JUST past the half hour mark, at the scene of their worst-ever sporting scandal, Russia seemed firmly on the way to enriching their World Cup destiny. A sensational strike by Denis Cheryshev had given them the lead against Croatia at the Fisht Stadium, the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2014 Winter Olympics — the biggest event hosted by Russia since the breakup of the Soviet Union; an event that will forever remain tarnished because of the hosts’ state-sponsored doping programme which had been planned for years to ensure their dominance at the Games.

In a nerve-jangling quarter-final, in which the pendulum swung on either side, Russia came very close to exorcising those demons of Sochi. Very close. Their journey at the World Cup only ending on a cruel penalty shootout which they lost 4-3 after a 2-2 draw in extra-time. But it was an incredible journey for the hosts who entered with very low expectations, as the lowest-ranked team in the tournament.

Croatia, meanwhile, advanced to a semi-final showdown against England.

Cheryshev’s screamer from outside the box only served to increase the decibel level but there was shock silence minutes later when Andrej Kramaric bent down to head in a low cross for the leveller.

None of the teams could find the winner in regulation time though. Croatia’s hero of the shootout, their goalkeeper Danijel Subasic however went down clutching his hamstring late in the second-half.

Croatia now had an ailing goalkeeper and were forced into making their fourth and final substitution early in extra-time when right-back Sime Vrsaljko went off injured. If the game went down to penalties, they would have to do with a hampered Subasic.

It seemed he would be spared of that when Croatia won a corner in the 101st minute and Domagoj Vida’s slow downward header evaded a crowd of bodies and nestled itself in the bottom corner. But with the crowd urging them on, coach Stanislav Cherchesov orchestrating them to ramp up the volume, Russia found an equaliser.

Subasic had made two crucial interventions by then but when he couldn’t do anything to stop a bullet header from Mario Fernandes five minutes from the end of extra-time. Josip Pivaric’s handball on the right gave Alan Dzagoev the chance to curl in an outswinger and Fernandes rose highest to send the whole of Russia crazy with joy.

Subasic it was, though, who sent the whole of Russia into mourning, setting the tone for the shootout when he saved Fedor Smolov’s first penalty. It put Russia under pressure and it was Fernandes, the man who inspired so much hope for the hosts minutes earlier, whose miss from the spot was the most crucial.

Published in Dawn, July 8th, 2018