Croatia captain Luka Modric has joked that his team "can't do it without drama" after their penalty shootout win over Japan on Monday.
“It seems that we can’t do it without a drama”
The Real Madrid midfielder, who was the Most Valuable Player in the 2018 edition, said:
“We are more than happy to reach the quarter-finals.
“It was a very difficult game against a very tough team.”
According to Modric, Croatia did not play at their best but still managed to win.
“We showed character when we came back from the deficit… Livi (Livakovic) performed a miracle today. A very tough, exhausting match.”
“Don’t ever underestimate a Croatian” Coach Zlatko Dalic said.
“Whenever this happens, one regrets it. We are going all the way.”
“We showed that we are of the level necessary to go far.
We have finished third (in 1998) and second and now we are in the quarters,” Dalic said.
“We have earned the right to hope for great results… we won’t give up, we will keep fighting to achieve our World Cup dream.”
Zlatko Dalic’s team will face Brazil who are seeking their sixth world title in the Quarter finals and he believes his team will win regardless of the pedigree of their opponents.
“If I could choose I would choose South Korea, but if it’s Brazil then never mind. Let’s give our best and play our hearts out for the win,” Dalic added.
“The players don’t give up, they reflect the spirit of the Croatian people. We have been through so much pain… the whole of Croatia looks to them.”
