"The tension has already spread!"
Krauchivich's tone became solemn.
"For the boys of Croatia, this match is about whether they can qualify early. As long as we defeat Uruguay, we can advance ahead of schedule! Come on, boys!"
On the field, both teams' players had taken their positions.
Uruguay naturally brought out all their elite players. Due to their carelessness in the first round which led to a loss, they now had no choice but to play a do-or-die match.
Croatia's pressure was relatively less, but they also had qualification pressure.
Therefore, this match was bound to be a fierce battle!
The Referee from Switzerland could also feel this atmosphere. In fact, he had already made plans before the match.
Experience told him that this match could not pass peacefully; both teams would fight with all their might for victory, and the means and methods used in this process would interfere with his officiating results.
Therefore, he also needed to handle it carefully!
The Referee pressed his earpiece to communicate with the control room for the final time, then raised his hand, signaling to the Goalkeepers on both sides whether they were ready.
After both Goalkeepers raised their hands to indicate readiness, the Referee then exited the center circle and decisively blew his whistle.
Beep!
A sharp whistle pierced the sky of São Paulo.
The moment the whistle sounded, Uruguay kicked off first!
"The match has begun! This match is kicked off by Uruguay, and in the front line, Uruguay has adopted the duo of Suarez partnering Cavani!"
"Due to tactical issues in the first round, Suarez was wasted on the bench, and Uruguay also lost their first-round match, so they will certainly go all out in this game."
"Croatia is also playing with their full main squad. After all, they are facing a strong South America team, and Croatia is also showing a very cautious attitude!"
The match had just begun, and Uruguay already seemed eager to make a move.
Croatia did not rush to high pressing, but instead adopted a defensive stance.
Both wings also retracted as much as possible towards the center, maintaining a controlled situation.
After all, for the match itself, Uruguay had greater offensive pressure, so Croatia intended to observe first.
Uruguay, upon seeing Croatia's movements, seemed a bit agitated.
They thought Croatia would be like in the first round, going directly into high pressing at the start, which would allow their backline to clear the ball long and then look for opportunities in the front field.
But Croatia was steady!
This was a manifestation of experience, specifically targeting the opponent's weaknesses.
Croatia clearly did not want to speed up the tempo. Everyone would play slowly, and once Uruguay got anxious and wanted to push forward, Croatia could then use positional play to launch its counterattacks.
This kind of thing was clear not only to the commentators but also to the fans.
Bang!
The ball was passed to Suarez.
Suarez received the ball sideways, but before he could even control it, Vukojević was already stuck to him.
Suarez used his back to shield Vukojević, while simultaneously stepping on the ball with one foot, trying to keep the ball away from Vukojević to avoid being dispossessed.
He was thinking about how to get rid of Vukojević, but no matter how he tried, he just couldn't turn easily.
"Pass it over!"
Cavani was nearby to receive the pass.
Just as Suarez was about to pass, Modrić suddenly appeared in the passing channel between the two.
With the passing channel cut off, Rakitić and Srna also converged.
Suarez could only pass back helplessly!
"Uruguay's attack has been forced back!"
The Brazil commentator nodded: "Croatia is doing very well defensively, limiting Suarez at the first opportunity and also cutting off his passing routes. Others also cannot easily follow up, because if they move, Croatia will move with them!"
Suker looked at the stable backline and nodded slightly.
He was not running as intensely, but was moving horizontally and roaming in the middle and front field area.
Currently, it was not Croatia's attacking phase, so his main tasks were support and receiving.
As Suker moved, he also observed Uruguay's progression pattern.
As expected, it inherited the style of England football, not much different from old English football tactics, just incorporating some of their own characteristics.
Moreover, their movements were rough, and they would occasionally make provocative gestures.
However, Croatia was not a rookie either, and they clearly knew what these guys wanted to do, so they didn't fall for it.
The more patiently Croatia set up their defense, the more anxious Uruguay became!
"Pass it forward! Give it a try!"
Suarez roared.
"There's no opportunity!"
Lodeiro replied.
"Opportunities are created. If you don't pass forward, there will never be an opportunity!"
Suarez was a bit agitated, but his words were not wrong. Opportunities are indeed created. If they don't push forward because Croatia's defense is well-organized, it's no different from playing passively.
Moreover, for Uruguay, they carried more offensive pressure and had to make a move.
Hearing Suarez's words, Lodeiro gritted his teeth and directly threaded a pass forward.
He aimed the pass at the area between Vukojević and Modrić. Although the space was small, there was still some hope.
While passing, Lodeiro also prayed.
"Please don't react!"
However, how keen was Modrić's sense of smell.
The moment Lodeiro kicked the ball, he knew that this guy wasn't up to anything good.
Modrić decisively moved horizontally and directly slid in to tackle the ball.
Despite his slender build and lack of height, he still managed to nick the ball with his toe and deflect it to the supporting Vukojević.
"Luka! Well done!"
