"First, the adjustments in our state and tactics over these three matches have been proceeding as planned. From this perspective, our overall condition is very good."
"Secondly, we have entered the knockout stage as group winner, We must work even harder to adjust and prepare for more intense matches!"
Suker spoke eloquently when facing media interviews.
After successfully advancing, he was in a very good mood and spoke a bit more than usual.
"Predictions? Sorry, I won't make any predictions. I cannot determine the remaining group qualification spots. We just need to focus on playing our own matches well!"
Suker satisfied most of the reporters' questions before finally walking into the players' tunnel.
As soon as he reached the locker room door, he heard wolf-like howls coming from inside.
The moment he pushed the door open, the locker room was already a scene of wild celebration.
His teammates were excitedly jumping non-stop. Dujmović was even carrying a speaker, moving among his teammates, occasionally challenging them to dance-offs.
"Hey! Suker, join us!"
Rakitić waved to Suker.
Suker waved to decline, walked directly to the bench, sat down, and began to take off his jersey, preparing to shower.
"Great game!"
Van Stoyak walked over and handed him a bottle of water.
Suker took the water, twisted it open, took a simple sip, and wiped the corner of his mouth, saying, "Actually, we could have played better!"
Van Stoyak smiled: "I know your standards are very high, but the task for this match was to suppress, and we did very well."
Suker nodded. From the perspective of suppression alone, they had indeed done very well.
"In the knockout stage, we're playing the second-place team from group B, right?"
Van Stoyak nodded: "Playing Chile!"
The World Cup knockout stage, specifically the Round of 16, has clear regulations.
Each group has a first and second place.
The first place from Group A plays the second place from Group C, and the first place from group B plays the second place from Group D.
This means Brazil vs. Greece, Colombia vs. Italy, Netherlands vs. Costa Rica, and Croatia vs. Chile.
These are the four confirmed knockout stage matchups between groups so far.
And building on this, the quarterfinals will also continue.
For Croatia, their current pressure isn't significant. Although the World Cup has seen many upsets, they haven't been the kind of annoying upsets where strong teams are knocked down to second in their group; instead, they've been directly eliminated.
Spain, Uruguay, and England, these traditional powerhouses, still have strong adjustment capabilities.
If they were given more time to adjust, once they entered the knockout stage, they might become formidable opponents.
Therefore, by directly eliminating them, other strong teams qualified as group champions, which means the Round of 16 won't be as intense.
The fires of the World Cup aren't ignited instantly.
If fans want to see top-tier matchups, they'll probably have to wait until the quarterfinals for the true clashes of titans.
At the post-match press conference, Bešić spoke eloquently in response to reporters' questions.
"We've secured three victories, but that doesn't mean we can relax. On the contrary, we need to work even harder to adjust our form. The World Cup schedule is tight, and anything can happen during this process, so we need to be fully prepared!"
"Croatia needs to perform even better in this World Cup to achieve our set goals!"
As for what those goals were, Bešić did not explicitly state them, even choosing to ignore reporters' inquiries.
After briefly discussing the match, Bešić left the post-match press conference venue.
By the time he returned to the locker room, the players had mostly finished washing up, and logistics staff were already transporting various bags to the team bus.
Bešić waved his hand, and the entire team boarded the bus to return to the hotel.
The night in Brasilia was vibrant. As it was during the World Cup, many fans celebrated all night long, so there were police officers and military personnel on alert at intersections almost 24 hours a day. Major bars and restaurants were open very late, some even operating 24 hours in two shifts.
The Croatian players were very tired after returning to the hotel and went to sleep early, but Suker was woken up in the middle of the night.
His sleep quality was usually very good, not to the extent of being easily woken up, but if a group of people were constantly singing loudly below the hotel, Suker couldn't stand it either.
After getting up, Suker pulled open the curtains and looked down.
It would have been better if he hadn't looked; looking directly made him laugh out of frustration.
These weren't other fans, but some drunk Croatian fans gathered at the hotel entrance, celebrating non-stop.
Suker knew they were excited, but they shouldn't have come here to disturb their rest, right?
Suker shook his head. He opened his room door and walked into the living room area, finding the lights on.
"You're awake?"
Modrić said, yawning, as he sat on the sofa.
Suker: "Woken up!"
Modrić nodded: "I was woken up too."
Suker: "Isn't anyone going to do anything about this? How can we sleep?"
Modrić smiled teasingly: "You also get woken up sometimes?"
Suker's sleep quality had always been very high; once he fell asleep, it was hard to wake him.
Suker checked the time; it was 4 AM. He scratched his head and decided not to go back to sleep.
He walked directly to Modrić and sat down. The TV was playing a replay of the match.
It was the Croatia vs. Costa Rica match, and Modrić was watching it with great interest.
"Are you enjoying your own match?" Suker turned his head: "You have that kind of hobby?"
Modrić: "I'm just reliving the match and checking for any mistakes or oversights."
