The All-Around Center Forward

With Perisic's penalty kick, Croatia led Germany 3-0.

This goal silenced the German fans in the stadium.

They all held their heads, having completely lost their usual spirit.

Before the European Cup, they were so high-spirited, believing that with their lineup, they could run rampant in the European Cup.

They came to Poland with such confidence, only to be stifled by Croatia's iron defense.

Although Germany had already qualified, this match still made them incredibly sad.

The blow to their morale was too great!

At the very least, they should have played a closely contested match, right?

Being defeated 3-0, what kind of performance was that!

Unlike the German fans, the Croatian fans were full of excitement and thrill.

The progression of this match was much smoother than they had anticipated. With Suker's explosion, Croatia displayed excellent performance on both offense and defense, quickly establishing an advantage, and continuously controlling the situation with that advantage, converting it into a winning momentum.

In confrontations between strong teams, there might be moments of fierce, evenly matched battles.

But once one side dictates the rhythm, the collapse of the other's own rhythm is unstoppable.

Just like Croatia, once they gained the advantage, from start to finish, they gave Germany no chance to breathe, let alone make a comeback.

Croatia would not make mistakes!

With the advantage, they played even more boldly and meticulously. How could Germany reverse the score?

"Croatia's third goal, Perisic scored a penalty kick!"

The German commentator's face was ashen. He pressed his lips tightly and said, "This match teaches us a lesson: never be blindly confident!"

He paused, then almost gritted his teeth, squeezing out each word:

"Absolutely! Absolutely! Absolutely do not relax the restrictions on Suker!"

With that, the German commentator angrily took off his headphones, covered the microphone, and turned to vent his fury.

Fxxk! ---

This match was so frustrating!

Due to tactical errors in the first half, the entire match was played defensively. Löw and Germany had thought about making corrections, but it was too late.

Croatia would not give them such an opportunity.

There were still more than ten minutes left in the match.

Croatia did not make any substitutions, instead holding onto their last substitution slot tightly, just in case.

However, Germany did score a face-saving goal during injury time, from a corner kick.

Schweinsteiger headed the ball in, changing the score to 3-1.

But this was the limit; Croatia would not give them any more chances, and time was also running out.

Finally, the 90 minutes ended.

The third round of the European Cup group b concluded, with Croatia defeating Germany 3-1, successfully advancing to the European Cup knockout stage as group leaders.

Following Group A, the qualification situation for group b was also decided.

The entire match ended.

The Croatian fans were still reluctant to leave, having tasted unparalleled pleasure in this match, and thus did not want it to end so soon.

However, after the Croatian players, led by their captain Srna, greeted them, they immediately returned to the locker room and left by bus.

With the Croatian players gone, the fans had no reason to stay.

They walked arm in arm, cheering as they poured out of the stadium, discussing where to go for a big drink later.

Tonight would undoubtedly be Croatia's night of celebration.

"This is the Ukraine European Cup channel. On June 20th, with England defeating Ukraine 1-0, all group stage matches of the 2012 European Cup concluded. From Group A to Group D, all eight teams entering the knockout stage have been determined!"

"Group A: Czech Republic, Greece. group B: Croatia, Germany. Group C: Spain, Italy. Group D: England, France!"

"These eight teams will proceed to the European Cup knockout quarter-finals with Group A playing group B, and Group C playing Group D!"

"And in the knockout stage, we can focus on..."

On the morning of June 21st, the voice of a host from a Ukrainian TV station came from the television.

A light drizzle fell from the sky, soaking the streets and walls.

Even in the morning, the European Cup atmosphere was incredibly lively.

The rainy weather could not dampen the fans' enthusiasm for watching the matches.

This was especially true for fans whose teams had already entered the European Cup knockout stage.

A child, led by his mother, clutched his beloved hydrogen balloon.

The balloon floated, with the number 9 printed on it. The little boy wore a Croatia jersey, clearly a fan of Suker.

Weaving through the crowd, the little boy excitedly looked left and right; everything here piqued his curiosity.

Suddenly, the child's arm was bumped.

This bump caused the hydrogen balloon to slowly float upwards.

"My balloon!"

The little boy jumped up anxiously, but he was too short to reach it.

His mother also looked up at the balloon, wondering how to get it down.

Just then, a figure in the passing crowd suddenly jumped up.

He jumped very high; in the little boy's vision, it was as if he was flying.

He easily reached the balloon's string and pulled it down.

The man wore a hooded sweatshirt and sportswear, so his face was unclear.

The man walked over and handed the balloon string to the little boy.

"Thank you, Su..."

The little boy's eyes immediately widened.

Isn't that Suker?

He would not be mistaken.

His room was covered with Suker's posters.

Suker smiled, placing his index finger on his lips, signaling not to make a sound, then ruffled the little boy's head before turning and running off, disappearing into the crowd shortly after.

"Is this gentleman an athlete? He jumped so high!"

His mother also said gratefully.

The little boy immediately looked up, proudly saying, "Of course! He's the best athlete!"

