World Cup 2022 quarter-finals: Latest news, results, schedule
Argentina will face Croatia in the semi final of the World Cup after defeating the Netherlands. Earlier on Saturday morning Brazil, tournament favourites were eliminated by Croatia.
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QUARTER-FINALS
2am: Croatia d Brazil 1-1, (4-2)
6am: Argentina d Netherlands 2-2, (4-3)
Yet another World Cup has ended in tears for Neymar, with football’s most expensive player hinting he may not pull on the Brazil shirt again following a painful defeat to Croatia.
The 30-year-old, who gave Brazil the lead during extra time of their quarter-final in Doha with a brilliant individual effort, was distraught after Croatia triumphed on penalties.
Speaking to reporters, his voice trembling with emotion, he admitted he could not “100 per cent guarantee” he would be seen in the famous yellow shirt again.
Neymar, who has 124 Brazil caps, will be 34 by the time the next World Cup comes around in North America in 2026.
That is still younger than many leading names in Qatar, from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo to Luka Modric and Olivier Giroud.
But Brazil’s brittle No. 10 hinted last year that he would not appear at another World Cup, suggesting in one interview that he might not have the mental strength “to put up with even more football”.
Neymar has carried the hopes of a nation into three World Cups since his emergence as a generational talent at Santos.
He has scored eight World Cup goals but the tournament has exposed his vulnerable physique and fragile emotions.
In 2014, playing on home soil, he was cut down in a quarter-final win over Colombia and stretchered off in agony with a fractured bone in his back.
Without him Brazil capitulated, losing the semi-final 7-1 to Germany. Four years ago, Brazil’s build-up to the tournament in Russia was dominated by his battle to recover from an operation on a broken bone in his foot.
– LEVEL WITH PELE –
He came back in time, but that World Cup was still remembered for his tears in a win over Costa Rica before the Selecao lost in the quarter-finals to Belgium.
This time he appeared to be in peak physical shape as he arrived in Qatar, only to sprain an ankle in Brazil’s first game, which forced him out of the next two matches.
He returned to score against South Korea in the last 16 and then opened the scoring with a brilliant goal against Croatia, equalling Pele’s record tally of 77 for Brazil in the process.
But while Pele won three World Cups, Neymar looks like he will never achieve what “O Rei” (the King) managed, along with other Brazilian greats who lifted the trophy, from Garrincha and Jairzinho to Romario and Ronaldo.
“I am not closing any doors on the national team but I am also not guaranteeing 100 per cent that I will return,” he said on Friday.
Neymar also missed Brazil’s 2019 Copa America triumph due to injury, but his tears have not just come in a Brazil shirt.
He cried after Paris Saint-Germain lost to Bayern Munich in the 2020 Champions League final, and he has shown his distress when suffering the injuries that have regularly interrupted his club career in Paris.
Neymar left Barcelona in 2017 because he wanted to win the Ballon d’Or, but he has still not managed to win that prize and in Paris – now reunited with Lionel Messi – he lives in the shadow of Kylian Mbappe.
– BRIGHT FUTURE FOR BRAZIL? –
Even if Neymar decides to play on, with the next Copa America set for 2024, a new cycle will begin for a Brazil side who have gone out of the past five World Cups to European opposition, four times losing in the quarter-finals.
“I don’t know what will happen with the Brazil team going forward but now we can only lament what has happened,” admitted Neymar.
They will certainly have a new coach, with the 61-year-old Tite stepping down. Skipper Thiago Silva, aged 38, and the 39-year-old Dani Alves will move on, while young stars such as Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo will be asked to play an ever more important role.
“We are going to have players who have to step up now, as leaders, but we have so many players who can lead the team and set an example,” said goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who is eight months younger than Neymar.
“We have young talents who are going to improve even more, learn from this World Cup, and we have more experienced players as well who can still contribute to the national team.
“Now it is difficult to speak about the future because we have so much pain because of the moment, but hopefully the future will be bright for us.”
