"Don't let them keep pressing like that! Midfielders, drop back and offer support!"Puyol shouted repeatedly.
Under Croatia's relentless pressing, Spain struggled to play out from the back.
They desperately needed their technical midfielders to drop deep and help with the buildup — at the very least, to help transition the ball and ease the pressure — otherwise, they'd be constantly hounded by Croatia.
From the sidelines, Šuker watched Spain's players shouting at one another, their anxious expressions revealing the truth —Spain was panicking.
Until now, Spain's journey through the tournament had been smooth and dominant.Their tiki-taka system was effective and fluid, making their progress look easy.
Most opponents played passive defense — like wooden stakes in the ground — and allowed Spain to toy with them.
But Croatia was different!These guys sprinted wave after wave, burning energy, applying relentless pressure on Spain's ball circulation.
"Pass forward!"
Xavi spun around and got away from Rakitić's press. He immediately threaded a pass forward.
The ball finally reached David Villa.
Villa had already spotted Torres's position — the two prepared to execute a quick one-two.
But just as Villa was about to make the return pass, Vukojević suddenly stepped into the gap.
Villa hesitated.
"Close him down!"
Pranjić shouted as he and Vukojević closed in.
Villa thought about dribbling forward but, playing it safe, chose to pass backward.
He turned to pass to Xavi —but Rakitić had suddenly darted in front of Xavi and intercepted the pass.
"Crap!"
Villa's heart sank.Xavi instantly rushed in to try to win it back.
But Rakitić didn't hold on to the ball.He immediately passed it back.
In Croatia's half, Modrić stepped up. Facing the Spanish side, he took Rakitić's return and, without hesitation, launched a long pass forward.
BANG!The ball flew into the open space down the left flank.
"Counterattack!!"
Kraushvić shouted excitedly.
Šuker and Ramos were both chasing the ball — but Šuker had the speed advantage.
Ramos tried to pull and drag him back, but he couldn't slow him down.
Just as Šuker was about to reach the ball, Ramos went in with a sliding tackle.
BANG!Ramos just managed to knock the ball out of bounds — but in doing so, sent Šuker tumbling.
"Ahhh—so close!!"
Kraushvić clutched his head in frustration.
But quickly, his spirit lifted:
"It's working! Yes! This is how we have to play!"
In the stands, Spanish fans looked uneasy and confused.
They didn't understand how the situation had flipped so suddenly.
They were used to Spain dominating possession, calmly pinning opponents back.
But now, even though Spain still had more of the ball, Croatia's counterattacks made them look vulnerable and frantic.
Ramos still had energy and managed to hold firm —but how long would luck be on their side?
One mistake, and with Šuker's explosiveness, Spain's goal would be under siege.
"Keep going! Keep going!"
Šuker called out as he jogged back, breathing hard but fired up.
The effect of their tactics was obvious and immediate.
Once Spain's midfield fell into disarray, their trademark possession game began to falter.
Granted, this only worked because Spain's tiki-taka style hadn't fully matured yet, and the players weren't at their peak.
From 2010 onward, Spain would dominate football with that system.
Tiki-taka itself was powerful —but what made it nearly unbeatable was the Spanish squad's perfect execution.
Right now, Croatia could still disrupt them with pressing.
But against the 2010 Spain, even endless running might not be enough.
Still, Šuker believed it was all worth it.
This Spain was only seemingly strong.
Like a rising sun, dazzling but not yet scorching.
Beating Spain wasn't just empty talk — it was within reach.
"Push forward! Attack!"
Šuker shouted to his teammates.
Now was the time to strike boldly.
Srna ran up to take the throw-in.
Šuker and others took their positions, while Spain quickly dropped back into a man-marking setup.
Srna had no great passing options.
Šuker quickly ran toward him.
Srna threw the ball at Šuker's knee —he jumped slightly, shielded Ramos with his body, and used the inside of his foot to return it.
Srna looked up, faked a cross, then suddenly cut down the sideline with a sharp move.
The sequence was smooth and decisive.
As Srna's run pulled Ramos out of position, Šuker was freed.
But others immediately moved to mark Šuker.
Now positioned between lines, he served as both a passing outlet and a threat to the Spanish defense.
Srna had two options:
Cross into the box
Or pass diagonally backward to Šuker
Since the penalty area was packed with Spanish players, Srna chose the latter — slipping the ball to Šuker.
Just before receiving, Šuker made a sharp backward lunge.
This caused Senna, Spain's defensive mid, to instinctively backpedal.
Using that split-second gap, Šuker adjusted and dribbled laterally across the edge of the box.
"Šuker's going for it!!"
Kraushvić shouted, eyes glued to the screen.
Croatian fans across the stadium held their breath.
After a few strides, Šuker dipped his hips, then swung his right leg.
A curling shot!BANG!The ball bent toward the goal, dropping rapidly.
But Marchena was standing near the right post, and leaped to head it away!
"Marchena clears it! But the ball falls outside the box — Rakitić!! A low shot!!"
Rakitić met the ball and fired it first-time.
It was a clean hit, but too central.
Casillas dove, arms extended — and smothered the ball under his body.
"Casillas has it! Spain survives the danger —This may be the most panicked moment of Spain's Euro 2008 run so far.Croatia's relentless attacks are giving their defense a headache."
"Even though Spain has had more possession, they must be wary of Croatia's counterattacks!"
The Spanish commentator spoke gravely.
Spain had faced tough opponents before in this tournament —but no team had pressured them like this.
Croatia's pressing repeatedly disrupted Spain's passing rhythm.
Their lightning counterattacks left Spain scrambling.
Šuker and Modrić had become the core of Croatia's offensive strategy.
As soon as they won the ball, they immediately launched counterattacks.
Modrić's long passes were the signal.Šuker's explosiveness was the sword.
And now, Spain's players sensed something dangerous.
If this continued —Spain's defense might crack first.
"Beautiful work!!""That's right!""Keep pushing!!"
On the Croatian bench, coach Van Stayaak roared with excitement.
There was no better reward than seeing your tactics working perfectly on the field.
As Croatian players threatened Spain's goal again and again,the once-stable tiki-taka machine now looked shaky.
Croatia's opening salvo was like a combo punch —almost knocking Spain out cold.
And it wasn't over —they'd keep the pressure coming!
Van Stayaak's eyes burned with determination.
Tonight, he would show the world:How to dismantle tiki-taka!
On the bench, Bilić sat, staring blankly at the pitch.
He felt a surge of excitement watching the match unfold —but also a strange sense of discomfort.
After all, this was the tactic he had disagreed with.
And yet, the Croatian players were using it to overwhelm Spain.
The tactic he had rejected was now delivering incredible results.
Bilić opened his mouth slightly.
"Was I... wrong?"
So much had happened before the match.
He was still angry about it —but now, deep inside, he felt empty.
If they had followed his plan instead...Would they have been trapped by Spain's possession,and maybe even lost the match?