"Left!!"

"Wrong! It's right!"

"Go go go! I'll cover the back!"

Vida and Lovren were communicating intensely, almost shouting at each other.

During the practice match, facing Šuker's onslaught, their morale was nearly shattered.

This was nothing like the forwards they faced in their respective leagues. Under that kind of impact, the moment they showed the slightest lapse, Šuker could complete a shooting motion.

"I'm going in!"

Lovren immediately charged forward.

Vida was about to speak when he saw Šuker drop his shoulder but, instead of changing direction, he gently played the ball through Lovren's legs—a nutmeg.

"Another one?!!"

Vida felt like he was about to explode.

By then, Šuker had caught up to the ball and chipped it into the net with effortless grace.

The substitute team's defensive line was in complete disarray.

Lovren and Vida were both lying on the ground, while substitute goalkeeper Pletikosa squatted down, shaking his head helplessly.

"That ball, you rushed in too aggressively!"

"If I didn't rush in, Šuker would have taken the shot!"

"Let the midfielders handle the pressure!"

Vida retorted, and the two turned their frustration outward.

"Where's the midfield? The defensive midfielders? Don't you know to track back after pushing forward?"

The substitutes were arguing fiercely.

Šuker and the others watched the scene with smiles.

They didn't see this as a bad thing. It was a manifestation of ideas and coordination. In the intensity of a match, this would accelerate.

The more pressure Šuker applied, the faster they would gel.

Vida had just joined the national team, and his coordination with Lovren wasn't particularly in sync yet, so they needed to be put under heavy pressure.

The substitute defensive line argued intensely, expressing their thoughts through the quarrel. The argument was just the process, but they were indeed conveying their perspectives, so it counted as effective communication.

Meanwhile, on the main team's defensive line, Šimić and Kovač looked over at the other side with some envy.

Without realizing it, they had gone from being young players to veterans.

Šimić was now 33 years old, and Kovač was 35.

It was safe to say they wouldn't be able to make it to the 2014 World Cup.

This European Championship would be their final battlefield.

Both had decided to retire from the national team after the Euros.

Despite their immense reluctance and the many unfinished tasks—they still hadn't lifted the World Cup with the team—time was merciless. They were experiencing firsthand that the biggest enemy of a professional career was time.

In the past, they only had to guard against injuries, but now, facing their declining form, all they could do was try to maintain a stable state.

Even so, they felt they were nearing their limit.

"Hey, let's stop arguing," Vida said to Lovren. "How about we ask Šimić and Kovač for advice?"

Lovren rolled his eyes at that.

"You're thinking of the national team too simply, aren't you? Why would they teach us? So far, we're competitors, and this is their last Euros. They won't give up their spots for us, let alone teach us."

Lovren had tried to communicate with them before, but it turned out not everyone was like Davor Šuker and the others, willing to selflessly share their experience.

Lovren and Vida could only figure things out on their own.

On the sidelines, Bešić watched the action on the field, constantly writing in his notebook.

Van Stoyak glanced over.

Bešić's notes were neat, his handwriting clean.

This matched his straightforward and decisive attitude in doing things.

Under each player's name, he had written their characteristics and shortcomings, with question marks next to various possibilities that needed verification.

Van Stoyak had been working with Bešić for about a year now.

To be honest, compared to Bilić, Bešić was smarter and had his own ideas.

Bilić's tactical sensitivity wasn't high, and his tactical literacy was lacking.

Although Bilić was part of Croatia's Golden Generation, being a good player didn't necessarily mean being a good coach.

On the contrary, Bešić, who had fallen behind during his time at Dinamo Zagreb, had achieved great success in his coaching career.

Not only had he discovered players like Šuker, Modrić, Mandžukić, and Rakitić for Croatia's second generation, but he had also shown many strengths while serving as the national team coach.

For example, Bešić wasn't stubborn, but he also wasn't easily swayed.

He stood firm when necessary and listened to opinions when appropriate.

Van Stoyak knew his own tactical style was aggressive, but Bešić excelled as a regulator. With their tacit understanding cooperation, they had excellent adjustment capabilities tactically.

Of course, tactics were one thing!

The reason they dared to set the goal of "World Cup champions" was largely due to the players' performances.

It could be said that this Croatian team had undoubtedly reached its historical peak in terms of squad strength.

Even across Europe, few teams could rival Croatia in terms of lineup.

Even during the era of Davor Šuker's Croatia, which was hailed as the Golden Generation, they often felt apprehensive facing Europe's top powerhouses and played passively.

But this Croatian team wouldn't have that problem.

Their strength stemmed from mental fortitude.

It came from consecutive victories and outstanding performances in the European Championship and World Cup, which had given them confidence!

Clap clap clap clap!!

Bešić clapped his hands. "Alright, that's it for today's training. Tomorrow is match day. Everyone, go back and rest well. Assemble on time tomorrow!"

The final day of training camp had ended.

This meant that after the next match, they could enter their vacation.

