Russia’s unlikely run is finally over. The worst team in the 2018 World Cup was finally eliminated with a shootout loss for Russia vs Croatia in the quarterfinals on Saturday. After a 2-2 draw, Croatia edged the host country 4-3 in a penalty kick shootout.
Croatia became the second team to win back-to-back games via a shootout in World Cup history. The Blazers will face England in the semifinals on Wednesday for the right to play either Belgium or France in the final. A Russia-England semifinal would have been awkward as the United Kingdom instituted a partial boycott of the tournament because of attacks on civilians in England by the Russian government.
While Russian dignitaries have regularly appeared with the leaders of countries Russia was playing, England will not have any political or royal figures at the World Cup. While part of the joy of the World Cup is the geopolitical backdrop for these global matches, it would not have been a good look for FIFA after it gave the World Cup to a country with little regard for human rights (and I’m not just talking Qatar).
Russia entered the World Cup with a FIFA ranking of 70 having not won in seven matches but took advantage of a weak group to reach the knockout rounds. An inspired defensive effort allowed for a win against a Spain side lacking a killer instinct, but the quarterfinal was always going to be difficult for Russia vs Croatia.
Russia’s World Cup run was not, as Rob Stone and many of Fox’s broadcasters liked to call it, a fairy tale. With all due respect to the Russian players on the pitch, the country has too great of a history of cheating in international sporting events to make this a likable team. While these Russian players may have been clean, they play for a country that has been so brazen about doping, they haven’t earned the benefit of the doubt in a tournament that doesn’t test as stringently as the Olympics.
Not that the Russian fans cared.
For more than 100 minutes it looked as if Russia could keep its magic going. Denis Cheryshev scored his fourth goal of the tournament with a screamer in the 31st minute to put Russia in front, though Croatia equalized eight minutes later through Andrej Kramaric.
Russia always looked to be fine with taking the game to penalty kicks, but extra time saw the host team go down for the first time in the match when defender Domagoj Vida headed in a corner kick in the 101st minute.
#MundialTelemundo ¡Un gol que vale una eufórica celebración! Domagoj Vida acerca a #CRO a semifinales. Así lo narró @sadovnik1965 pic.twitter.com/cUz3nLMnq9
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) July 7, 2018
Vida started the match as a center back alongside Dejan Lovren. But he was forced into playing right back after an injury to Šime Vrsaljko, with Verdan Corluka moving to center back.
The Russians (players and fans) look devastated after goal. Vida ripped off his shirt in celebration, probably so we’d pay more attention to his pale body instead of his awful haircut.
But Russia didn’t go down easy. In the 115th minute, another right back scored as Mario Fernandes hit a glancing header off a free kick into the back of the net to equalize and wake up every Russian neighbor.
#MundialTelemundo ¡Esto aún no acaba! Mario Fernandes devuelve a la pelea a #RUS y la emoción no se hace esperar . Así lo narra @sadovnik1965 pic.twitter.com/rme7lJqDOM
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) July 7, 2018
Heading to penalty kicks, Croatia’s official Twitter feed aptly summed up the feeling of the entire nation.
— HNS | CFF (@HNS_CFF) July 7, 2018
In the shootout, Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subašić saved a weak shot from Fyodor Smolov and Fernandes missed the target entirely. While Russia’s Igor Akinfeev made an incredible save on Mateo Kovačić, all four of Croatia’s other shooters converted. Akinfeev got a paw to Luka Modrić’s shot, but it bounced off the post and in.
Ivan Rakitić converted the final shot of the 10 to eliminate Russia and send Croatia into the semifinals for the first time since 1998.
#MundialTelemundo ¡El penal decisivo! @ivanrakitic le da el pase a semifinales a #CRO pic.twitter.com/3hYR02AiYb
— Telemundo Deportes (@TelemundoSports) July 7, 2018
It would be hard to say one team deserved to move on more than the other. Akinfeev only had to make one save compared to five for Subašić, but Croatia had 17 attempts compared to 13 for Russia to go with 64 percent possession.
It would also be hard to say Russia deserved to reach the semifinals. As host, they were placed in one of the easiest groups in World Cup history. Wins over Saudi Arabia and Egypt were nothing special and while the win over Spain wasn’t a fluke, it was clear which side had superior talent.
And then, there was four...
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) July 7, 2018
Croatia meanwhile marches on to play an England side growing in confidence after defeating Sweden 2-0. The semifinal will be Wednesday at Luzhniki Stadium, the site of the final a few days later.
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