Krauchivich was quite excited; after entering the knockout stage, he was also feeling uneasy.
Previously, although Croatia was suppressing, there were no goals, which still made him feel uneasy.
At least one goal, that way he would have some peace of mind. Now, this goal completely relieved the Croatian fans, including the commentator himself.
On the field, the Croatian players were also celebrating.
Suker grabbed Mandžukić and directly pinned him down, while other teammates also ran over, piling on top of them.
From their expressions, they were also quite excited.
Even Suker was laughing and celebrating with his teammates.
Although it was just one goal, it was equivalent to opening up Croatia's offensive rhythm; the rest of the time would be tough for Chile.
What's more, in the second half, Croatia's performance would only get better.
In terms of a war of attrition, Croatia would not fear anyone.
Chile, on the other hand, was in a depressed mood; they had already put all their effort into trying to gain an advantage, even running frantically in the first half regardless of their stamina.
But the situation was still one of trailing, constantly having their rhythm eroded by Croatia, ultimately resulting in conceding a goal.
This match was very uncomfortable to play; they tried their best to turn the tide, but if they couldn't contend, they just couldn't.
This was a comprehensive display of technique, experience, lineup, and mentality.
After conceding the goal, Chile also had a headache.
What should they do next?
They knew they needed to equalize, but how to equalize?
So far, their tactics seemed to be ineffective, and hoping for Croatia to make a mistake was almost impossible.
By the second half, they would be exhausted, while Croatia would still be full of vigor; by then, the match would basically be over.
"How about we attack their flanks?"
Vidal suggested.
Previously, they had always tried to penetrate through the central axis, which ultimately ended in failure.
They might as well change their approach and go for wing attacks.
To this, Sanchez grimaced; "Croatia would love for us to do that!"
Sanchez turned his head to look at Croatia's half, where the full-back named Pranjic was practically marking him throughout the entire game.
Even when he ran to the central position, Pranjic was vigilantly keeping an eye on his position.
And when he ran to the wing, he would immediately stick close.
Pranjic and Srna were not the same type of full-back.
Overall, he was more stable. In fact, Srna was already stable enough, but Pranjic was even more stable.
Unless he had 100% certainty, he would not rush up to press alone.
It was always a 2-3 man encirclement that made Sanchez very uncomfortable to play.
Croatia would also not give him the opportunity to break them down one-on-one, which was extremely frustrating.
Vidal also pursed his lips and said, "But we don't have a better option."
Sanchez sighed: "Then let's try it!"
Sanchez could only hope that he could break free from Croatia's encirclement now.
The celebration ended, and the match resumed.
Chile eagerly kicked off, hoping to score an equalizer in the final moments of the first half.
But Croatia's defense remained solid.
In fact, it could be said that after scoring the goal, Croatia's defensive emphasis increased even further.
"Damn it!"
Feeling the increased offensive pressure, Sanchez couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Pass it here!"
Sanchez forcefully pushed Pranjic, and after retreating a certain distance, he called for a pass.
Vidal immediately threaded the ball through.
Before receiving the ball, Sanchez first turned his head to observe Pranjic's positioning and movements.
If Pranjic made any pressing moves, he would have a chance to break free.
But the problem was, this guy just blocked the inside line, didn't come up to press, and just kept marking him like that.
Sanchez controlled the ball, turned towards the outside, and continuously dribbled to probe.
Pranjic followed closely, but also did not stick out a leg to press, only blocking Sanchez's path to cut inside all the way.
He even prepared to use his body to squeeze for a tackle if Sanchez changed direction.
Sanchez was well aware of this, and thus he made no further moves.
Going all the way to the byline, Sanchez was constantly driven by Pranjic and simply couldn't find a suitable opportunity to break free.
Just as he was about to force his way through, someone suddenly rushed over from his front-side, and at the same time, Pranjic instantly activated, and the two converged to directly dispossess the ball from Sanchez's feet.
Pranjic directly used his body, not even giving him a chance to shield the ball or pass.
"Shit!"
Sanchez stomped his foot in anger, then turned and said fiercely, "Coward!"
He said this to Pranjic, and he said it in English.
Pranjic understood, but scoffed at it.
"Rookie!"
Sanchez had intended to provoke, but almost caused his own mentality to explode.
On the other side, after completing the tackle, Croatia sent the ball forward, and it once again reached Rakitić's feet.
But this time, Rakitić was not in a hurry to attack; he deliberately controlled the ball and constantly shifted it from side to side, linking up play.
Croatia's objective was clear to everyone: to control the game and wait for the first half to end.
And they were capable of doing so; it was also the most effortless way to win.
The ball was once again constantly passed around by Croatia, controlling the game, while Chile could only run blindly, even getting a bit disorganized as they ran.
