The World Cup journey for Brazil has ended in tears following a defeat on penalty shout-out to Croatia in their quarter-final clash at the Education City Stadium after playing out a goalless draw.
Bruno Petkovic dramatically cancelled out Neymar’s extra-time breakthrough to send the game to penalties — and Croatia won the shootout 4-2, with Marquinhos missing the decisive spot-kick.
Croatia did a commendable job in the first-half to nullify that impressive Brazil attacking unit in the quarter-final match. Both Neymar and Vinicius had the half-chances to put their teams ahead but their end products weren’t on the money. The first-half ended with the scoreboard reading 0-0. Even in the second-half, neither team could break the deadlock, forcing the game into extra-time. Right on the store of the mid-way mark of the extra-time, Neymar’s brilliance put Brazil ahead 1-0. With just minutes to go, Bruno Petkovic equalised to make it 1-1. The game, hence, headed into penalty shootout.
And it was the European side who emerged victorious once more, having done so by the same method against Japan in the last 16, to set up a semi-final meeting with the Netherlands or Argentina on Tuesday.
