Japan's Samurai Blue won over many new fans during the Group Stage thanks to surprise wins over Germany and Spain. But it wasn't until their knock-out match with Croatia that they managed to score first in a game, with Celtic striker Daizen Maeda scoring before the break.
Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic chose to rely on experience in his selection, and the Croatian starting eleven was the oldest team to appear in a World Cup knockout game since 2006 - France’s team in that year’s final.
And the experienced heads repaid their coach’s faith in the end. Thanks to a goal from Ivan Perisic, the match ended in a draw after ninety minutes. The Tottenham winger scored his sixth goal at a World Cup and, in doing so, equalled Davor Suker’s record for Croatia.
Of all the Croatian midfielders and strikers, only Marcelo Brozovic lasted the full 120 minutes and his heat map suggests that he must have been exhausted by the end of it all.
The fact that the game went to extra time and then penalties probably came as no surprise to anyone, as seven of the last eight Croatian World Cup knockout games have failed to end in regular time. The hero this time was goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, who became only the third keeper in the history of the tournament to save three penalties in a shootout.
Incredibly, the finalists from the last World Cup have never lost a game in the tournament on penalties. That streak continues. Croatia are now in the quarterfinals for the third time in their history.
See Japan vs Croatia at Flashscore
Brazil, who took no mercy on South Korea in beating them 4-1, will be waiting for Croatia in the next round. This time, the Brazilians were purring, and, especially in the first half, it was truly a carnival of attacking football.
Brazil scored four goals in thirty-six minutes, which was more than they scored in the entire group stage. Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta were all on the scoresheet. Tite became the first coach in history to field twenty-six players in the tournament, including third-choice goalkeeper Weverton.
Neymar, who had been nursing a bruised ankle, also started the match and his presence back on the pitch was felt immediately. He assisted one goal, converted a penalty and scored his 76th goal for the national team, which means he is now only one goal behind the legendary Pelé. He is just the third Brazilian player, alongside Ronaldo and Pelé, to score in a third World Cup.
Captain Thiago Silva was also exceptional. Here's a map of his passes, showing how he supplied his teammates, especially in the defensive half. But his rare foray into the attacking third meant that, at the age of thirty-eight years and forty-two days, he became the oldest player ever to assist a goal at a World Cup.
The last time Brazil scored four first-half goals was against Mexico in 1954. For South Korea, it was all but over by halftime. This is what Joga Bonito looks like in practice at a major tournament and it was deadly.
See Brazil vs South Korea at Flashscore
So, there you go, another day in Qatar through the lens of data. We'll be back tomorrow to recap the last matches of the round of 16 in a similar light.
