Luka Modric penalty completes thrilling 4-2 win for Croatia over Netherlands in Nations League

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Croatia’s Luka Modric celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal against Netherlands during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

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Croatia fans cheer on the stands during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia fans celebrate on the stands during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Bruno Petkovic celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal from the penalty spot during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric scores his side’s first goal from the penalty spot past Netherlands goalkeeper Justin Bijlow during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Luka Modric talks to Referee Istvan Kovacs during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Netherlands’ Donyell Malen, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Mario Pasalic hits Netherlands’ Nathan Ake in the face, and gets a yellow card for it, during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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A fan wearing the Netherlands orange stands among Croatia supporters while waiting for the start of the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Netherlands’ Virgil van Dijk vies for the ball with Croatia’s Mario Pasalic, left, during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Mario Pasalic holds the head of Netherlands’ Nathan Ake after hitting him in the face with his boot during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Andrej Kramaric, left, celebrates after scoring his side’s first goal from the penalty spot during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Luka Modric scores his side’s fourth goal from the penalty spot during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

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Croatia’s Luka Modric controls the ball during the Nations League semifinal soccer match between the Netherlands and Croatia at De Kuip stadium in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Wednesday, June 14, 2023. (AP Photo/Patrick Post)

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By MIKE CORDER

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) — Veteran midfielder Luka Modric scored an extra-time penalty to seal a thrilling 4-2 victory for Croatia over the Netherlands and a place in the Nations League final.

Thousands of ecstatic red-and-white clad Croatia fans chanted “Luka! Luka! Luka!” after the 37-year-old completed the scoring from the penalty spot in the 116th minute on Wednesday.

“We couldn’t believe how many fans for Croatia there were in the stadium. That was really phenomenal,” Modric said through an interpreter. “They give us great support and that’s something that drives us and moves us forward.”

It was Modric’s 165th appearance for his country. He said after captaining Croatia to victory over Morocco in the third-place game at the World Cup in Qatar he wanted to “continue until at least the Nations League and after we will see.”

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman said Modric was, “in one word: fantastic.”

“Sometimes there’s a player for the opponent who is so decisive and so good that I can — it’s hard to say — enjoy watching,” Koeman said.

Croatia was runner-up at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and third last year in Qatar.

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Substitute Bruno Petković also scored in extra-time with a shot from just outside the penalty area that flew low into the corner, just out of the reach of Justin Bijlow as staunch Dutch resistance finally crumbled.

Another substitute, Netherlands forward Noa Lang, had forced the game into extra time with a volleyed equalizer six minutes into stoppage time.

Earlier in the pulsating match, a 55th-minute penalty by Andrej Kramarić — awarded for a foul on Modric — and a shot by Mario Pašalić in the 73rd minute canceled out Donyell Malen’s 34th-minute opener to keep Croatia and Modric in the hunt for their first major international title.

It ended the Netherlands’ latest attempt to add another international trophy to the European Championship the country won in 1988. The Netherlands has finished as runner-up at three World Cups — in 1974, ’78 and 2010.

Lang scored only his second international goal after coming on in the 85th minute. But he squandered a great chance in the second half of extra time when he shot into the side netting with Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livaković out of position.

Modric shot into the goal in the 24th minute, but referee István Kovács had already stopped play because of Pašalić’s overhead kick that floored Nathan Ake.

Spain plays Italy in the other semifinal in the eastern Dutch city of Enschede on Thursday. The final and third-fourth playoff of the third edition of the Nations League are Sunday.

The Netherlands lost 1-0 to Portugal in the first final of the biennial Nations League during Koeman’s first stint as coach of the national team. Two years later, in 2021, Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe scored as France beat Spain 2-1 to take the title.

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