– AFP
MESSI SLAMS REFEREE AS ‘NOT UP TO THE TASK’
AFP
Lionel Messi said referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz should not have officiated Argentina’s tempestuous shootout victory over the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-finals at Lusail Stadium.
Argentina won on penalties early on Saturday after a dramatic 2-2 draw in which Dutch substitute Wout Weghorst scored twice late on, including a last-gasp equaliser from a short free-kick awarded when German Pezzella shoved over Weghorst.
“After they got the draw I felt a lot of anger,” said Messi. “I don’t want to talk about the referee, because they immediately reprimand you or sanction you, but I think people saw what happened.
“FIFA has to review that, it can’t give a referee like that a match of this importance, when they’re not up to the task.” He added: “We didn’t have a great game, and then the referee sent it to extra time. He was always against us. In the last play, it was not a foul.” Mateu Lahoz showed 16 yellow cards in total, with Netherlands wing-back Denzel Dumfries sent off after the penalty shootout for a second booking.
13 yellow cards. This referee has always loved to be the centre of attention. Makes Mike Dean seem shy.
— Gary Lineker 💙💛 (@GaryLineker) December 9, 2022
Messi had scored his fourth goal of the tournament from the spot in the 73rd minute after an earlier assist for Nahuel Molina’s opener.
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero, saving the Netherlands’ first two penalties before Lautaro Martinez struck the winning kick.
“We didn’t want extra time or penalties,” said Messi. “We suffered too much because of how everything happened, but it is the quarter-finals of a World Cup.
“We knew how to suffer when it was our turn, but we got through to the semi-finals. It’s beautiful, something impressive.”
MESSI’S WORLD CUP DREAM LIVES ON WITH SHOOTOUT WIN
AFP
Argentina will face Croatia in the World Cup semi-finals after beating the Netherlands 4-3 on penalties following a thrilling 2-2 extra-time draw on a night of high World Cup drama.
Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was the hero in the shootout after the South Americans let a two-goal lead slip in the final minutes of normal time after Lionel Messi had put them on the brink of the last four.
Wout Weghorst scored two dramatic late goals, the second from a remarkably inventive free-kick in the 11th minute of stoppage time, as the Netherlands fought back with seven minutes of normal time remaining to force extra-time.
Argentine had looked well set to reach the last four after Messi conjured up a brilliant assist for Nahuel Molina and a clinical goal from the penalty spot.
Just hours after Brazil and Neymar crashed out of the tournament on penalties to the Croats, Argentina survived to keep South American interest in the competition.
The Lusail Stadium felt like home for Argentina with at least three quarters of the 88,235 crowd backing the South American team and only a smattering of orange shirts in the crowd.
But all were treated to a thrilling late night drama that finally reached its conclusion just before 1am local time.
After a cagey start, Messi produced a moment of inspiration, ten minutes before the interval, to create the opener for his team.
Offering no clues of his intent, he split open the Dutch defence with a sublime reverse pass between Daley Blind and Virgil van Dijk into the path of Nahuel Molina who timed his run perfectly and slotted home with the outside of his foot.
Dutch coach Luis van Gaal responded at the break by making a double change, bringing Teun Koopmeiners and Steven Berghuis on into midfield in place of Bergwijn and Marten De Roon.
But while the Dutch saw plenty of the ball their play remained too predictable and guileless.
– FREE KICK GENIUS –
The momentum was with the Argentines and it was no surprise when they extended their lead in the 73rd minute after Denzel Dumphries tripped Marcos Acuna in the box and Messi made no mistake from the spot, burying the ball in the corner.
The Dutch, though, were not about to go out with a whimper – pulling a goal back, seven minutes from the end, with an angled glancing header from Weghorst from a Berghuis cross from deep.
Ten minutes of added time raised Dutch hopes and – tempers with a couple of mass
confrontations – and they moved Van Dijk up front and pumped balls into the box.
Deep into added time, one of those high balls, led to a free-kick just outside the area.
Koopmeiners feigned an expected shot before instead, to everyone’s surprise, playing a short pass into Weghorst, who twisted past Enzo Fernandez and poked home the equaliser.
