The All-Around Center Forward

The time finally entered halftime.

The Germany players looked somewhat dejected, as the tactical issues in the first half led to a collapse of their defense, leaving them playing very passively.

Two conceded goals were already a good situation; if they didn't commit defensive strength in time, the match might have already ended.

Currently, for Germany, they must make tactical changes to allow their strength to be unleashed.

At the very least, they couldn't play as passively as they did in the first half.

Inside the Croatia locker room.

Van Stoyak looked at everyone and said, "Germany is two goals down in the first half, and they will definitely use a more aggressive offense in the second half to equalize. For Germany, they have already qualified, so losing by one is losing, and losing by ten is also losing. Instead of focusing on defense, they might as well go all out against us. Therefore, I think Germany will increase their offensive intensity."

"Podolski and Gómez, these powerful players, will also come on one after another."

Listening to Van Stoyak's explanation, everyone nodded slightly.

They felt that Van Stoyak's analysis made a lot of sense; if it were them, they would also make such a choice.

Just as he said, it's a loss either way, so they might as well make a last-ditch effort.

However, Bešić seemed to have a different opinion.

"Germany will play defensive counter-attack!"

Bešić said succinctly.

Hearing this, Van Stoyak was stunned.

"But they are behind!"

Bešić nodded; "Yes, they are behind, but Germany's tactical changes will not change because of the situation, especially when Löw faces this kind of situation, he always has a standardized way of responding!"

"From the information we have gathered, Germany always has some strange tactical arrangements in warm-up matches and European Cup Qualifiers!"

"After they secure a few victories, their entire playing style becomes extremely uninhibited, sometimes even to the extent of over-committing to offense, becoming top-heavy!"

"I think this problem should be attributed more to Löw's offensive ideal!"

After a pause, Bešić narrowed his eyes and said; "Compared to traditional German hard-line football, their Head Coach Löw has an offensive heart, or rather, on the basis of winning, he wants to play more beautifully!"

Hearing this, Suker was startled.

Bešić's analysis was not without reason.

In fact, in the original timeline, after Germany won the World Cup in 2014, Löw became obsessed with tiki-taka football.

This led to traditional German hard-line football being completely abandoned, and a group of Germans actually picked up embroidery needles and started playing needlework.

The core was already mismatched, and the result was naturally predictable.

Germany collapsed!

The group stage elimination in the 2018 World Cup was the best proof!

Bešić continued: "Löw first tried offense in this match, but when the offense couldn't work, he would revert to a defensive stance!"

"For Löw, offense is the ideal, defense is the reality!"

"And when the ideal cannot be realized, he has to return to reality!"

"And this reality is the tactic that best suits Germany!"

"Therefore, in the second half, Germany will play defensive counter-attack, which is also the standardized response that Löw and Germany always bring out when facing a losing situation."

"The Germans are not lacking in patience; they like to win matches with a rigorous style!"

Dujmović shrugged: "But now they are two goals down, how can they be rigorous?"

"Exactly!" Bešić lightly tapped the tactics board and said: "They can't be rigorous, and we absolutely cannot give them a chance!"

"Once Germany sets up a defensive formation in the second half, we will drag out the time with them. Relying on our midfield's ball control ability, we will continuously pass and consume time. Once Germany can't help but press high, we can also use counter-attacks to continue threatening Germany's goal!"

Bešić exhaled; "The advantage is in our hands. How to play! How to kick! We decide, so absolutely do not let Germany lead us by the nose."

Bešić smiled; "In fact, we don't need to do anything proactively. We just need to watch Germany make the first move, and then respond. After all, for us, just holding steady is victory!"

The Croatia players nodded one after another; they immediately began to rest, preparing to face the second half.

Van Stoyak proactively approached Bešić.

"Germany really won't attack?"

"Hard to say!" Bešić said.

Van Stoyak was startled; "Then you still"

Bešić waved his hand: "But it doesn't affect us. In the second half, we will set up a defensive formation. If Germany also defends, we will run down the clock. If Germany attacks, we can also respond!"

Van Stoyak nodded; "So we won't attack?"

"Counter-attack!" Bešić said: "At 70 minutes! I always feel that Suker's burst is most effective at 70 minutes!"

At 70 minutes, the accumulated fatigue from both halves gradually begins to show.

It can be said that the 70-80 minute mark is the most painful.

There is still a lot of game time left, but the physical energy has already been consumed a lot.

Psychologically and physically, they cannot get enough support, so this is the moment for Croatia to sound the horn of counter-attack again.

Halftime ended.

Both teams returned to the field and switched sides.

"After the first half, Croatia is currently leading by two goals, and Suker has once again scored two goals! The current situation is not friendly for Germany, and Löw has not made any personnel adjustments, but he should make some defensive measures specifically against Suker. The first half has already proven that not limiting Suker is equivalent to losing the match!"

The German commentator said in a heavy tone; "Come on, lads!"

They were originally in high spirits, thinking that Germany could show Croatia a thing or two.

But under the wrong tactical arrangements in the first half, they conceded two goals, almost causing their own downfall.