Vukojević praised him, then calmly controlled the ball and passed it forward again to Rakitić.
Croatia completed the interception and transitioned from defense to offense.
"Excellent! A tackle!"
Krauchivich's spirits lifted, and he breathed a sigh of relief as the ball came to Croatia's feet.
"But speaking of which, Lodeiro's through ball was quite risky. Did he think Modrić wouldn't react in time? Or did he think Modrić couldn't see through his intentions?"
The trajectory of this pass was too obvious.
Passing emphasizes concealment, but Lodeiro's through ball clearly told you, "I'm going to make a through pass."
Although the angle and power were well-controlled, and the basic skills were excellent.
But this kind of thing might succeed in amateur matches, but in front of professionals, it simply couldn't get through.
The moment Croatia gained possession, the front line was the first to react.
Suker, who was originally roaming in the middle and front field, directly pushed up to the defensive line on the flank.
This was a warning to Uruguay's central defenders and midfielders not to rush forward to high pressing, otherwise, he would directly make a run in behind.
Uruguay also felt a surge of pressure.
Especially the right-back Caceres, whose heart was in his throat.
A man's reputation precedes him!
Suker's success was accompanied by countless right-backs being torn apart.
Caceres played for Sevilla from 2010 to 2012!
At that time, they had encountered the formidable Real Madrid and Suker!
Moreover, that was the peak of Suker's career, a crazy guy who scored 50 goals in a single season!
Although Suker now played more for the team, it didn't mean Caceres could relax.
Caceres stared intently at Suker, always staying by his side.
He didn't even dare to look away for a moment, afraid that Suker would suddenly disappear if he blinked.
He had to keep Suker within his line of sight at all times.
Suker ran a bit forward, then stopped.
He glanced at Caceres and suddenly said, "Did you play in La Liga?"
Suker's question made Caceres stunned for a moment. Asking that now?
As for Suker seemingly not remembering him, he wasn't particularly bothered.
After all, his own performance against Suker wasn't particularly good, not the kind that would leave an impression.
Caceres didn't respond, just followed Suker.
Seeing that the other party had no intention of communicating, Suker also didn't bother himself.
He looked up into the distance. The ball had already been shifted to Perisic's feet on the right, and Mandžukić was also moving to receive it.
The entire front line was moving towards the right, and Suker also naturally ran into the half-space.
The vacated flank was then covered by the full-back Strinić, who moved up, ready to overlap at any time.
Perisic had a strong desire to perform.
He constantly attempted various feints on the flank, trying to break through the defense, but he lacked the delicate technique of Suker and Rakitić, making it difficult for him to directly turn or break through.
However, the support from Mandžukić and Rakitić allowed him to have more space to perform.
"Watch the middle!"
Pereira roared; he saw Rakitić moving forward to receive the ball.
Arevalo also immediately marked him, but he was a step too late. By the time he arrived, Rakitić had turned sideways and swept the ball horizontally to Modrić in the middle.
Modrić, facing the ball, immediately played a diagonal through pass.
"Be careful!"
The Uruguay commentator was about to explode.
He saw Suker starting to make a forward run.
Fortunately, Caceres had been following Suker closely.
"Can Caceres effectively limit Suker?"
The two quickly rushed towards the ball, but just as Suker was about to touch the ball, he suddenly stepped forward and leaped over it.
The ball was left for the far post, and Strinić had already made a forward run. Just as the ball was about to go out of bounds, he threw his body out to sweep the ball into the middle.
In this situation, he couldn't control the accuracy and could only handle the ball crudely.
This pass was also first covered by the turning Caceres, who blocked it with his instep and kicked the ball out of bounds.
Croatia's sweep in front of the goal was unsuccessful, and Suker also stopped his steps.
"A little slow!"
Suker shouted towards Strinić, then nodded and said, "But good awareness, start earlier next time!"
Strinić also patted his backside and got up.
Suker rarely praises people, so this was already considered praise for him.
Because of this, his face also showed excitement, and he felt his condition getting better and better.
Srna from the far end also shouted loudly: "Strinić, well done! Keep playing like this and bring us a goal!"
The encouragement from his teammates filled Strinić with motivation!
This was also his first World Cup, and he had a strong desire to perform.
Moreover, Croatia's tactic of using overlapping full-backs allowed him more space to perform.
"Croatia's attack was too threatening. If Strinić had handled that ball well, the consequences would have been unimaginable!"
The Uruguay commentator also breathed a sigh of relief, but then, thinking of Croatia's corner kick, his heart tightened again.
"I'm coming! I'm coming!"
Vida ran forward excitedly. In terms of aerial duels, Croatia had three main players: Suker, Mandžukić, and Vida.
Vida's heading ability was also excellent, and his judgment of the landing spot was very accurate.
Most importantly, this guy was very strong.
Even if he couldn't win the ball, he could still cause chaos in the penalty area, providing space for Suker and Mandžukić to contest headers.