Suker looked at Modrić's expression; it wasn't like that at all.
He wasn't scrutinizing the match; he was simply enjoying it.
Suker rolled his eyes and said, "There are still many more matches to come."
"At most, only four more!" Modrić counted on his fingers: "Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals, final!"
After speaking, he turned his head and said, "Do you think we can reach the final?"
Suker: "What do you think?"
Modrić was silent for a moment, then stated confidently: "We can!"
"Do you remember South Africa four years ago?"
"Our last match was played at Ellis Park, and three days later, Soccer City Stadium, five kilometers from Ellis Park, was the venue for the final!"
Modrić held out five fingers: "We were only five kilometers away from the final venue."
Suker remained silent.
Even recalling it now, it was a sleepless night.
After that match, how many people couldn't sleep all night, looking towards the northwest into the night, gazing across the distance at what should have been their dream stage.
"That was our regret, and in this World Cup, I don't want to create any more regrets." Modrić looked at Suker: "Do you remember the interview we had when we were playing in Bosnia and Herzegovina?"
Suker nodded: "Champions League, World Cup!"
Modrić nodded: "We've already got the Champions League, now we just need the World Cup."
"Watch your match!"
Suker got up and walked towards his room.
"Where are you going?" Modrić asked.
Suker turned his head: "Can't sleep, going for a morning run!"
"A morning run at 4 AM?"
Suker looked out the window
Modrić also shook his head helplessly.
Suker changed into his sportswear and a hat, then took the elevator downstairs, but he did not exit through the main entrance. Who knew what those drunkards might do?
His morning run route was towards the training ground.
He jogged the two-kilometer distance as a warm-up.
Along the way, there were police officers and military personnel on alert at intersections. At first, they also found Suker suspicious, but after confirming his identity, they gathered around, each getting an autograph, and then contentedly let him pass. Some even volunteered to escort Suker to the training ground, but he politely declined.
Upon arriving at the training ground, Suker ran another three kilometers around the field, completing a five-kilometer warm-up.
He then got some footballs from the equipment room and practiced shooting on the field for a while.
Since he had gone to bed early the previous day, he didn't feel too tired.
After practicing, he ran back to the hotel again.
When he returned, he noticed that the drunkards at the entrance had been driven away, and some additional police security had been added to the entrance.
Clearly, Croatia had made some demands for a clear-out.
When Suker returned to the hotel, he found that his teammates were all awake and heading to the restaurant for breakfast.
Suker also returned to his room, took a quick shower, and then went to the cafeteria.
"Good morning!"
Srna yawned.
"Didn't sleep well?" Suker asked.
"Those people were making noise from 1 AM to 4 AM; how could anyone sleep?"
Suker: "They were jumping around so much, shouldn't they have sobered up by now?"
Srna: "Good question. Is it possible they were drinking and making noise at the same time?"
Suker couldn't help but grimace.
"Don't worry, the coaching staff has already communicated with the organizers, and they promised to increase security outside the hotel. It won't be open to the public except for necessary times!"
Upon hearing this, Suker nodded. After all, during the World Cup, sleep quality must be guaranteed.
At this moment, Bešić also walked in.
"This afternoon, we are departing for Rio de Janeiro!"
For their next match, they would return to Rio de Janeiro to play.
They would be facing Chile, so they were moving early to get used to the venue.
Matches in other groups had not yet concluded and would require another day or two.
That afternoon, Croatia was fully prepared and returned to Rio de Janeiro to prepare for the match.
At the same time, the World Cup Group E matches also kicked off.
In World Cup Group E, France was currently the points leader, with Switzerland and Ecuador close behind.
Since Switzerland lost to France, and France currently had two wins, even if France lost to Ecuador, they would face elimination.
Therefore, for Switzerland to advance, they needed to defeat Honduras, and France also needed to defeat or draw with Ecuador to have a chance.
Switzerland was lucky, just as they hoped, in the third round of matches, Switzerland defeated Honduras 2:1.
And France drew with Ecuador 1:1.
Group E First Place: France, 2-1-0, 7 points.
Group E Second Place: Switzerland, 2-0-1, 6 points.
Group E Third Place: Ecuador, 1-1-1, 4 points.
Group E Fourth Place: Honduras, 0-0-3, 0 points.
The Group F matches were more intense.
Argentina had defeated Nigeria and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first two rounds, achieving two consecutive wins. Their opponent for the third match was last-place Iran.
Bosnia and Herzegovina and Nigeria would compete for second place in the group.
This match was fierce, with a total of 8 yellow cards and two red cards issued during the 90 minutes.
The match was interrupted twice, and ultimately, in injury time, Suker Basic scored with a header, helping Bosnia and Herzegovina win the match and successfully advance to the knockout stage.
Group F First Place: Argentina, 3-0-0, 9 points.
Group F Second Place: Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2-0-1, 6 points.
Group F Third Place: Nigeria, 1-0-2, 3 points.
