There was laughter, tears, anger, warmth, sparks flying, a touch of tenderness, wild celebrations, and dejected figures… Various emotions filled this month-long World Cup.
Some are destined to leave, while others are destined to be crowned with glory.
But now is not the time; everyone is striving towards their goals.
It has been the fourth day since the World Cup began, and it is getting more intense by the day.
Since the World Cup started, apart from a few favorites, the repeated upsets of European powerhouses have cast a shadow over this World Cup.
The qualification situations in various groups, which were initially clear, have now become chaotic.
At the very least, in the first four groups, apart from the top-ranked teams, it's impossible to guess who the other qualifier will be.
This is too big a difference from the pre-tournament predictions!
The next few matches will also be affected by this atmosphere.
Especially after witnessing successive upsets, these traditional powerhouses from various continents also understand that, besides themselves, there are many dark horse teams in this World Cup, and each of them is eager to make a big impact.
If they continue to play at the usual pace, they will most likely be eliminated.
It was also from this day onwards that every match became more rigorous, and the confrontations became more intense.
Regardless of the situation, it's like killing with one hit; never make a second move.
Everyone is playing with caution.
And for Brazil, the host nation, the matches are full of tension, and it's even more so off the field.
Brazil is a country with a persistently high crime rate, with various gangs and evil forces deeply entrenched. To attract more tourists for the World Cup and to create a good viewing experience.
Even before the World Cup, Brazil deployed its armed forces to clear out these criminal organizations, but due to their immense size, they could never be completely eradicated.
For this reason, soldiers in armored vehicles, heavily armed, can be seen standing at various intersections in cities across Brazil, vigilantly observing their surroundings.
A World Cup with such an atmosphere is truly unique.
Of course, the safety of the representatives from various countries is also a top priority.
The development of football is always accompanied by the betting market!
To manipulate these betting markets, malicious incidents have never ceased.
For example, the kidnapping of Di Maria's family, the abduction of Díaz's father, etc., these are all closely related to these things.
Therefore, ensuring the safety of participating players and providing a good viewing experience for fans, at the very least, means the matches must proceed smoothly.
To address this issue, various National Teams, except on match days, hardly leave their accommodations.
Some teams choose training bases that are even next to their hotels, or they book hotels with directly operated pitches to mitigate risks.
Croatia did just that; their hotel has a standard football pitch inside.
Although the facilities are relatively simple, it is relatively safer, and they don't always have to travel to a training ground to practice.
After the first round of matches, the entire Croatia team had already left Rio de Janeiro and arrived in São Paulo, a city in southeastern Brazil.
In the second round of the group stage, they will face Uruguay here.
For this match, Croatia is naturally training intensively.
Today is another media interview day. Besides daily training, more time is needed to cooperate with the media for promotions and interviews.
Of course, many here are Brazilian media arranged by the host, but more are from all over the world and from Croatia.
"Hey! Suker!"
The commentator Krauchivich, with his work badge around his neck, waved vigorously at Suker.
Suker was still being interviewed by other media, turned his head at the sound, then smiled, gesturing for him to wait a moment.
Krauchivich also nodded, beaming.
As a football commentator, being able to maintain such a close relationship with Suker made him unique.
What's more, Krauchivich had even been invited by Suker to a family dinner once.
Although it wasn't for a long time, it still made him feel honored.
After Suker finished the host's interview, he walked towards Krauchivich.
"I've been interviewing all morning, it feels terrible!"
Hearing this, Krauchivich, who was about to take out his microphone, suddenly felt a bit awkward.
Suker saw this and waved his hand with a smile; "We're different, we're on the same side!"
Krauchivich immediately broke into a happy smile.
"Was my performance good?"
Suker looked at Krauchivich and raised an eyebrow.
Krauchivich immediately gave a thumbs up: "More than good, you are definitely the best player in the first round of the group stage."
Just kidding!
Completing a hat-trick in the first match, Suker's existing fame combined with such an outstanding performance, Suker is bound to be the best player of the first cycle.
"The mood back home is good, right?"
Suker continued to ask.
Croatia has been waiting for this World Cup for four years!
After their defeat in South Africa, they did not lose confidence, but rather looked forward even more to the Brazil World Cup four years later.
Now, the moment has finally arrived, and Croatia defeated England in a crushing manner, so the mood must be very high.
Krauchivich excitedly said: "Of course! Everyone thinks we will definitely make it to the knockout stage."
He really didn't dare to say more than that.
The more one anticipates something, the more one is unable to articulate it.
"How is our current form?"
Although he had personally witnessed Croatia's good form, he still couldn't help but want to confirm with Suker.
"Very good!" Suker turned to look at his teammates warming up on the training ground: "Everyone's morale is high, and they are all looking forward to every match. I believe we will achieve a good result in this World Cup!"
