"After the first half, Uruguay is currently trailing. Looking at the entire first half, they truly failed to create many effective attacks, and their threat in Croatia's half was insufficient. In contrast, Croatia performed very well in attack and control!"
"This is also what we often say about Croatia's strength in this World Cup; they are too balanced. Unlike other teams with distinct offensive or defensive characteristics—some teams are good at attacking, some are good at defending—Croatia is balanced, performing well at both ends, and they are united!"
The Brazilian commentator nodded, saying, "We have reason to believe that Brazil will definitely encounter Croatia on its path to the World Cup. If our goal is to be champions, then Croatia is a strong opponent we must deal with!"
After 45 minutes, Croatia left a very deep impression.
Stability!
Unbelievably stable!
Currently, in two matches, Croatia has had almost no defensive errors and no defensive problems whatsoever.
And on the offensive end, they have been very strong. Facing such a Croatia team truly feels somewhat difficult to resist.
Compared to the 2010 World Cup, this Croatia team has also grown a lot.
The young men who used to charge forward recklessly have now all matured into seasoned players.
They can not only break through defenses but also patiently control the situation.
Suker poses a great threat, but Modrić, Rakitić, Mandžukić, and Perisic are equally formidable, not to mention Croatia's fullbacks who can push forward at any time.
This tactical system, which combines Croatia's local characteristics, is now gradually showing its power.
In the second half, both teams finished their halftime break and returned to the field.
The stadium was still filled with thunderous cheers.
Croatian fans and Uruguayan fans were all cheering and shouting with all their might, supporting their respective teams.
Uruguayan fans knew very well that this was their crucial match, a do-or-die battle.
If they lost this match, four years of their effort would vanish.
Croatia, on the other hand, needed to ensure qualification, and thus they could not afford to go easy.
At the same time, according to Croatia's usual habit of eliminating strong contenders in the group stage, they were indeed playing with the intention of knocking Uruguay out.
In the second half, the expressions of the Uruguayan players were noticeably more solemn or anxious.
They could already feel how close elimination was to them.
The World Cup is cruel!
Four years of effort, leading to elimination due to two unfavorable matches.
Uruguay was unwilling to accept this, so they could only fight desperately.
But their opponent was also very strong. So far, Uruguay truly could not find a very good solution.
Facing this balanced Croatia team, they truly felt as if they were being dragged into a quagmire.
They wanted to exert force but couldn't, like a powerful punch aimed at cotton, unable to unleash their full strength.
Suarez was the one who felt this sensation most acutely!
He was Uruguay's attacking spearhead and their most potent attacking player.
So far, his shots on goal have been few and far between, let alone the quality of them.
And their backline was still being assaulted by Croatia, providing even less support from the midfield and defense.
In such a situation, how to create opportunities through individual ability was something Suarez needed to figure out.
But the problem was, facing Croatia's defense, he truly felt somewhat powerless.
This feeling grew heavier, and he himself became increasingly anxious.
"Push up! We must push up at the start! We need to score! We cannot lose this match!"
Suarez shouted repeatedly.
He was reminding his teammates how important this match was.
His teammates also knew, but the problem was they couldn't come up with a better solution.
Suker needed to be defended!
Rakitić also needed to be defended!
Croatia had too many points to target, and they were trailing, making it impossible to launch an effective counterattack.
Every Uruguayan player was thinking about how to turn the tide in the second half.
Croatia, on the other hand, stuck to their previous tactics.
Suker was still bouncing around. Since the start of this World Cup, he had been in excellent form.
He himself couldn't describe this state, but he was physically and mentally excited, and this excitement also had a boosting effect on the match.
His thinking on the field was also very clear; he could see the situation more thoroughly, and his rhythm was spot on. Suker hoped this state would continue until the very end of the World Cup.
After all, the World Cup was too important to him!
This was also the only honor Suker was missing!
"Come on, guys!"
Suker clapped his hands together and turned to shout at his teammates.
His voice was filled with confidence, which made the Croatian players even more excited.
Suker's excellent form was something that could benefit the entire team.
"Suker is very excited!"
Van Stoyak said.
Although Suker's form had never been too bad, always maintaining an average level, it might also be that his inherent strength was so great that it wasn't obvious.
But now, Van Stoyak could clearly feel that Suker was in great form, with a strong desire to attack and score goals.
His hat-trick in the first match directly sent him soaring.
Currently, Croatia is very smooth!
Of course, this smoothness is not necessarily a good thing, but both Bešić and Van Stoyak wanted to continue this state, which was also why they didn't adjust Croatia's tactics.
Beep!
A sharp whistle once again pierced the air, accompanied by intense cheers, as the second half began.
