Croatia captain Luka Modric conceded his battle-hardened side “can’t do it without a drama” after they progressed to the World Cup quarter-finals with victory on penalties against Japan on Monday.
The 2018 runners-up triumphed 3-1 in the shoot-out at Al Janoub Stadium in Al Wakrah, with goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic saving three of Japan’s four spot-kicks.
The match had earlier finished 1-1 in normal time, with Japan taking a first-half lead before Croatia equalised 10 minutes after the interval.
They will now face Brazil in the quarter-finals after the South Americans thrashed South Korea 4-1 in their last-16 match.
“It seems that we can't do it without a drama,” said relieved Croatia captain Modric, who sat out the shoot-out after being substituted on 99 minutes. “It was a very difficult game against a very tough team.
“We showed character when we came back from the deficit … [Livakovic] performed a miracle today. A very tough, exhausting match.”
Croatia went behind moments before half-time when Celtic striker Daizen Maeda pounced on a loose ball inside the penalty area. However, Japan were pegged back in the 55th minute by a stunning header from Ivan Perisic.
In the shoot-out, Livakovic saved Japan’s opening two spot-kicks, from Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma, before repelling their fourth, from opposition captain Maya Yoshida.
Croatian substitute Mario Pasalic scored the decisive penalty, rendering redundant Marko Livaja's earlier miss from the spot. The defeat represented Japan’s fourth from four World Cup last-16 matches; they have never before advanced to the tournament's quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, six of Croatia’s past seven knockout games at major tournaments have gone to extra time – the only exception being the 2018 final.
Speaking to reporters afterwards, manager Zlatko Dalic said: “We had a fantastic goalkeeper. Today he was great – he saved each of the penalties in a very strong and stable manner.
“We practised penalties in training yesterday and he made several saves. When he had the penalty shoot-out today, I was assured; yesterday he installed this confidence and I was sure he would show that capacity today.
“We couldn’t be dominant, but we have shown a strength of character. The Japanese might have underestimated us, never do that to Croatia. We are a small nation, but we fight for what we want.”
Dalic's Japanese counterpart, Hajime Moriyasu, pointed to the positives in a campaign in which his side defeated both Spain and Germany to top their group.
“Although the result was not what we expected I told them it does not negate everything we did,” he said.
“We could not break through the Round of 16 and we could not have a new perspective or see a new landscape, but the Japanese team won against Germany and Spain, who have been champions in the World Cup.
“The players showed a new era of Japanese football, and they should use this feeling of being upset and try to win in the next time. In the end, of course we wanted to win and the result is very unfortunate, but it is what it is.
“The players can be confident that they can play on the world stage. They showed how good they can play in such a tournament like the World Cup, and I hope they keep on the same way. I think Japanese football can continue to grow.”
Low turnout
Two months before the first round on April 10, the appetite of voters for the election is low.
Mathieu Gallard, account manager with Ipsos, which conducted the most recent poll, said current forecasts suggested only two-thirds were "very likely" to vote in the first round, compared with a 78 per cent turnout in the 2017 presidential elections.
"It depends on how interesting the campaign is on their main concerns," he told The National. "Just now, it's hard to say who, between Macron and the candidates of the right, would be most affected by a low turnout."
Museum of the Future in numbers
- 78 metres is the height of the museum
- 30,000 square metres is its total area
- 17,000 square metres is the length of the stainless steel facade
- 14 kilometres is the length of LED lights used on the facade
- 1,024 individual pieces make up the exterior
- 7 floors in all, with one for administrative offices
- 2,400 diagonally intersecting steel members frame the torus shape
- 100 species of trees and plants dot the gardens
- Dh145 is the price of a ticket
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Safety 'top priority' for rival hyperloop company
The chief operating officer of Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, Andres de Leon, said his company's hyperloop technology is “ready” and safe.
He said the company prioritised safety throughout its development and, last year, Munich Re, one of the world's largest reinsurance companies, announced it was ready to insure their technology.
“Our levitation, propulsion, and vacuum technology have all been developed [...] over several decades and have been deployed and tested at full scale,” he said in a statement to The National.
“Only once the system has been certified and approved will it move people,” he said.
HyperloopTT has begun designing and engineering processes for its Abu Dhabi projects and hopes to break ground soon.
With no delivery date yet announced, Mr de Leon said timelines had to be considered carefully, as government approval, permits, and regulations could create necessary delays.
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The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