"Are you still working during the break?" Mandžukić asked, looking at Šuker.

Šuker rolled his eyes.

Why bring that up!

However, Šuker's workload during this break was relatively lighter, mainly due to the results of his hard work before.

He could have about a week off, during which he could take a vacation.

Of course, he could think about that after the match.

Georgia was currently second to last in the group standings. Aside from Malta, they were the weakest.

However, the reason Croatia was taking it so seriously was related to their early qualification.

Bešić was cautious by nature, so for such a crucial match, he wouldn't allow any accidents.

The starting lineup would undoubtedly be all main players. If they could quickly widen the score, the substitutes would also get playing time.

The next day, Maksimir Stadium once again welcomed a large number of Croatian fans.

Even more than usual.

After all, it had been a while since they had seen this Croatian national team perform excellently.

Moreover, after getting used to the pace of the Croatian domestic league, they wanted to experience the performances of these top players returning from top-tier leagues.

As for the outcome of the match, they didn't think Croatia would lose to Georgia.

The starting lineups were as follows:

Croatia (4-3-3):

Goalkeeper: Subašić

Defenders: Pranjić, Šimić, Kovač, Srna

Midfielders: Rakitić, Vukojević, Modrić

Forwards: Perišić, Mandžukić, Šuker

Georgia (4-4-2):

Goalkeeper: Loria

Defenders: Kashia, Khubutia, Gvelesiani, Kvirkvelia

Midfielders: Salukvadze, Kaladze, Kankava, Kisanishvili

Forwards: Siradze, Iashvili

Seeing Georgia's lineup, the Croatian players couldn't help but grin.

This wasn't a 4-4-2; it was a 7-1-2.

In the midfield, aside from Kankava, the rest were defenders.

Georgia might as well have directly deployed the mythical 9-0-1 formation, but in a way, both were parking the bus.

Clearly, Georgia hadn't given up yet.

With four rounds left in the qualifiers, they aimed to draw against Croatia away, then secure three consecutive wins to overtake Greece for second place and qualify.

There were many variables, but this was Georgia's only path to qualification.

Competing with Croatia was basically impossible.

Therefore, they just needed to secure a draw away.

However, that was no easy task.

Šuker also spotted a familiar face in the opponent's lineup.

His former AC Milan teammate, Kaladze.

Kaladze also saw Šuker and nodded slightly in greeting.

Kaladze had left Milan in the 2010/2011 season—or rather, was forced out.

It was said that the Milan management had lost patience with him and intended to "force him out," but out of some sense of loyalty, they gave him one last chance.

However, in a pre-season friendly against a lower-league team, Kaladze repeatedly made basic mistakes.

Šuker heard that match was a disaster. Faced with Kaladze's defensive errors, Gattuso was furious and almost got into a fight, showing how awful that match was.

After transferring, Kaladze joined Genoa. Initially, his slow turning speed was exploited, but he eventually overcame these issues with his extensive experience.

Even by the end of the season, in Gazzetta dello Sport's ratings, Kaladze was among the top central defenders.

Serie A was a joke now!

Šuker was certain that during his time in Serie A, Kaladze wouldn't have gotten any chances with that kind of performance.

At that time, forwards like Šuker, Trezeguet, Kaká, Ibrahimović, Totti, etc., all had the ability to tear through such defenses.

It was hard not to sigh at the sharp decline of Serie A after 2008.

The departure of superstars like Šuker had severely damaged the league.

Serie A's competitiveness had seriously declined. Forget the "Seven Sisters" era; the Milan dynasty was their last sunset glow.

On the field, the players from both teams were in position.

Šuker, still wearing Croatia's number 9 jersey, stood at the center circle waiting for the kickoff.

On the sidelines, Van Stoyak was constantly shouting, helping the players organize their thoughts.

This was the result of his discussions with Bešić.

Georgia was clearly planning to park the bus. The most effective way to deal with this tactic was through set pieces like corners and free kicks.

Moreover, Croatia's corner and free-kick tactics were excellent.

Since acquiring [Juninho's Set-Piece Mastery], Šuker had established himself as the primary set-piece taker for both Real Madrid and the national team.

After all, this was a divine card that treated set pieces like penalty kicks!

With such a weapon, Croatia wasn't afraid of bus-parking tactics.

Relying on the dribbling of Šuker, Perišić, and Rakitić to constantly draw fouls, Georgia would find themselves increasingly on the back foot.

Beep!

The whistle blew.

Amidst roaring cheers, the match began.

"The match has begun! This is the European Championship qualifier between Croatia and Georgia. It's also a crucial match for Croatia to secure their spot in the European Championship finals. Facing such an important game, coach Bešić has fielded a full-strength lineup to ensure victory!"

"However, Georgia has also made adjustments. They've invested heavily in defense!"

Klaušević's commentary was euphemistic, avoiding direct mention of "parking the bus," as from any perspective, parking the bus wasn't considered glorious.

