"Guys! Let's get our hopes up and play a wonderful match!"
Costa Rica's morale was still very high; although the match would be a struggle, it was more of an enjoyment.
After all, having qualified, their pressure wasn't as great.
Moreover, being able to compete on the same field with Croatia and a host of star players was a rare opportunity for many of them.
As the match was about to begin, both sides were having their final discussions.
Costa Rica still needed to prioritize defense before thinking about counterattacks.
If they couldn't defend, there would be no possibility of a counterattack.
At the same time, Ruiz was under great pressure in this match.
He was Costa Rica's hub for offensive and defensive transitions in the midfield; it could be said that almost all counterattacks originated from his feet, and he even linked play in the middle.
And he had to face Croatia, where Modrić played!
Ruiz was well aware of Modrić's strength.
Despite his small and short stature, it was precisely this physique that supported the Red Devils' last backbone.
Ruiz was also a versatile player on the field, capable of both offense and breakthroughs, with very comprehensive skills.
However, he had never been able to enter the Big Five Leagues.
He once had the opportunity to join a Premier League team at the call of his former coach, but his current club refused, leading to the failure of the transfer.
To this day, Ruiz still very much wanted to prove himself.
Not only in smaller Leagues, but even when placed in the Big Five Leagues, he was still a strong team player.
And now was the best opportunity.
On the world stage, facing one of the best midfielders in the world, he only needed to deliver a sufficient performance, and he could use it as a stepping stone to open the door to the Big Five Leagues.
It could be said that this match was not only for the team but also for himself.
It wasn't just Ruiz; many other Costa Rican players were in the same situation.
Campbell wanted to use this World Cup to solidify his position at Arsenal.
Navas's negotiations with Real Madrid were also ongoing, and this match could help him secure a better salary.
Others also wanted to use this as a springboard to secure a better future for themselves.
It could be said that the match pressure was not high, but based on their ambition and expectations, they also needed to deliver an even better performance.
Costa Rica was eager to try!
Croatia, on the other hand, was relatively calmer.
Suker and Modrić finished their final conversation, then went to their respective positions, waiting for the match to begin.
Both teams' players had already arrived at their respective halves, and the Referee was also making the final preparations.
Everything was ready, the Referee ran to the center circle and blew his whistle decisively!
Beep!
Amidst the sharp whistle, Croatia kicked off first.
At the moment of the kickoff, the entire Brazil National Stadium instantly erupted.
The cheers throughout the stadium surged like a tsunami, with both sides cheering intensely, adding a fiery atmosphere to the match.
And on the field, after the match began, Croatia quickly entered a ball-control mode.
Costa Rica also instantly activated, starting to chase Croatia, running wildly, constantly pressing, and continuously applying pressure.
But for the sake of control in this match, Croatia did not hesitate to deploy five technical midfielders, precisely to achieve stable control.
Therefore, they would not be afraid of this level of pressing.
The ball was constantly passed in Croatia's mid-to-backfield; although it didn't advance forward, it was always able to be passed smoothly with one-touch play.
It wasn't that Costa Rica didn't apply pressure, but they were clearly not particularly familiar with this kind of high pressing, and at the same time, Croatia's midfield was too stable, causing them to miss every time.
"It seems Costa Rica hasn't specifically practiced this high pressing style of play, have they?"
No sooner had he spoken than Costa Rica decisively abandoned the pressing, retreating like a receding tide to their own half, forming lines of defense.
Costa Rica had returned to their positional defense mode.
Clearly, high pressing was just an attempt at the start; feeling it had no effect, they decisively abandoned it and returned to their most familiar style of play.
Seeing Costa Rica retreat, Croatia began to advance.
Modrić was on the ball, and since there was no overly intense pressing, he had ample time to observe and think.
However, passing the ball in this situation clearly didn't require too much thought.
But he still hoped to entice Costa Rican players to come up and press him, to draw out a defensive player!
However, seeing that Costa Rica wasn't falling for it, he no longer insisted and instead passed the ball to Suker on the wing.
As soon as Suker touched the ball, Costa Rica's reaction was very intense.
Unlike Modrić's previous ball control, the moment Suker controlled the ball, almost three players immediately surrounded him, intending to form a encirclement.
But Suker was very sensitive to such things; the moment he saw the signs, he didn't stop the ball at all, but instead swept it horizontally to Rakitić.
Rakitić, acting as the central pivot in the midfield, transferred it to Kovacic on the right.
Kovacic was eager to try.
After getting an assist in the first round, he had been thinking about scoring a goal.
Moreover, at this time, Croatia also needed someone to step forward and attract attention, didn't they?
Just as Kovacic was about to go it alone, Brozović from behind suddenly shouted, "Mateo, back pass!"
Kovacic was puzzled but still complied.
