After saving three penalties in the round of 16 against Japan, goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic, from Croatia, was once again a wall in the match that eliminated Brazil from the 2022 World Cup.
The teams faced each other this Friday (9) for the quarterfinals of the tournament. After a 0-0 tie in normal time and a new 1-1 tie in overtime, the vacancy was decided on penalties, with another outstanding performance by the Croatian.
Before stopping Rodrygo’s strike and equaling the record for saves in penalty shootouts in the same Cup edition, Livakovic had already made 11 interventions during the game with the ball rolling.
Analysis of Sheet highlights the level of difficulty of these actions. There were two kicks from the small area, another six from inside the big area and only three attempts from the middle. The average distance of these shots was 14 meters in relation to the central point of the goal – for comparison, the penalty mark is 11 meters from the line.
In at least three saves, the goalkeeper showed cleverness and speed to get out of the goal and reduce the angle of the Brazilian attackers. He blocked shots from close range by VinÃcius Júnior, Neymar and Lucas Paquetá, all in the second half of normal time.
When it already seemed clear that the ball would not go through Livakovic, Neymar decided to pass the opponent himself. With a quick feint, he dribbled past the goalkeeper and put Brazil ahead in stoppage time in the first part of extra time.
In total, the Brazilian team finished 21 times. In addition to the 11 balls saved by Livakovic and Neymar’s goal, there were seven attempts blocked by the defenders and two shots out of bounds.
As if that were not enough, the Croatian goalkeeper still had to save a low cross on the line that was deflected into his own goal by defender Gvardiol.
On the other hand, Alisson was practically a spectator of the game. He wasn’t required even once until the second half of extra time, such is the solidity of the Brazilian defense.
As had already happened in the first two matches of the selection in this Cup, the goalkeeper left the field once again without making any defense. The Croatians’ only shot on target was in the back of the net.
After four shots outside and another three blocked by the Brazilian defenders, Petkovic received it at the entrance to the area and hit the goal head-on, counting on a deflection by Marquinhos to tie the match. There was yet another Croatian shot wide of the target in the closing stages.
According to the statistic known as xT, an abbreviation for the expression in English “expected threat”, Brazil was more dangerous during 73 minutes, and Croatia, by 51, in the accumulated of the match.
The metric measures the probability of a given move ending in a goal in the following touches, depending on the place on the field where it occurs.
The first half was balanced (25 and 21 minutes, respectively). Afterwards, there was a Brazilian advantage in the second half (30 and 18 minutes) and in the first part of extra time (12 and 3 minutes). In the final part of extra time, Croatia had the greatest offensive volume (6 and 9 minutes).
In the penalty shootout, Livakovic caught Rodrygo’s beat and counted on the crossbar from Marquinhos’ kick, while Alisson was unable to save kicks from Vlasic, Majer, Modric and Orsic.
By defending the first Brazilian kick, the Croatian goalkeeper equaled the marks of his compatriot Danijel Subasic (2018) and Argentine Sergio Goycochea (1990), with four defenses in penalty shootouts in the same Cup.
As a seasoned news journalist, I bring a wealth of experience to the field. I’ve worked with world-renowned news organizations, honing my skills as a writer and reporter. Currently, I write for the sports section at News Bulletin 247, where I bring a unique perspective to every story.
