It was an ordinary yet extraordinary noon.
In Zagreb, the Capital of Croatia, people were bustling about as usual, but a closer look at their expressions revealed a subtle sense of anticipation.
As pedestrians passed crossroads, they couldn't help but look up at the large LED screen on the front of the building, which was showing pre-match warm-ups.
That's right!
In another hour, Croatia's first match in the 2014 World Cup was about to begin.
They were all eager to return home or watch this crucial match with friends.
To prepare for this key game, Croatia was practically on holiday.
Schools were all on holiday mode, and students were picked up early by their parents.
Work was only for the morning, and people could go home at noon to watch the match.
This was not a government regulation, but a spontaneous choice by the people.
Croatia is small, so small that its presence in the global is negligible.
But Croatia is also big, big enough to stir the hearts of fans worldwide.
At this moment, in various countries and regions across the globe, everyone was waiting for this feast to unfold.
This was also the second World Cup for Suker, and they were all anticipating what kind of performance he would deliver.
Ossa Suker's youth training camp.
Bilić sat in his office, watching the World Cup warm-up on TV.
Faces like Suker, Modrić, and others flashed across the screen, making his expression incredibly complex.
As a Head Coach, Bilić believed he had no talent.
This might also be the reason for their failure in the World Cup; he always believed those kids could go further, and if it weren't for his limited ability, they wouldn't have fallen in the semifinals.
This was Bilić's inner pain, and also the reason he voluntarily resigned as the National Team Head Coach.
An incompetent general exhausts his army!
Compared to Bilić, the current National Team Head Coach, Bešić, was doing much better.
Moreover, those guys were also willing to listen to Bešić.
"Ha~~~"
Bilić couldn't help but sigh, and at this moment, a knock on the door sounded.
"Supervisor!"
A young man led two children in.
These two children were about 13 years old, but they were well-built and strong.
The two children were clearly a bit nervous, not daring to look up and meet Bilić's gaze.
"Your trial performance today was very good, and we are willing to offer you a youth training contract!"
Bilić stood up and walked over, gently patting the children's shoulders: "Relax!"
Perhaps due to Bilić's gentle words, the two children also relaxed a little.
Once they relaxed, their eyes couldn't help but turn to the TV.
Seeing this, Bilić's lips curved slightly.
For any Croatian youth training player, the National Team was their goal to strive for.
Especially in the era when Suker and others shone brightly, these children greatly yearned for the National Team.
This was a good thing for Croatia's football development.
Moreover, statistics show that since 2008, the scale of Croatia's youth training has been continuously expanding, more than doubling in just six years.
These were all good news!
After Bilić gave up the idea of coaching a team, he dedicated himself to grassroots work, focusing on training youth players.
He might not be a qualified Head Coach, but guiding youth training was certainly not a problem.
Seeing the children's eyes glued to the screen, Bilić couldn't help but smile and say, "Do you want to go?"
The two children looked up simultaneously and expressed their true thoughts in their tender voices.
"Yes!"
"Then you must work hard!" Bilić continued: "Your competitive environment is more intense, and you need to put in more effort into training."
"Also, I hope you don't aim too high; first, do well with the current training."
At this point, Bilić turned his head to look at the TV, where Suker's voice receiving an interview just appeared on screen.
His words became even more gentle.
"And then... try your best to follow in their footsteps!"
Bilić dared not say surpass; he believed this Croatia team was too difficult to surpass.
It's not impossible!
But it's not an easy thing!
"Here! Here!"
Brazil, Rio de Janeiro.
Oripe and others rushed towards the stadium entrance.
They were already a bit late; due to flight delays, their entire plan was postponed.
They had planned to eat something here before entering the stadium, but looking at the current time, there was no chance to eat at all.
They could only hurry, jogging all the way, and thus managed to catch the tail end of the large crowd entering the famous Maracanã Stadium.
Maracanã Stadium, undoubtedly the world's number one football stadium.
The entire stadium can accommodate 200,000 people watching simultaneously, making it absolutely number one in the world in terms of scale and capacity.
And the permanently preserved Jules Rimet Trophy (the original World Cup trophy) of the Brazil Team is stored here.
Upon entering the venue, compared to other stadiums, this one was noticeably larger, and under the already hot weather, the influx of 200,000 people made the entire stadium feel like a furnace.
Oripe, feeling hot, gulped down the iced beer in his hand, then ran to buy a few more, only then feeling a little better.
The entire stadium was basically occupied by English and Croatian fans.
There were also many local Brazil Team fans.
Football is the biggest sport in Brazil, and the local people here are also very fond of football.
This also led to an incredibly high atmosphere.
Unlike Europe, there isn't as much utilitarianism here; it's purely about enjoyment.