If Croatia had truly been determined to attack, they might have scored another goal at this stage.
However, Croatia's approach in this match was primarily a stable one.
Or rather, they didn't want to expend too much energy on Chile.
If they could end the match stably and quickly, then ending it quickly was the best outcome.
The first half was nearing its end, Croatia was still controlling the ball, while Chile was somewhat dazed.
The rhythm had been completely controlled by Croatia, and Chile could only run themselves ragged.
Suker didn't even put much pressure on the flanks, but the defensive line didn't dare to push forward, fearing conceding another goal.
The frontline played aggressively, the defense wanted to be stable, and the midfield was indecisive.
The three lines presented completely different feelings; it would be strange if Chile played comfortably in this match.
Suker also shook his head; if Chile failed to make effective adjustments during halftime, then this match would basically be over.
Of course, even if they did adjust, Croatia still had ways to quickly defeat them.
Beep~~~
Under the sharp whistle, the Chilean players stopped, breathing heavily, and looked up at the cheering stands around them.
Perhaps due to stamina loss and oxygen deprivation, the lights caused some dizziness.
But they still managed to hold on.
And it was at this moment that they realized the first half was over.
"The first half of the match has ended, and we are about to enter the halftime break. After 45 minutes, Croatia is currently leading Chile 1:0, with the only goal of the match scored by Croatia's striker, Mario Mandžukić!"
"Throughout the entire first half, Chile played very passively. Croatia brought their group stage dominance into the knockout stage, and facing a team from South America, they showed no signs of disarray. The rhythm of the entire match was very smooth!"
"As for Chile, their performance in the first half was not ideal; they must make adjustments if they want to continue."
The first half ended, and both teams returned to their respective locker rooms to prepare.
The atmosphere in Chile's locker room was very silent.
They knew it would be a tough match beforehand, but they didn't expect it to be so difficult!
Croatia felt different from all the teams they had faced in the group stage; it was as if they were not on the same level at all.
"We can't get control of the midfield rhythm at all. When we attack, if we look up, it's basically all Croatian players; we can't find our own people!"
Vidal complained a bit, trying his best to remain calm, but at this moment, his composure was indeed hard to maintain.
Sanchez and others were also very helpless.
They also wanted to cooperate with Vidal and their midfield teammates' passes, but Croatia was very good at cutting off passing lanes, which resulted in their forward passes not finding anyone.
Even if they managed to pass, they would fall into Croatia's encirclement.
"We lack players for vertical progression!"
The Head Coach of Chile hit the nail on the head. Chile indeed lacked the ability to advance forward. Passing penetration was clearly not going to work, so they needed to find a player for a vertical breakthrough.
And for this role, Sanchez was the most suitable.
However, this would lead to a reduction in attacking power, but for now, this was the only method available.
"In the second half, let's play with four defenders!"
Chile's center-back Silva raised his hand and said, "Our pressure is too great, and this is the second half. I think you also know that Suker will be explosive in the second half. Three defenders simply cannot stop him. Let's play with four defenders!"
Hearing this, the Head Coach of Chile was a bit troubled.
He had just sacrificed part of his attack to reinforce the midfield, and now he had to sacrifice the midfield to reinforce the defense.
But what Silva said was not wrong. If they didn't reinforce the defense, Suker could very likely blow up their defense in the second half.
This was not something to be optimistic about.
"Alright, we'll play with four defenders in the second half!"
The Head Coach of Chile could only compromise.
He had already done his best to respond. As for the outcome of the match, it would depend on the players' performance.
For Croatia, there were no tactical changes, nor any personnel changes.
The main idea was to respond to all changes with no change!
Croatia's current situation was good, and their form was also good, so there was no need to make adjustments first.
It was rare for the leading side to make active adjustments, and Bešić would not always do so.
However, they would still strengthen their defensive line around the 65-minute mark to make the match more stable.
Besides that, it was about continuing to control the pace of the match.
"What do you think?"
Bešić suddenly asked Van Stoyak.
He noticed Van Stoyak deep in thought and, remembering his predictive tactical mind, couldn't help but ask.
Van Stoyak pursed his lips and said, "Do you think Chile might play a 3-5-2 formation in the second half?"
"Compared to 3-4-3, this formation focuses more on midfield control and pressing, letting Vidal control the tempo, and letting Sanchez hide behind the forward line to undertake vertical breakthroughs. This way, Sanchez's pressure will be much less, and it can achieve balance in both offense and defense, as long as the midfielders run actively enough, then there will be no problem."
Bešić nodded, "That's not unreasonable, but do you think the Head Coach of Chile would really dare to play like that?"
This was a kind of do-or-die approach.