After all, on record, except for very clear attacking opportunities, if the midfielder requests a back pass, it must be passed back.
This was also the origin of Croatia's discipline!
As soon as Kovacic passed the ball, Costa Rican players Bolaños and Tejeda surrounded him.
He hadn't noticed it just now; if he had passed a moment slower, he might have been surrounded or even lost possession.
"Don't rush! It's not time yet!"
Brozović passed the ball back to the receiving Modrić, then spoke to Kovacic.
The latter also nodded in understanding.
Head Coach Bešić on the sideline nodded slightly; he applauded Brozović's decision this time.
"Compared to Kovacic, Brozović is still more stable."
Van Stoyak commented.
"They are different types of players; one is an attacking midfielder, and the other is a defensive midfielder!" Bešić said, "Brozović is very stable, but this also lacks a bit of creativity; Kovacic is not stable enough, but his imagination can create some unexpected situations for the offense!"
At this point, ten minutes into the match, Croatia was clearly speeding up.
After controlling the tempo for ten minutes and gradually taking control of the midfield, Croatia finally began to advance.
"Croatia is about to start! Costa Rica must be careful of Croatia's first attack!"
Croatia's first attack was often very fierce, and they had constantly changing different tactics.
Either a sudden burst, a change of pace, or a strong breakthrough on the wing.
But no matter which one, Costa Rica needed to be vigilant.
Costa Rica also immediately narrowed their defensive lines inward, trying to control the dangerous areas, while making almost no resistance in the outer positions.
This also allowed Croatia to smoothly advance the ball to the vicinity of the penalty area.
Suker lingered on the periphery for a while; when he found that Costa Rica indeed showed no tendency to press, he decisively passed the ball to a teammate and directly darted into the penalty area.
Suker and Mandžukić, forming two battering rams, were firmly positioned inside the penalty area, which not only locked down Costa Rica's backline but also created better passing space for their teammates on the outside.
The situation took a sharp turn, and Croatia began to surround Costa Rica.
Although they kept shifting and distributing the ball, they did not make any threatening crosses.
But every adjustment made Costa Rica tremble with fear!
"This is really uncomfortable! Croatia's shifting and distribution are not just simple side-to-side transfers; in the rib areas, they also have breakthrough points, and if necessary, they can form a five-pronged attack from both wings, the ribs, and the center!"
"And Suker and Mandžukić, who are stuck on Costa Rica's backline, are like two nails, preventing the opponent from moving."
Costa Rica's Head Coach nervously watched the field; he knew that opportunities in this match would be few, but he hadn't expected to be so passive.
They had defeated Uruguay and England, which had instilled a lot of confidence in them.
However, just 10 minutes into the match, they seemed to understand that Croatia's strength was qualitatively different from other teams.
These guys won't make mistakes!
Previously, whether it was Uruguay or England, they sometimes made foolish mistakes.
Even if Costa Rica didn't actively create opportunities, by seizing these error points, they could launch counterattacks and even score goals.
But Croatia was different!
They were as precise as a machine, completely without any roughness; everything was so exact.
Even when multiple players surrounded them, these guys could calmly face it and use two or three passes to get the ball back into a safe area.
After this happened multiple times, Costa Rica's high pressing instead became hesitant.
After all, if you can't win the ball, why bother pressing?
Just like now, they gave up high pressing and returned to their most proficient zonal defense mode.
But they found that even so, Croatia's probing always kept them on edge.
The opponent's seemingly casual passes could always target the crucial points of their movement and transitions.
They had reason to believe that if they were even a beat slow, Croatia would unhesitatingly use that position as a breakthrough point, tearing open the defense.
"Stay sharp! Hold on!"
Goalkeeper Navas loudly reminded his teammates.
Navas was also very nervous at this moment; there was nothing he could do. He had to not only watch the movements inside the penalty area but also be wary of long-range shots from outside.
After all, Modrić, Rakitić, and Srna were all capable of threatening with long-range shots.
Moreover, Croatia hadn't launched any overly aggressive attacks yet, which felt like a Sword of Damocles hanging over their heads.
They knew there was a sword above their heads!
But when would it fall?
And how would it fall?
They had no idea!
The unknown fear also caused their physical stamina to decline rapidly. After all, they didn't know where Croatia would launch their attack. Without a specific focus, they could only block every threat point, increasing their running distance and frequency, naturally leading to greater physical exertion.
"Croatia has gradually taken control of the situation."
The Brazil commentator watched the match, feeling anxious for Costa Rica.
This match felt like a one-sided suppression.
Although it was known before the match that Croatia was strong and could defeat Costa Rica, Costa Rica, having defeated Uruguay and England, was no pushover and would certainly cause some trouble.
But after the match began, all these conjectures proved wrong.
Croatia's suppression never ceased from the start, using ball control to dictate the tempo while continuously compressing Costa Rica's playing space.