His mother smiled and led the little boy away.

Suker continued to weave through the streets, reaching an uphill road, and resumed his run.

Following the winding road, he climbed all the way to the hotel halfway up the mountain, where he finally slowed his pace.

Reaching the hotel entrance, there was an overhang, so Suker took off his hood and took a deep breath.

The smell of rain mixed with earth entered his nostrils, combined with the cool weather, giving a feeling of relief.

Halfway up the mountain, looking towards the east, a giant statue stood there.

This was a landmark of Ukraine's Capital, Kyiv.

The 'Motherland Monument' statue, built during the Soviet era.

One hand holding a sword, the other holding a shield.

This statue and the 'Motherland Calls' statue located on the Volga River in Russia were both products of the same period.

This is Kyiv, Ukraine's Capital, and also the venue for their first European Cup knockout match.

On June 23rd, they would play their European Cup knockout quarter-final match at the Kyiv Olympic Stadium: Croatia vs. Greece.

The entire quarter-final stage would last four days.

A total of four matches, one per day!

Suker turned his head, shook off the rainwater from his body, and then entered the hotel.

Suker first returned to his room and took a shower in the bathroom.

Then he started knocking on doors, waking people up one by one.

"Get up! What time is it, and you're still sleeping!"

"Everyone up, it's time for breakfast to activate your bodies!"

"Get up! Get up!"

Modrić was reluctantly woken up by Suker; his hair was still messy, and he yawned frequently.

Mandžukić covered his head with a blanket, stubbornly refusing to get up, until Suker directly pulled the blanket off him.

"Get up! You have 20 minutes to wash up, then go have breakfast!"

Watching Suker leave gracefully, preparing to wake up others, Mandžukić sat on the bed, looking dazed, and muttered:

"There are times when I just want to bite him to death!"

Modrić was amused. He put on a T-shirt and yawned again, saying, "Get up, we have training after breakfast!"

Mandžukić: "Can't I sleep for another half an hour?"

Modrić pushed open the bathroom door, turned his head, and said, "Next time, Srna will be the one waking you up!"

Hearing this, Mandžukić grimaced. Compared to Suker, Srna's way of waking people up was even more aggressive.

"Good morning!"

By the time Suker entered Srna's room, Srna was already up, washed, dressed, and ready to go out.

"Let's go have breakfast!"

Suker waved.

Srna nodded, and the two walked out of the room, took the elevator, and headed to the dining hall.

Srna said, "The group stage went quite smoothly!"

Suker shrugged: "So smooth it feels unreal!"

Greece is in better form than during the qualifiers, we need to be vigilant!

Vigilance is a must, but we still have the advantage in terms of squad strength.

After a pause, Suker added, "The premise is that there are no injuries."

Srna nodded, "The physical examination was completed yesterday, and I heard the results are very good."

Suker nodded, "That's good news!"

Croatia only has one set of players; they really cannot afford injuries.

Before long, the two arrived at the restaurant.

In the self-service restaurant, the two picked up trays and tongs and selected their favorite food.

Since it was a non-match day, Suker consumed more food.

He couldn't just eat until he was half full, like during a match.

After selecting their food, the two came to the table and began to eat breakfast.

Soon, the Croatian players began to arrive one after another.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning!"

"This damn weather!"

"Why is it suddenly raining?"

"I hope it doesn't rain when we play! I don't like rainy days!"

"Rainy days are good; they're cool!"

"Good my ass!"

Everyone ate their meal noisily.

At this moment, Van Stoyak walked over and said loudly, "After eating, gather in the conference room to specifically arrange the tactical content. Today's training volume is not much, mainly focused on rest."

The Croatian players nodded one after another.

Their current condition was not bad. Due to Germany's tactical errors, they won the match without expending too much energy.

Thinking of this, Perisic, who was opposite, said to Suker, "Thank you!"

Suker looked up at him and couldn't help but grin, "How many times have you thanked me? I said it's not necessary."

Ever since Suker gave Perisic the penalty, the first thing this guy said when he saw him was "Thank you."

Perisic had a personality that was not good at expressing himself.

He was very grateful to Suker in his heart. In that environment, a penalty kick was enough for him to turn his situation around and gain confidence.

The most crucial thing was that the depression in his heart was completely discharged, and his whole state began to gradually change.

He didn't know how to express it, so he could only thank him again and again.

"Instead of saying thank you, why don't you pass me a few more good balls?" Suker said.

Perisic nodded, "I will do that."

Suker grinned, "This quiet guy!"

With that, he turned to Dujmović, "Are all of you from Hajduk such quiet guys?"

"Hajduk?" Dujmović was stunned for a moment and cursed, "I'm pure Zagreb!"

Suker was stunned for a moment, "You are a product of Zagreb's youth academy?"

Mandžukić, "Zagreb's youth academy isn't known for its technique? Your technique..."

Dujmović held a fork, "Don't be a jerk in the morning, or I'll stab you!"

Upon hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.

After eating, they still made their way to the conference room, arguing and laughing the whole time.

