Soccer has its own measure. Croatiawith barely four million inhabitants and runner-up in the world in Russia 2018, has become one of the great teams on the planet. Japan, a country of 125 million citizens who, for the most part, love baseball, does not usually go beyond being an extra in the big tournaments. This is the crossing of the round of 16 of the Qatar World Cup which will start at 4:00 p.m. at the Al-Janoub Stadium. Croatia, a small country with a great team against Japan, a large country with a smaller team that, yes, beat Germany and Spain, two world champions, in the group stage. Modric’s talent against the samurai spirit of the Japanese, who fight to the point of exhaustion.
Zlatko Dalic, the Croatian coach, says that his team is a “miracle.” He says it because he has established himself at the top of this sport with such a small population. «We are always in all the big tournaments and that is already a success. We are a world football force », he defends. Dalic has renewed his equipment. Only 8 players repeat the World Cup: the goalkeeper Livakovic; defenders Lovren and Vida; the midfielders Modric, Brozovic and Kovacic, and the forwards Perisic and Kramaric. In Qatar he accumulated two goalless draws, against Morocco and Belgium, and the victory against Canada (4-1).
His samurai, his model, is Modric. The 37-year-old Real Madrid player is the owner of this team’s compass. Dalic uses him as an example for others “because of his professionalism, his good shape, his way of training and an unprecedented effort to improve”. Croatia needs the best version of its star to eliminate Japan today, a difficult rival to break, Dalic warns. «They finish their counterattacks with five or six players. We cannot rest on our laurels », he warns.
Japan, who came back from behind in the group stage against Germany and Spain, is coming off a painful defeat four years ago at the 2018 World Cup. There it was Belgium who came from behind (3-2) and eliminated Japan in the round of 16, who had gone ahead 2-0. Now, the Japanese team is back in the round of 16. For the fourth time in its history. They take on the challenge as if it were a mission. Worthy of samurai.
“We will play without fear,” says his coach, Hajime Moriyasu. Seven of its footballers are active in German teams and all boast of their collective spirit. “Football is eleven against eleven, but between us we say that we are 26 against eleven,” underlines the coach. And he remembers that the possibility of making five changes benefits them. More samurai in the field willing to give everything.
In fact, the substitutes were key in the wins against Germany and Spain. Japan barely has possession of the ball. He didn’t need it in those two duels. And his self-confidence has been reinforced with those two comebacks. “They never give up,” recalls Dalic, who flees from the status of favorite with which Croatia leaves.
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