"It's in! It's in! It's in!"
Kovačić was as excited as a child. He rushed over, jumped onto Suker's back, and waved his arms in celebration.
He seemed even more excited than if he had scored himself.
The joy of scoring yourself is one thing.
But assisting your idol doubles the happiness.
Moreover, this was Kovačić's first World Cup assist. He hadn't been on the pitch long but had already created a chance for Croatia to extend the lead, which was truly commendable.
The other teammates were also congratulating Kovačić.
Veteran players like Suker and Modrić were very willing to see these newcomers perform well in the World Cup.
After all, their own ages were gradually increasing, and they would definitely need more help in the future.
These youngsters were their strongest future support.
"This attack caught England completely off guard. No one expected the starting point of another attack to be the 20-year-old Kovačić, who had just come on as a substitute!"
"His performance was so calm, seizing the only moment to escape and taking action."
"Kovačić trusted Suker immensely; even though Suker's position wasn't ideal, he was still willing to pass to him!"
"And Suker lived up to this young man's expectations with a brilliant goal!"
Klausović couldn't help but applaud.
"We should encourage young players to make more moves like this. Don't be afraid of mistakes; be bold and try!"
Kovačić climbing onto Suker's back was a scene that made countless young Croatian players envious.
In the hearts of this generation of youngsters, Suker held an unshakable position.
One could even say Suker was Croatia's Maradona.
Out of ten young Croatian players, nine had Suker as their idol.
They also harbored dreams of competing against or playing alongside Suker.
And Kovačić was clearly the first to fulfill this dream, so their envy was no surprise.
On the bench, Brozović's feelings were mixed.
He was happy for Kovačić's assist, but also felt a sense of urgency and a touch of envy.
The urgency came from needing to deliver an equally good performance, not wanting to be outshone.
The envy was because this guy got to celebrate on Suker's back, while he could only watch from the bench.
Croatia's third goal, Suker's first-match hat-trick.
All of this indicated that this Croatian team was in exceptionally hot form.
If one could see a champion's aura, this was probably it.
Commentators from various countries watched this Croatia team with headaches.
"We must be wary of Croatia! The form they've shown in this match has surpassed that of too many teams." Spanish commentator Gonzales said gravely.
Before the match, they knew Croatia was a formidable opponent, but didn't expect it to this extent.
England, though somewhat declined, wasn't so weak as to be whitewashed and trail by three goals.
It could only be said that in this match, England was indeed suppressed too thoroughly.
They were passive from start to finish, struggling to even create counter-attacking chances.
Overall, they were utterly passive, played into submission.
This was somewhat similar to Spain in 2014. However, this World Cup, Spain, as defending champions, had just suffered a setback; whether they could overcome this flaw and advance from the group stage was a question.
The German commentator's tone also carried seriousness.
"We must be cautious of Croatia. The form displayed by this Croatian team from their first match is excellent. We have reason to believe that the German team, aiming for the championship, will inevitably encounter this Croatia on their path to the title!"
"And when facing them, how do we gain an advantage? This is something Löw's team needs to carefully consider!"
Brazil, also possessing champion potential, was also watching Croatia's performance.
One could say, for any team with ambitions in this World Cup, watching Croatia's performance left them feeling immensely heavy-hearted.
Croatia's performance was too good!
So good it made them uneasy!
So far, in the opening stages, only Croatia had displayed such dominant performance.
Back to the match. After trailing by three goals, England was basically in a state of collapse.
They also wanted to score, wanted to stage a comeback!
It's just that Croatia wouldn't give them that chance, and they themselves couldn't seize such opportunities.
The only lucky thing was that Croatia begin to fall back, focusing on controlling the game.
This meant they would face less offensive pressure in the remaining time.
Time passed bit by bit, the entire stadium filled with the songs of Croatian fans.
They sang joyfully, cheered and shouted loudly, waved their flags and jerseys in the air, igniting the passion of the entire stand.
The easily influenced Brazilian fans also joined in, causing wave after wave of cheers to surge through the stadium.
Although the match had become somewhat dull, as long as the fans were happy.
The earlier part of the match was exciting enough, so they didn't mind the dullness at the end.
Around the 80th minute, both teams used their final substitutions.
England once again increased their offensive intensity, planning a last-ditch effort.
Croatia, however, played steadily, continuing to bolster their defense to secure the score.
However, the substitutions had little effect.
England's problem was midfield connectivity. Once suppressed by Croatia in midfield, they simply couldn't play.
