TORONTO, July 3 -- With twelve seconds separating Croatia from an equalizer they had bled for across ninety minutes, Josko Gvardiol turned and ran toward the corner flag. His teammates followed. For a moment, BMO Field split in two: one half celebrating, one half trying to understand what the screen above the stadium was telling them. The answer came quickly. Marko Matanovic, barely visible in the replay, had brushed the ball before it reached Pasalic, and Pasalic was offside. Goal disallowed. Tournament over.

That was how Luka Modric's World Cup likely ended, not with a final whistle but with a freeze-frame on a stadium screen.

Portugal survived, 2-1, to advance to the Round of 16, with Goncalo Ramos heading home a Rafael Leao cross in...