However, even if they haven't completely fallen now, they are not far from it.

For the current Germany, they need an inspiring goal.

Get one goal first, and then plan slowly.

Löw could no longer sit still; he squatted by the sideline, looking at the field.

He also looked at Croatia's coaching bench from time to time.

Bešić also turned his head.

The two looked at each other, Bešić showed a smile, and Löw turned his head away, ignoring him.

Bešić was not unhappy about this; he could understand Löw's mood at this moment, after all, he was almost ruined by his own tactical arrangements, so it would be strange if he were happy.

Players from both sides came onto the field.

Beep!

The whistle blew, and Croatia kicked off first.

"Hold steady! Focus on defense first!"

Schweinsteiger roared, but when he turned to look, he saw that Croatia was actually slowly passing the ball in their own half.

Several consecutive passes were side-to-side, with no forward progression at all.

It was as if they were saying, if you don't press, I won't pass forward.

"Damn it!"

Schweinsteiger couldn't help but curse.

He was visibly annoyed.

They had just made a tactical shift to defensive counter-attack, and Croatia immediately started time-wasting.

Of course, they had considered this issue.

But... there was nothing they could do!

"It's really like this!"

Van Stoyak grinned; "So, is this Germany's standardized reaction?"

"Can't say it's always accurate, but..." Bešić smiled: "It's applicable most of the time!"

Sure enough, at this moment, Bešić saw Löw suddenly stand up and roar: "Push up! high pressing!"

Van Stoyak grinned; "Here it comes! The reactive high pressing!"

Clap clap clap clap!!

Croatia's passing was very quick, almost all one-touch, giving Germany no chance to get close, smoothly advancing the ball.

When the ball was sent to Suker's feet again, Suker was just about to make a move.

Bang!

Suker, both man and ball, was tackled to the ground.

Beep!

The whistle blew, and Schweinsteiger committed a foul and received a card.

Suker grinned, rubbed his calf, stood up, and muttered softly:

"That's more like it! The familiar feeling is back!"

The defense against Suker was like this.

If you can't defend him, you tackle him!

If Suker didn't have the State Recovery Card, he would have been injured several times by these aggressive fouls.

Suker got up from the ground, and he subconsciously glanced at Lahm.

The latter also looked at Suker.

Both of them, by coincidence, recalled that 'injury'.

Lahm avoided Suker's eyes.

"Croatia's free-kick in the attacking third, they are still playing very passively!"

The German commentator was very anxious.

He could understand this situation; in a confrontation between strong teams, the side that gains the advantage has many ideas to finish off the other team.

It's not that easy to turn the tables!

But even with that understanding, he still held some expectations.

However, from the current situation, Germany, due to tactical issues in the first half and being behind, was still playing extremely passively.

These guys from Croatia were all battle-hardened; they knew too well how to use an advantage to snowball and how to convert an advantage into a winning position.

"Make a substitution!"

Löw turned his head and shouted, "Kroos, Podolski, warm up!"

He was preparing to add more passing outlets in midfield and attacking points upfront.

Bešić also saw this and turned to say, "Tomi, Ćorluka, warm up!"

Dujmović suddenly stood up.

Boss, he's finally going to unleash his secret weapon!

"Let's go!" Dujmović vigorously patted Ćorluka's back and loudly declared, "I'll take you to defeat Germany!"

The two ran out from the bench to warm up.

Kovacic asked, puzzled, "Why is he so excited? We're not just up by one goal; he's acting like a savior!"

Kranjčar and other players nearby couldn't help but smile.

These young players weren't particularly fond of Dujmović.

On one hand, his technique was indeed a bit rough.

On the other hand, he had always been a substitute for Croatia, and it was probably difficult for him to become a starter.

Unlike absolute core players like Suker, Dujmović was a player they felt they could challenge.

Moreover, Dujmović's characteristics were too distinct.

In other words, Dujmović's role was limited to long-range shots!

He was a player with very monotonous functionality.

However, Dujmović's true impact only became apparent in crucial matches.

Croatia's 'wild card' wasn't just for show!

At 60 minutes, both teams made substitutions.

Germany took off Khedira and Reus.

Kroos and Podolski came on as substitutes.

Croatia took off Rakitić and Strinić.

Dujmović and Ćorluka came on as substitutes.

Dujmović appeared in the central midfield position, playing further forward, where he could freely take long-range shots.

Ćorluka, on the other hand, was brought on to deal with Podolski; using the more energetic Ćorluka to limit Podolski would prevent Germany from breaking through on the wing.

"Damn it!"

Seeing Croatia's like-for-like substitutions, Löw couldn't help but grit his teeth.

Bešić's response was too quick.

He wasn't giving them any breathing room at all!

However, Germany still tried to attack along the wings of Kroos and Podolski.

But under the intense high pressing from Dujmović, Modrić, and Ćorluka, Podolski quickly lost possession.

The ball was passed sideways to Vukojević.

Vukojević looked up at the penalty area and actually chose to loft a pass directly.

Although his passing ability wasn't as precise as Modrić, Rakitić, or Srna.

He still possessed a certain level of passing ability.