Group F Fourth Place: Iran, 0-0-3, 0 points.
The last two groups were Group G and Group H!
Portugal, who had been highly anticipated, performed poorly in this World Cup. Germany continued its stable performance, securing first place in the group, but second place was taken by the United States, and Portugal was eliminated from the World Cup knockout stage.
Among the top players, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first star to be eliminated from the World Cup knockout stage. ( As usual)
In Group H, Belgium and Algeria advanced together.
Finally, all 16 spots were confirmed.
Brazil VS Greece.
Mexico VS Colombia.
Croatia VS Chile.
Netherlands VS Costa Rica.
France VS United States.
Germany VS Switzerland.
Argentina VS Algeria.
Belgium VS Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But what was most exciting was not the Round of 16 matches; in fact, with this grouping, the strength difference was still quite obvious.
The most crucial part was the Quarter-finals.
Because the Quarter-finals would be played in alternating fashion.
Therefore, if Brazil defeated Greece and Croatia defeated Chile,
Then Brazil and Croatia would directly face each other in the Quarter-finals!
This was the most exciting news, and this possibility was very high.
One was the host, five-star Brazil!
The other was the current European powerhouse, Croatia!
These two teams represented the two top football powers of South America and Europe, respectively.
How their match would unfold was the most anticipated thing.
Although the Round of 16 had not yet begun, fans were already looking past it to the even more anticipated Quarter-finals.
"If we win against Greece, we play Croatia. The intensity of this Quarter-final will be at its peak, right?"
Marcelo couldn't help but grimaced.
At the Brazil Team's base camp, they also saw this match-up table.
After the groups were confirmed, for Brazil, the Round of 16 was not a big problem; they were still confident in defeating Greece.
But the subsequent Quarter-final, with Croatia coming, would make it very difficult for them.
As five-star Brazil, they possessed enough World Cup heritage; they were the team with the most World Cup titles and also the strongest.
Brazilians had this pride!
But the problem was, the current Croatia was not an easy opponent, including players like Suker, Modrić, Rakitić, and Mandžukić. This Croatia's performance in the World Cup spoke volumes.
It could be said that Brazil was facing its biggest challenge yet!
This was also the most dangerous opponent they, as hosts, would soon face.
"Don't think about the Quarter-finals yet; let's play the current match well first!"
Kaka also had concerns, but he knew he couldn't think too much, and even less could he look past Greece and think about the match against Croatia.
This could lead to them being eliminated early in the Round of 16.
Therefore, playing the current match well was very important; as for the Quarter-finals, that was for the coaching staff to figure out.
At the same time, Croatia was also discussing the match against Brazil.
"The intensity is going to ramp up immediately!"
"Chile is fine, but Brazil is truly dangerous!"
"First Uruguay, then Chile, and then we have to play Brazil. Is it really coincidence that we just keep getting South American teams as opponents?"
Modrić said, "Let's finish playing Chile first!"
Their thoughts were consistent with Brazil's.
Don't think too much, and can't think too much, as this will only affect one's state.
After the group stage concluded, the competition immediately entered the knockout stage.
And between the knockout stage and the group stage, there was only one day of rest.
Brazil, as the host, also played the opening match of the knockout stage.
On June 29th, the 2014 World Cup knockout stage officially began.
First match: Brazil VS Greece!
Greece's performance in the group stage was not perfect; compared to Colombia, they were the more favored side.
However, Colombia advanced with three wins, relying on Rodríguez's performance.
Greece scrambled, but still stumbled into the knockout stage with a record of 1-1-1.
But the problem with advancing as group runners-up was that they would face a large number of group winners, all of whom were world-class strong teams.
Facing the powerful five-star Brazil, Greece could only fight for their lives.
"Very intense!"
Croatia was also following this match. Their opponent in the Quarter-finals would be the winner of this match, so they would naturally pay attention.
After the kick-off, Greece showed a very strong attacking desire.
Even though their opponent was the powerful five-star Brazil, they still wanted to disrupt the opponent's rhythm as much as possible by using high pressing.
But whether Brazil's rhythm was disrupted or not, Greece itself became increasingly disorganized.
Finally, in the 21st minute, Kaka seized an opportunity and threaded a precise through ball to the onrushing Pato. Pato dribbled into the penalty area, executed a feint to create a shooting angle, and immediately connected with a shot with his other foot.
Swish!
The ball found the net, and Brazil scored the first goal of the match, gaining an advantage.
This goal was too easy!
Greece wanted to disrupt Brazil's rhythm, but instead, their own midfield and defense became somewhat disconnected.
And Kaka would not let go of such an opportunity, immediately converting the advantage into a goal.
This was the price of impatience!
Greece wanted to disrupt Brazil's rhythm as quickly as possible, not realizing how dangerous this style of play was when the midfield balance was insufficient.
When a weaker team plays a stronger team, they always need to defend well and use counter-attacks to create opportunities.
But Greece was clearly too hasty!