The match had not yet begun, but the Brazil Team fans had already started singing spontaneously, and under the influence of this atmosphere, the entire stadium's atmosphere became extremely high.
The climax of the atmosphere surged like waves, constantly crashing, and even without the intentional guidance of a DJ, the atmosphere had already reached its peak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil!"
"This is Maracanã Stadium, and in one hour, the first match of the 2014 World Cup Group D will take place here, with Croatia facing England!"
Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—
A tremendous surge of sound.
Both English and Croatian fans welcomed the match with the greatest enthusiasm.
This also infected Oripe and others, who joined in the cheering and shouting.
"The atmosphere here is absolutely fantastic!"
Oripe shouted to the person next to him.
"Of course! This is the highlight match of the World Cup group stage, Croatia versus England!"
Bakic also said with a big laugh.
Mlinar, standing nearby, raised his glass and shouted loudly, "Croatia will win!"
The next second, the surrounding Croatian fans were infected, and waves of 'will win' slogans began to surge, sweeping across the stadium.
Just then, there was another burst of intense cheers.
The cheers originated from the fan stands near the player tunnel and spread throughout the stadium.
The big screen immediately switched to the player tunnel.
Both teams' players had already begun to enter the field.
"They're here! They're here!"
Oripe shouted excitedly.
The camera immediately focused on Suker's figure, giving a long close-up.
And the moment Suker's figure appeared, the cheers from the entire stadium reached their peak.
With Suker's popularity, the entire atmosphere had already reached its zenith.
Even the local Brazil Team fans, many of them were shouting Suker's name.
"Suker! He is definitely the most watched star in this match. As Croatia's top star and a world-class player, his performance will directly affect the outcome of the match!"
"From the camera, it's not hard to see that Suker appears relaxed. He doesn't have the tension of others; he's very composed, or perhaps it's a manifestation of his self-confidence. We also look forward to Suker delivering a brilliant performance in this match!"
"Modrić! The captain of European giant Manchester United, and also Manchester United's No. 10 player, he is Croatia's midfield commander. He and Suker came here together from Bosnia and Herzegovina, supporting and accompanying each other for ten years."
"From Bosnia and Herzegovina to Europe, from Europe to the World Cup, they have walked hand in hand to this point, writing their own legendary story!"
"We are very much looking forward to what kind of excellent teamwork they will display in this World Cup!"
"Mario Mandžukić! Croatia's center forward, and also Bayern Munich's starting center forward."
"Rakitić! The midfield maestro of Spanish giant Barcelona!"
"Vukojević, he is a world-class defensive midfielder!"
"Perisic, a player with a style similar to Rivaldo, currently plays for Serie A giants Inter Milan!"
"On the backline is Srna, the Captain of Croatia, and also Suker's teammate at Real Madrid. In his prime years, he was undoubtedly the best full-back in the world!"
"This Croatia lineup is still so magnificent. Now let's look at England!"
"The midfield is still the combination of Gerrard and Lampard, but it has new lrg like Henderson and Wilshere!"
"Upfront, Rooney is still sharp, and Sterling is a key player for England's breakthroughs."
Sturridge leads the line, becoming their spearhead!"
"The defense is a partnership of Cahill and Jagielka. This match will be a big test for England's backline. Can they withstand the impact from Suker?"
As the introductions concluded, the warm-up session also ended.
Both teams' players began returning to the player tunnel, making their final preparations.
At this moment, a tense atmosphere began to spread throughout the stadium.
Inside the Croatia locker room, the starting players changed into their jerseys, all nervously preparing for the match.
Bešić stood in the middle, constantly emphasizing key tactical points.
"During the first 10 minutes of the probing phase, don't press too aggressively. Observe for a while first."
"We need to be careful of Sterling's breakthroughs. Vukojević must constantly monitor this player's movements!"
"The backline will be directed by Srna. This is our first match, don't play too aggressively, focus on stability!"
Speaking of which, Bešić looked at the players, who were already ready, all looking at him.
For a moment, Bešić didn't know what to say.
To be fair, here, apart from a few players, he was also a World Cup rookie.
After a brief pause, Bešić closed the notebook in his hand.
The remarks prepared before the match seemed to have no effect.
He slowly exhaled, spread his arms, and said in a deep voice, "Lads! Gather 'round!"
The players exchanged glances and gathered closer.
They formed a circle, putting their arms around each other's shoulders.
Bešić looked around, and said sternly, "The World Cup schedule is very tight. Any single match will affect subsequent games, so we must try our best to win every match!"
"Van Stoyak and I will make tactical arrangements for you, so you won't be in a passive tactical situation, but how the match plays out still depends on you!"
"My suggestions are just suggestions. If you see an opportunity during the match, or if you have your own ideas, you can absolutely take action! As long as you think you can, then don't hesitate!"
"Finally, I want to say..."
