The fire in his heart was completely ignited at this moment.
One step forward was the semifinals, one step back was an abyss.
Four years of effort could not be wasted here.
The moment Ćorluka scored, his mind went blank, but it was quickly filled with a surging excitement, his face turning red as he rushed to the corner flag, roaring with all his might.
All the pressure, all the excitement, everything was released at this moment.
Suker and the others also rushed over immediately, one by one tackling Ćorluka, playing a pile-on.
They had finally equalized the score; the moment the goal appeared, they were more excited than anyone.
"Well done!"
Suker vigorously rubbed Ćorluka's head.
The latter also showed a very satisfied expression.
The moment Suker stepped on the ball, in fact, he was taking a gamble.
He didn't have time to observe whether Ćorluka had reached that position; he could only rely on the instinct of tactical movement to stop the ball in place.
Alves would not give him a chance to shoot; if he forced a shot, it was very likely to hit Alves, or even cause injury.
This was the worst situation!
But Ćorluka did not disappoint Suker's expectations; he ran to the position.
Just like in previous training, he steadily ran to his position and then scored.
"Well done! Truly well done!"
Krauchivich was so excited he couldn't control himself; he kept clapping, his palms red, but he felt nothing.
Suker's breakthrough was brilliant, one person disrupting the Brazil's defense.
But Ćorluka's run was also crucial; he appeared where he was most needed and then steadily scored.
With this goal, the game returned to the starting point, and Croatia equalized the score.
This was not an easy feat; the moment the Brazil scored, Croatia's situation was indeed not good.
It could even be said that if the situation continued to drag on, they might become even more passive.
And their desperate, fierce counterattack had an effect; the Brazil did not expect Croatia's counterattack to be so fierce, and Suker's explosion point was also brought closer, all of which were reasons for this goal.
Kaka looked at the celebrating Croatia players from afar, shaking his head helplessly.
The moment they conceded the goal, he felt a bit tired.
This fatigue was an emotion from his heart, not his body.
He had actually known that Suker would take action, but he didn't expect it to be so swift.
And the moment the goal appeared, even he became somewhat frustrated.
There was nothing they could do; they had finally scored and gained a certain advantage, but they were quickly equalized by Croatia.
Clap clap!
Kaka gently patted his cheek and shook his head.
He knew this was not the time to be frustrated; there was still time in the game, and the key to victory lay ahead.
Croatia finished their celebration and returned to their half.
Currently, Brazil 1:1 Croatia!
Besides the fans of both sides, third-party fans were also very excited.
This match was as intense and exciting as they had predicted.
So far, neither team has made a mistake, which means they are not weak opponents, but goals have indeed appeared, which also indicates that the attacking ability of these two teams is very strong.
"I knew this would happen!"
Pato pouted, his gaze towards Suker filled with apprehension.
Pato believed he was the person who understood Suker the most, not in terms of personality, but in terms of skill.
After he landed in the Big Five Leagues, his template for effort and surpassing has always been Suker.
He had constantly watched and analyzed Suker's match videos, he had also consulted others about Suker's questions, and even directly asked Suker.
It could be said that, although their styles were different, Pato truly worked hard to become like Suker.
The reason was simple: he was the most outstanding football player he had ever seen.
And Suker, standing at the pinnacle, was naturally an existence he needed to strive to surpass.
Although there was still some gap between them, and Pato even thought he might truly be unable to surpass Suker in his professional career, this was not a reason for him to retreat.
"Guys, let's launch a fierce attack!"
After shouting, Pato wiped the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand: "I don't believe we can't break through!"
Beep!
Under the sharp whistle, the game restarted!
After the kickoff, the Brazil still maintained a style of play that controlled the midfield.
However, at this moment, Croatia's reaction was more intense.
Clearly, Croatia also understood that they could not give up control of the midfield to the opponent; they had to constantly pressure Brazil's midfield to prevent them from organizing effective attacks.
Croatia's overall movements were incredibly swift and intense.
Combined with their morale boost after the goal, Croatia's momentum had reached its peak at this moment.
The Brazilian was not to be outdone; despite conceding a goal, they were playing at home, and they had an additional reason not to lose compared to Croatia.
Bang!
Kaka directly turned and launched a long pass, wanting to replicate the previous goal, or at least create a threat.
However, this time, Croatia was prepared.
The moment Kaka passed the ball, Modrić was the first to run to entangle Pato, hindering his start.
And Ćorluka, from behind, quickly retreated, swiftly controlled the landing spot, and headed the ball away before Pato could reach it.
The ball was headed forward and controlled by the retreating Rakitić; Rakitić, with his back to the attacking side, was not in a hurry to pass the ball, but rather passed it back to Vukojević, who then transferred it to Modrić, who had run into open space; this time it was Croatia's midfield control.
Suker was still roaming from the wing to the center.
This kind of movement would more effectively draw the Brazil's defensive chain, but Suker also felt the pressure.
