FIFA World Cup 2018 knockouts: On a day of penalty shootouts, Russia and Croatia reign supreme
Penalties. Love them or hate them, they dominated Sunday's knockout matches at the FIFA World Cup, and not just because both games, Spain vs Russia and Croatia vs Denmark, ended in shootouts.
Penalties. Love them or hate them, they dominated Sunday's knockout matches at the FIFA World Cup, and not just because both games ended in shootouts. Russia might not have been able to hang in with Spain were it not for Gerard Pique flinging his arm at a
Russia's Artyom Dzyuba celebrates scoring his side's opening goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia at the 2018 FIFA World Cup at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia. (Photo | AP)
Spain's Andres Iniesta, left, and Russia's Roman Zobnin challenge for the ball. (Photo | AP)
Spain's Andres Iniesta falls during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia. (Photo | AP)
Spain's Gerard Pique, left, and Russia's Alexander Golovin battle for the ball. (Photo | AP)
Referee Bjorn Kuipers from Netherlands indicates a handball by Spain's Gerard Pique, front, during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia. (Photo | AP)
Spain head coach Fernando Hierro reacts during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia. (Photo | AP)
Russia's Sergei Ignashevich, front, scores an own goal during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia. (Photo | AP)
Russia goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev catches a penalty shot during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia. Akinfeev saved two of Spain's five shots as the hosts shocked the 2010 champions in Moscow. (Photo | AP)
Russia's Fyodor Smolov, right, dives as he celebrates with teammates after Russia defeated Spain in a penalty shoot out during the round of 16 match between Spain and Russia. (Photo | AP)
Spain's Gerard Pique, right, consoles teammate Andres Iniesta, left, after they lost to Russia. (Photo | AP)
Denmark's Yussuf Yurary Poulsen, right, goes for a header with Croatia's Ivan Strinic during the round of 16 match between Croatia and Denmark at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. (Photo | AP)
Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, front, secures the ball next to Denmark's Yussuf Yurary Poulsen, right, during the round of 16 match between Croatia and Denmark. (Photo | AP)
Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, left on the pitch, looks at the ball after Denmark's Mathias Jorgensen scored the opening goal during the round of 16 match between Croatia and Denmark. (Photo | AP)
Croatia's Mario Mandzukic, right, celebrates with his teammates after scoring the opening goal of his team during the round of 16 match between Croatia and Denmark. (Photo | AP)
Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel saves the penalty kick by Croatia's Luka Modric. Schmeichel saved two more himself, cheered on by his famous father, longtime Manchester United net minder Peter Schmeichel, the best in the world in his day. (Photo | AP)
Ultimately though, Schmeichel was matched and Denmark was denied by Croatian goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, who joined Ricardo of Portugal as the only men to save three penalties in a single World Cup shootout. (Photo | AP)
Croatian players celebrate after the penalties during the round of 16 match between Croatia and Denmark at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. (Photo | AP)
