"Aren't you just scamming people?"
Suker couldn't help but shake his head as he listened to Zorancic's news about signing Rodríguez.
This guy knew that Real Madrid was interested in Rodríguez, and he also knew that Rodríguez would likely enter the European football scene after this World Cup.
Even if he didn't end up going to Real Madrid, he would definitely land in Europe.
Therefore, this guy used the information to sign Rodríguez first.
But it has to be said, this was indeed a good opportunity, given Rodríguez's unfamiliarity with the European football scene.
He needed an experienced agent to advise him, and Zorancic, as a major European agent, naturally had this ability.
It could be said that both parties benefited mutually.
"Whether he can join Real Madrid still depends on his subsequent performance. As I said, if he can score two goals, I'll find a way to help him join Real Madrid and also help him secure certain resources."
Zorancic finished speaking and continued, "How about your side?"
"What about my side?" Suker asked.
Zorancic: "Of course, your form. You know what this World Cup means to you."
Suker: "Don't talk about that. I'm doing fine right now. Talking too much will only make it worse."
Zorancic nodded: "Just control it yourself. If you need anything, just tell me directly."
Suker: "I understand."
"Good luck in the next match!"
After saying the last sentence, Zorancic hung up the phone. Clearly, he was also busy with his own affairs.
During the World Cup, he was also busy scouting for talent everywhere.
The second round of the World Cup had concluded.
So far, Cameroon, Spain, Australia, Uruguay, England, and Honduras were confirmed to be eliminated.
group b and Group D were the first groups to have their qualification status determined.
Although there were some discrepancies from the pre-tournament predictions, it was precisely because of this that fans felt the excitement.
Ghana, in Group G, should have been eliminated, but they managed to snatch a point from Germany, drawing a match to successfully extend their stay.
Of course, this might have been related to Germany wanting to eliminate Portugal early.
But it's hard to say, though that match was indeed played out of form.
The final round of the World Cup was approaching, and the groups whose qualification had not yet been determined would have their spots decided in this round.
For Croatia, they had already secured their spot, but to finish first in the group, they couldn't relax.
During this time, Croatia had been studying Costa Rica's playing style.
To be honest, there wasn't much data, almost all of it came from the World Cup itself.
That's how it is with these dark horse teams; they haven't been focused on before, and even if there are databases, they don't include much data on them, leading to a lack of understanding.
But with the added stability of the Croatia lineup, they still had the ability to steadily advance in the match.
Costa Rica was very nervous, and they were also full of ambition!
From playing well in their first match, to winning their second match and confirming their spot in the knockout stage, they started thinking bigger.
This included the desire to defeat Croatia and finish first in the group.
Of course, they knew it would be difficult, but having already qualified, they could try their best.
The worst that could happen was losing and finishing second in the group!
No pressure!
Winning would be an honor!
Losing would be normal!
Because of this, in terms of pressure, Croatia actually had a bit more.
On June 23rd, the third round of the group stage officially began.
Brazil swept Cameroon 4:1 in their first match, advancing to the World Cup knockout stage with a perfect group record.
This also excited the home fans and showcased the might of five-time champion Brazil.
For the remaining spot, Italy and Mexico engaged in a fierce battle.
Ultimately, Italy defeated Mexico 2:1 to secure the second qualification spot from the group.
The group b matches were similar.
After Spain and Australia were successively eliminated, in the final match, Spain somewhat rallied to defeat Chile 1:0.
But they still lost their qualification for the knockout stage.
However, they did help Netherlands secure the top spot in the group.
The Group C matches were very intense.
The contest between Colombia and Greece was also very thrilling.
In their final match, Colombia faced a challenge from Ivory Coast. The two sides battled for 90 minutes, and ultimately, Colombia defeated Ivory Coast 2:1, advancing to the World Cup knockout stage with three wins out of three.
The only regret was that in this match, James Rodríguez had an assist but no goals.
However, his performance was still quite outstanding.
With this, the qualification spots for Groups A, B, and C were determined as follows:
Group A: Brazil, Italy.
group b: Netherlands, Chile.
Group C: Colombia, Greece.
After the qualification spots for the three groups were determined, the focus of the media and fans shifted to Group D.
It was supposed to be the World Cup's Group of Death, but the way it played out was somewhat flamboyant.
Costa Rica, whom no one had favored before the tournament, emerged as a dark horse, teaming up with Croatia to eliminate Uruguay and England, which greatly boosted Costa Rica's reputation.
Of course, there were also some fans who loved drama; they hoped Costa Rica would continue their dark horse run, defeating Croatia to firmly establish themselves as a super dark horse.
However, they also knew this would be very difficult.