The wild celebrations over, the game went into extra-time and curiously became becalmed, only sparking back into life late in the second period.
Lautaro Martinez saw a powerful goalbound shot deflected off Van Dijk and then another deflected effort, from Fernandez, flew just over the bar.
Lautaro then forced a diving save out of Noppert and Messi screwed a shot wide and only the post kept out a long-range drive from Fernandez.
After all that, it was penalties.
Van Dijk was up first and Martinez dived to his right to save. Messi followed and made no mistake before Martinez saved again from Berghuis.
This time there was no way back for the Dutch as, even despite a miss from Fernandez, Argentina held on to win the shoot-out and head into the semi-finals.
-- STORY BY AFP --
8:55 AM: ARGENTINA GO THROUGH ON PENALTIES
Van Dijk first up for the Netherlands – SAVED by Martinez 0-0
Messi first up for Argentina – SCORES 1-0 Argentina
Berghuis for the Netherlands – SAVED by Martinez 1-0 Argentina
Paredes for Argentina – SCORES 2-0 Argentina
Koopmeiners for the Netherlands – SCORES 2-1 Argentina
Montiel for Argentina – SCORES 3-1 Argentina
Weghorst for the Netherlands – SCORES 3-2 Argentina
Fernandez for Argentina – MISSES 3-2 Argentina
Luuk de Jong for the Netherlands – SCORES 3-3
Martinez for Argentina – SCORES 4-3
8:45 PENALTIES LOOM ONCE AGAIN
Fernandez hits the post ! Argentina so close in the last seconds of extra time, however it is not enough and for the second time this morning, it all comes down to penalties.
8:40 AM 116’ FOULS, CARDS GALORE AS ARGENTINA PRESS
There’s a sense of urgency about the South Americans now, with their foot on the gas in the last ten minutes, corner after corner, chance after chance as the Dutch try to hang on for penalties.
8:25 HALF TIME OF EXTRA TIME
Not the most exhilarating 15 minutes of football you’d ever see as both sides rebound from the rush that was the past half hour. Argentina have seemed to settle the better of the two sides in the extra period, as we move into the final 15 of this absurd encounter.
8:12 EXTRA TIME BEGINS
The second game to go to extra time today, we will play another half an hour. Will we see another game go to penalty kicks? How will Argentina respond after sitting back after their second goal and letting the Dutch boss the final 20 of regulation.
8:02 100’ ONE LAST GASP FOR THE DUTCH
REMARKABLE ! The Dutch have sent this to extra time somehow with a clever free kick in the dying seconds. It’s Weghorst again the hero for the Dutch, after looking so meek offensively for the majority have scored two late goals and we will play an extra 30 minutes at the least.
88’ TENSIONS FLARE AS THE BENCHES ARE CLEARED
The Dutch subs have run off the bench in droves as tensions boil over after a hard foul on defender Nathan Ake, with Virgil Van Dijk shoving an Argentinian player to the ground. The ball was booted into the Dutch bench after the hard foul resulting in the pushing and shoving.
7:45 GOAL 83’ (WEGHORST) NETHERLANDS BACK IN WITH A SNIFF 2-1
After a bombardment of aerial attacks the Dutch have their first shot on goal for the game and it’s trickled in ! They are not going down without a fight, after a deft header from the substitute Wout Weghorst. Then shortly after Berghuis fires into the side netting. A thrilling finale upcoming.
7:35 70’ PENALTY ARGENTINA – MESSI SCORES 2-0 ARGENTINA
Was he ever going to miss? Maybe in times past, but not on this occasion as he leaves the Dutch keeper prone, tucks it into the corner and Argentina look destined for the semi finals. It is now truly desperate times for the Dutch, Romero was brought down in the box by Jurrien Timber, resulting in the penalty.
7:20 60’ NETHERLANDS ON THE CHARGE AS ARGENTINA SIT BACK
The Dutch have rightly come out with more intent in the second half, but still are yet to truly challenge the Argetinian defence. The South Americans appear happy to give up possession as they look to be dangerous on the counter attack.
