The All-Around Center Forward

Wow!!!!

The Croatia bench also let out exclamations.

Kovacic, Brozović, and other young Croatian talents all gaped, showing a hint of admiration.

As everyone knows, when shooting, the direction of the toes is very important, especially when shooting with force, the toes must be pointed towards the goal for the shot to be more accurate.

But Suker's shooting method was completely unconventional!

His toes were indeed twisted towards the goalpost, a ninety-degree ankle rotation for an abrupt stop, and a shot by twisting his shooting ankle.

It sounds easy to say, but most players simply cannot do it.

First, kicking like that would ruin the ankle!

This requires powerful physical conditioning!

Secondly, without superb shooting skills, this shot simply cannot be twisted over.

Therefore, the difficulty of this shot is imaginable.

"Can you do it?" Brozović asked Kovacic.

Kovacic's technique and shooting skills were both good.

But Kovacic rolled his eyes; "Do I not need my ankle anymore?"

He could guarantee that if he tried that, his ankle would be ruined.

Only with Suker's powerful physical conditioning could he manage to kick such an incredible reverse-angle shot!

What's more, after Suker shot, he didn't actively fall to the ground in the direction he was running to release the force.

Instead, all the pressure was absorbed by his ankle. Once or twice might be fine, but a few more times, it would definitely be ruined!

Not only the Croatian players, but the Belgium players also looked at each other in dismay.

How the hell could he kick a reverse angle like that? If the angle had been a bit more precise, they would have conceded a goal.

"Foul! Foul!"

Vermaelen anxiously shouted; "Take him down, don't let him shoot!"

Suker didn't know what that guy was shouting, but he knew without thinking that it wasn't anything good.

He retreated all the way; there was no space near the post for that shot just now, so Suker could only temporarily shoot at a reverse angle.

This kind of shooting choice is very damaging to the ankle. If he didn't have a State Recovery Card, Suker wouldn't dare to twist it like that.

Returning to midfield, Suker also slightly twisted his ankle.

Other Croatian players also became eager to try.

The initial probing was basically over, and they had figured out Belgium's attacking rhythm and choices.

Suker's attack this time was a signal; next, they would continue to apply pressure.

"Hazard breaks through again!"

After the game restarted, Hazard put on a show of a lone hero.

This guy sprinted down the wing, and after reaching the byline, he couldn't find a passing option, so he started running back and forth.

Srna was also patient; he didn't stick out his foot, just kept herding his opponent.

Hazard was so annoyed with Srna!

How he wished Srna would stick out her foot or lunge and expose a weakness, so he could shake her off or break through.

But Srna just stuck to him, herding him.

From the wing to the byline, from the byline to the rib area, she just held on tight.

When Vukojević was about to arrive, Hazard could only pass the ball.

After passing, Hazard complained; "Receive the ball! What are you doing?"

Hazard's complaint didn't get much of a response, as some people simply didn't understand what he was saying.

Belgium kept passing, and then they lost the ball again.

So far, they hadn't even attempted a single shot.

On the other hand, after Croatia won the ball, Vukojević didn't look for Modrić but immediately threaded the ball to Rakitić.

The moment Rakitić controlled the ball, Modrić suddenly surged forward from the rib area.

Rakitić didn't rush to pass but waited a moment.

He waited for Modrić to rush into a dangerous position, attracting Gillet's attention.

At this moment, Suker moved horizontally, and only then did Rakitić pass the ball to Suker.

Suker received the ball steadily and began to dribble along the edge of the penalty area.

At this moment, Belgium was once again in danger.

After Suker's incredible reverse-angle shot just now, Courtois's positioning didn't even dare to get close to the near post, only allowing his teammates to block.

Just then, Suker faked a shot.

"Block him!"

"Block!"

Vermaelen and Vincent Kompany slid in from left and right to block, but Suker gently placed his right foot on the ball to stop it, stabilized his body, and then flicked it again with his left foot.

The ball flew over Vermaelen and into the penalty area.

"Oh no!"

Vermaelen was shocked.

At this moment, Mandžukić burst out horizontally. He cushioned the ball with his stomach, and the moment the ball bounced, he unleashed a powerful shot with his right foot.

A half-volley, the ball rapidly flew towards the near post of the goal.

Due to the close distance, although Courtois made a save, he failed to block the ball and could only watch it enter the goal.

"Goal!!!!!!!!!!"

"Mario Mandžukić!! Suker assists Mandžukić to score the opening goal!"

"Excellent off-the-ball movement and combination play, Suker's chip pass was also just right."

Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!

Maksimir Stadium, tens of thousands of Croatian fans cheered and erupted.

After 20 minutes of the match, they finally scored.

A brilliant counter-attacking goal, decisive and excellent off-the-ball movement, and Suker's fake shot and real pass.

And this time, Mandžukić did not let Suker down, seizing the opportunity.

Together, they scored their first goal!

"Was my shot cool?"

Mandžukić hugged Suker, laughing happily.

He felt that Suker had changed a bit.

If it were before, this guy would rather miss a shot than pass to him.

But now, Suker played more reasonably and more cunningly.