After he created the scoring opportunity, Brazil's defense on him became even tighter.
Every step Suker took, Casemiro followed even more closely.
Several times, it was direct man-to-man defense.
Casemiro's defensive approach was somewhat different from others, especially when dealing with Suker; he dared not pull away.
He clearly knew that Suker's agility and ability to break free in small spaces were very strong, so he had to apply physical pressure immediately; only then could he properly limit Suker.
Once Suker created some distance, he could complete a breakaway move in extreme time, thereby escaping his defense.
Suker retreated from the center to the sideline, with Casemiro always shadowing him.
Suker also looked towards his own half; the defensive pressure was still there.
Just as he was pressuring Brazil's defense, Neymar and Pato from Brazil were also applying pressure.
Actually, what worried Suker the most was not Pato; that guy's type was exactly what Croatia could handle—a head-on charge, fast linear acceleration, but without too much technical skill, relying purely on physical attributes.
This kind of player could be successfully limited with reasonable cooperation and Linkage.
The difficulty in playing Brazil lay with Neymar.
Neymar's ability was very strong; in the original timeline, he was able to climb to the position of the world's third best player during Messi and Ronaldo's dominant era, which shows his talent.
Moreover, compared to the Brazil in the original timeline, this Brazil had Kaka, who was like a pillar, and Pato, who could always make forward runs.
These were all Neymar's reliance, allowing him to perform even better.
Neymar was clearly restless; he constantly maintained a receiving position on the left wing, and his movement was also very active.
And in several consecutive attacking attempts, Neymar also contributed good performances.
However, he was always unable to penetrate Srna's defensive line.
"This is damn hard!"
Srna stared at Neymar, unable to help but grumble inwardly.
Several consecutive impacts, Srna gave his all every time.
Keeping up with Neymar's rhythm was not an easy task, and what's more, he also needed to consider other things; he had to guard against Neymar's passes.
All of this put a lot of pressure on Srna.
But no matter how much pressure there was, he had to withstand it!
Bang!
As the ball was being transferred to Fred, it was suddenly slid-tackled and intercepted by Vukojević, who came out of nowhere.
"Well done!"
Srna clenched his fist and roared loudly.
Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief.
"Slow down the pace, slow down the pace!"
Srna kept shouting reminders.
Modrić also heard it; he actively went to receive the ball and then began to slow down the pace.
The pressure on the defense was immense, and their physical exertion was also very high due to continuous running.
To give the defense some time to breathe, Modrić also couldn't maintain the pace.
During a match, one cannot only think about offense and defense; the teammates' condition must also be considered.
"Croatia has started to deliberately slow down the pace, and at this moment, it's already 40 minutes into the game, with the first half about to end."
As Croatia slowed down their pace, Brazil also adopted the same strategy.
Evidently, after battling through the first half, both sides were quite exhausted, and they tacitly chose to cease hostilities, planning to fight again in the second half.
However, both sides maintained very tight marking on the opponent's key players.
After all, no one could predict a sudden change in the opponent's pace.
In this regard, both Modrić and Kaka were masters.
They maintained their focus until the whistle for the end of the first half sounded, only then truly relaxing.
"The first half has ended! Two goals were scored in 45 minutes, with Brazil 1:1 Croatia. Oscar and Ćorluka scored the goals, helping their respective teams secure one goal each!"
"With the first half ending in a draw, both sides have placed their hopes of victory on the second half. I believe the second half will definitely be even more intense!"
Players from both teams returned to the player tunnel amidst the intense cheers from the crowd.
They also saw the enthusiastic fans but had no time or inclination to respond.
At this moment, all their energy was concentrated on the match.
Back in the locker room, Kaka took off his sweat-soaked, sticky jersey, hands on his hips, panting, and turned his head to say, "We must run more in the second half! Especially on the left wing. Don't forget, Suker is a threat in the second half!"
Kaka's reminder was specific.
Having failed to gain an advantage in the first half, their left wing would face continuous strong attacks in the second half.
No one knew better than Kaka how strong Suker's performance would be in the second half.
This guy was like his stamina instantly refilled, continuously attacking the defense until it completely collapsed.
This was also why Brazil insisted on creating an advantage in the first half; only then could they contend with Croatia in the second half.
Now that the first half was over, the score was tied.
This was not a very good situation, but it wasn't too bad either.
For this, they had to perk up!
"Pato, you must drop back more in the second half. Treat it like a 70-minute game and wring out all your remaining stamina!"
Kaka said seriously.
Pato immediately nodded.
They both came from Milan and were well aware of Suker's performance in the second half.
Limiting Suker in the second half could no longer rely solely on the backline; if so, Suker would directly break them down.
Therefore, the right winger's retreat was crucial; only then could the defensive intensity be strengthened.
Moreover, Pato had already considered it before the match.