This match truly felt suffocating.
If it was like this for the audience, it was even more so for the players on the field.
At this moment, the Costa Rica players were drenched in sweat. They had to endure not only physical pressure but also psychological oppression.
Croatia was watching them like a tiger, and they had to deal with both their attacks and their feints.
This intertwined, real-and-fake offensive approach continuously wore down Costa Rica's energy, causing their concentration to decline.
Sometimes, they would truly just stare at the ball and forget to mark players.
When they finally realized, they would break out in a cold sweat.
"It feels about right!"
Modrić looked at Costa Rica's state and muttered to himself.
At the same time, his eyes also looked at Suker. Their eyes met, and years of tacit understanding made both of them know what the other was thinking.
Suker pointed to the position at his feet, and Modrić immediately made a penalty kick.
Just then, Suker suddenly turned and ran forward.
"Be careful!"
González reminded his teammate.
Duarte also immediately followed up and turned.
But just then, Suker suddenly turned back again, pulling out towards the outside.
The Costa Rica players were confused, but at this moment, Mandžukić suddenly sprinted forward.
"Suker is a decoy! Mark Mandžukić!"
González quickly judged!
But just then, Modrić passed the ball.
A simple, low, flat pass went to Suker's feet.
Suker, with his back to the attacking direction, suddenly made a ninety-degree parallel turn, while gently tapping the ball with his heel.
At this moment, all attention shifted back to Suker.
They didn't notice the ball changing direction after being tapped by Suker's heel.
The redirected ball rolled towards the open space on the right.
And there, Kovacic was making a high-speed run!
"To the right!!"
González exclaimed.
At this moment, Kovacic already had a shooting angle!
"Suker's heel flick, to the right!! Kovacic is up!"
Croatia commentator Krauchivich also stood up, shouting in joyous surprise.
Is Kovacic going to score?
He already has an assist, and now he's going for a goal?
Everyone thought Kovacic would shoot at this moment.
After all, he had already set up his shooting motion.
Costa Rica's defenders rushed forward one after another to block, and just as they were about to touch the ball, Kovacic's right foot gently lowered, stopping the ball and pulling it back, while also gently pushing it sideways.
"Pass! Fake shot, real pass!" Krauchivich suddenly roared, and a black figure abruptly entered the camera's view.
Meeting Kovacic's cross, Suker had no interference around him at first.
Suker's entire body was incredibly stretched. He didn't choose to shoot with full power, but instead pushed the ball with the inside of his foot.
He pushed it towards the near post.
The ball rolled forward, passing through Umaña's legs as he slid, and also slipped through Navas's grasp!
Swish!
The ball entered the net!
In the 17th minute of the first half, Croatia utilized a sudden change of rhythm and interwoven runs to tear open Costa Rica's defense and score a goal.
"Goal!! Goal!! Suker!!"
"Suker's fourth goal in this World Cup!"
"Four goals in three matches, incredible scoring efficiency, he's still maintaining his crazy form!"
"Costa Rica was helpless against this attack; Croatia threw too many smoke bombs at them!"
"At first, it was Suker's run forward that made them mark Suker, but after Suker suddenly retreated, Mandžukić ran forward again, further interfering!"
"And at this moment, the retreating Suker tapped the ball with his heel, attracting defensive attention again, and also helping Perisic create a shooting opportunity."
"Kovacic could have tried a shot, but he trusted Suker more, so he passed it sideways, and Suker scored with a narrow-angle shot!"
"Suker did not let down his teammate's trust. This was his first shot of the match, and it resulted in a goal!"
"Let's cheer for this wonderful goal! This is simply fantastic!"
Krauchivich was incredibly excited. Although qualification was already secured, watching the young players perform so well, he still couldn't hide his excitement.
The Brazil commentator was also amazed.
"This is too precise! Every run and pass by Croatia caused Costa Rica to have their attention drawn away!"
"A total of three shifts in attention, at this point Costa Rica was completely dizzy. They could no longer judge who would shoot, so they could only rush towards Kovacic one after another!"
"And Kovacic unselfishly provided the assist, helping Croatia score their first goal!"
To be honest, if Kovacic had shot, Costa Rica would have had a chance to block, but the moment Kovacic passed sideways, the outcome was already determined.
This goal showcased Croatia's overall cohesiveness!
From initiating the attack, to shifts in attention, to interwoven runs, all the way to the goal, the entire process was incredibly tight and fluid.
To be honest, even if they reacted, they might not have been able to keep up, unless they could foresee the future.
This was a brilliant team attack, and also Suker's 14th goal in the World Cup!
Suker is now only one goal away from equaling Ronaldo's scoring record.
And the World Cup has only just reached the third round of the group stage, with knockout rounds still to come, Suker has a great chance to equal or even set a brand new record.