As for what that result would be, Suker did not specify.
He would never 'jinx' things before a match!
Krauchivich nodded, and the two began chatting, so much so that he even forgot why he was there.
The cameraman next to them was almost dying of anxiety!
Seeing that the interview time was approaching, Krauchivich was still chatting non-stop, in high spirits.
After being reminded by the cameraman, Krauchivich finally came to his senses and immediately entered work mode.
His questions were official, and he didn't put too much pressure on Suker or the players.
Just as he had said before, at the World Cup level, they are all on the same side!
Everyone hopes that Croatia can achieve a good result in this World Cup, a result they desire and even dream of.
The entire interview process was not long, only about 10 minutes.
And Krauchivich did not continue to disturb the players' training; he knew that arranging media interviews at such a time was not very reasonable, but it was due to the host's demands.
Therefore, being able to leave as soon as possible was a good thing!
The morning media interview session ended, and Croatia began their official training in the afternoon.
Among the three football powerhouses of South America, if Brazilian football is like samba, passionate and unrestrained yet elegant, and Argentine football is like tango, with its ups and downs, graceful and free-flowing, then what language can describe Uruguayan football?
'Football Villians!'
This was a nickname that accompanied Uruguay for a long time.
Uruguay gained independence with the 'help' of Britain, and their football was also first introduced by the British. Therefore, Uruguayan football has many characteristics of 'John Bull'—tough and rough!
In fact, using 'tough and rough' to describe it is already being polite.
Uruguayan football indeed has a distinct style; it is not as visually appealing as Brazil or Argentina. Uruguayan players frequently make flying tackles and small fouls in matches, earning them the reputation of being the 'dirtiest team'.
In the 1986 Mexico World Cup, Uruguayan player Batista was sent off with a red card just 56 seconds into the match against Scotland for a violent tackle! This set the record for the fastest red card in World Cup history.
In every World Cup, they consistently rank high on the red and yellow card standings.
Of course, this does not negate the formidable Uruguayan team.
Undeniably, they do play somewhat 'dirty', but their strength is undeniable.
On this South American continent, where five-star Brazil and the Pampas Eagles coexist, Uruguay has managed to join the ranks of the top three, and they have their own unique characteristics.
And this characteristic is resilience and unpredictability!
Uruguay's matches cannot be judged by common sense; they always create some focal moments in matches, and their actions are unconstrained, helping the team secure victories.
Just like in the 2010 World Cup, Suarez committed a handball at a crucial moment, blocking Ghana's certain goal, and Ghana missed the penalty, leading to their eventual elimination.
By the rules, this was permissible, and Suarez also paid the price of a red card and suspension!
But morally, it was also a malicious incident, enough to make the people of Ghana grit their teeth.
In the current Uruguay National Team, the most unignorable player is Suarez.
At this time, Suarez had not yet joined Barcelona, and his style was considered 'dirty'!
He is absolutely a villain on the field, and his playing style is incredibly dirty!
Whether in international matches or club competitions, he has a long list of offenses.
However, he is also smart; he knows best what he and his team need, and for that, he doesn't mind sacrificing himself or using some malicious means to secure victory.
He is a typical person who values results over the process!
A typical utilitarian forward!
In fact, Suker is also this type, but he combines many other abilities, making his style more flamboyant.
When people mention Suker, they don't consider him a utilitarian; he has dribbling, passing, assists, and moments of sacrifice.
However, if one analyzes it carefully, it's not difficult to see that every action of Suker has a strong purpose.
But these are all hidden!
Suker knows very well what the public wants to see, and he gives them exactly that.
This is also why he moved from the center forward position to the winger position from the very beginning and has remained in that position.
Because in today's football, the winger is the position with the strongest offensive attributes.
"The next match against Uruguay will definitely be an intense one!"
Bešić dared not say what the situation would be, but the atmosphere on the field would certainly be explosive.
This match is crucial for both Croatia and Uruguay.
For Croatia, winning this match would give them the right to advance early, which would put them in a more relaxed mental state and be more conducive to handling the upcoming matches.
As for Uruguay, they have already lost their first match, so this is a must-win game.
Once they lose, they will face the dangerous situation of two consecutive losses.
If Costa Rica draws with England or wins, they will have no hope at all.
For this, Uruguay will exert all their strength in this match, fighting with all their might to win.
Of course, their situation is also very grim, and the match will certainly not be easy.
After all, they are facing one of the favorites to win this World Cup.
Croatia is definitely one of the strongest teams recognized in this World Cup.
"Suarez and Cavani are players we must be wary of," Srna said.
In fact, Uruguay messed up their first match themselves.
