"Oscar! He scored a valuable goal for us first! This attack was incredibly brilliant, fully utilizing the width and coordination of both wings, ultimately completing a rebound shot to score!"
"That shot was magnificent! The ball was completely pressed down, almost flying along the turf, and this kind of low shot is the type that Goalkeepers find most troublesome!"
With Brazil's goal, the entire stadium erupted.
Over a hundred thousand Brazilian fans cheered and roared. At this moment, the entire stadium was like an ignited powder keg.
Everyone was loudly venting their excitement, but for Croatia, this conceded goal was not a good thing.
"The defense couldn't hold!"
Srna got up from the ground, a hint of solemnity on his face.
He knew that Brazil's offense would be fierce and sharp, but he didn't expect it to be so difficult to deal with.
Previous attacks had also posed threats, but this one was particularly outstanding.
"My fault!"
Vida was somewhat self-reproachful.
He thought that since he had already cleared it, he should have headed it further, which would reduce the opponent's shooting accuracy.
To this, the others shook their heads.
This conceded goal wasn't Vida's fault; he had tried his best to defend and had successfully headed the ball.
In a confrontation, successfully heading the ball away was already good enough; they weren't greedy about the power behind it.
"We have a chance!"
Modrić walked over, his expression still calm.
"Brazil's offense is effective, and our offense is equally effective. Conceding a goal is a fact, but we can't dwell on this issue. The game will indeed be harder to play from now on, as we also need to prevent Brazil from extending their lead, but we ourselves cannot back down!"
Suker immediately nodded, "Luka is right, now is the time to push even harder!"
If they backed down now, it would be equivalent to handing over the rhythm, which would allow Brazil to play even more freely.
Croatia would not give them that pleasure. After conceding a goal, what would follow could only be a more intense counterattack.
Suker also took a deep breath, turning his head to look at Brazil's half.
After the issue of conceding a goal, the game also changed.
This meant that Suker also needed to change his approach.
"I'll make a strong breakthrough on the left wing; you all follow up!"
Suker said directly.
Modrić paused for a moment, then quickly said, "I can create space for you through midfield coordination."
Suker shook his head, "Too slow. I don't want to go into the second half trailing. Brazil is different from other teams; they know very well what to do at each stage. Once the situation and rhythm are under their control, we won't have a chance to turn the game around."
Modrić's idea was correct; it was also a more stable counterattack method.
But Suker believed that Brazil would also react accordingly, or rather, they had already thought of countermeasures.
Therefore, ordinary methods would not be able to break through Brazil's goal; only Suker's direct strong breakthrough on the wing could.
Modrić nodded; he didn't even have any doubts.
Or rather, in his opinion, doubting Suker was tantamount to doubting himself.
Suker had never disappointed them!
At the same time, from the sidelines, Van Stoyak was constantly pointing towards the left wing, shouting instructions.
"Left wing! Play on the left wing! Let Suker make a strong breakthrough!"
Van Stoyak's thoughts coincided with Suker's.
At a time like this, ordinary methods wouldn't work; they had to go straight for a strong remedy.
Brazil's situation had already begun to take shape. To break this situation, they couldn't follow the usual pattern. They had to directly disrupt the game, further interfere with the opponent's rhythm, and find a chance to survive in the chaos.
Bešić did not speak. His strengths lay in management and overall vision, but in terms of on-the-spot adaptability, Van Stoyak was much stronger than him, and he was willing to delegate authority.
Brazil's celebration ended, and they returned to their own half.
Croatia had already placed the ball at the center circle, waiting for the kickoff.
"The match is about to restart. Although we are currently leading by one goal, we cannot relax. Croatia is different from other teams; they are a tenacious team. We cannot relax and be careless just because of one goal; this will lead to various problems for us."
"First, we need to focus on defense and midfield control. Croatia will definitely be thinking about how to create more favorable attacking opportunities for Suker!"
The Brazilian commentator said with a serious tone.
Although they were leading by one goal, he showed no sign of relaxation. Against Croatia, complacency would only be a slow poison.
Krauchivich kept taking deep breaths to calm his emotions.
"The upcoming time is crucial. Brazil is a team very good at closing out games, and their attacking ability is also evident."
"We need to equalize the score without conceding another goal, which will put immense pressure on both our defense and offense… *inhale*… *exhale*…"
Krauchivich took another deep breath and said loudly, "But we still have to believe in the lads; they will find a way!"
This was Croatia's first passive situation in this World Cup, which also made Croatian fans anxious. Previously, Croatia had never faltered in tough matches, but they also feared that Croatia's form and mentality might falter, leading to an inability to properly manage the rest of the game.
In fact, Croatia was indeed a bit anxious, especially some of the younger players. Their reaction after conceding the goal was very agitated; they desperately wanted to equalize quickly.
But these emotions were suppressed by the older players.
When the game restarted, it was clear that older players like Suker, Modrić, Srna, and even Mandžukić were shouting as loudly as possible.
Their communication was more frequent than usual, and in addition to communicating, they also interspersed various instructions.
They were both exchanging information and calming the mentality of the younger players.