Of course, it couldn't be said there was no chance at all. After all, in their matches against Uruguay and England, Costa Rica's sharp counter-attacks repeatedly found success. Because of this, many people were curious how Croatia would deal with such a situation.
In such an atmosphere, all eyes were on Brasilia, the Capital of Brazil.
Brazil National Stadium, formerly known as Garrincha Stadium, was built in 1974. To host the 2014 World Cup, it underwent reconstruction in 2012, expanding capacity, renovating facilities, and being renamed.
Today, Brazil National Stadium is a sports complex capable of accommodating eighty thousand people.
The only drawback was that it wasn't a professional stadium; there was a synthetic track around the outside, and the stands were a bit far from the pitch.
But this still couldn't stop the passionate fans from flocking in.
On this day, fans of Croatia and Costa Rica poured into the stadium.
Compared to the initial stages of the World Cup, the number of Costa Rica fans had noticeably increased, and the atmosphere was incredibly joyful.
After all, no one expected them to perform so well in this World Cup, even qualifying early.
Initially, they were frustrated about being in the Group of Death, with slim chances of qualifying.
After two matches, they successively defeated Uruguay and England, securing their qualification. How could this not be an exciting thing?
It could be said that these two matches greatly boosted Costa Rica's morale, and they also had the confidence to go head-to-head with any strong team in the world!
Especially the match against Croatia, which attracted a lot of fan attention.
Many people wanted to know where Costa Rica's limits were.
Croatia was definitely one of the strongest teams in this World Cup. Could Costa Rica, facing this Croatia team, still demonstrate their dark horse prowess?
All of this created anticipation!
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Helicopters hovered in the sky. The aircraft door opened, and a camera swooped down to film.
The lens focused on an empty overpass, where a bus was moving at a steady speed.
In front, police motorcycles and police cars led the way.
The red and white checkered paint on the bus indicated the identity of this National Team.
The camera moved from far to near, then widened its angle, watching the bus slowly approach Brazil National Stadium in the distance.
Inside the stadium, it was already a sea of people.
The eighty thousand seats were packed full.
Fans of Croatia and Costa Rica cheered and shouted, always incredibly excited during matches.
The local Brazil fans were also caught up in this atmosphere, becoming very excited and shouting non-stop.
Soon after, both teams' buses arrived at the stadium. They entered the stadium through different entrances and were led by staff to the locker rooms.
Inside the locker room, the coaching staff and logistics personnel were moving necessary match supplies.
The players, meanwhile, were changing into their training kits, waiting to go out for warm-ups.
After getting dressed, Suker walked out with the team. In the player tunnel, he also saw the Costa Rica players.
These Costa Rica players looked at Suker with eager anticipation.
Suker was already used to this.
After all, ever since he won his first Ballon d'Or, challengers had been constant.
Both teams entered the field for warm-ups, which further heightened the excitement in the stadium.
"This is the Maracanã Stadium in Brasilia, the Capital of Brazil, where the third round of the World Cup Group D match between Croatia and Costa Rica is about to begin!"
"After two rounds, both teams have won both matches and have advanced to the knockout stage!"
"And this match will decide the winner of the group!"
The Sky Sports commentator delivered the opening remarks, while also introducing the two guest commentators for this match.
They were Drogba and Henry.
Two generations of super strikers simultaneously graced the commentary booth, allowing for a more professional analysis of the match.
"What are your thoughts on this match?"
Henry and Drogba exchanged glances, with the former speaking first: "Costa Rica performed very well in the first two matches, but I believe there is still a certain gap in strength compared to Croatia."
"Croatia can smoothly advance the game, and the midfield plays a more significant role than the front and back lines!"
Drogba also nodded in agreement: "Most of my time at Chelsea was spent playing defensive counter-attacks, so we understand that this tactic is most afraid of not having penetration opportunities, and these opportunities require the midfield players' orchestration to resolve, but once the midfield is suppressed too heavily, it becomes very difficult to execute."
"Croatia's midfield has players like Modrić and Rakitić, and even Suker can drop back to link up."
"Croatia can switch freely between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-4-2 diamond midfield. Suker can be a winger, a central midfielder, or even an attacking midfielder!"
"And with Suker's different positioning, Croatia's tactics will also change accordingly!"
Henry nodded and added: "Croatia's tactical core is Suker. He determines what posture Croatia will adopt for the match. In fact, many times playing against Croatia is difficult, largely because it's impossible to grasp their core point, which is Suker!"
Henry shook his head; "You know, that's a century-old problem!"
"Alright, both of you have analyzed this match from different perspectives, but if Costa Rica wants to win, what should they do?"
"Get Ruiz active!"
Ruiz, Costa Rica's number 10 core player, his activity level determines how well Costa Rica can perform.