7:10 SECOND HALF UNDERWAY AS NETHERLANDS MAKE CHANGES
We have kicked off the second half of this quarter-final with the Dutch making two changes to try and change their fortunes in this do or die clash. de Roon and Bergwijn make way for Koopmeiners and Berghuis.
6:50: HALFTIME ARGENTINA 1-0 NETHERLANDS
The Dutch have come into the game more after Molina’s opener (his first for his country) with faint shouts for a penalty just before halftime, however have not created any clear chances to worry Argentina’s keeper Martinez. Argentina head into the sheds a goal to the good, 45 minutes away from a date with Croatia.
6:35: GOAL ARGENTINA 1-0 (MOLINA)
The Argentinians take the lead once again at this World Cup after some magic from their talisman Leo Messi, setting up Nahuel Molina to poke it past the Dutch keeper with a scintilating pass.
6:20: A PRAGMATIC OPENING 20 FROM BOTH SIDES
Up to this point the games biggest star has probably been the referee as both sides settle into the contest, not allowing one another to counter attack. Dutch manager Louis Van Gaal’s playstyle usually means his sides don’t beat themselves. The first real chance of the game falls to superstar Lionel Messi who fires over from what one would call ambitious range.
6AM: KICKOFF BETWEEN ARGENTINA AND THE NETHERLANDS
Saturday’s second semi-final is underway as the South American side Argentina face 2010 runner-up The Netherlands. The winner will face Croatia in the semi-final after their upset of Brazil earlier Saturday morning.
Teams: Netherlands (3-4-1-2) Noppert; Timber, Van Dijk, Ake; Dumfries, De Roon, F de Jong, Blind; Gakpo; Depay, Bergwijn.
Argentina (3-5-2) E Martinez; Romero, Otamendi, Lisandro Martinez; Molina, De Paul, Fernandez, Mac Allister, Acuna; Messi, Alvarez.
CROATIA STUN BRAZIL IN PENALTY SHOOT-OUT TO REACH WORLD CUP SEMI-FINALS
AFP
Croatia stunned Brazil in a dramatic penalty shootout on Friday to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup after Marquinhos slammed the decisive kick against the post.
Neymar looked to have kept Brazil’s hopes of a sixth World Cup title alive by starting and finishing a brilliant effort in extra time that equalled Pele’s international scoring record of 77 goals.
But he was left distraught and sobbing after Brazil lost a shootout that was triggered when Bruno Petkovic popped up to make it 1-1 at the end of extra time.
Neymar’s individual flash of brilliance had lit up a tense and often niggly game that finished goalless in normal time, Croatia’s man-of-the-match goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic pulling off a series of stunning blocks to keep the Brazilians at bay.
But as the minutes of extra time ticked down at the Education City Stadium, Petkovic popped up to connect with a cross and his deflected shot found its way into the net past the outstretched arm of Brazil ‘keeper Alisson.
If Brazil were rocked by the late equaliser, worse was to come in a series of nerve-shredding spot kicks.
The tone was set when Nikola Vlasic slammed the opening penalty down the middle and into the net, before Livakovic tipped away Rodrygo’s first effort for Brazil.
In the end it came down to Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Marquinhos who strode up confidently, but saw his kick rebound off the post to give Croatia a 4-2 win in the shootout and a place in the last four for the second World Cup in a row.
As the Croatian players sprinted across the turf in joy, Marquinhos sank to his knees and Neymar was soon in tears, being consoled by veteran teammate Dani Alves.
The Croatian team coached by Zlatko Dalic followed up their win over Japan on penalties in the last round with this victory, which might well go down as their greatest ever triumph.
Livakovic, who again played a huge role after he saved three spot kicks against Japan, said: “We’re raised as fighters. We spare no effort -- we’re always giving our best and that’s our recipe for success.” Brazil will have to wait at least another four years for that sixth title -- by 2026 it will be 24 years since they last won the World Cup.