But when they saw Bešić's face, they all quieted down, not daring to make a sound.

Suker felt that Bešić was like a homeroom teacher, not saying anything, just quietly looking at them, suppressing them with his gaze.

Only when the conference room was completely quiet, with not a sound, did he slowly say,

"Next, we will begin to arrange the tactics."

The whole process was Bešić talking and them listening.

During individual arrangements, Bešić would also highlight key points.

Bešić's tactical arrangements were very detailed, and this meticulousness went down to the specifics.

Suker believed that the only guy who could be more meticulous than Bešić was Mourinho, the detail freak.

But thanks to Bešić's way of explaining, the players all understood the tactical intentions very well.

This would make their tactical execution twice as effective.

After the tactical lesson, the Croatian players took the bus to the training ground for training.

Although it was still raining outside, training could not stop.

But for safety, Bešić used more indoor equipment training, mainly to awaken body functions and maintain condition.

Finally, they went to the training ground, took a few shots, and ran a few laps, and that was it.

One day's training ended, and the next day the same training was repeated.

But unlike the previous day, on this day, Croatia finished their meal early and then gathered in the conference room to watch an European Cup knockout match together.

Czech Republic VS Germany!

That is, the first place in Group A plays the second place in group B!

"This match against the Czech Republic won't be easy. Germany is holding a grudge now!" Mandžukić said.

The others also nodded one after another.

In the third round of the group stage, Germany lost very indignantly.

Due to tactical errors, they were always at a disadvantage, and Croatia did not give them any opportunities to make mistakes, not even a single one.

In the end, Germany's ambitious challenge ended hastily and indignantly.

Not only did they fail to get revenge, but they were further humiliated.

In this situation, Germany naturally held a fire in their hearts.

As for the Czech Republic, although they were the top team in Group A, Germany was still more prominent in terms of hard power.

And with this suppressed mentality, Germany would vent properly in this match.

Just six minutes into the match, Lahm unleashed a powerful long-range shot that went straight into the top corner, giving Germany the opening goal.

At this point, Germany's furious offensive began to unfold.

Klose and Reus linked up.

After Reus nutmegged the opposing full-back, he immediately followed up with a low cross, and Klose slid in front of the goal to score.

A few minutes later, Özil chipped a pass to Klose, who unleashed a powerful shot that hit the Czech Republic Goalkeeper's chest and flew over the crossbar.

And this attack completely kicked off Germany's aggressive offensive rhythm.

Thereafter, Germany attacked from both sides.

The two full-backs, Boateng and Lahm, constantly pushed forward and crossed.

Klose and Schürrle were almost like fleas, constantly jumping and contesting headers.

In the 31st minute, another cross from Boateng assisted Khedira to score.

Ten minutes later, Germany came back strong.

Klose feigned a shot in the big penalty area, faking and then pulling the ball back, passing it to Reus.

Reus followed up alertly and scored with a poke.

By then, Germany had scored three goals in the first half.

The Czech Republic's proud defense was completely riddled.

"Hiss~~~"

Dujmović gasped and said, "Fortunately, when Germany played against us, they lost their minds and didn't restrict Suker, otherwise, with this offensive power, it would have been really hard to defend!"

Croatia's squad adaptability was very high.

But the defense, after all, had just been reorganized and had not experienced the tempering of major tournaments, lacking experience.

Although Srna was there to organize, it was impossible for him to command at all times.

Once Germany played with such an offensive, Croatia would really have a tough time.

Just as Dujmović said, fortunately, the Germans lost their minds. By Suker exploding the wing, Germany's offense was restricted, otherwise, it would have been really hard to say.

The match quickly entered the second half.

Germany still did not give up on attacking, as if they wanted to vent all their suppressed energy.

After several fierce attacks, the Czech Republic completely surrendered.

And at the end of the 90-minute match, Germany defeated the Czech Republic, the top team in Group A, with a large score of 5:0.

The deterrent effect of this score was too strong.

Especially for other teams, Germany's performance after entering the knockout stage was astonishing.

Greece, also the second-place team in Group A, felt extremely nervous.

Germany had massacred their group leader.

In their match against the Czech Republic, they could clearly feel that the Czech Republic was already very strong, but they were still beaten so badly that they didn't know what hit them.

And their upcoming opponent was Croatia, the top team in group b!

"Oh my God! Was the Czech Republic that easy to beat?"

"How could that be! It's just that Germany is too strong!"

"This was a slaughter!"

"How did Germany lose to Croatia?"

"Didn't you watch that match? Germany's wing was thrashed by Suker!"

"Hiss~~~ Can our wing avoid being thrashed?"

"I can only try!"

The Greek players all looked serious.

This match showed them that even though they were all teams that qualified from the group stage, there was still a huge difference in ability.

Germany, the second-place team in group b, massacred the Czech Republic, the top team in Group A.

And Greece, the second-place team in Group A, was about to face Croatia, the top team in group B!

Their pressure was imaginable.

But no matter what, they could only brace themselves for tomorrow's match.