The All-Around Center Forward

Rakitić was constantly active on the right wing, using his flexible technique and dribbling skills to repeatedly shake off defenders and successfully find Perisic.

But the problem was he was too slow!

Rakitić watched Perisic pass the ball back to him again, fuming.

Only knows how to pass back, huh?

Push forward!

Go for it!

Perhaps sensing Rakitić's resentful gaze, Perisic was a bit embarrassed.

But his ability was limited!

He wasn't that kind of strong, breakthrough winger!

Without support, his one-on-one ability wasn't strong.

Rakitić used the outside of his foot to drag the ball and turn, twisting and turning in a small space, successfully breaking free.

"Tsk tsk~~~ Rakitić's performance is getting better and better!" Krauhić was smiling so much his eyes were barely visible.

Since the first round, Rakitić had been playing with increasing confidence, and this small-range breakthrough was also extremely brilliant.

At this moment, Rakitić was also in red-hot form.

He didn't know why, but after returning to the National Team, he suddenly felt liberated.

His playing style was incredibly clear, and his footwork was extremely nimble.

Coupled with a surge of confidence, his overall play became even more outstanding.

"Ivan's performance is getting better and better!"

Van Stoyak, who was off the field, couldn't help but exclaim.

Bešić nodded, "In the last game, we didn't stop Ivan's performance, which was correct!"

"It's also for this reason that Ivan's overall condition is very hot right now, however..."

Bešić pursed his lips, "His vision is too narrow!"

Van Stoyak smiled, "Perhaps he's played too much at Sevilla, and he prefers short, quick passing, rarely attempting long passes!"

"After all, when playing in La Liga, compared to long passes, the first thing you have to learn is to pass short, quick, and safe balls!"

After a pause, Van Stoyak continued, "As for vision, we have Luka!"

Modrić turned his head and looked at Suker's position.

Suker stood slightly closer to the center, and Denmark's full-back Jacobsen was also on the same line as Suker.

This also led to a large open space behind their left side.

Once the ball was suddenly passed to that position, Suker's speed and ability would allow him to immediately break through.

Thinking of this, Modrić turned to Rakitić and shouted, "Ivan, run horizontally!"

Hearing this, Rakitić immediately carried the ball and dribbled horizontally.

As for Modrić, he was in a deeper position, acting as a receiver.

When Rakitić encountered intense pressing from the Denmark midfield, Rakitić passed the ball back to Modrić.

Modrić touched the ball once, passing it to the space in front of Rakitić's horizontal run.

This sudden change made Suker's eyes light up.

He no longer stood still, but actively pulled back.

As Suker moved, Denmark's full-back Jacobsen immediately followed.

At this moment, Rakitić received the ball and looked up.

Suker also sharply stopped, using his left foot as an axis, turning and sprinting in the opposite direction!

"Thread it through!"

Suker roared.

However, even without Suker shouting, Rakitić had already seen the open space Suker created.

He immediately threaded the ball into the open space.

The ball passed between the Denmark full-back and center-back, with a slight backspin that slowed its speed.

And Suker, in the process of his return run, used his explosive power and speed to directly leave Jacobsen behind.

"Oh~~~~ Suker~~~ Chance!!!!—"

Suker caught up to the ball, made a slight adjustment with his foot, and after the Denmark center-back followed up, he curved his right foot on the ground.

The ball bypassed the diving Goalkeeper and curled into the far post on the right side.

Boom!!!!!!!!!!!!—

The Poznań Municipal Stadium suddenly erupted in a violent cheer.

Croatian fans jumped out of their seats, excitedly pumping their fists in celebration.

On camera, Suker also rushed towards the corner flag, sliding across the turf on his chest.

"Goooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!"

"Suker!!!!"

"A brilliant goal! A brilliant combination! A brilliant pull!"

"Rakitić's pass was beautiful, and Suker's pull was equally beautiful!"

"Denmark's defense was completely pulled apart and collapsed. Jacobsen was also helpless; when Suker pulled back, he could only follow, and as he followed, the space behind him appeared, and the distance between him and the center-back was also broken! This created space for Rakitić's through ball!"

"Croatia's offensive pull this time was too brilliant. I thought they would pass back and reorganize, but I didn't expect them to suddenly create space and score a goal!"

"Suker's shot was also excellent!"

"14 minutes, Suker helped Croatia take the lead, Croatia 1:0 Denmark!"

Rakitić excitedly hung onto Suker.

"Suker, your run was amazing!"

Suker raised an eyebrow, pointing to his captain's armband.

"Captain! Your run was amazing!"

Suker immediately burst out laughing, "Your pass was also great!"

The two exchanged compliments.

However, both Suker's off-ball movement and shooting, and Rakitić's dribbling and through ball were excellent.

But the most commendable part was Modrić.

Although he only touched the ball once throughout, it was Modrić who orchestrated this attack.

He saw the attacking opportunity and connected this attack with a single pass. If it weren't for Modrić, Rakitić would still be struggling on the right wing.

