When the pressure is at its highest, No1 Dominik Livakovic often rises to the occasion and has already kept his side in the game on several occasions with big saves at crucial moments.
In this interview with FIFA ahead of his team’s at the , Livakovic looks back on some defining World Cup experiences, talks about the trust that Zlatko Dalic has placed in him, and explains what goes through a goalkeeper’s mind before a penalty shoot-out.
Dominik Livakovic: First and foremost, we are all united as the Croatian national team. Everyone is here to help one another – and that goes for me too. I always try to do my best so that we can celebrate together at the end.
The emotions we felt during and after the matches against Japan and Brazil were unique. Our win over Japan and the celebrations afterwards gave us a huge boost. That much was evident against Brazil, when we played brilliantly as a team. They are memories that will last a lifetime.
It all happens in the moment. Before matches like that, I’m of course very nervous, but as soon as the game gets under way, I settle down. Then I just do what I love – playing football and representing Croatia. At times like those, you have to think positively.
It means so much to me. I’ve said that many times before. I’m grateful that the coach has always stood by me – first while I was injured, and later when things weren’t going as well as I’d hoped with my club, even though things got better in the second half of the season. I hope that I can repay his trust with my performances.
It’s always nice to be able to help the team – especially in tough matches, when you know exactly what’s at stake. They are special moments that you’ll look back on fondly.
I’ve been a keeper since I was six, so I probably see things a little differently than the fans. We’re constantly working on our reaction times and dealing with such situations with our goalkeeping coaches, Marjan Mrmic and Danijel Subasic. For us goalkeepers, these are just standard procedures. Of course, there are some saves that really stick in your memory.
We had fantastic support in Toronto, and I’m sure there’ll be even more Croatian fans in the stadium for our next match. That always gives us a boost.
Sources: FIFA Official