If Suker had forced a shot just now, there might have been a chance, but it wasn't a big one.

And chipping the ball to the better-positioned Mandžukić was the best choice.

Mandžukić marveled at Suker's change!

Suker also smiled very happily.

He was willing to assist!

Because he had already passed the time of proving himself with goals.

For Suker now, winning was key, compared to padding stats.

On the sidelines, Bešić and Van Stoyak were also applauding.

Both of them had relieved smiles on their faces.

This smile came from the heart; watching Suker's change, it was as if they saw a stubborn child who used to make them worry, now grown into an excellent leader.

Amidst the fervent applause and cheers from the crowd, the Croatian players finished celebrating. After this goal, the game was completely opened up.

Belgium would play even more passively.

The game restarted, and Belgium's attack indeed became more frantic, eager to score quickly.

They lofted balls into the penalty area, but each time they were headed away by Dujmović and Vida.

Especially Dujmović, this guy's judgment for landing was very accurate.

Especially with his large head, which also had a large surface area, heading the ball felt incredibly comfortable.

"Mine!!"

Dujmović leaped up, beating Dembele to the ball, and cleared it away.

Croatia began to push forward, with the whole team pressing high.

The defensive line also pushed up to the midfield, putting more pressure on Belgium's goal.

After several consecutive attacks, Belgium finally had Vincent Kompany head the ball out.

"Counter-attack!"

Vincent Kompany roared.

Dembele immediately rushed towards the ball, but just as he was about to touch it, a sound came from the side, like a wild bull, directly knocking Dembele to the ground.

"Mine!"

Dujmović seemed to transform into a Bull Demon King, knocking down the opposing forward, and at the same time, facing the ball, he took a direct long-range shot.

From over 30 meters away, the ball struck the goal like a cannonball.

Courtois's pupils constricted. He immediately retreated a few steps, leaned back, jumped, and desperately stretched out his hand, tipping the ball over the crossbar with his fingertips!

"Oh~~~ The quality of this long-range shot was really high, and of course, Courtois's save was also very timely, otherwise Croatia would have widened the lead even further!"

Watching his world-class shot tipped away, Dujmović stamped his foot in frustration.

"Just a little bit more!"

The others looked at each other, remembering Dujmović's previous remark.

'Attacking Center Back!'

"Tomi's performance is very stable!"

Van Stoyak said with a smile. Dujmović's excellent performance was another big surprise in this match.

Bešić nodded; "However, there are also problems. His good performance is based on Vukojević's protection and Belgium's midfield being suppressed!"

"If it were Spain's tiki-taka style, the Vida and Dujmović combination would be completely torn apart by the opponent!"

Van Stoyak; "At that time, Schildenfeld can be used as a replacement."

Schildenfeld was a very good utility player for the backline.

"Exactly!" Bešić also nodded, "With the rotation between Schildenfeld, Lovren, Dujmović, and Vida, the center-back position is stable!"

After three years, Bešić finally managed to build his own defensive lineup.

This defensive lineup might not be top-tier!

But they can compensate for each other's weaknesses and be flexibly used to handle various matches and players.

With Srna's command, Croatia's defense won't become an iron wall, but it won't drag the team down either.

"Halftime is almost over!" Bešić said, "Let's prepare for the second half's tactics!"

The first half of the match quickly ended.

After Croatia took the lead, they controlled the tempo and played steadily.

Belgium played rather chaotically. Although they desperately wanted to equalize, they couldn't create a single threatening attack.

Their forward passing was also somewhat lacking!

In the second half, Belgium would certainly make more changes in the midfield.

During halftime, both teams' players returned to their respective halves.

The Croatian players were refreshed. The game had almost entirely proceeded according to their rhythm, and with high possession and active play, they enjoyed playing and were naturally in good spirits.

Mandžukić was still showing off, flaunting his goal.

Suker also felt this guy was a bit pathetic.

He served him in the National Team!

He served Cristiano Ronaldo in the club!

A good center-forward had actually become a target man, and a pure one at that, getting so excited over a single goal.

"For the first 20 minutes of the second half, maintain the original tempo. Make substitutions at 65 minutes, focusing on control and defense overall."

Bešić issued the tactical instructions.

Everyone nodded, indicating their understanding.

20 minutes of attacking time was enough for them to create another goal.

If not for the desire to stabilize the situation and play more steadily in the first half, Croatia could have continued to press hard.

"Belgium will likely make some changes in the second half, and these changes will mostly appear in the midfield!" Bešić predicted. "At that time, our midfield will still maintain the original setup."

After speaking, Bešić turned his head and said, "Kovacic and Brozović, go warm up!"

The two youngsters immediately jumped up and excitedly walked out of the locker room to warm up.

Warming up now meant they had a chance to play in the second half.

In the second half, at 50 minutes.

Only five minutes after the second half began, Belgium couldn't resist making substitutions.

Their offense simply wasn't working, and they needed a player who could push forward.

Belgium made two substitutions at once.

Forde and Dembele went off.

Fellaini and De Bruyne came on.

Seeing Belgium's substitutions, Croatia was stunned.