"Beautiful!"

On the bench, Srna also suddenly stood up, clenching his fists and shouting loudly.

Suddenly, his sphincter tightened; fortunately, he clenched quickly, almost leaking.

Srna composed himself, then slowly sat down.

He couldn't celebrate too violently now.

However, Srna still smiled and clapped.

With Suker's goal, their left wing had completely activated.

For the rest of the time, Denmark would either actively retreat and be passively beaten.

Or they would stubbornly attack.

There was no other choice.

Denmark's Head Coach Olsen had a bitter taste in his mouth.

Suker's sudden surge was the situation he least wanted to see, but now it had happened and he was helpless.

With this goal, Denmark's situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

But he couldn't retreat defensively because of it.

Denmark had already lost one match in the first round.

Whether they could keep their hopes of advancing depended solely on this match.

At the very least, they needed a draw.

Therefore, if they retreated defensively, they would be waiting for death.

"Keep attacking!"

Olsen roared.

Losing by one was still a loss, and losing by ten was still a loss.

At this point, retreating defensively was meaningless; they could only place their hopes on offense.

Soon, Croatia finished celebrating, and Denmark immediately kicked off.

After the kickoff, Denmark's attack became even more frantic.

Perhaps they were eager to score, or perhaps they wanted to help their defense reduce pressure, so they tried their best to push forward.

However, in this process, they were unable to make reasonable passes and were quickly pressed into a corner by Croatia.

And at this point, when they wanted to pass, they basically couldn't find any teammates.

Helplessly, Denmark could only have their possession taken away.

And Croatia did not launch a quick counterattack, but instead passed the ball to the center and continued to slowly circulate it.

On one hand, they could continuously improve their teammates' form through touches.

On the other hand, they could also stabilize the situation and buy some time.

Anyway, for Croatia, after this goal, they no longer needed to rush.

Croatia constantly passed the ball, mostly with one-touch passes, at most two or three touches, but never more than three touches.

And in this situation, Croatia's ball control became incredibly fluid.

Seeing this scene, the Denmark commentator couldn't help but feel a sense of familiarity.

"This is exactly the same rhythm as Croatia playing against Portugal!"

This suffocating rhythm, now only Croatia could play it.

Strong in all aspects!

They couldn't break through offensively, they couldn't defend well, and they couldn't win the ball.

At this moment, Denmark finally understood why the Portugal players played so poorly then; under this kind of pressure, anyone could easily collapse.

Croatian fans were happily singing.

'When the sun kisses his fertile soil'

'When the strong wind blows his oak trees'

'When God calls away those he loves'

Their voices were so joyful, especially watching the Croatian players' fluid ball control, seeing the situation turn in their favor, and with a tendency to dominate, their hearts became even happier.

The Croatia National Team's lads performed brilliantly in these two matches, giving off an unbeatable aura.

They loved this feeling.

Even Kovacic and others on the sidelines couldn't help but sing along with the Croatian fans to the national anthem...

'His heart still beats for Croatia.'

Kovacic's tone changed, and he practically shrieked.

"Chance!!!"

On the field, Perisic successfully got to the byline and sent in a cross.

Mandžukić, accompanied by two Danish center-backs, challenged for the header.

But none of them could get to the first touch, the ball bounced off the ground and was missed!

At the far post, Jacobsen was about to clear it.

A figure flashed before his eyes, Suker burst in from behind, lightly jumping sideways, his forehead gently touching the ball to complete a header.

The ball was headed into the goal.

In the 19th minute, Croatia scored again.

Suker scored a brace!

"Goal!!! Another goal!! Suker!!!"

Krauhić stood up excitedly, patting the commentary desk and shouting, "This is simply amazing! Mandžukić couldn't get to the first touch, and the missed ball was headed in by Suker from deep!"

"This is Suker, always appearing in the most threatening positions and scoring goals!"

"After a quiet first round, Suker has completely exploded in the second round!"

"Two goals in less than 20 minutes!"

"This is the quality of a La Liga and Champions League golden boot winner, this is the performance of a crazy scorer with 60 goals in a single La Liga season!"

Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!!—

Croatia was also in an uproar.

In Croatian cities like Zagreb, Rijeka, and Pustri, in the squares where fans gathered, Croatian fans were cheering and shouting for Suker's goals.

The first goal gave them the lead.

The second goal secured the foundation for victory!

Croatia, unstoppable!

Bosnia and Herzegovina, inside a residential house in Sarajevo.

Croatia's previous Head Coach, Bilić, jumped up from the sofa excitedly, vigorously swinging his arms in celebration.

Although he was no longer the Head Coach of the Croatia National Team, watching these lads perform still invigorated him.

Most importantly, this Croatia was completely different from the Croatia he had managed.

Bešić had infused this Croatia with a native soul.

Whereas the Croatia National Team under him had a somewhat erratic feeling.

"They're playing great!"

Bilić couldn't help but exclaim.

