The All-Around Center Forward

The commentary booth at Kyiv Olympic Stadium was located in a recessed area on the tenth floor.

It was surrounded by glass to block out some of the noise, but due to the intense cheering from the crowd, the soundproofing glass wasn't very effective.

Klausevich sat in front of the commentary desk, organizing the various data in his hands, occasionally turning his head to look at the stadium through the glass window.

The match was set to begin in another hour.

This was the European Cup Final, after all!

"Camera check complete!"

"Line check complete!"

The staff members were busy setting up for the live broadcast of the match, their voices excited, many even with a slight tremble.

Klausevich couldn't help but smile at this.

In 2008, when they first broadcast the final, he was just as nervous.

Of course, he was still nervous now!

"Your water!"

A young staff member handed Klausevich a bottle of water.

But due to nervousness, Klausevich hadn't even reached out his hand before the other person let go of the bottle, and it fell directly to the ground.

"Sorry!"

The young man quickly apologized.

Klausevich didn't blame him; instead, he smiled, bent down to pick up the bottle, and asked, "Very nervous?"

The staff member nodded, pointing to his heart and saying, "I feel like it's going to explode!"

"Take a deep breath!" Klausevich said with a smile. "That can help a little."

The young man immediately nodded and did as told.

At this moment, the director in front shouted, "Boss, the signal is about to come in!"

Klausevich quickly nodded. He returned to his seat at the commentary desk, adjusted his clothes, put on his specially made noise-canceling headphones, and after double-checking the microphone, he gave a thumbs-up, indicating he was ready.

The director nodded and said loudly, "Signal about to switch, everyone get ready! 3, 2, 1!"

Klausevich watched as the red light on the camera lit up. He immediately adjusted his state and, in his most impassioned voice, shouted loudly:

"This is the stage of the 2012 European Cup Final! We are live broadcasting from Kyiv, the Capital of Ukraine, at the European Cup Final!"

"After 2008, we have once again made it to the European Cup Final. This is an incredible achievement, but we still cannot relax! The formidable Germany is on the other side, and they are the biggest obstacle preventing us from reaching the top!"

"Tonight, on the European Cup Final stage, in two and a half hours, the champion will be decided!"

"Let us give our warriors the most enthusiastic cheers!"

Klausevich suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Look! They're coming out!"

Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!!—

At Kyiv Olympic Stadium, the intense cheers suddenly surged.

Tens of thousands of Croatia and Germany fans were shouting loudly.

Amidst the convergence of various sounds, both teams' players emerged from the player tunnel onto the field to warm up.

The camera remained focused on Suker.

As the most watched player in this World Cup, and also the top scorer, Suker naturally attracted a lot of attention.

"Suker! His performance is as excellent as ever. Since the group stage, Suker has always been the most crucial player in Croatia's offensive battles. In those difficult matches, it was Suker's active presence. For Croatia, Suker's existence represents their powerful offense!"

"Especially in this European Cup, with Rakitić's excellent performance, he has largely shared Suker's offensive pressure, which has made it even more disorienting for opponents to defend against us!"

"Currently, Suker leads the scoring charts with six goals. Can he once again win the European Cup golden boot award? Let's wait and see!"

The camera shifted, moving to Germany's side.

"Klose, Germany's offensive spearhead and top scorer. In the rotation between Gómez and Klose, Klose still managed to score four goals with his excellent performance. Especially after the rotation in the group stage, he has secured a starting position in the knockout stage."

"Klose's performance in the European Cup has been outstanding. He has also accumulated 14 goals in the World Cup, and with one more goal, he can equal the record of fifteen World Cup goals set by Brazil star Ronaldo, or even surpass it!"

"Therefore, we cannot relax at all!"

"Germany's strength is not only reflected in their frontline, but their overall coordination is also a crucial aspect."

"Just like we saw in their match against Spain in the semi-finals, in that intense game, Germany repeatedly resisted Spain's tiki-taka, disrupting their rhythm. For us, we must play even more rigorously!"

Klausevich's tone was extremely serious.

That semi-final truly shocked him.

Germany's control of the rhythm was too good; even Spain's tiki-taka couldn't penetrate, and instead, they were scattered by the high pressing.

And Germany used fierce counterattacks to repeatedly threaten Spain's goal.

Although many people said that Spain's loss was due to an internal collapse, football professionals and analysts clearly understood that even without the infighting in the second half, Spain would have been worn down by Germany.

Since the European Cup semi-finals, the so-called luck factor has become very small.

Real hard power confrontation is the key!

On the field, both teams' players quickly completed their warm-up.

Throughout the process, they had no communication.

Even Mandžukić and Vukojević, facing their club teammates, did not exchange any glances.

Regardless of the club, on the National Team's stance, they were opponents.

They were opponents!

Soon, both teams' players returned to the locker room for their final preparations.

Germany's locker room was extremely heavy.