Bešić took a deep breath: "Lads, you are all players I discovered. No one in this world understands how great you are more than I do!"
"Believe in yourselves! Believe in your teammates! Let's get the win!"
Upon hearing this, including Suker, smiles appeared on their faces.
Srna took a breath and shouted, "Win the match!"
Everyone roared:
"Win the match!"
The Croatia players, led by Srna, walked out of the locker room.
Van Stoyak turned to look at Bešić.
He found that the usually calm Bešić, watching his teammates walk out, had his right hand clenched into a fist, his left hand wrapped around his right, but it was trembling slightly.
Clearly, he was truly very nervous, he just hadn't shown it.
Just then, Bešić's shoulder was patted.
Bešić turned his head and saw Suker standing beside him, looking down at Bešić's trembling hands.
Bešić then awkwardly pulled them back and put them into his pockets.
Suker smiled brightly. He turned to look at Bešić, giving him a thumbs up with his right hand.
"You're the best too!" Suker then pointed to himself; "I said so!"
Bešić was stunned for a moment, but Suker had already caught up with the team and walked out of the locker room.
The next second, a smile appeared on Bešić's face.
His trembling hands also calmed down considerably.
The player tunnel, also known as the corridor to glory.
Every team walks from here to the pinnacle, and what is not lacking here is a sense of animosity.
The players of both teams stood on opposite sides, not looking at each other, but an atmosphere of confrontation had already permeated the air.
England's performance in previous World Cups had not been good, and their European Cup record was not particularly outstanding either.
Because of this, they were all holding back a surge of energy.
What's more, in recent years' international matches, their record against Croatia was very poor, which put even greater pressure on them.
Even for this match, the two 'Ds' (Gerrard and Lampard), who were normally at odds, made compromises.
Before the match, Gerrard and Lampard had met to negotiate in advance.
Gerrard was willing to sacrifice, giving more attacking opportunities to Lampard, while he himself would focus more on defensive duties.
The incompatibility of the two 'Ds' had always been a major problem for England's midfield.
Facing such a strong opponent now, they had no choice but to compromise and adjust.
World Cup Group D was truly a Group of Death!
Croatia, Uruguay, and England were all squeezed together, making it a chaotic free-for-all.
And there was also a Costa Rica waiting to make its move.
It could be said that England's qualification situation was very grim; they had to play well in every match, and even a slight misstep could lead to elimination.
In such an environment, they could only make compromises and adjustments.
Compared to England, Croatia's morale was higher.
Since it was the first match, Croatia did not send out any new players; it was mainly composed of veterans.
Šimunić's presence could even be seen in the starting lineup.
After returning to the National Team, Šimunić's form had become very good. Although he was a veteran, he was very experienced.
With Vukojević sweeping in front of him, his problems were not very significant.
And at right-back, they also opted for the veteran Pranjic.
It felt like a return to 2010!
The entire lineup was only missing Kovac, who had already retired!
The starting lineups for both teams are as follows:
Croatia (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Subašić.
Defenders: Srna, Lovren, Šimunić, Pranjic.
Midfielders: Perisic, Rakitić, Vukojević, Modrić, Suker.
Forward: Mandžukić.
England (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart.
Defenders: Johnson, Cahill, Jagielka, Baines.
Midfielders: Welbeck, Gerrard, Sterling, Lampard, Rooney.
Forward: Sturridge.
"Sterling, Rooney, Welbeck, Sturridge! These are all attacking forwards!" Bešić said, narrowing his eyes slightly.
Van Stoyak, standing beside him, nodded; "It's perfectly fine to have Lovren start!"
Lovren is a center-back who likes to push up and tackle, full of initiative and aggression, but because of this, he can easily have problems with defensive positioning.
This is also why he was criticized as 'Leaky Lovren'.
However, at the National Team level, this problem of his has been very well resolved.
The reason is simple: a stable deep-lying center-back and Srna's covering, plus Vukojević's shielding role in front, all allowed Lovren to perform brilliantly for the National Team.
Conversely, when he returned to his club, he didn't have these safeguards, leading to frequent errors.
Some players perform exceptionally well at their clubs but falter when they come to the National Team.
But Lovren is the opposite: he is incredibly brilliant for the National Team, yet frequently makes mistakes at his club.
Regardless, Lovren's aggressive tackling in this match is very important defensively; it can allow Croatia to launch counterattacks instantly.
This is also why Bešić chose Lovren over the more stable Vida.
As for the attacking midfield, Bešić was very confident.
Whether it was Suker or Modrić, they could all do their jobs, even exceeding expectations.
He believed they could suppress England's midfield, thereby gaining more initiative.
That's right!
In this match, Bešić never intended to be passive.
They were going to actively take possession and actively attack.
To fully unleash their morale in the first match, making subsequent matches easier.