"The second half has officially started. Croatia is currently leading Uruguay 1-0. Neither team made significant adjustments during halftime. In the first half, Croatia's starting fullback, Strinić, was injured, forcing them to use a substitution to bring on Ćorluka."
"Uruguay, on the other hand, has significantly more yellow cards, which is something Uruguay needs to be wary of. Their current situation is very dangerous; if they make overly aggressive moves, it could very likely lead the match towards a disaster!"
After the match restarted, Uruguay launched another attack.
Their attack was crude!
They desperately tried to penetrate Croatia's defense, with Suarez and Cavani being the most active.
These two were key figures in Uruguay's frontline; they certainly had chances to create goals.
Just as the match began and the commentator was still describing the situation, a sudden change occurred.
Lovren, in an attempt to win the ball, was clearly out of position, allowing Lodeiro to pass the ball to Suarez, who was in open space. Suarez, with an imaginative backheel flick, sent the ball further forward, instantly piercing Croatia's defense.
"Oh~~~ That shot!!"
Cavani made a diagonal run, directly bypassing the defense.
"Cavani! One-on-one!!"
The Uruguayan commentator stood up in surprise.
Opportunity!
Still an opportunity!
They must seize it!
Cavani sprinted towards the ball, and the Croatian players also rushed back desperately, trying to block the shot.
Vida was the first to arrive, taking a step and sliding to block.
Cavani feinted and changed direction, then immediately followed with a left-footed shot.
But at this moment, Croatia's Goalkeeper Subašić had already arrived nearby. He turned his body into a wall, blocking the ball away.
The ball struck Subašić's arm and flew out of bounds.
"Ah~~~~~~~~~~!!"
The Uruguayan commentator cried out in frustration.
A one-on-one!
That was a one-on-one!
How could he not convert it!
Cavani, that shot really shouldn't have been missed!
Suker also watched nervously while tracking back. When he saw the ball blocked out, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Cavani!
You truly live up to your reputation!
As football's most famous 'miss specialist'!
Cavani's misses, his failure to convert one-on-one chances, were not just one or two times.
But to miss such a chance at such a crucial moment, even Suker felt it was a bit inexcusable.
No matter how football tactics evolve, a forward's mission is always to score goals.
And Cavani's habit of missing chances like this, it's no wonder he was criticized.
"That was a very dangerous shot! Suarez did very well, using his heel to flick the ball forward, creating a one-on-one opportunity for Cavani. It's a pity Cavani couldn't seize this chance and couldn't help Uruguay equalize!"
Although they got a corner kick, missing the one-on-one chance was a huge blow.
Cavani's entire expression looked like he was about to break down.
He knew that in a game, such an opportunity might only come once.
And he failed to seize it, which was too big a blow to himself and the team's morale.
Some teammates' gazes towards Cavani also became strange.
Uruguay's overall morale became even lower; failing to convert that goal was too great a blow to them.
"Cavani, this shouldn't be happening!"
The Brazil commentator shook his head.
He also felt helpless about this performance.
At such a critical moment, getting such a golden opportunity and failing to convert it—how big of a blow was that to Uruguay?
One can imagine that for a long time to come, these Uruguay players will be thinking about that goal.
They will wonder, if that goal had gone in, what kind of changes would have occurred?
If they lose this match, Cavani will also become the target of criticism from Croatian fans.
"Don't be reckless! Your move just now was too dangerous!"
Vida turned and shouted at Lovren.
That ball indeed scared him; if they had conceded a goal at that moment, the rhythm would have changed, and even the tactics would need adjustment.
Vida broke out in a cold sweat.
Lovren also felt a bit awkward; that ball was indeed his own handling problem.
He was indeed too relaxed!
The moment Lovren looked up, he saw Suker looking at him from a distance.
Suker pointed at his own eyes, then poked Lovren.
This made the latter even more nervous.
"This time is fine, but there can't be a next time!"
Srna also came over, patted Lovren's shoulder, and said, "Let's win the match first!"
Immediately, Croatia's entire team retreated to set up their defense, waiting for Uruguay's corner kick to be taken.
At this moment, Uruguay's mentality clearly became more agitated.
Cavani missing the one-on-one chance had more than just a slight impact on them.
Suarez desperately tried to squeeze in, and even when he couldn't, he kept trying.
In fact, during this process, he had multiple confrontations and conflicts with Srna.
And Srna did not give an inch.
Seeing that his teammate was about to take the kick, Suarez anxiously ran towards the landing spot, but Srna suddenly took a wide step, directly blocking Suarez.
This forced him to go around to reach the landing spot.
But by doing so, he lost the chance to contest the header.
At this moment, Suarez showed extreme irritability; he was already losing his temper.