Succeed or perish!
If it succeeded, it would be a brilliant tactical change.
If it failed, they would have to bear the blame and responsibility!
Bešić believed that the Head Coach of Chile wouldn't be so bold. Not everyone was as extreme as Van Stoyak.
"I just thought of this possibility. If they want to win, this is indeed a way!"
Bešić nodded, "But we have enough ways to respond."
Van Stoyak nodded, "Exactly. We don't need to make substitutions first!"
The halftime preparation ended, and both teams' players returned to the field.
Van Stoyak kept an eye on Chile's players and found no player changes.
"Did I overthink it?"
Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly noticed that Chile's formation had changed to 4-3-3.
"Changing formation like this?"
Van Stoyak was a bit confused.
Not to mention that when you're trailing, you don't increase your attacking power; instead, you strengthen your defense. Is this a lack of courage to even try?
Soon, he realized that it wasn't quite like that.
When the second half started, Sanchez began to frequently drop back to receive the ball and dribble towards Croatia's half. Several consecutive breakthroughs were indeed threatening, but they failed to create genuine danger or shooting opportunities.
Seeing this, Van Stoyak understood.
Bešić shook his head and said, "Chile wants to strengthen both sides, and the result is that neither side can play effectively."
"Sanchez is indeed dropping back to receive the ball, but he's dropping back from the winger position. There's no one in front to screen or receive the ball, so the moment he receives it, he'll directly run into our defensive midfielder. At that point, it's hard to pass, and besides, he doesn't have Suker's extraordinary individual ability!"
"The Head Coach of Chile wants to attack but is also worried about defense. The final formation change is almost no different from the first half!"
Van Stoyak wasn't entirely wrong in his guess; Sanchez did take on the role of vertical breakthrough, but the Head Coach of Chile didn't dare to go all-in with Van Stoyak's extreme approach.
If he had, it might have caused some trouble for Croatia.
But in the current situation, Chile would only be slowly worn down!
This was good news for Croatia; at the very least, they could proceed with the match as planned.
"Push up! Push up!"
Sanchez broke through with all his might, while also directing his teammates to sprint forward to receive the ball.
Other midfield teammates were also pushing forward vigorously, but the moment Sanchez wanted to pass, Brozović suddenly appeared in front of him.
Sanchez lifted his left foot for a feint, trying to deceive Brozović's center of gravity.
He believed that Croatian players were very cautious and liked to stick to their opponents, which made them easy to trick, and this was the impression Pranjic had given him.
But just as he lifted his left foot, Brozović suddenly rushed forward, sharply extended his foot, and poked the ball away.
The entire action was clean, decisive, and very resolute!
Sanchez: "!!!"
The ball was kicked towards Chile's half and was controlled by Rakitić.
At the same time, Suker, Mandžukić, Perisic, and Modrić were all making high-speed runs forward!
Immediately, a five-on-three situation was formed, as one of Chile's full-backs had pushed forward and couldn't get back in time.
"Oh no!! Danger!"
The Chilean commentator's heart was in his throat.
Suker was running diagonally along the wing towards the penalty area, his position wasn't ideal.
But he noticed that both Perisic and Mandžukić were too eager to score, so they were charging very aggressively.
These three charging like that directly drew all three defenders away.
Suker saw this and, instead of drilling deeper into the penalty area, he ran horizontally.
Rakitić also noticed this. He suddenly paused and gently laid the ball to his right.
Suker ran around Rakitić, at the same time evading a Chilean player who was trying to interfere with him, and met the ball with a direct curling shot!
Suker leaned forward, his entire body angled towards the goal. At the moment of the shot, his toes slightly hooked, producing a textbook-perfect curling shot!
The ball curved around the crowd and flew towards the goal, with a beautiful arc, suddenly dipping into the top right corner of the net!
"Goal!!!!!!!!!!"
The moment Suker scored, Krauchivich immediately jumped up.
He cheered excitedly.
It wasn't just because of the goal; this was Suker's 15th goal in the World Cup!
He had completely tied Ronaldo's World Cup goal record!
"Oh my god!! Suker, that positioning was excellent. He noticed that everyone else was rushing into the penalty area. If Suker had also run in, it would have become crowded, leading to insufficient shooting space. So Suker actively pulled out, started running horizontally, and, with Rakitić's pass, scored this magnificent curling shot!"
"This is a brilliant counter-attacking goal for Croatia. Many people overlook that Croatia is not a possession-based team; defensive counter-attacks are their specialty!"
"At the same time, we congratulate Suker; he has tied Ronaldo's World Cup goal record in just two World Cups!"
"He might even create a new, unique record for himself. I think Croatia and Suker will become even more motivated going forward!"