This is largely similar to Suker's role in Croatia, except that he cannot be an unsolvable target like Suker.
On screen, both teams were actively warming up.
For this match, both teams were wearing their away kits.
Costa Rica's main color was white, adorned with some red stripes.
Croatia, on the other hand, was predominantly black.
The cheers from the crowd were also rising in waves, especially for Costa Rica's fans, for whom this match was purely about enjoyment.
They also wanted to defeat Croatia and would give their all for it.
But they had almost no worries.
As stated before, winning is an honor, and losing is normal!
This was a pure challenge, and even Costa Rica's coach stated that this match would allow Costa Rica to gain more experience and help them improve their form.
The lower Costa Rica set its stance, the more pressure Croatia felt.
After all, they were being praised so highly, and it would be embarrassing if they stumbled.
However, Croatia still had confidence.
The warm-up session ended, and both teams returned to the locker room for final preparations.
"Don't forget that the key to this match is controlling the midfield. Costa Rica likes a fast-paced game, so we will slow down the tempo. In terms of experience and controlling the situation, we have a greater advantage. Use your experience to defeat them!"
Bešić also did not want to engage in an attacking battle in this match.
There was no need!
This was not the time to bring out any secret tactics; Croatia could suppress Costa Rica simply by performing steadily.
Don't let their two wins fool you; honestly, it had a lot to do with Uruguay's and England's own performances.
Costa Rica had strength, but not enough to threaten Croatia.
Suker silently tied his shoelaces tightly and tucked them into his shoes, and after putting on his shin guards and other equipment, he slowly stood up.
The others were also quietly preparing. To be honest, for these veterans, there really wasn't much tension.
Or rather, they were accustomed to this tension and knew how to handle it.
After all, most of them had experienced major events like the Champions League final multiple times.
"At the start of the match, you drop back more to help the midfield control the situation!" Modrić said to Suker.
He himself could suppress Costa Rica's midfield, but with Suker's inclusion, it would be even more secure.
What Modrić needed was stability, without any unexpected factors.
Therefore, from the very beginning of the match, he decided to firmly suppress the opposing midfield.
Ruiz was indeed an excellent midfielder, but compared to top and even world-class players, he still had some gap.
Both teams' players arrived at the player tunnel, with Costa Rica's players' excitement and eagerness clearly visible on their faces.
Croatia, on the other hand, was relatively calm.
It was the last group stage match of the World Cup, deciding the group winner.
And after this match, the even more intense knockout stage would begin.
Croatia also had to be prepared.
The starting lineups for both teams are as follows:
Croatia (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Subašić.
Defenders: Srna, Vida, Lovren, Ćorluka.
Midfielders: Kovacic, Brozović, Rakitić, Modrić, Suker.
Forward: Mandžukić.
Costa Rica (5-4-1):
Goalkeeper: Navas.
Defenders: Gamboa, Duarte, González, Umaña, Díaz.
Midfielders: Ruiz, Borges, Tejeda, Bolaños.
Forward: Campbell.
Costa Rica still fielded a defense-oriented lineup.
This was to stabilize their formation and also to launch counter-attacks.
As for Croatia, they continued their previous tactics, but with some personnel changes in the lineup.
For example, Perisic and Vukojević were both on the bench.
And the most crucial aspect of this lineup lies in the word 'control'!
The midfield was stacked with many technical players: Kovacic, Brozović, two young players, plus Modrić, Rakitić, and Suker.
It was a 3+2 mentorship model.
But this was also Croatia's most effective lineup for midfield control.
Kovacic and Brozović started, and they could barely contain their joy.
Especially Brozović, this was also his World Cup debut.
"Once the match starts, listen to my instructions. If I don't say anything, Srna will also tell you what to do."
Modrić reminded Brozović, fearing that the newcomer might be nervous, so he tried to calm him down beforehand.
But Brozović was different from Kovacic; he was inherently calm and would not be reckless during the match.
"I understand, I will perform well!"
Brozović nodded in affirmation.
Modrić didn't say much more and turned to return to his position.
Both teams' players had already taken their positions on the field.
Croatia kicked off the first half, intending to control the pace of the game from the very beginning.
Costa Rica's players were all full of energy.
Without pressure, they were simply enjoying the game and the thrill of the challenge.
For Costa Rica, Croatia's lineup was definitely star-studded.
In terms of matchups, world-class and even historical-level players like Suker and Modrić were not even mentioned.
Other players like Mandžukić, Rakitić, and Srna were all top players in their respective positions.
They had almost no opportunities to play against these individuals, and it was thanks to the World Cup that they were able to stand before this group of top players.
Therefore, they had to perform well, not only for the team but also for themselves.
No regrets, just hard work.
Regardless of the outcome, they had to play with their own style!