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Croatia find equalizer vs. Japan on Ivan Perisic’s header [VIDEO]

The veteran striker gets the job done for the 2018 runners-up.

By Chinmay Vaidya
Japan v Croatia: Round of 16 - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022
Ivan Perisic of Croatia reacts during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between Japan and Croatia at Al Janoub Stadium on December 05, 2022 in Al Wakrah, Qatar.
Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images

Croatia’s attempt to return to the World Cup final in 2022 after making a run there in 2018 appeared to be in jeopardy after giving up a goal to Japan in the first half of their round of 16 mach. The Croatians leaned on their experience and veteran leadership, finding the equalizer shortly after the second half began on a brilliant header from Ivan Perisic.

This was a perfectly directed header from Perisic, who has been relatively quiet in the competition up to this point. He was able to get enough contact to push this shot past Japanese goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda for the equalizer.

Perisic was named Man of the Match in Croatia’s semifinal win over England at the 2018 World Cup, and has been one of the more underrated strikers in the game since that time. He has consistently delivered results for the national team and this goal adds to his legacy.

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