The confrontation between Brazil and Croatia has become the main theme.
It is also the most anticipated match since the start.
Both teams are top-tier football teams, and their squad composition and match performance are excellent. In this situation, it is very difficult to guess which of the two teams will win.
It wouldn't be surprising if either of them secured the victory.
It still depends on their performance in the match. Will Brazil be in better form? Or will Croatia perform more outstandingly?
The match has not yet begun, but the entire Rio de Janeiro has already become fervent.
The day before the match, various reports, predictions, and data analyses became mainstream.
Fans were also intensely discussing the match.
Some believe that Brazil will win. As a football country with a profound history, Brazil has too much experience in the World Cup.
They know very well how to play the game!
Therefore, the Brazil Team has a high probability of securing victory.
At the same time, Croatia's performance in this World Cup has also been astonishing. So far, they are a stable team.
Facing Croatia, no team can truly say they can definitely suppress them.
Secondly, there's the issue of Suker.
Brazil's ability to secure victory is closely related to their ability to limit Suker.
At the very least, for Brazil, the first half is crucial. They must score, gain an advantage, or take the lead in the first half. Only then can they continue to contend with Croatia in the second half.
It's not that Croatia is a slow-starting team, but to defeat Croatia, leading in the first half is clearly easier than leading in the second half.
Once the match is dragged into the second half and enters a war of attrition, Brazil will truly be in danger.
Croatia's preparations are also in full swing. Unlike other teams before, the name Brazil itself brings them immense pressure.
Suker and others are relatively fine; they have experienced many challenges and their mindset is stable.
But for young players like Vida, Kovacic, and Brozović, their hearts are still very nervous.
They are afraid of holding back in this match. It's not that they lack confidence, but facing these world-class players, they truly feel there is a certain gap.
The night passed uneventfully; it was remarkably quiet.
Perhaps the security around the hotel was excellent, or perhaps the fans had all gone back to rest and recuperate for the match, or perhaps it was the psychological factor of the calm before the storm.
But overall, in the quiet environment, the Croatia players had a rare good night's sleep.
In the morning, the Croatia internationals woke up one after another and went to eat breakfast after washing up.
There was a half-hour tactical meeting in the morning to further solidify their tactics.
There was also a pitch inspection scheduled; all of these were preparations for the match.
It wasn't until the afternoon that the surroundings began to become lively.
Reporters had already gathered around the hotel, and so had the fans.
Looking at the neatly arranged security personnel not far away, Suker and the others finally understood why it had been so quiet last night.
"I hope they stay there forever!"
Modrić exclaimed with emotion.
If it were other host countries, fans would probably already be harassing them, not letting opposing players sleep well, which is also one of their strategies.
However, Brazil disdains doing such things.
They inherently have a sense of superiority in the World Cup. They believe that against any team, Brazil has the ability to break through head-on, without needing to resort to other dishonorable means.
"Nervous?"
In the evening, the Croatia players quietly packed their belongings, preparing to head to the stadium.
The atmosphere at this moment also became very heavy.
Kovacic clearly showed signs of nervousness, first putting his T-shirt on inside out, then his pants inside out, and when tying his shoelaces, he tied both together, almost falling over.
Suker and the others grimaced as they watched.
"Are you nervous?"
Srna walked over and said softly, "Nervousness is definitely an emotion you'll feel, but you also need to try and control it. Take a deep breath, exhale, and do it a few more times to ease it a bit."
"Nervous about what?!" Mandžukić, who was nearby, directly said, "You might not even start. It's not certain whether you'll play or not, so what are you nervous about?!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Kovacic froze for a moment.
That's right!
He might not even start!
Instantly, a lot of pressure was relieved, and he became much more agile.
Suker quietly gave Mandžukić a thumbs up. Sometimes, this guy can eliminate a lot of negative things with a sudden remark.
"Let's go, we should head to the stadium!"
Suker slung his satchel over his shoulder and turned to walk out of the equipment room.
The others also followed suit.
In the hotel lobby, it was as usual, filled with reporters and media personnel.
When the Croatia players walked out one after another, the place erupted.
"Suker! Look here!"
"Do you have confidence in this match?"
"Can you say a few words?"
Reporters scrambled to ask questions, cameras and camcorders were constantly filming, and flashlights merged into a continuous stream.
In the lively environment, the Croatia players silently walked out of the hotel and boarded the bus that was already parked at the entrance.
Bešić and Van Stoyak were the last to enter the bus. After they counted the number and confirmed that no one was missing, they waved their hands.
"Depart!"
The journey from the hotel to Maracanã Stadium is about five kilometers.
Since the main road was controlled during this period to ensure smooth passage for both teams, there was almost no sense of stopping.
