 169 international games.

The game was taken to extra time after a goal deep in second-half stoppage time by Wout Weghorst, who entered as a substitute in the 78th and made it 2-1 five minutes later.

It was the latest second-half goal scored in a knockout-stage game at a World Cup and was cleverly worked, with Teun Koopmeiners feinting to curl a free kick into the area only to play it short and deceive the Argentine defense. Weghorst took a touch, held off his marker and slotted home a finish on the stretch.

Thed game featured 17 yellow cards, including one for Messi, who had blood coming from his upper lip at one stage.

Enzo Fernandes hit the post near the end of extra time and was the only Argentina player to fail to score in the shootout.

The loss ended 71-year-old Louis van Gaal’s third stint in charge of the Netherlands.