And in this match, Croatia set an example, showing the world how to play against England.
Once this problem was magnified, if not resolved promptly, it could affect England's next two matches, even leading to their failure to advance from the group stage.
After all, Uruguay and Costa Rica were also watching.
Rooney was still running, even fighting more intensely.
In his dictionary, there was no word for 'compromise'.
The old man who once taught him didn't teach him what 'giving up' meant.
It's just that his running was too late, never quite reaching the right spots.
But he also knew clearly that not running meant even less chance!
Continuous shuttle runs consumed a lot of Rooney's stamina, but he still desperately chased the ball.
Regardless of his personality, his attitude in matches was commendable.
He didn't know how long he had been running when three sharp whistle blasts reached his ears.
Not far away, Corluka kicked the ball out of play, then ran towards his teammates. Croatian players began hugging each other in celebration.
The entire stadium erupted in loud cheers.
Rooney gasped for breath, sweat streaming down his cheeks, his chest heaving.
"It's... over?"
When Rooney looked up at the time, he saw it fixed at 90+3 minutes. He understood their first World Cup match was over.
And it began with a 0:3 defeat.
Rooney slightly tilted his head back towards the sky. The dazzling floodlights made his eyes dazed, and extreme fatigue washed over him.
Rooney sat down heavily on the ground, leaning back, supporting himself with his hands behind him, just panting continuously.
From his expression, one could easily see disappointment and frustration.
But there was no helping it; defeat was defeat. He couldn't find other reasons; they truly played awfully in this match.
Also, his own form had declined a lot.
Thinking this, Rooney turned to look at Suker.
Suker was roughly his contemporary; he had once been Suker's competitor, but later fell behind quite a bit.
Rooney knew clearly that his form was gradually declining; a sudden cliff-like drop one day wouldn't be strange.
But in this comparison, Suker's ability to consistently maintain excellent form seemed very valuable.
Of course, he also knew Suker's form was related to his discipline.
Asking himself to live like Suker was something Rooney couldn't do.
Therefore, he wouldn't make excuses for his declining form, nor for this match's defeat.
Just then, a hand appeared in front of him.
Rooney looked up and saw Modrić reaching out to him.
Rooney smiled wryly and also reached out to take it.
Modrić pulled Rooney up, and the two shared a light hug.
"Congratulations!" Rooney's heart was bitter, but he still offered his blessing.
His relationship with Modrić was quite good. Perhaps because he couldn't control himself well, Rooney liked making friends with people who lived disciplined lives.
And Modrić was such a person.
Whether as Manchester United's captain or midfield core, Modrić always performed satisfactorily, never giving anyone cause for complaint.
This was also why Rooney gradually acknowledged Modrić's captaincy.
"Good luck in the next matches!"
Modrić didn't know what else to say. Comfort now might not be the best choice.
Rooney was proud; comfort at this time would only feel like pity.
Hearing this, Rooney nodded slightly, then turned to follow his team towards the tunnel.
The stage belonged to the victors.
As the losers, they needed to go back and reflect properly, find the reasons for their defeat.
"The match is over! The match is over! We have successfully secured victory in our first match!"
"A massive victory!"
Klausović cheered loudly.
Although the scoreline wasn't huge, this match was truly satisfying to watch.
They control the rhythm throughout, the situation never shaken by England. Croatia maintained a pressing style of play until the very end.
"The lads have maintained their form very well. In their first match of this World Cup, they delivered a pleasantly surprising performance."
"Modrić and Rakitić's stable control, the defense without a single mistake!"
"Suker's performance has also been above standard from the start. This Croatian team made their attitude clear from the opening whistle."
As for what that attitude was, Klausović didn't say, as it could pressure the players, and he was also afraid his excessive expectations might backfire.
Even though he wanted to say it, desperately.
But he held back!
"70% possession for the entire match, threatening attacks and shots on goal were double that of England, high success rate in attack – all indicate that our form is truly excellent."
"Lads, keep up this form, carry it into the next match, and the match after, until the World Cup ends!"
"Alright, gentlemen, that's all for today's commentary. You can celebrate wildly now, join in celebrating our first World Cup victory!"
"Of course, we can't relax too much. In the second round of the group stage, we will face the South American powerhouse Uruguay!"
"Meanwhile, we can look forward to the next match, also in Group D: Uruguay vs Costa Rica!"
"Because it was the first match, we were all very excited overall. We played the game we wanted and are very happy about it!" Facing media interviews, Suker answered confidently.
One could easily see the smile on his face, clearly very satisfied.