The blocked road was straight, and at the intersections of the roads, fans gathered, waving their hands frantically at the passing bus, cheering for their warriors.
The distance from the hotel to the stadium was not far, but during the journey, the bus remained quiet.
Srna, Modrić, and others were closing their eyes, feigning sleep. They weren't actually asleep; they were likely simulating the match process in their minds.
Suker was also doing the same. For these veteran players, there's a standard way to adjust their state before a match, using imagination to get themselves into the game state faster.
Maracanã Stadium, compared to the previous two matches, had an even more intense atmosphere.
It was probably due to the arrival of the host Brazil Team; the entire Rio de Janeiro became fervent, and the area around the stadium was also packed with Brazil fans.
Brazil fans are passionate; the match hadn't even begun, and they were already cheering and shouting intensely, singing and dancing, continuously elevating the atmosphere.
And the moment both teams' buses arrived, this area was even more filled with intense cheers.
Both the Croatia and Brazil buses drove directly into the stadium and did not linger outside.
However, this also made the surrounding fans extremely excited, constantly chasing until they were intercepted by security personnel outside the stadium.
The bus entered the underground passage and arrived at their respective entrances.
Players from both teams successively disembarked and took the stairs to enter the venue.
There were also some specially invited reporters and promotional influencers around, but as players of the two competing teams, they had no time to pay attention to these, entering the venue directly to prepare for the match.
"Gentlemen, now change into your jerseys and prepare to go out for warm-ups. Don't think about the match yet; first, do your warm-ups well!"
"Everyone change clothes and warm up!"
Both Head Coaches quickly gave the warm-up instructions; the pre-match tension had already spread.
Both sides understood that this match was crucial for their path to the World Cup championship.
Whether it was Brazil or Croatia, these were both seeded teams in this World Cup. They were well aware of each other's strength, and therefore, the pressure they felt internally was immense.
This was different from the previous group stage and knockout matches; they needed to give their all, as only then could they hope for victory.
At the players' tunnel, both teams' players began to warm up.
The camera showed Suker, Kaka, Marcelo, Srna, and other players belonging to Real Madrid also coming out one after another.
However, there was no eye contact or greeting between them.
Regardless of their usual relationship, at this moment, they were opponents, with different stances, and naturally needed to avoid suspicion.
Moreover, facing such an important match, they didn't have a relaxed mindset; their entire beings were tense.
While warming up, Brazil also looked at players like Suker and Modrić. These were players who could pose a threat to them, and their performance would determine the direction of the match.
At the same time, on Croatia's defensive line, Srna was also repeatedly reminding his teammates to keep a close eye on Neymar, Pato, and Kaka.
Both teams knew their tactical priorities. They were both top-tier teams with strong capabilities, and their various statistics were essentially public and transparent, with no major changes, so they understood each other fairly well.
This match would depend on the teams' form and which side could better create the game environment.
"This is the 2014 Brazil World Cup quarter-final knockout match, featuring host Brazil against Croatia!"
"After two weeks of the World Cup, it has finally entered the crucial stages, and at the same time, it welcomes a true clash of titans!"
"Whether it's Brazil or Croatia, their performances in previous matches have been outstanding, and the meeting of these two teams will undoubtedly lead to an extremely intense match."
"I don't think anyone can predict this match, as both sides are evenly matched in strength, and it's impossible to judge from the lineup which side will gain the advantage!"
"Everything depends on the tactical choices and how the game rhythm is managed in the opening period."
"But I believe this match will definitely be a spectacular event!"
The camera focused on the key players from both sides.
The first to come into view was undoubtedly Suker. As the most anticipated player in this World Cup, many people in the 2014 Brazil World Cup were looking forward to whether Suker could win the World Cup and successfully ascend to the throne.
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"Suker has already broken Ronaldo's scoring record in this World Cup and is also leading the top scorer list. For Brazil, how to limit Suker's performance has become a crucial aspect for them."
"Moreover, Croatia is not just Suker; Mandžukić, Rakitić, and Perisic can all put pressure on opponents in the attacking phase, especially when Suker attracts defensive attention, they will be relatively freer, and their threat level will continuously rise!"
"Coatia needs to be wary of Neymar and Pato!"
"In the previous few matches, these two players have shown extremely excellent vertical breakthrough abilities, often creating attacking opportunities for Brazil through their breakthroughs."
"And in this match, Brazil Head Coach has also sent both players onto the field simultaneously, forming an offensive mode on both wings. Perhaps we will see Brazil's spectacular two-wing attack."
During the commentator's explanation, the warm-up session ended.
Both teams' players re-entered the player tunnel and returned to the locker room.
During this process, the cheers from the fans in the stadium continuously echoed throughout the venue, even becoming more intense.