Both of Suker's goals were outstanding.

The first goal was an opportunity Suker actively created through his positioning.

The second goal relied on his keen sense of smell.

Croatia having such a super scorer added a huge guarantee to their victory.

The camera focused on the stands, where the Croatian fans were flushed, cheering and shouting excitedly.

They hugged each other, letting out shouts.

Seeing this, Bilić couldn't help but sigh, "This is so good!"

On the field, from the coaching bench, Bešić also clenched his fists tightly.

It's secure!

With a two-goal lead, how could Denmark turn the game around?

And it was only 20 minutes in; they could continue to apply pressure.

At this moment, Bešić could feel pairs of burning eyes fixed on him.

Among them, Kovacic and Brozović's gazes were the most intense.

"Don't worry, you'll have a chance to play in the second half!" Srna rubbed Kovacic and Brozović's heads, one on each side.

Hearing this, both showed excited expressions.

Kovacic even exclaimed, "I want to assist Suker!"

Srna turned his head: "Most likely not possible!"

Kovacic turned his head, displeased, "Captain, I play very well!"

"It has nothing to do with whether you play well or not," Srna smiled. "Because Suker might be substituted in the second half, for you!"

Upon hearing this, Kovacic froze for a moment, then immediately felt a bit disappointed.

His dream of playing alongside his idol was shattered.

However, thinking about it, it was normal; they were facing Germany in the third round.

With an advantage already secured, it was reasonable for Suker to be substituted out to rest and prepare for a more important match.

After the two goals, Croatia began to slow down their offensive pace, focusing on stabilizing the situation.

At this point, Denmark was also a bit stunned.

Eriksen was still young after all, and facing such a huge disparity in strength, he didn't know what to do.

Especially with morale low, his entire thought process became rigid, and he gradually began to fade from view.

As Eriksen started to disappear, Denmark's offense became even more ineffective.

Finally, the first half ended.

Croatia still maintained a 2-0 lead.

During halftime, Croatia's Head Coach, Bešić, laid out tactics.

Suker would be substituted in the 55th minute.

Just as Srna had said, Bešić was saving Suker to battle Germany, and the situation was clear enough.

But even so, Suker still, in the 51st minute of the second half, with a series of dribbles, made the Danish defense dizzy and sent a precise pass to Mandžukić, who slid and scored.

Croatia once again widened the score difference, leading by 3 goals.

The third goal almost completely shattered Denmark's hope.

They basically had no hope of advancing left.

As soon as the 55th minute arrived, Suker and Rakitić were successively substituted out.

Kovacic and Brozović came on as substitutes.

"Marcelo Brozović, 20 years old this year, currently playing as a midfielder for Inter Milan, this is his debut in the European Cup!"

"Mateo Kovacic, 18 years old this year, he and Brozović were teammates at Dinamo Zagreb, and he now plays for Juventus!"

"Croatia has brought on two young players, letting them experience the atmosphere of the European Cup!"

Looking at the young faces on the screen, Croatian fans generously offered cheers and applause.

Youth is the future!

This generation of Suker had already become the backbone of Croatia; they hoped to see more young faces appear in the National Team.

"Go!"

"Go for it!"

Suker and Rakitić came off the field, high-fiving each other.

Kovacic and Brozović excitedly rushed onto the field.

Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!!—

The intense cheers in their ears made their bodies tremble slightly, and their hairs stood on end.

Two years ago, during the South Africa World Cup, they were still spectators watching the National Team's match in the square.

Two years later, in the European Cup, they had entered the National Team, fighting alongside their heroes.

This feeling of dreams coming true was simply amazing!

Pat! Pat!

Modrić, wearing the captain's armband, walked over, patting Kovacic and Brozović hard on their backs, and said loudly:

"Don't be nervous, play well!"

Seeing the smile on Modrić's face, Kovacic and Brozović immediately said loudly, "Don't worry, Captain!"

Suker and Srna sat together, both looking at Kovacic and Brozović, who were nervously preparing on the field.

Srna: "Looking at them reminds me of us when we first entered the National Team!"

He couldn't help but sigh.

"It's great to be young!"

Suker nodded: "Playing in the European Cup at 18, that's damn enviable!"

Suker entered the National Team in 2006, and he was already 20 years old at that time.

Although he caught the National Team's restructuring at the time, with the team built around Dinamo Zagreb as its core, Suker became a core player upon entering the National Team.

But he was already 22 when he played in the European Cup.

And Kovacic played in the European Cup a generation earlier than him!

As Suker was sighing, he suddenly sniffed, frowning slightly:

"What's that smell?"

Srna said nothing.

Suker turned to look, his gaze dropping.

Suker's eyes widened; just as he was about to shout, Srna covered Suker's mouth.

"Don't shout!" Srna's face flushed. "Give me some face!"

Suker's face turned green.

'Get your damn hand off me!'

Van Stoyak turned to look at Suker and Srna, and couldn't help but smile, "They have such a good relationship!"