For example, Srna was constantly reminding Vida; this guy was very straightforward but also easily got stuck in a rut.
He kept feeling that the conceded goal was his fault, and thinking too much about such things would affect his performance.
And in terms of game management, they began to frequently pass the ball to the left wing, meaning they were passing to Suker.
"Croatia is starting to constantly switch the ball to Suker. Is this to fully utilize Suker's attacking ability, or his ability to advance vertically?"
Suker's range of activity expanded somewhat; he was constantly roaming from the left wing to the center.
And whenever he ran to the center, Rakitić would appropriately cover other positions.
He was already very familiar with this kind of positional coverage.
Not only Rakitić, Suker's running range was already very large and easily encroached on other players' space. For this reason, Croatian players first needed to clarify how to cooperate with Suker's runs.
They also clearly knew that once Suker started to exert himself, the game would find a breakthrough.
Suker ran from the left wing towards the center.
But this time, he stopped in the half-space and turned his head to look at the position behind him.
Casemiro was eyeing him, or rather, he was almost glued to him.
Brazil was also cautious enough. Once they took the lead, they also needed to prioritize defense.
And the basis of good defense was to limit Suker.
For this, they did not hesitate to sacrifice Casemiro, making him responsible for marking Suker, while others were also more involved in defense.
Of course, compared to offense, Brazil was not as outstanding in defense.
This was also a characteristic of South American football. Although Brazil had absorbed European tactics, some local habits could never be completely corrected.
Suker saw a glimmer of opportunity for a breakthrough within this dense defense.
"Croatia is frequently passing the ball to Suker. This is to fully utilize Suker's attacking ability, or his ability to push forward!"
"Although Croatia's positional play is also excellent, in a trailing situation, they need to quickly launch an attack to equalize the score!"
"Furthermore, Croatia's previous attacks were still effective, but they need to seize these opportunities. Let's see how Croatia will manage the rest of the match."
Bang!
Suker passed the ball horizontally to Rakitić, then turned his head again to confirm Casemiro's position.
Suker frowned slightly.
Not close enough!
Closer!
With that, he moved a bit closer to Casemiro.
Casemiro's body was very strong, but Suker's ability to escape in small spaces was equally formidable.
Creating distance would certainly offer more opportunities to break through, but it would also lead to being stuck by other defenders one after another, and the positioning would be further back, unable to pose an immediate threat.
A short inch, a dangerous inch.
Victory in danger!
Suker had full confidence in his skills.
"Just need to hold out once!"
After Suker reduced his muscle mass, his physical confrontation indeed decreased, but he still maintained a certain level of core strength.
This strength was enough for him to withstand one confrontation!
If the opponent clung to him, Suker would have no choice.
But by only needing to withstand one confrontation and then quickly break free, Suker could directly threaten the opponent's backline.
What he needed to do now was get close to Casemiro and make that his breakthrough point.
Casemiro was under immense pressure at this moment.
He watched Suker continuously approach him, completely unaware of what Suker was thinking.
But based on his apprehension towards Suker, he dared not be careless in the slightest.
"Alves! You cover!"
Casemiro turned his head and shouted, this was not the first time he had reminded Alves.
He couldn't guarantee that he could limit Suker, so he needed his teammates to connect the defensive chain the moment he was beaten.
Alves also made a reassuring gesture.
Without Casemiro's reminder, he was also paying close attention to Suker's every move.
At this moment, Suker and Casemiro were almost touching.
At the same time, Modrić also passed the ball in the direction Suker indicated.
Suker had his back to the attacking side, pointing to his left.
The moment Modrić passed the ball, Suker suddenly stepped to the left, and Casemiro immediately followed.
But Suker did indeed stop the ball, and at the same time, he stepped again to turn his body, facing the attacking side.
Casemiro was very cautious and didn't rush in directly.
Although Suker's center of gravity seemed unstable at this time, giving the illusion that he could be pressed.
But Casemiro had been beaten by Suker in this manner many times in Real Madrid's training matches; this guy could still change direction in such situations.
"He didn't fall for it!"
Suker pursed his lips slightly, finding it a bit tricky.
He stepped to the right again, and Casemiro followed him like a shadow.
After two consecutive changes of direction, Casemiro stayed very close.
Just then, Suker's right foot slid over the top of the ball, but his leg wasn't lifted high enough, and his studs grazed the ball, causing it to roll in front of Casemiro.
Casemiro's eyes widened instantly.
"A mistake?"
No, no!
How could Suker make a mistake?
But...
Watching the ball get closer and closer to him, he couldn't even look up to observe Suker, hesitating whether to stick out his foot.
At this moment, Suker's face also showed a hint of urgency.
"He's so damn cautious!"
But the next second, Casemiro stretched out his foot.
Perhaps it was a hesitant stretch; the entire movement was not very decisive, somewhat like slow motion.
But Suker's eyes lit up.
He saw him step sideways, his right foot poked the ball forward again, and his left foot naturally stepped forward.
But during this process, Suker did not directly start but rather took a slight hop.
"Hold this!"