If they failed to establish an advantage in the first half, he would play as if it were a 70-minute game, completely exhausting his remaining stamina in the final 25 minutes.
This was to limit Suker's performance, which required him to continuously sprint back and forth along the sideline, demanding high stamina, but he was confident he could do it.
The Brazil coach also continued to arrange tactics based on this.
This was their game as host, and they could not lose, much less be eliminated in the quarterfinals.
So many Brazil fans were watching and anticipating their match; it couldn't just end like this.
On the other side, Croatia was also busy arranging tactics.
The first half had already shown that Brazil's offense was a threat to them; the conceded goal was the best proof.
Croatia made no mistakes, but Brazil still managed to break through their defense, which showed Brazil's offensive capability.
"In the second half, we need to shrink more tightly. Only then can we prevent Brazil's penetrating play," Bešić said.
Ćorluka suddenly pursed his lips: "This way, the sidelines will be completely open. Both of their wingers are very fast. If they go to the byline or cut inside, we'll be in a lot of trouble."
Bešić slightly pursed his lips; he was also aware of this.
But there was always a matter of priority. Brazil's penetrating style of play was too threatening, and it applied pressure directly on the central axis, leading to more direct shooting angles.
For this reason, compared to the central axis, Bešić was more willing to give up the two wings and let them go to the byline. As long as the middle was blocked, Brazil's shooting angles would be limited.
"Besides that, we also need to be careful of Brazil's set pieces. Try not to concede set pieces as much as possible!"
Brazil has David Luiz; despite being a center-back, his set-piece technique is excellent.
"We can also use set pieces!"
Suddenly, Van Stoyak spoke up.
Bešić turned to look, and Van Stoyak added, "Our progression relies more on Suker and Rakitić's vertical breakthroughs. On this basis, why not add more leverage?"
"If the breakthrough is successful, we go directly inside. If not, then force the opponent to make a move. If we can get a foul, get one; if not, then aim for a set piece!"
Croatia also has many free-kick specialists.
Suker, Modrić, and Dujmović are all free-kick specialists.
Among them, Suker is definitely a free-kick master.
His free-kick conversion rate is very high!
"This cannot be the only means. Being too fixated on set pieces, we still need to play through penetration when necessary, and the two wings can also try more."
After a pause, Suker looked at Perisic and asked, "Is there a lot of pressure on your side?"
Perisic was startled for a moment, then subconsciously shook his head.
Everyone also looked at Perisic. To be honest, in this World Cup, Perisic's performance was not very active.
He didn't actively demand the ball much; instead, he seemed to be just going through the motions.
They could understand Perisic being under pressure, not wanting to make mistakes. Moreover, this World Cup might be the last major tournament for Srna, Dujmović, and others, and he didn't want his lack of ability to lead to failure.
For this, he would give more crucial opportunities to others!
But this way, the right wing wouldn't be effective.
Suker believed it was necessary to instill some ideas in him and not let him continue playing like this.
It was fine for now, but if they faced a stronger team in the future, such as Germany, when the left-wing attack was not working, the right wing had to step up.
"Try to break through more. Don't bear too much burden. Make the moves first, and then slowly adjust your condition. On my side..." Srna pursed his lips and waved his hand: "Never mind!"
He had wanted to say that he could also go up and help.
But thinking of the immense defensive pressure, he still shook his head and gave up.
Once he ran up, he might not be able to run back.
The second half's offense was still safest left to the midfield, and the defense needed to remain as stable as possible to avoid conceding first.
"Alright, that's it! Everyone, take a rest," Bešić said, then suddenly waved to Dujmović in the crowd.
Dujmović was startled for a moment, then immediately ran over.
"How is your condition adjustment?" Bešić asked directly.
Dujmović blinked: "My condition has always been good!"
He couldn't say his condition was poor!
Bešić nodded: "If the second half enters a stalemate, I plan to put you on in the 65th minute. I will have Suker, Rakitić, and Perisic penetrate inwards, making vertical breakthroughs, and you must follow up immediately. When they attract attention, try long-range shots from outside!"
Set pieces could not be the only offensive method; they also needed to be supplemented with long-range shooting ability.
Although Modrić also had long-range shooting ability, he had strict requirements for distance.
If it was too far, the power of the shot would be insufficient.
In fact, Modrić was not a heavy shooter!
And the only players in Croatia who could be called heavy shooters, besides Suker, were Dujmović.
Furthermore, there was the ingrained thinking: Dujmović was a 'Demon Blade,' and he had repeatedly shown clutch performances on the field.
Bešić also regarded him as a super-sub. Although he was older now, at such a moment, he was still willing to trust the veteran.
Dujmović was also faintly excited.
He had originally thought this World Cup would be a mere formality, and he would remain on the bench, but he didn't expect to actually get a chance to play.
His heart was slowly stirring.
Who would want to be a substitute if they could play?
Dujmović believed that when the team needed him, he would certainly deliver the corresponding performance.