Iphumelele kwakhona iCroatia ngamapenela kweli ityeli ibethe iBrazil ngo’4-2 emdlalweni obunzima kwibala ekuthiwa yiEducation City Stadium namhlanje ngorhatya. Imizuzu engamashumi alithoba omdlalo iphele kungekho qela elivumileyo ukoyiswa. Kwixesha elongezelelweyo, uNeymar ufake igowuli leBrazil emzuzwini wekhulu elinemizuzu emihlanu emva kokushiya amadoda ezizigede phantsi ebhokisini. Iphendule iCroatia ngebhola efakwe nguBruno Petrovic bathi cwaka abalandeli beBrazil abebenethemba lokubona ilizwe labo liphakamisa indebe yehlabathi ityeli lesihlanu. Isiqingatha sokuqala siphele iliqanda macala. Nakubeni umdlalo ubuphethwe yiCroatia ephumeleleyo emdlalweni wanamhlanje – kodwa khange iye ezipalini zeBrazil sade saphela isiqingatha sokuqala.
UNeymar Jr noVinicius Jr bazamile zonke iindlela zabo eziqhelekileyo – kodwa abadlali beCroatia bebevale mva emva bekhokelwa nguDominik Livakovic ezipalini. Inyuse umxakathi iBrazil kwisigaba sesibini. Njengesiqhelo, abadlali bayo bayibeke phantsi iibhola abadlali abafana noNeymar noVinicius – kodwa bebefuka bangqubeke babuye umva kwidonga ebelenziwa yiCroatia emva. Kuthe kwakubonakala ukuba kunzima, iTite ufake inqwaba yabadlali abatsha abaquka uPedro phambili. Izamile iBrazil ukudala amathuba kwisigaba sesibini noxa bekunzima ukufumana eyona nto ebalulekileyo: igowuli lokuphumelela umdlalo. Bebedlala abadlali beCroatia bekhokelwa ligqala, uLuka Modric esiswini noParisic phambili.
URodrygo noAntony bazamile nabo emva kokuphuma kukaVinicius noRicharlson. Akukho nto kodwa egqithileyo kuLivakovic. Kwixesha elongezelelweyo, iBrazil iqhubele phambili nokulawula umdlalo yade yafumana igowuli elifakwe nguNeymar – kodwa yenze impazamo ngokuyeka iCroatia ibuyele emdlalweni ngegowuli elifakwe nguPetkovic. Kumapenela, iBrazi ifake amapenela amabini kuphela kwamahlanu. Iqhawe leCroatia nguDominik Livakovic ovale amapenela. Sibe njalo ke isiphelo seBrazil ebiphakathi kwamazwe ebekucingwa ukuba angathatha iNdebe yeHlabathi kulo nyaka eQata. Yona iCroatia ebibethe iJapan kumapelena ekuqaleni kweveki, iya phambili futhi ngendlela efanayo. Kwitumente egqithileyo, iCroatia yabethwa emdlalweni wokugqibela yiFrance eza kudibana neNgilane ngomso.
Ubomi ejele kutata owadlwengula unyana wakhe ona-8