Coach Zlatko Dalic mentioned on Saturday that Croatia may take immense satisfaction in eliminating match favorites Brazil on penalties to succeed in the final 4 of the World Cup, however they’re now in limbo.
Croatia, runners-up in 2018, shocked Brazil by coming again with a late equalizer within the second half of additional time on Friday earlier than two Brazilian gamers did not convert their spot kicks, sending them out within the penalty shootout .
“When you knock out a team like Brazil from the World Cup, which was definitely the biggest favorite, you feel happy,” Dalic instructed reporters after Croatian media representatives burst into applause upon coming into the information convention room. And satisfaction needs to be each.”
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“I am tired but happily tired and … must enjoy the moment, but not too much because today we have to start preparing for Argentina.”
Croatia, with a inhabitants of greater than 3.5 million, has punched above its weight on the worldwide stage for years, however Friday’s outcome was the largest upset of the match, with Brazil’s current kind and Dalic’s growing old staff sufficient to beat Japan. Punishment was additionally wanted. within the final 16.
“At the moment, we are nowhere, neither here nor there,” Dalik mentioned. “If we had been eradicated within the group stage, we’d have overcome it, if we had been eradicated within the quarter-finals, we’d have been overcome much more.
“But we’ve got come to this stage and now what? neither right here nor there. So we’ve got to do all the things we are able to to attain one thing else as a result of it will be an important disgrace if in spite of everything these worries, efforts and sacrifices made by us, we did not take a step ahead.
Croatia will now face Argentina, who additionally wanted a penalty to beat the Netherlands after main 2-0 in an ill-tempered recreation and the Dutch scoring twice late within the recreation, further time after which a shootout. Forced to. The Croats additionally wanted two penalty shootouts and an extra-time win to succeed in the ultimate in 2018 earlier than dropping to France, so match fatigue is nothing new to them.
“Fatigue won’t be an issue and we won’t mention it at all,” Dalik mentioned. “They (Argentina) are also very motivated, they are waiting for the title and they are happy because Brazil is out and they celebrate it.”
The coach had praised Brazil forward of the quarter-finals, calling them ‘horrible’ and he was equally respectful of their semi-final opponents as Lionel Messi-led Argentina eye their first world title since 1986 Was. Messi has scored 4 objectives. As he appears for his maiden World Cup trophy in his fifth try.
“I think a very difficult task awaits us now,” Dalik mentioned. “They will now have big assist within the semi-finals as a result of (Lionel) Messi remains to be their fundamental participant and somebody they’ll depend on, he performs brilliantly.
“I can’t really review Argentina yet. Everything will depend on us. If we don’t play right, if we’re not serious and motivated, it will be pointless even if we do poorly. I think at the moment They are fantastic because they have reached the semi-finals.”
With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