The Croatia players gathered at the top of the arc, surrounding Suker to prevent him from having direct contact with the Uruguay players.
Some individual Uruguay players tried to squeeze in to limit Suker, but Vida immediately pushed him away.
The guy was not convinced and tried to squeeze in again, but Vida directly shoved him, pushing him to the ground.
"Hey!"
Gimenez shouted unhappily.
Vida glared back, not yielding an inch.
Allowing him to touch Suker for even a moment would be his dereliction of duty.
The two sides haggled over the aerial duel for a considerable amount of time, but the Uruguay players ultimately failed to directly touch Suker.
Modrić raised his hand in the corner area, ready to take the kick.
Suker also looked towards Modrić.
The moment the ball was kicked, the penalty area immediately turned into a chaotic mess.
Vida was the first to charge, like a rugby player, pushing forward desperately. Even with two people holding him, he still found it difficult to stop.
This guy was as strong as a tank!
Suker, on the other hand, hid behind Vida. After the latter opened up a path, Suker suddenly accelerated and sprinted!
"Watch Suker!"
Arevalo roared, then he was pleasantly surprised to see Godin right beside Suker.
Bang!
Suker and Godin jumped at the same time.
Godin was still interfering with Suker; he wouldn't let Suker easily touch the ball.
But after the two jumped, Godin confidently believed he had won the ball.
But he suddenly realized that he seemed to have jumped too early.
No!
It should be said that both he and Suker had jumped too early.
Then there was another problem: Godin's body had already started to descend.
Suker, however, was stretching his body, as if frozen at the highest point.
Krauchivich suddenly stood up, his eyes shining.
He watched Suker leap high, like a crane among chickens.
Godin next to him was already descending, but Suker was still frozen at the highest point.
Bang!
Suker used his core strength and powerfully headed the ball.
To say he headed it, it would be more appropriate to say he grazed it.
After all, Suker's header was also interfered with, making it a bit extreme.
But he still grazed the ball to the far post.
But just as the ball was traveling, a pair of large hands suddenly appeared.
Slap!
Uruguay Goalkeeper Muslera dived and successfully blocked the header with his hands.
"Muslera, he denied Suker's header, this ball—"
The joy in the Uruguay commentator's eyes had just begun to rise, but in the next second, it turned to horror.
Because at the far post, in an unmarked position, Srna miraculously appeared there.
Facing the dropping ball, Srna chested it down, and the moment the ball landed, he suddenly chose to shoot with his left foot.
At this moment, the defense was in chaos, and the Goalkeeper hadn't managed to get up from the ground. Everyone could only watch helplessly as the ball went into the goal.
Swish!
In the 8th minute of the first half, Croatia scored a goal from their first corner kick attack!
Suker's header was a threat, and Srna scored with a follow-up shot!
"Ah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!"
The moment the goal was confirmed, Srna excitedly knelt on the ground, clutching his jersey, and roaring in excitement.
His eyes were a bit red; this was his long-awaited World Cup!
His goal gave Croatia the lead, making him so emotional he was almost in tears.
The stadium was in an uproar.
The Croatia fans cheered and shouted along with Srna.
And the teammates also rushed over one by one, excitedly hugging Srna.
"What are you crying about?! It's not time to cry yet, hold it in!"
Suker immediately cursed with a smile.
Srna was both crying and laughing, directly opening his arms and hugging Suker tightly.
"Damn it! We have to win this one, even if it kills us!"
The others also felt a surge of spirit upon hearing this.
In the coaching area, Bešić was also applauding; he was also happy with the performance of his disciples.
"In a team, everyone plays a role, and in Croatia, Suker determines the ceiling, and Srna determines the floor!"
"Suker's presence ensures that we won't lack high-end combat power when facing top teams!"
"And Srna's presence can balance the internal relationships of the team."
"Actually, from the very beginning, Srna showed this quality. When Suker and Modrić were shining brightly, no one dared to approach them, feeling inferior. But Srna was the first to make contact with them and was key in tightly connecting them with the team."
"I dare say, if it weren't for Srna, this Croatia team might not be so united!"
When saying this, Bešić's face was also full of smiles.
At this moment, Bešić also felt honored.
What could be more valuable than creating a team of geniuses?
It is leading this team to compete in the highest level of competition.
These children grew up under Bešić's watchful eye, seeing them gather from all over Eastern Europe to Dinamo Zagreb, and then, using it as a starting point, heading to Europe and even the World.
Therefore, at this moment, Bešić's feelings were even more profound!
Of course, Van Stoyak next to him was not bad either!
However, his gaze was directed at Suker.
This kid, who once had to recommend himself to play professionally, has now grown into the most outstanding star on this planet.
That's right!
In Van Stoyak's heart, Suker was unique!
Even compared to Modrić, he held more affection for Suker.
He knew how difficult Suker's journey had been, and because of that, he added an extra layer of emotion!