Sure enough, when Casemiro saw Suker poke the ball again, a look of panic appeared on his face, and his entire body quickly collided in the direction Suker was breaking through.
Even if it meant a foul, he couldn't let Suker break through.
But when he collided with Suker, it felt as if the impact wasn't solid; Suker was lightly knocked sideways for some distance, planted his right foot, and started again.
Casemiro, with his center of gravity unstable, fell directly flat on the ground.
The Brazil commentator exclaimed: "!!!!!"
"Casemiro has been beaten!!!—"
But that wasn't the most frightening part.
The moment Suker beat Casemiro, three Croatia players immediately surged past their midfield line, heading straight for the penalty area.
Modrić, Srna, Rakitić.
Combined with Mandžukić and Perisic up front, and even Suker.
Croatia instantly formed a six-on-four situation.
"This, this... dangerous!!!"
The Brazil commentator was so nervous he couldn't help but stand up.
He couldn't quite understand how the situation had suddenly changed so dramatically.
They had been defending well, but the moment Suker broke through, six Croatia players suddenly appeared in front of their penalty area, pressing directly towards their backline.
Six players rushed forward from different directions, each maintaining distance, appearing at crucial points.
At this moment, Suker didn't pass the ball; he just dribbled forward.
His posture seemed to be saying, 'Come press'
"Oh no!"
Thiago Silva's eyelids twitched.
When he saw six Croatia players cross the midfield defensive zone, his head swelled by a whole size.
He had no idea how to arrange the defense; they simply didn't have enough players.
They instinctively retreated a few steps, but quickly realized the problem.
Retreating was useless!
Once Suker entered shooting range, it would become even more dangerous.
"Luiz, hold your position!"
Thiago Silva roared, meaning for David Luiz to drop back, while he, instead of retreating, advanced, charging towards Suker.
At this moment, it was a dead end!
If he didn't step forward to press, Croatia wouldn't change their play.
And in the change, they would also have a chance to block.
Suker also noticed Thiago Silva's movement; he slightly turned his body to the right, making a passing motion.
Thiago Silva immediately made a judgment.
At this point, he couldn't think too much; even if it was a feint, he had to commit.
He couldn't let this ball pass, otherwise, Modrić would be completely open!
The moment Thiago Silva stepped to block, Suker twisted his waist, hooked the ball with his foot, and broke through in the opposite direction.
Seeing this, Thiago Silva's face turned ashen!
"It's over!"
But just as he said, even if it was a feint, he had to fall for it.
"He's beaten him again! Suker!"
At this moment, Suker had already surged into the penalty area, ready to shoot at any time.
To his left, Alves charged fiercely.
"Don't even think about shooting!"
He went for a direct slide tackle, like a demon.
Alves knew clearly that this ball couldn't be lost; even if it meant a card, it couldn't be lost, at most, a one-for-one exchange.
Facing such a fierce slide tackle, Suker, in his current state, couldn't make any further feints.
But a flash of inspiration struck him; he lightly stepped on the ball with his left foot, stopping it in place, while his body continued to run forward, taking a slight hop to evade Alves's fierce slide tackle.
The moment Suker landed, he silently prayed.
"Please be there!"
Bang!
The sound of a foot striking the ball came from beside his ear.
The muffled sound was now so pleasant.
Croatia commentator Krauchivich slammed his hand on the table.
"Ćorluka!! Shoot!!!—"
This was a curling shot.
This was also Ćorluka's most preferred way of shooting.
Bešić demanded that full-backs also have goal-scoring ability, and for this, Ćorluka developed this curling shot through countless training sessions.
The same run-up as usual!
The same leg swing as usual!
The same body leaning forward as usual!
The same hooking of the toes as usual!
What was different was... the agitation of that moment, a heart that felt like it could leap out of his throat at any second.
Countless days and nights of training, sweat poured out.
Getting up again after falling down countless times.
All for this moment!
"Go in!!!—"
Ćorluka roared fiercely after taking the shot.
The ball formed an arc, curving towards the top right corner of Brazil's goal.
Brazil's Goalkeeper was positioned closer to the left; even though he hurriedly shuffled to the right to make a save, he was still out of reach.
The ball, with strong spin, plunged into the goal.
When the ball hit the net.
The moment the crisp sound rang out, it felt like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of Croatian fans.
Their wildly beating hearts even felt a dull ache in their chests.
Blood flowed rapidly through their veins, and their entire faces were flushed red.
Even bloodshot eyes appeared.
But even so, they didn't blink; the moment the ball plunged into the goal.
A thunderous cheer suddenly erupted in Maracanã Stadium.
Tens of thousands of Croatian fans, who had traveled all the way from Eastern Europe.
They believed and were convinced that these young men were a generation destined to create a legend!
And they did not disappoint the fans' expectations!
Look!
How wonderfully they played!
Whoa!!!!!!!!—
Countless arms were raised high, waving madly.
The sounds of horns, cheers, cries, laughter, and even applause became the main melody of the stadium at this moment.
Croatia equalized the score in the 35th minute!
A brilliant combination!
A brilliant attack!
A brilliant goal!