Croatia is going deep at another World Cup, and the team is taking the long route once again. Goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saved three penalty kicks Monday in Croatia's 3-1 win over Japan in a shootout, securing a return to the quarter-finals for the runner-up in the 2018 men's tournament.
On its run to the final four years ago, Croatia needed extra time in each round in the knockout stage, and twice came through a penalty shootout.
This time, Mario Pasalic converted the clinching penalty for Croatia after the teams were tied at 1-1 after extra time in Al Wakrah, Qatar.
Livakovic saved penalties from Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitomo and Maya Yoshida, and it was the Dinamo Zagreb goalkeeper who took most of the acclaim from the jubilant Croatia team after the shootout.