The coaching staff at the time kept Suarez on the bench, aiming for him to exert himself in the second half.
But conceding a goal first in the first half made them panic, followed by a defender being sent off with a red card, leading to playing with ten men.
The substitutions originally prepared for Suarez ultimately had to be used to reinforce the defense.
And in the end, they failed to win!
It can be said that one goal and one red card created by Costa Rica directly pushed Uruguay to the brink of a cliff.
The current situation in Group D is also complex.
Many people before the tournament favored Croatia and Uruguay to advance together.
Croatia performed stably, securing an opening victory.
In contrast, Uruguay played a big gamble and almost eliminated themselves.
In this second match, Uruguay's pressure is definitely much greater than Croatia's.
In just the second round, they have already been pushed to the point of a do-or-die battle.
Óscar Tabárez, Uruguay's Head Coach, is a former Uruguay player.
Tabárez first coached Uruguay in 1989, leading the team to the Round of 16 in the 1990 Italy World Cup, which was Uruguay's best result in the World Cup in 20 years.
Afterward, Tabárez coached various clubs, leaving his mark on several Argentine clubs, and he briefly coached Milan in 1996, without success.
After returning to the National Team, he continued to lead this Uruguay team to fight until now.
Tabárez has a refined and elegant style, nicknamed "the Master," and is known for his ability to develop young players.
"A perfect youth training system is the key to the revival of Uruguayan football."
This is also Tabárez's core coaching philosophy.
He likes to use young players and is good at teaching them.
However, this old coach is now facing a major hurdle in his life.
They encountered a do-or-die match at the very beginning of the World Cup.
If they don't play well in the next match, it could very well be his worst performance during a World Cup.
Of course, Tabárez also knows that the players are under great psychological pressure at this time.
For this, he tried to speak more lightly, so as not to add more worries to them.
But even so, the atmosphere still hadn't eased much.
The Uruguay players are not fools!
They are very clear about their current situation.
Having lost the first match that they had to win, they can only fight to the death with Croatia!
But is this Croatia really a tough nut they can crack?
Despite having no direct encounters with Croatia, within the National Team, many have experienced the prowess of players like Suker, Modrić, Srna, and Rakitić.
For example, central defender Godin, forwards Cavani, Suarez, and other players who play for European clubs, they understand this very well.
"We just had to meet Suker in a crucial match!"
Godin's face was full of worry.
He is an iron-blooded central defender, and also one of the best central defenders in football now.
But if you ask him who he fears the most, it is undoubtedly Suker!
In his years at Atlético Madrid, he has almost been tormented by Real Madrid and Suker!
They couldn't win in the League, and they couldn't win in the Champions League either.
Now coming to the National Team, he still has to face the shadow of Suker; this feeling is truly terrible.
No one understands better than him the feeling of powerlessness that comes from within when facing Suker.
"Suker's form is indeed a problem!"
Cavani's expression was grim.
Suker's form was too good; he scored a hat-trick in the first match, and Croatia's morale was high.
Facing Croatia at this time truly felt like the end.
But they had no choice but to face it!
"He was like this in the Champions League Final," Godin paused, then grimmaced, "No! He was like this the entire season!"
Suker's excellent form is something that players who haven't played in La Liga wouldn't understand.
Especially with Atlético Madrid being Real Madrid's neighbor, that guy next door would become the explosive point in every match, and even the strong defense of Atlético Madrid couldn't gain an advantage against Suker, which made Godin even more worried.
Against others, he still had some confidence.
But Suker indeed brought him immense psychological pressure.
"We just need to score first!"
Suarez said.
Cavani frowned, "But Croatia also seems very good at playing from behind, and facing Croatia, can we even score in the first place?"
Godin added, "Their defense isn't to be trifled with either!"
Not to mention Vida, Manchester United's starting defender.
Srna is a player who has won the Champions League three times personally; at the peak of his form, he was the best full-back in the world, and it was very difficult for any winger to gain an advantage against him.
Although Srna's form has declined now, his experience is still there, and his judgment is precise enough.
As a fellow defender, Godin knows very well what kind of change having such a stable full-back partner can bring to the entire defense.
"I don't like your negative attitude!" Suarez frowned.
He felt that his teammates were too negative!
Cavani sighed.
Suarez hadn't played in the Champions League for several seasons since joining Liverpool.
He didn't know how much these guys had progressed.
Others get better with age, and Srna is both cunning and annoying!
Modrić's central organization is also quite a headache!
Rakitić's dribbling is also a problem that needs to be solved.
Is Mandžukić, the central forward's pivot, easy to deal with?
Not to mention there's also a Suker lurking on the wing!
This match looks difficult no matter how you look at it, even finding a breakthrough seems impossible.
But they have no choice but to bite the bullet and play!