The Sky Sports writers reflect on Friday's World Cup quarter-finals as both games go to penalties; Brazil are beaten by Croatia so it is more Luka Modric and goodbye Neymar as Tite goes; while Lionel Messi's dream is alive after Emiliano Martinez's shootout heroics
Saturday 10 December 2022 08:01, UK
This Argentina side is not packed with great players but they may have the best of them all. That could be enough for Lionel Scaloni to take this team all the way. Lionel Messi and friends faced a major quarter-final scare but they are one step closer now. Maybe two.
The expectation at the start of the day was that even had Argentina overcome the Netherlands - as they eventually did - Brazil would have been favourites in the semi-final. Now it is Croatia and confidence will surely be growing.
The calculation for Scaloni is that if he can ensure his team are organised and committed, Messi can do the rest. For 80 minutes of their quarter-final that happened. Messi's threaded assist was one that only he could see. It was his penalty that doubled the advantage.
The panic that ensued late on as the Netherlands scored twice will have alarmed supporters but the sense of unity in coming through that will be significant. A fit again Angel Di Maria can help too. "It is not the Netherlands against Messi," Virgil van Dijk had said beforehand.
And yet, there are times when it can feel like it is him and 10 others. A team with Messi, playing for Messi? That can be a formidable one. As favourites fall away and Argentina continue in this competition, belief increases that the great man can carry them to victory.
Adam Bate
Earlier, Brazil had appeared devastated to find themselves in a penalty shootout. Argentina had longer to process their circumstances but might have been forgiven for feeling the same way after surrendering a two-goal lead. Emiliano Martinez changed that.
The Aston Villa goalkeeper has the demeanour of a man who revels in situations such as this. He has history. Martinez was a hero for Argentina in their Copa America triumph, saving three penalties in an ill-tempered semi-final shootout win over Colombia.
He struck a similar tone here, visibly pumped up, all machismo and testosterone. From the moment Martinez saved brilliantly to his right to deny Van Dijk with the first kick, Argentina had the advantage. His next stop from Steven Berghuis was just as good.
Messi is a quiet leader whose body language sometimes belies his status. Martinez does not have that pedigree behind him, of course, but he has an important role in this Argentina team. A different kind of leader, he stepped up for his side. It was seriously impressive.
Adam Bate
Wout Weghorst scored two goals in 20 games as Burnley were relegated from the Premier League last season. He needed a shade over 20 minutes to match that total after coming off the bench for the Netherlands in this dramatic quarter-final.
There was much amusement at the sight of the robust forward being asked to salvage his country's World Cup dream as Louis van Gaal's side lumped balls forward. But it worked. This was blunt force but there was beauty here too. Sledgehammer and subtlety.
A powerful header to pull one back. A left-footed finish following a clever free-kick to equalise in the 101st minute of the match. When he converted from the penalty spot with his right, Weghorst completed a perfect hat-trick of sorts - but it all proved to be in vain.
Bereft and broken at the end, defeat and exit will mean there is no consoling the 30-year-old striker. But he turned a World Cup quarter-final for his country, proving the catalyst for a classic. That will resonate rather more than an underwhelming time at Turf Moor.
Adam Bate
When you think of watching Brazil play at a World Cup, flying full-backs come to mind. That was the case in this classic quarter-final but it wasn't a yellow shirt doing the flying, it was Josip Juranovic of Croatia.
It was a performance akin to those the great Cafu used to put on for the Selecao. Celtic's Juranovic was a man possessed on this great stage, offering his side an attacking outlet whilst also containing Brazil's array of talent when they ventured into his territory.
He gave Brazil a taste of what was to come on 13 minutes when scampering clear down the right and providing a quality cross that Ivan Perisic failed to capitalise on.
Danilo then tried the forceful approach to stop him by aggressively lunging in with a high boot that resulted in a booking for the Brazilian, before another surging run from the full-back set Perisic up for another effort that flew off target.
A key example of his defensive brilliance was showcased by the fact that Vinicius Junior was substituted in the second half. It looked a key tactic for Brazil to get the ball quickly to the Real Madrid wide man but that avenue was shut off by some terrific one-on-one defending from Juranovic.
With full-back Alistair Johnston's arrival at Celtic, it looks as though the Scottish giants are already planning for life after Juranovic. Atletico Madrid have been reportedly linked but one would assume many more suitors will be sniffing around after a performance of this magnitude. In 120 minutes Juranovic's price tag may have just trebled.
Lewis Jones
It was prime-time Luka Modric. The one who can wriggle free of danger, execute laser-like precision passes and intelligently control the pace and tempo of games at will. We got to see the full repertoire from one of this era's greatest midfield maestros, in a game that was largely decided by the stubbornness of Croatia's middle third.
Modric, Mateo Kovacic and Marcelo Brozovic ran the show, almost passively. They nullified Brazil's usual threats. They disturbed and disrupted Brazil's rhythm. And they epitomised Croatia's gameplan. Casemiro was barely in it.
One moment of Neymar magic originally lit up the tie, equalling Pele's record as Brazil's all-time top scorer (77) in the meantime, but otherwise Tite's side were found severely wanting. Relying purely on historic success is a fool's game. No one team, or nation, possess footballing immortality. Brazil have been eliminated from four of their last five World Cup quarter-finals.
Another unwanted record; they have simultaneously become the first side in World Cup history to be eliminated from a knockout match after scoring the opening goal during extra-time.
It's hard to understand how a side that dazzled so tantalisingly against South Korea on Monday can come up so short four days later. But that's tournament football. And in recent years, Croatia's major tournament record eclipses that of the five-times champions, spelling the end of Tite's six-year reign. "My cycle is over," he conceded.
Modric of course had the decency to console Real Madrid team-mate Rodrygo - who missed a penalty - at the final whistle.
No more samba. But plenty more Modric.
Laura Hunter