Winning the first match and completing a hat-trick felt really great.
"How do you evaluate your performance in this match?"
Suker glanced at the reporter. Was he asking for self-praise?
"I feel pretty good. If you can point out any problems, I'm willing to accept them!"
After he said that, the surrounding reporters laughed, while the questioning reporter showed an awkward smile.
These kinds of provocative questions didn't work on an old hand like Suker.
They might work on rookies, but Suker wasn't having it!
"Next up is Uruguay. Who do you think is the most threatening player in this South American team?"
Suker pondered for a moment. "Uruguay is a powerhouse in South America. They are an opponent we need to give our all against. Every one of their players is excellent, so I can't pick out a specific individual."
"The next match is the second match in Group D, between Uruguay and Costa Rica. Can you predict this match?"
Suker smiled and shook his head. "I can't make a specific judgment. For us, every opponent requires our full effort!"
The Uruguay vs Costa Rica match was really hard to call.
According to the original timeline, Costa Rica performed very strongly, even topping their group.
Almost no one favored them before the match, but they made a stunning impact.
In contrast, the pre-tournament favorites Uruguay stumbled and faced many problems.
After finishing the interview, Suker returned to the locker room.
His teammates had already started celebrating. A win in the first World Cup match, and played so smoothly, left them feeling immensely satisfied.
The bus drove away from the stadium. Fans gathered around the stadium perimeter sent cheers and applause towards the bus.
Even the surrounding Brazilian fans did the same.
Clearly, the match had thrilled them all.
Soon, someone started chanting, and moments later, everyone was shouting Suker's name.
However, Suker didn't dare get off the bus. Only after security arrived to manage the crowd could the bus finally leave.
"The match is about to start!" Srna held his phone, watching the live stream of the other Group D match.
Hearing this, Suker leaned over and asked, "What are the lineups?"
"Costa Rica full strength! Uruguay is missing Suárez!" Srna said.
Suker nodded. This was roughly the same as the original timeline.
Suárez didn't play the first match, leading to their loss against Costa Rica.
In the second match against England, he showed his brilliance, scoring two goals to help Uruguay and ultimately help them to the knockout stage.
But this timeline had some changes; next, Uruguay would face Croatia.
If they lost this one, Uruguay would have two losses and be eliminated early from the World Cup.
"So soon?" Just as the bus was about to reach the hotel, Srna suddenly exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look.
Srna turned his head, stunned. "Costa Rica scored!"
Hearing this, the entire bus erupted!
Except for Suker, they had collectively favored Uruguay.
Even if Costa Rica were dark horses, they shouldn't beat a traditional South American powerhouse.
"They scored in the 9th minute? What was Uruguay's defense doing?"
Uruguay's main center-back was Atlético Madrid's stalwart Godín!
But ten minutes later, another surprise occurred.
"Pereira got a card!" Srna said.
Modrić: "How big a deal is that? Isn't that normal?"
Srna grimaced: "Red card!"
Hearing this, Modrić was also stunned.
"Uruguay is doomed!"
Even Rakitić came over to watch.
"Such pressure?" He didn't remember Costa Rica's forward line being so effective!
But after watching the match, he understood.
These guys were on fire!
Several counter-attacks posed threats, and they grew more and more energetic.
They utilized Uruguay's desire to equalize after conceding, launching threatening counter-attacks continuously.
Every counter seemed to hit Uruguay's weak points.
This led to the match's development becoming completely unpredictable.
It confirmed Modrić's words: Uruguay was doomed!
After 90 minutes.
"The full-time whistle! What a surprising match. The South American powerhouse Uruguay lost their opener. They failed to defeat Costa Rica, ultimately losing 1:4!"
"Most crucially, this defeat puts them in a very dangerous, even desperate, situation!"
"Their next match is against Croatia!"
"If they lose that match, Uruguay might be heading home. Uruguay must fight for their lives!"
Listening to the commentator, the Croatian players couldn't help but grimace.
"Damn it! How did they lose?"
In fact, they weren't particularly happy to see Uruguay lose either.
If Uruguay lost, those guys would definitely fight desperately!
In the next match, Uruguay would be using every means possible to improve their situation.
And Croatia couldn't afford to give up any match, which meant that even before the next match started, the pressure was already spreading.
"Be careful next match!" Suker said, looking at Srna.
Srna nodded: "I know. We must stay steady, can't lose our composure."
"No! You don't understand." Suker looked at Srna with a complicated expression.
You might get bitten!