Lahm put on his captain's armband, took a deep breath, and said loudly:

"Guys! Gather 'round!"

Once everyone formed a circle, they put their arms around each other's shoulders.

Lahm said in a deep voice:

"I hope you remember what we are fighting for. The past tragedies cannot continue to unfold. Germany fans' patience is limited, and we cannot fail again!"

"I know very well what it feels like to fall short in crucial finals, that terrible situation makes me furious!"

"I don't want you to experience these things as well, so..."

Lahm took a deep breath and shouted, "Let's win this damn European Cup! Let's stop being supporting characters to highlight others. Tonight, let's be the protagonists!"

"Go! Germany!!—"

Everyone roared, "Go!! Germany!!—"

Croatia's locker room.

Srna gazed at everyone:

"After going through match after match, we've finally reached the final. I don't ask you to be worthy of the fans, but you must be worthy of yourselves!"

"We've trained day and night, and after countless victories, we're here not to highlight others!"

"Remember! We are the reigning champions of the European Cup!"

"How many people are waiting to see us fail, but we won't give them that chance. Show your fighting spirit and win this match!"

After speaking, Srna looked at Bešić and said, "Coach, you have the last word!"

Bešić glanced at Srna and slowly nodded.

Under everyone's gaze, Bešić slowly said:

"What I want to say is simple: I believe in you!"

"Most of the players here are players I discovered. From the moment you stepped into the professional League, I watched you grow step by step. I am very proud that I have nurtured a group of National Team players, and they are now wearing the National Team jersey, fighting fiercely!"

"I am very proud that your growth has exceeded my expectations; you were born to break all restraints!"

"I wanted to say, 'enjoy this match,' but that's just a grand statement, and it's very irresponsible!"

"So, I want to say..."

Bešić clenched his fist tightly and shouted, "Win this match, take down Germany!"

Everyone's bodies suddenly lowered, and they roared in unison.

"Take down Germany!!—"

Inside the player tunnel, a suffocating atmosphere permeated.

Germany and Croatia's players stood silently on either side.

Their eyes were calm, but the focus they displayed in their gaze created pressure.

This was the stage of the European Cup Final.

Fighting with everything they had was for this match.

Since they had come this far, they had to show everything without reservation.

"They're coming out!"

"They're about to come out!"

Both team captains spoke.

Accompanied by intense cheers, they stepped out of the player's tunnel, passed through the European Cup arch, and walked onto the synthetic track, entering the central stadium.

As they lined up neatly, the flashes from the cameras created a continuous stream of light.

The tremendous cheers sent adrenaline soaring.

Reporters from all over the world were documenting this moment.

Those faces were filled with fighting spirit!

The starting lineups for the final are as follows:

Croatia (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Subašić.

Defenders: Srna, Vida, Lovren, Strinić.

Midfielders: Perisic, Vukojević, Rakitić, Modrić, Suker.

Forward: Mandžukić.

Germany (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Neuer.

Defenders: Lahm, Hummels, Badstuber, Boateng.

Midfielders: Reus, Schweinsteiger, Özil, Khedira, Podolski.

Forward: Klose.

"Compared to the group stage, Germany's lineup hasn't changed much, which means Germany's overall strategy remains the same; they won't put excessive energy into defense, but in such a situation, how will they limit Suker? This is a big problem!"

"After all, in the group stage, Suker has already proven his terrifying ability to explode down the flank if he's not marked. After that match, Germany clearly won't take such a risk again!"

Löw's expression on the sidelines was solemn.

He certainly wouldn't make the same mistake again.

But he also couldn't abandon the attack.

Therefore, in the defense of the left wing, more effort needed to be put into the wide midfielder, which meant Reus's retreat.

Reus's retreat, combined with Schweinsteiger's containment and Lahm's defense, would form a three-pronged approach to mark Suker.

This was to limit Suker in open play, and it also required defensive players to have strong man-marking ability; at the very least, they couldn't be immediately bypassed by Suker and needed to wait for support.

Lahm was also well aware of this, but compared to the group stage, his pressure was greatly reduced.

Man-marking while waiting for support and one-on-one marking are very different.

He was confident he could stick to Suker and wait for support to arrive.

Croatia's formation and tactics didn't show much difference.

Except for the match against Italy, when Croatia made a tactical change, they otherwise relied on this formation to confront their opponents head-on.

This also showed Bešić's trust and patience in this formation.

Moreover, to put it bluntly, this match was a head-to-head battle, and the advantage of specific tactics wasn't significant.

Whether it was Croatia or Germany, they both had their fundamental tactical approaches, so they wouldn't be swayed by so-called tactics; they could only rely on sheer strength to compete.

The two captains, Srna and Lahm, exchanged team pennants under the gaze of the world.

Germany got the chance to kick off first.

Croatia, on the other hand, returned to their own half, awaiting the start of the match.

Whoosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!—

Beep beep beep beep beep beep!!!!

Boo boo boo!!!!

All sorts of noisy sounds filled the stadium.

Cheers, applause, boos, etc.

This also proved that the European Cup final was about to begin.

The stadium lights illuminated the field as if it were daytime, and the fans from both sides cheered and shouted loudly, sending their most intense encouragement to the players.

"Go! Go! Dad! Go!"

Sukic, wearing a small Croatia jersey, held a small flag in his hand while in Aunt Betty's arms, desperately waving his arms and cheering.

Just then, the whistle blew.

Beep!

The match has begun!

"This is the 2012 European Cup final."

"The match has begun."

"Match starts!!!"

Commentary booths around the world delivered their opening remarks at the same moment.

Klausevich also shouted into the microphone: "The match has begun! European Cup final, Croatia against Germany, Germany kicks off first in the first half!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

As soon as the match started, Croatia immediately sprinted forward.

Croatia immediately initiated high pressing at the start.

"They're pushing up, retreat to receive the ball!"

Schweinsteiger roared, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

Bang!

Schweinsteiger, with his back to goal, flicked the ball with the back of his foot, passing it to Khedira.

Khedira pushed it forward to Özil.

But Özil didn't dare to turn and immediately passed it back.

Behind him, Modrić and Vukojević were also lurking.

Schweinsteiger immediately rushed towards the ball, and despite Suker's interference, he precariously pushed the ball forward to Reus.

As soon as Reus received the ball, he was knocked down by Strinić.

Ah~~~~

Reus cried out and fell to the ground.

He wasn't injured, but crying out more dramatically might trick the Referee into giving a card.

However, the Referee did not show a yellow card, but instead verbally warned Strinić.

Nevertheless, Strinić was unaffected.

"Good job!"

"That's right! That's how to play!"

"Don't let them pass!"

When the ball was in a dangerous position, it was necessary to foul even if it meant getting a card, not to mention that this wasn't a very serious foul.

Watching Strinić's clean and decisive performance, Suker also nodded slightly.

What he feared most was these rookies being too nervous and not daring to play.

But Strinić dared to challenge right from the start, which was a very good sign.

Germany had a free-kick in the attacking third.

Schweinsteiger took the kick, lofting it directly into the box, intending to try his luck.

But the ball was headed clear by Srna, who leaped high.

Rakitić easily brought the ball down, and while facing away, he feigned a turn to the left. After deceiving Khedira's center of gravity, he immediately turned to the right and drove forward.

However, as soon as he reached the center circle, Germany's retreating players had already caught up.

"Such fast defending!"

Rakitić thought to himself.

He wanted to find Suker, but the passing lanes to Suker were almost completely blocked by Germany.

Rakitić could only stop abruptly and switch the ball horizontally to Modrić.

Modrić struck a chipped pass, lofting the ball into the space behind Boateng, and Perisic accelerated his sprint.

Just as he was about to touch the ball, Boateng suddenly burst out from the side, and a collision sent Perisic directly sprawling to the ground.

Ah~~~~

Perisic also cried out and fell to the ground.

But the Referee extended both hands forward, not blowing his whistle, which meant there was no foul.

Croatia immediately counter-pressed on the spot!

"Damn it!"

"So much pressure!"

Boateng shifted the ball towards the center to Badstuber.

As soon as the latter looked up, he saw Mandžukić and Suker charging at him from both left and right sides.

"Clear it!"

Neuer shouted.

Badstuber immediately cleared the ball with a long kick; at this point, he didn't care about possession, just getting the ball away was enough.

The ball fell far into Croatia's half, and Vukojević won the header, flicking the ball to Srna on the side.

Srna received the ball and spread his arms out to the sides.

"Steady! No rush!"

Upon hearing this, the Croatia players suddenly exhaled a sigh of relief.

The match had just begun, and both sides had already engaged in an intense battle of attack and defense.

Whew~~~~~~~~~

It wasn't just the players who sighed in relief; the commentator Klausevich was also relieved.

"Srna has actively settled the tempo. The match just started, and Germany immediately launched an attack, and we immediately retaliated. Both sides are playing at a fast pace, and the intensity of the challenge is equally fierce."

"The match has just started, and both teams have directly entered an excited state. They are not giving each other any time to adapt; every attack is a genuine threat to the goal, with no probing whatsoever!"

German commentator: "This is destined to be an intense match. Croatia shares our mindset, which means the match tempo will inevitably develop in an intense direction, and in this process, we must be careful of Croatia's sudden change of tempo!"

The commentators on both sides were very nervous.

In contrast, the third-party commentators were ecstatic.

"This match is going to be good!!"

"Neither of these teams has a probing phase; they started bombing each other's penalty areas right from the kick-off!"

"The tempo can be even faster! Let our adrenaline flow even more!"

"Come on! Keep pushing! We love to see a brawl!"