Facing Srna's action, Suarez gritted his teeth in hatred, then suddenly turned and bit down fiercely.
Bang!
Vida leaped high, heading the ball away.
After landing, before he could vent his anger with a roar, a cry of pain came from beside him.
Ah~~~~~~~!!!
Vida turned his head and saw Srna clutching his shoulder and falling to the ground.
And nearby, Suarez was also on the ground, clutching his mouth.
Vida couldn't figure out what happened.
But a few others saw the full extent of what happened, such as Vukojević next to Srna, and Uruguay player Lodeiro.
Vukojević was stunned.
He even bites people?
He clearly saw Suarez turn his head and bite directly onto Srna's shoulder.
Beep beep beep!
Under the sharp whistle.
The Referee immediately rushed over. He first looked at the two, then pressed his earpiece to communicate.
Srna stood up, pulling down his collar to reveal a clear bite mark on his shoulder.
"He bit me!"
Srna directly complained.
The Referee was also a bit astonished; in all his years of officiating, this was the first time he had seen someone bite.
However, if it were anyone else, it might have been different.
But Suarez has a history!
While playing for Ajax, he bit an Eindhoven player.
And after the Referee finished communicating with the control room, he confirmed that Suarez had indeed intentionally bitten him.
"Sir, I just ran into him!"
Seeing the Referee's clearly displeased gaze, Suarez began to make excuses for himself.
But the Referee didn't believe him; you collide with someone and it leaves a bite mark?
The Referee decisively pulled out a yellow card, then immediately pulled out a red card!
In the first half, Suarez had already received a yellow card; two yellows make a red.
Moreover, what awaited him was not just being sent off; after video review confirmation, FIFA might impose an additional suspension penalty.
Suarez was sent off.
As he walked off, he was still touching his mouth, as if he had truly just bumped into someone.
But a bite mark doesn't lie!
A collision couldn't leave such a clear bite mark.
The Referee isn't stupid either.
In Uruguay's current dire situation, impatience will always lead people to do irrational things.
Just like Suarez's biting incident.
Suarez's biting incident was shown on the big screen via replay, which was tantamount to a public execution for him, and also showed that the Referee's decision was completely correct.
This had already been made public through video replay.
At this moment, the Croatian fans were somewhat ashamed; they were already trailing, and then this incident happened.
Losing the game and losing face!
Suarez's departure was not merely about losing a forward; it meant they had to play with ten men while trailing.
A game they couldn't win with eleven men, let alone ten.
It could be said that at this moment, Uruguay had completely collapsed.
"Well, perhaps Uruguay will become the third team eliminated from the World Cup!"
The Brazil commentator was already being quite tactful.
In his opinion, Uruguay's elimination was already a foregone conclusion.
It was just that there was still some time left, so he hadn't made a definitive statement.
But Croatia wouldn't give them such a chance.
For the rest of the match, Uruguay's morale was visibly low, and they completely lacked drive.
First, they missed a one-on-one chance!
Then, Suarez's biting incident led to a red card and his expulsion!
It could be said that Uruguay no longer had the foundation for victory.
And Croatia seized this opportunity, and in the 78th minute, with an assist from Suker's breakthrough, Mandžukić scored a goal.
With a two-goal lead, Uruguay's defeat was confirmed.
Soon, the match entered injury time.
Both sides made symbolic substitutions.
Both Uruguay and Croatia knew that the game had ended the moment Suarez was sent off.
And with the final whistle, the match concluded.
Ultimately, in the second round of Group D of the 2014 World Cup, Croatia defeated Uruguay 2:0.
Croatia secured two consecutive wins and confirmed their early qualification for the World Cup knockout stage.
Despite some twists and unexpected events, this match was ultimately won.
And two consecutive wins greatly boosted Croatia's morale, allowing them to continue challenging for greater goals.
"The match is over, we defeated Uruguay 2:0, qualifying for the World Cup knockout stage one round early. The lads did a great job, and of course, we must also condemn Suarez's irrational foul here!"
For any Croatian fans, Suarez's choice infuriated them.
Biting someone when you can't win is very annoying.
However, they still secured the victory, which also made them less concerned.
If a change in the game had occurred due to the biting incident.
They would probably have torn Suarez apart!
"That clear bite mark!"
Suker pulled open Srna's jersey and looked at his shoulder.
It had faded somewhat now, but the bite mark was still very obvious.
One could tell how resentful and agitated Suarez was when he bit down at that moment.
"I told you to be careful, that guy has a history!" Suker said, shaking his head.
Srna sighed: "Who would have thought he'd actually bite! And there was no way to dodge it."
Srna patted his shoulder to ease the swelling and pain.
Despite being bitten, winning the match still made him feel relieved and happy.