Bešić looked puzzled.

What kind of substitutions were these?

De Bruyne coming on was reasonable; his excellent and imaginative passing could greatly boost the offense.

Especially when combined with Dembele's speed and ability to make runs, it would be even better.

It could be said that De Bruyne coming on could activate Dembele.

But the Belgium coach took Dembele off.

As for Fellaini, this player was also excellent, with strong heading ability.

But his role somewhat overlapped with Benteke!

Both were strong in aerial duels!

And on the same side!

What was he playing at?

He brought on an attacking midfielder, effectively adding a target man, then he took Dembele off, eliminating his ammunition!

Then he focused on aerial duels, trying to play crosses from the wings?

Hazard's dribbling was certainly excellent, but don't forget, Croatia's right-back was Srna!

It was already difficult to get crossing opportunities from Srna's defense!

Moreover, to defend against Belgium's crosses, Croatia had positioned Vida and Dujmović, two center-backs strong in aerial duels.

This was just foolish!

They wouldn't even know how they died!

Sure enough, the problem quickly became apparent.

At 55 minutes, De Bruyne delivered a brilliant curved low shot.

The rainbow-like arc made Croatian commentator Klausevich exclaim 'Rainbow Pass'.

But the problem was, Dembele had been substituted.

Benteke's speed wasn't enough; just as he was about to catch up to the ball, it was first cleared by Vida's tackle.

A chance to break through was wasted for nothing.

At 60 minutes, Belgium placed Hazard in the front, replacing Dembele.

Suker rolled his eyes when he saw this.

See if De Bruyne will pass to Hazard!

Indeed, De Bruyne seemed to ignore Hazard, simply not passing to him!

And Hazard quickly lost himself in the front, becoming completely silent.

In contrast, at 63 minutes, Croatia scored from a corner kick, with Suker heading the ball into the net inside the penalty area.

Croatia 2:0 Belgium!

Further extending their lead!

65 minutes.

Croatia made substitutions!

Mandžukić and Radošević went off.

Kovacic and Brozović came on as substitutes.

Suker moved to the center-forward position, and Croatia assembled five midfielders.

Kovacic, Vukojević, Rakitić, Modrić, Brozović.

Plus Suker at the center-forward position.

These players all had the ability to dribble and carry the ball.

With their fluid passing and control, Belgium gradually lost themselves, and the game essentially lost its suspense.

"Belgium's coaching staff's poor substitutions led to the current passive situation!"

The Belgian commentator was also puzzled.

Why substitute Dembele? He could clearly combine with De Bruyne, and with Hazard, they could create a threat on the left wing.

The current Belgium played heavily.

It was like an archaic England team in Belgium's shell.

This was just long ball and aerial duels!

At 85 minutes, Suker was also substituted.

This match no longer needed Suker, so substituting him didn't matter.

Watching Suker leave the field, a hint of disappointment flashed in De Bruyne's eyes.

He had intended to perform well, but his passes couldn't open up any attacking channels.

Belgium also failed to get better opportunities from his passes.

Finally, the 90-minute match ended.

De Bruyne looked blankly at the field; this match was played very poorly.

Wrong tactical arrangements, chaotic substitutions, and too many other problems.

When facing Croatia, they couldn't even manage a few effective counterattacks or threatening attacks.

De Bruyne also felt very disappointed with his less-than-stellar performance.

Just as De Bruyne was walking disappointedly towards the players' tunnel, a voice sounded beside him.

"Hey! De Bruyne!"

De Bruyne looked up blankly, and to his surprise, he found Suker walking towards him.

"Some of your passes were very good." Suker smiled and pointed at De Bruyne. "Want to swap jerseys?"

"Of course!" De Bruyne immediately took off his jersey and handed it to Suker without a second thought.

After they exchanged jerseys, De Bruyne quickly said, "You know me?"

"Of course, I know you. Your performance in the Champions League was excellent, and your passing is great!"

Listening to Suker's praise, De Bruyne said a little shyly, "I learned my passing from you!"

At this, Suker was embarrassed.

"You pass better!"

Although he was the original here!

But Suker knew in his heart that the guy in front of him was the true master who developed the curved low shot.

"Keep it up!"

Suker said a simple sentence and immediately turned to leave.

There wasn't much more to talk about, and De Bruyne wasn't a talkative person, so Suker decisively left.

Watching Suker leave, De Bruyne unfolded Suker's jersey, his eyes filled with joy.

He had swapped for Suker's jersey.

This was the only gain from this match!

Not far away, Hazard stared at De Bruyne and the retreating Suker, gritting his teeth, full of displeasure.

He was the one who wanted to swap jerseys with Suker, but that pale-skinned kid got there first.

Hazard turned around and left angrily.

"What an annoying guy!"

The first match of the World Cup European Qualifiers ended.

Croatia easily defeated Belgium 2:0, and this match once again demonstrated Croatia's formidable combat power after the European Cup.

The 2010 World Cup was their first time, after all!

They lacked experience!

But this time, for the 2014 World Cup, Croatia's competitiveness was stronger, and their desire for the World Cup became even greater!