All of this indicated to everyone that the match was getting closer.
Kaka put on his Brazil Team jersey, tied his shoelaces tightly, and then stood up.
At this moment, Kaka appeared incredibly serious and solemn. He said loudly:
"Croatia is a strong team, but we need to make them understand that on this land, Brazil is always the Winner!"
"We have had a glorious history in the World Cup, and these will support us to go further. Guys, we will defeat Croatia and advance to the World Cup semi!"
After speaking, Kaka called his teammates to form a circle. They shouted loudly, cheering each other on.
At the same time, the same situation was happening with Croatia.
Srna gathered his teammates in a circle, and after an impassioned speech, he vigorously waved his arms.
"Prepare for battle!"
The Croatia players also roared loudly and followed Srna's footsteps onto the field.
When both teams' players re-entered the player tunnel, the match atmosphere had become incredibly tense.
Neither side looked away, but the feeling of confrontation was extremely strong.
Brazil Team in their yellow jerseys!
Croatia in their red and white checkered jerseys!
These two teams, highly anticipated by the World Cup, would now face each other head-on.
And after 90 minutes, one team would surely leave the World Cup stage.
The World Cup is cruel, especially at this stage.
It's almost like advancing over the opponents' bodies, so there can be no mercy; everything is aimed at victory.
Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!!—
Maracanã Stadium, the roar of 200,000 people made the ground tremble, and even the air faintly vibrated.
When both teams' players entered the field, the atmosphere of the entire stadium reached its climax.
The starting lineups for both teams are as follows:
Brazil Team (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Alves, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Marcelo.
Midfield: Pato, Casemiro, Oscar, Kaka, Neymar.
Forward: Fred.
Croatia (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Subašić.
Defenders: Srna, Vida, Lovren, Ćorluka.
Midfield: Perisic, Vukojević, Rakitić, Modrić, Suker.
Forward: Mandžukić.
Suker looked at this lineup and couldn't help but twitch his eyelids.
Compared to the original timeline, this lineup truly fulfilled too many things.
Pato, who should have declined, was now a backbone of Brazil.
Casemiro grew faster and anchored Brazil's starting defensive midfield.
Kaka was also still going strong, competing in the 2014 World Cup as Brazil Team's captain, plus Neymar.
Today's Brazil Team was not the team from the original timeline that relied solely on Neymar's support.
Even if Neymar were to get injured, others could step up.
At the very least, Pato's threat was no weaker than Neymar's.
Of course, Croatia was also incomparable to its original timeline counterpart.
With Suker as the core, Croatia Team had completed a super transformation; their current combat power was absolutely world-class.
Therefore, even when facing this Brazil Team, Suker was not intimidated at all.
"The match is about to begin. From the lineups of both sides, we can already see the intensity of the match; it's truly a galaxy of stars!"
Commentators from various countries sighed with emotion.
Both Brazil Team and Croatia had very strong players in every position, with almost no so-called weaknesses.
And this kind of match was the most exciting to watch, as it meant that to create opportunities, one couldn't wait for the opponent's mistakes, but had to actively create them oneself.
Often, these types of matches were very exciting and thrilling!
The two captains, Srna and Kaka, exchanged pennants and tossed the coin to choose sides.
They also shared a friendly hug, but it was brief.
Kaka won the coin toss, Brazil Team got the kick-off, while Croatia chose the right half.
After both teams' players returned to their respective halves, the match was about to begin.
Fred and Neymar stood in the center circle, ready for the kick-off.
They occasionally covered their mouths to communicate, and from their expressions, it was not difficult to see their solemnity.
Croatia was also ready to go; as soon as the match started, they would immediately surge forward.
Croatia would mostly adopt a defensive counter-attack strategy in this match.
On one hand, this was essentially Brazil Team's Manchester United, so their momentum would naturally be slightly weaker.
Secondly, Brazil's midfield configuration was no weaker than Croatia's; therefore, they dared not be overconfident and use a midfield control tactic.
One wrong move could lead to a disastrous outcome.
Therefore, they returned to basics, playing in the way they were most proficient.
Whoosh~~~~~
Casemiro slowly exhaled.
As he exhaled, his throat trembled slightly.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't nervous, especially since he needed to constantly mark Suker.
Casemiro had never directly faced Suker except in training matches.
But from various situations in training matches, this was not an easy task.
However, he also clearly understood that if he couldn't keep up, Brazil Team's defense would be shredded by Suker; he had to keep up no matter what.
In necessary situations, fouling was also acceptable!
Moreover, he had Alves behind him, and this guy was clearly more experienced in dealing with Suker.
Brazil didn't dare to say they would completely neutralize Suker in this match, but they had to first seal off the left wing in the first half to provide attacking opportunities for the team.