When Lionel Scaloni spoke on Monday, respect had changed rancour. The considerably crusty model of the Argentina coach world had seen after the quarter-final was discarded for his ordinary cordial self. However he did deliver up the sport in opposition to Netherlands.
The primary time he did that was to dismiss the notion that Argentina had been unsporting in a match that noticed 16 yellows and a pink card. “Arguments can occur in soccer however we have to put an finish to this concept of considering Argentina is simply that. We misplaced to Saudi Arabia and didn’t say something. We received the Copa in 2021 and shortly after (Leandro) Parades, Neymar and (Lionel) Messi had been chatting within the tunnel. We have to put an finish to this concept of not being good winners or losers,” he mentioned.
The subsequent time was to make the purpose about stoppage time. “It’s been an entire new state of affairs on this World Cup,” he mentioned. “Since there may be a whole lot of damage time, it creates uncertainty.” The Argentina-Netherlands recreation had over 10 minutes added after regulation time. That has been the typical on this match. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of referees, attributed the rise to referees measuring stoppages extra precisely and allotting greater than the usual one minute to accidents.
One other point out of the quarter-final got here when Scaloni was requested how effectively the gamers have recovered after a match they had been main 2-0 until nearly the final minute of regulation time was stretched to penalties. “The very best restoration is successful. Normally phrases, the squad is doing effectively.”
For Zlatko Dalic the issue is graver. Croatia have performed successive rounds that had been selected penalties and so they have various gamers 30 or older reminiscent of Dejan Lovren, Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic. Dalic accepted it was fairly exhausting. However like Scaloni, Dalic sought to play it down.
“We’ve got power, willingness, power. We are going to give it our greatest. All of the gamers are wholesome and rested effectively,” he mentioned.
Croatia, he mentioned, have impressed nations to dream. “Croatia made that dream a actuality for a small nation. Nobody anticipated us again then and now groups are impressed by us,” mentioned Dalic.
Not having to fly to their base, as could be the norm within the World Cup, after each recreation too has helped, mentioned Dalic. “Right here we’re half-hour away from our lodge,” mentioned Perisic.
Croatia are extra used to video games stretching to extra-time. The one knockout recreation in two editions that was determined in regulation time was the 2018 closing which they misplaced. Barring the semi-final in opposition to England in Russia, their knockout video games have gone to penalties and Croatia have received all of them.
“We confirmed what it means to by no means quit,” Dalic mentioned after knocking out Brazil.
Key to that in Doha has been Dominik Livakovic. The 27-year-old is pursuing a college diploma as a back-up plan but when his type on this match is any indication, he ought to deal with minding the cage within the close to future. Nicolas Tagliafico talked about Livakovic amongst Croatia’s “nice gamers with nice high quality.”
At 1.87m, his standing tall in opposition to Brazil saved Croatia within the recreation earlier than he saved Rodrygo’s shot within the penalties. In opposition to Japan, he saved three pictures within the tie-breaker.
“This all comes from how we had been raised,” mentioned Livacovic after the quarter-final.
“As soon as we get to penalties that’s after we develop into favourites. I sense the opponent thinks we’ve got misplaced the sport already,” Dalic mentioned on Friday after making the semi-final.
Argentina might have one thing to say to that. Together with Germany and Croatia, they’re the one groups to have received 4 World Cup video games within the shootout. And like Livakovic, they’ve a goalkeeper used to coming off greatest in shootouts.
Emiliano Martinez, 30, has come a good distance from when his father might solely afford low cost gloves. “I heard (Luis) van Gaal say if we go to penalties we win. I believe he ought to maintain his mouth shut,” Martinez mentioned after the quarter-final the place he saved penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis.
Martinez is understood to do a whole lot of speaking throughout penalties. It labored within the 2021 Copa America semi-final when Argentina beat Colombia with Martinez making three saves. “We’ve got Emi, he was phenomenal. We trusted him,” Messi mentioned in Brazil final 12 months.