And from that position, he had some confidence!

The ball was lofted into the penalty area, and Mandžukić suddenly backed into Hummels.

"Mats! Get out of the way!"

Mandžukić growled.

Hummels held his ground, preventing Mandžukić from turning.

Left with no choice, Mandžukić could only flick the ball with his foot.

He flicked the ball about two meters behind him.

And there, Suker suddenly charged horizontally towards the ball.

"Stop him!"

Lahm pulled hard on Suker, but couldn't stop him.

But at Lahm's shout, Kroos suddenly darted over, extending his leg to try and tackle.

Suker sharply hooked the ball with his foot, his entire body entering the penalty area, trying to get past Kroos.

But seeing the increasingly dangerous position, Kroos gritted his teeth, arched his body forward, and directly blocked Suker's running path.

Suker, balanced on one foot, had no ability to change direction, and the two collided heavily, falling to the ground.

Suker rolled twice on the turf before steadying himself.

Before he could react, the Referee's whistle had already blown.

Beep!

The Referee blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot.

At this moment, all the Croatian fans instantly clutched their heads, and the stadium fell silent.

It's over!

In contrast, the Croatian fans erupted in a violent cheer.

"Suker!!! He won a penalty!!!"

"Is a hat-trick coming?!!!—"

Krauhić shouted excitedly.

Since the second round began, after Suker started to perform, Croatia's attacking intensity has been astonishing.

Even a strong team like Germany was left dizzy by their offense.

With a two-goal deficit and now a penalty, Germany's fate hung by a thread!

Under everyone's gaze, Suker got up from the ground, ran to pick up the ball nearby, held it in his arms, but instead of walking to the penalty spot, he walked to the right side.

Perisic was running towards the edge of the penalty area, ready to receive the ball.

At this moment, he saw Suker stomping towards him.

Bang!

The ball hit his chest heavily, and Perisic's face was full of surprise.

Suker turned his head and gestured:

"You take it!"

Perisic was stunned.

"Me... this... this is a penalty you won!"

Suker waved his hand: "Do I need this one goal? Hurry up and take it, play with more confidence!"

With that, Suker turned and walked away.

Perisic stared blankly at Suker's back, then he took a deep breath and walked seriously towards the penalty spot.

"Oh~~ Suker has given the penalty kick to Perisic!"

"This was a great opportunity for Suker to get a hat-trick, but he gave up this opportunity and wanted to help Perisic boost his confidence!"

"In this European Cup, Perisic hasn't scored a single goal. Compared to his club performance, he has indeed been somewhat underperforming in the National Team, and may even have fallen into a scoring drought, but Suker voluntarily let him take the penalty to help Perisic boost his confidence."

At this moment, Suker was on the edge of the penalty area, raising both hands, clapping vigorously.

He was signaling the fans to give Perisic some encouraging applause.

The entire stadium of Croatian fans responded to Suker, actively applauding Perisic and cheering him on.

After seeing the atmosphere become enthusiastic, Suker then stood at the penalty spot.

He no longer needed goals to prove himself.

A hat-trick or not was irrelevant!

The key was to motivate the team's overall State and go further in the European Cup.

If letting someone take a penalty could motivate Perisic's State and boost his confidence, Suker was willing to give it up.

At the coaching bench, Bešić and Van Stoyak both smiled simultaneously.

"Finally, he's showing some maturity!"

If it were the old Suker, he would definitely not have given it up.

Whoever tried to take it, he would bite them!

Perisic stood at the penalty spot, measured his run-up distance, and took a deep breath.

Suker letting him take the penalty was something he hadn't expected.

From initially seeing Suker as a target, he was now slowly willing to watch him score.

Perisic didn't know when this change in him began.

Perhaps in the subtle process, Suker had indeed conquered him with his performance.

He found it amusing to think of his past thoughts of hostility towards Suker.

Whether he could play better was one thing, but at that time, he was quite brave.

Hoo~~~~

Perisic slowly exhaled.

He didn't look up at the goal.

At this moment, the entire stadium was silent.

He knew very well how important this penalty was to Germany.

It was no exaggeration, this was the penalty that would crush Germany!

Score it!

Swish!

Perisic began his run-up, and as he neared the ball, he kicked it without hesitation towards the bottom left corner.

The touch on this shot was perfect.

The ball was kept low, almost a grounder, the angle was tricky, and the speed was also very fast.

The most crucial thing was that Neuer had judged it incorrectly.

He dived to the right side!

Swish!

The ball hit the net!

After Perisic confirmed the goal, he saw the stands belonging to the Croatian fans suddenly erupt.

Their faces were flushed with excitement, letting out deafening cheers.

Perisic was a bit stunned.

At this moment, he felt someone kick him.

His body naturally leaned forward, and a loud shout came from beside his ear.

"Why are you standing there stunned! Celebrate! You just killed Germany!"

Perisic's entire face turned red, and the next second, he knelt on the ground, roaring towards the stands.

His fists were clenched, and he roared hysterically.

To hell with the scoring drought!

To hell with the pressure!

To hell with it all!!