Teams rested and ready, for penalties too

When Lionel Scaloni spoke on Monday, respect had replaced rancour. The somewhat crusty version of the Argentina coach world had seen after the quarter-final was discarded for his usual cordial self. But he did bring up the game against Netherlands.

The first time he did that was to dismiss the notion that Argentina were unsporting in a match that saw 16 yellows and a red card. “Arguments can happen in football but we need to put an end to this idea of thinking Argentina is just that. We lost to Saudi Arabia and didn’t say anything. We won the Copa in 2021 and soon after (Leandro) Parades, Neymar and (Lionel) Messi were chatting in the tunnel. We need to put an end to this idea of not being good winners or losers,” he said.

The next time was to make the point about stoppage time. “It’s been a whole new situation in this World Cup,” he said. “Since there is a lot of injury time, it creates uncertainty.” The Argentina-Netherlands game had over 10 minutes added after regulation time. That has been the average in this tournament. Pierluigi Collina, FIFA’s head of referees, attributed the increase to referees measuring stoppages more accurately and allotting more than the standard one minute to injuries.

Another mention of the quarter-final came when Scaloni was asked how well the players have recovered after a match they were leading 2-0 till almost the last minute of regulation time was stretched to penalties. “The best recovery is winning. In general terms, the squad is doing well.”

For Zlatko Dalic the problem is graver. Croatia have played successive rounds that were decided on penalties and they have a number of players 30 or older such as Dejan Lovren, Luka Modric, Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic. Dalic accepted it was quite exhausting. But like Scaloni, Dalic sought to play it down.

“We have strength, willingness, energy. We will give it our best. All the players are healthy and rested well,” he said.

Croatia, he said, have inspired countries to dream. “Croatia made that dream a reality for a small country. No one expected us back then and now teams are inspired by us,” said Dalic.

Not having to fly to their base, as would be the norm in the World Cup, after every game too has helped, said Dalic. “Here we are 30 minutes away from our hotel,” said Perisic.

Croatia are more used to games stretching to extra-time. The only knockout game in two editions that was decided in regulation time was the 2018 final which they lost. Barring the semi-final against England in Russia, their knockout games have gone to penalties and Croatia have won them all.

“We showed what it means to never give up,” Dalic said after knocking out Brazil.

Key to that in Doha has been Dominik Livakovic. The 27-year-old is pursuing a university degree as a back-up plan but if his form in this tournament is any indication, he should focus on minding the cage in the near future. Nicolas Tagliafico mentioned Livakovic among Croatia’s “great players with great quality.”

At 1.87m, his standing tall against Brazil kept Croatia in the game before he saved Rodrygo’s shot in the penalties. Against Japan, he saved three shots in the tie-breaker.

“This all comes from how we were raised,” said Livacovic after the quarter-final.

“Once we get to penalties that’s when we become favourites. I sense the opponent thinks we have lost the game already,” Dalic said on Friday after making the semi-final.

Argentina could have something to say to that. Along with Germany and Croatia, they are the only teams to have won four World Cup games in the shootout. And like Livakovic, they have a goalkeeper used to coming off best in shootouts.

Emiliano Martinez, 30, has come a long way from when his father could only afford cheap gloves. “I heard (Luis) van Gaal say if we go to penalties we win. I think he should keep his mouth shut,” Martinez said after the quarter-final where he saved penalties from Virgil van Dijk and Steven Berghuis.

Martinez is known to do a lot of talking during penalties. It worked in the 2021 Copa America semi-final when Argentina beat Colombia with Martinez making three saves. “We have Emi, he was phenomenal. We trusted him,” Messi said in Brazil last year.

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