Their captain Thiago Silva said: “It is difficult. I have been through some disappointments in my life and when we lose something important that we have as an objective it hurts quite a lot.” He blamed a moment’s inattention for Croatia’s equaliser.
“I think all of a sudden we lost our concentration,” said Silva, who at 38 has likely played his last World Cup match.
“Sadly as a player I am not going to get to lift this trophy,” he admitted.
Instead of a blockbuster South American semi-final between Brazil and Argentina, it is Croatia who will face the winners of the clash later Friday between Lionel Messi’s side and the Netherlands.
THE PRIDE OF THE ‘ORANJE’
AFP
From the Netherlands to Suriname, pride is swelling at the number of Dutch players in their World Cup quarter-final who trace their roots to the South American former colony.
On a pitch beneath the Amsterdam tower blocks where they grew up, two young friends of Surinamese origin practise free kicks and dream of wearing the Netherlands’ famed orange jersey.
“We’re people of colour ourselves. It’s good that people of colour have been so successful. We’re proud,” says Nigel Marengo, 18, a junior player for Heerenveen, a club whose first team is in the Eredivisie.
They idolise Dutch players like Virgil van Dijk, born in the Dutch city of Breda to a Dutch father and Surinamese mother; Denzel Dumfries, whose mother is from Suriname and whose father is from Aruba, the Caribbean island that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; and Xavi Simons, whose father is of Surinamese descent.
Marengo and his friends will cheer on the ‘Oranje’ against Argentina on Friday, in a match that he says will be tough but winnable, largely thanks to Van Dijk in defence.
“I’m happy that he chose to play for the Netherlands” instead of Suriname, the tiny Caribbean coast nation ranked 139 by FIFA, adds Marengo.
His friend Divayo Olf, 18, says that while it “drags down Suriname in terms of football … they were all born here or grew up here and they all started their careers here, so I understand their choice”.
The Netherlands boasts a long line of footballing legends with Surinamese heritage, from Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard in the 1980s to Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids in the 1990s.
But that also reflects the tangled history of the Netherlands as rulers of a string of colonies — including Suriname which became independent in 1975 — that the Dutch are wrestling with to this day.
In the Surinamese capital Paramaribo, two huge TV screens hang on the wall of the Sportcafe Munder, a Suriname flag hangs in the middle, and the room is decorated with Dutch banners.
“I have been a fan of the Netherlands since 1978, because I grew up there … And boys with a Surinamese background playing, that also plays a role,” says owner Ramesh Jagesar.
For Friday’s match they will serve Dutch meatball snacks called “bitterballen” with Netherlands flags on cocktail sticks.
But he adds that “you do have groups that are really against the Netherlands, they would rather go for Brazil or Argentina”.
Retired doctor Ruben del Prado said he was supporting the Dutch team.
“I love the Netherlands but my heart is in Suriname … there is a natural historical connection between them,” he said.
BRAZIL, ARGENTINA TARGET BLOCKBUSTER SEMI-FINAL
AFP
Brazil seek to become the first team through to the World Cup semi-finals on Friday, while Argentina could set up a blockbuster all-South American clash if they get past the Netherlands.
After three weeks of pulsating action in Qatar, just eight teams are left standing as the 32-nation tournament heads into the final rounds of the knockout competition after a two-day break.
Five-time champions Brazil kick off the quarter-finals against surprise 2018 runners-up Croatia, with Neymar fit and firing after an ankle injury he suffered in the opening game.
“I’ll be doing everything that I can to win with the Brazilian national team. That’s our mission and our dream,” said Neymar.
“We’re getting ever closer, we’ve got another step to go now.” Croatia are a much-changed team from the one that reached the final four years ago, but 37-year-old Luka Modric remains the player who makes them tick.
“I agree that we did a great thing by getting to the quarter-finals but regardless of that we would like to do more,” said Modric, who will come up against his Real Madrid teammates Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Eder Militao in the match at Education City Stadium.
“We know that the greatest match is ahead of us. Brazil are always favourites. We have to be ourselves.” Seven-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is hoping to end his wait for a World Cup after Argentina lost to Germany in the final eight years ago.
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