But for Georgia, they were inherently the weaker team!

Croatia was currently ranked third in the FIFA World Rankings, with actual strength even higher than their ranking. If they could secure a draw by parking the bus, it would already be a glorious achievement.

Right from the start.

Modrić began observing the opponent's positioning. Seeing them quickly retreat and tighten their defense, he shook his head helplessly and passed the ball to Šuker.

Šuker received the ball, turned, and didn't rush to break through.

Georgia watched warily, not pressing forward.

"Hold your positions! Don't press!"

Kaladze loudly reminded his teammates.

From his understanding of Šuker, this guy would love nothing more than for them to press. The moment they made a pressing move or stretched a leg, a gap would appear, and Šuker would exploit it to break through.

So they had to maintain compact positioning.

Seeing the opponent unmoved, Šuker continued dribbling horizontally.

Looking at the dense defense and the goalkeeper's positioning, Šuker blinked. "Let me try a shot first!"

With that!

Šuker suddenly accelerated, planted his right foot firmly on the ball, and while shooting, twisted his waist slightly.

Georgia's goalkeeper noticed this detail. He shuffled to his right and lunged toward the top right corner.

He barely managed to push the ball away.

"Šuker! Direct shot!! Oh~~ A high-quality long-range effort. While moving horizontally, Šuker, relying on his physical prowess, shot for the far corner. If not for the Georgia goalkeeper's sharp concentration, that shot would have been dangerous!"

"However, Croatia has won their first corner right after kickoff!"

Šuker sprinted toward the edge of the box.

The moment he stepped inside, a Georgian player moved to mark him.

Just then, Mandžukić abruptly stepped across, shielding Šuker, acting as a barrier.

Georgia had no choice but to assign two more players to mark and restrict.

At that moment, Modrić raised his hand, looking toward the penalty area. His raised right hand suddenly extended an index finger.

Corner tactic number one!

Seeing this, Šuker grinned.

He quickly broke away from the edge of the box and charged toward Modrić.

"Watch out! They're going for a tactical corner!"

Šuker's run directly drew out two defenders stationed near the front post.

At that moment, Modrić didn't pass to Šuker but took the corner directly.

The ball flew toward the near post area that Šuker had vacated.

And there, in the suddenly empty space, Mandžukić appeared.

He met the ball with a powerful header.

Thump!

The Georgian goalkeeper once again punched the ball away with both fists, high into the air. In the chaotic penalty area, both sides scrambled for the loose ball.

As the ball descended, the Georgian goalkeeper scrambled, eventually smothering it under his body, holding on tightly.

"Georgian goalkeeper Loria has made two brilliant saves in a row, denying Croatia! His performance today has been outstanding."

There's a saying: "Weak teams often produce great goalkeepers!"

Georgian goalkeeper Loria's performance was indeed eye-catching.

Of course, it was also aided by their defensive tactics.

However, how long could they hold out against Croatia's continuous attacks?

9th minute: Croatia strung together passes outside the box. Perišić, upon receiving the ball, failed to control it properly, stumbled, and pretended to fall, trying to win a penalty, but the referee saw through it.

13th minute: Rakitić's dribble earned a free kick, but it was from a relatively long distance. Šuker took the shot, and the goalkeeper judged the trajectory correctly, gathering it comfortably.

13th-16th minute: Croatia won consecutive corners. The battle raged in the box, during which the Georgian goalkeeper made two miraculous saves in quick succession, again denying Croatia.

"Is this guy on drugs?!"

A frustrated Mandžukić couldn't help but comment.

18th minute: Šuker began to impose himself.

Dribbling and shooting in quick succession, repeatedly threatening Georgia's goal.

This further rattled Georgia's defense.

Finally, in the 24th minute, Georgia buckled under the pressure. As Šuker was about to burst into the box, Kaladze pulled him down, resulting in a free kick in a very promising position for Šuker.

"Whew~~~~~~"

Šuker couldn't help but let out a breath.

Georgia was proving more troublesome than expected, especially after parking the bus, making it frustrating to play against.

However, they had finally gotten the well-positioned free kick they wanted.

This was Šuker's favorite spot for free kicks—just outside the box, slightly to the right.

Šuker placed the ball on the spot and stepped back to measure his run-up.

"Šuker's free kick. Since the World Cup, Šuker has frequently treated us to spectacular direct free-kick goals. Can he score this one?"

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Šuker took one last glance at the goal and began his run-up.

Without a hint of hesitation, he struck the ball firmly.

The ball cleared the jumping wall, dipped sharply, and sped toward the near post, burying itself in the net.

The Georgian goalkeeper, though he had read it, was a fraction too slow and couldn't keep it out.

25th minute: Šuker opened the scoring for Croatia with a direct free kick.

"Šuker!!!!!!!! Goal!!!!"

"Direct free kick! Facing Georgia's defensive wall, Šuker once again displayed his brilliant free-kick technique. Croatia leads Georgia 1-0!"