The All-Around Center Forward

Croatia's counterattack caught Germany somewhat off guard.

They really hadn't expected Modrić to pass in that manner, and Boateng also failed to hold onto Suker, leading to Croatia's counterattack penetrating deep and scoring.

Conceding this goal was a blow to their morale, but the German players quickly roused their spirits.

"Don't worry about it, our offense is effective, and we will equalize!"

Lahm kept cheering them on.

What he said was true; Germany's offense could still threaten Croatia, but the situation on the field, due to the conceded goal, meant their margin for error was smaller, requiring more caution.

On Croatia's side, they retreated to their own half amidst the applause from the entire stadium.

Suker looked at Modrić and asked, "When did you learn that?"

"What?" Modrić inquired.

"The Rainbow Pass!" Suker replied.

Modrić: "You mean the curved shot? I've known how to do it for a while; it's just about curving the ball with the instep or outside of the foot. But this time was also a risk, after all, the passing line was too long, and if I didn't control the power well, it could easily be intercepted. Fortunately, this pass was perfect!"

Suker nodded: "It was indeed perfect!"

With that, Suker extended his hand, and Modrić slapped it forcefully.

Clap!

"Suker and Modrić high-five; this pair has been teammates since the Bosnian League, and they've always had such great chemistry!"

"In this counterattack, both Modrić and Suker performed exceptionally well. It was precisely because of their brilliant performances that Croatia was able to score first!"

At this moment, the slow-motion replay appeared.

The slow-motion showed Boateng pulling Suker.

The jersey was stretched long, and Suker's abdominal muscles were faintly visible, but in the footage, after a clear pause, Suker's leg muscles also showed a noticeable bulge, and then came the scene of him pulling Boateng down.

Seeing this, Klausevich couldn't help but exclaim:

"Suker really can't be stopped!"

Not only Boateng, but commentators from other countries also expressed similar sentiments.

Even the English commentator, known for his emphasis on physical confrontation, nodded in approval of Suker's physical ability, stating that even if Suker came to the Premier League, he would quickly adapt to the Premier League's high-intensity game rhythm.

On the field, players from both teams moved to their respective halves.

Klose stood on the center circle with his foot on the ball, waiting for the kickoff. His expression was solemn; clearly, conceding the goal had put great pressure on Germany.

If they didn't want to repeat what happened before, they needed to score and equalize as soon as possible.

Other German players felt the same way.

They were all thinking about the upcoming game.

Soon, the whistle blew again.

Germany kicked off.

"Germany kicks off, and they are still maintaining their original tactics. Although Croatia scored first, it was a counterattack from Germany's corner kick. In fact, Croatia has not yet solved their fundamental offensive problems."

"However, based on this goal, Croatia has more ample time."

Bešić, on the sidelines, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Suker's goal was truly a godsend.

If not for this goal, he probably would have made substitutions and adjusted tactics.

But if he did, Croatia's substitution slots would be wasted, leaving them with fewer means to counter Germany.

In terms of substitutions and formation changes, Germany's bench is deeper.

Muller, Kroos, Gómez, Schürrle, Götze, Mertesacker, and many other players have not yet played.

Löw can make many adjustments based on the situation on the field.

Croatia was already at a slight disadvantage, and if they made the first substitution, losing the initiative, they would only become more passive.

Fortunately, Suker's goal came just in time.

However, Croatia's situation was still not easy at this moment.

Germany was extremely focused on containing Suker, and at the same time, they continuously attacked Croatia's defense by using Podolski's reverse breakthrough in the midfield.

Fortunately, Srna was still very stable; he was able to interfere with Podolski repeatedly.

But defenders are always on the reactive side, and if it happens too many times, Srna will also need support; he won't be able to hold on.

Fortunately, most of the first half had already passed.

The game entered the 41st minute, with the first half nearing its end.

Croatia suddenly suffered a steal in their own half!

Podolski, in cooperation with Klose, completed the tackle against Srna.

Srna scrambled up from the ground, turning to sprint wildly.

"Cover! ! —-"

Immediately, Croatia's entire defensive line was disrupted.

"Danger!!!" Klausevich roared; "The defense is in disarray!"

At this moment, Croatian fans held their breath.

Klose pressed Croatia's defensive line, charging towards the six-yard box. Vida stood at the very front; he couldn't give Podolski a chance to sweep the ball across the goal.

But at this moment, Podolski suddenly passed the ball.

This was a diagonal pass.

"Watch Özil!"

Srna turned his head and realized that Özil hadn't moved at all; he was still in the right-sided rib area.

So... this pass?

On the right side inside the penalty area, a figure wearing Germany's black number 21 jersey suddenly appeared.

The young Reus met the ball and made a shooting motion.

His body was extremely fluid; he gently scooped the ball with his foot as he met it.

This was a curling shot.

Aimed at the top left corner of Croatia's goal.

Goalkeeper Subašić instinctively moved to the right. Faced with this sudden reverse angle, he was helpless.

He could only turn his head to watch the ball, hoping it would fly out of bounds.

But the ball accurately nestled into the top corner.

"Goooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!"

The German commentator stood up excitedly, roaring wildly.

"Marco Reus!!! A goal in the final moments of the first half, a brilliant tackle and counterattack, Germany accurately seized this opportunity, Podolski assisted Reus for the goal!"

"Croatia's defense on the right wing had some issues with ball distribution, which led to us scoring and equalizing!"

"Well done! Lads, keep playing like this!"

Cheers erupted throughout the stadium, and German fans jumped out of their seats.

Reus, the goalscorer, rushed to the corner flag, excitedly raising his arms and pumping his fists in celebration.

Soon, more German players ran over, and they celebrated together.

Finally, they had equalized!

Bešić saw this scene, lowered his head, and sighed.

"There's nothing to be done. Germany kept applying pressure on the right wing, targeting Srna. Srna has been holding on for 40 minutes, having to both organize and defend. The pressure on him in this match is indeed too great."

Bešić shook his head.

He couldn't expect every player to be like Suker, able to withstand this kind of pressure.

It was also fortunate that Srna was on the right side; if it had been Strinić, he probably would have collapsed much earlier.

This conceded goal was certainly frustrating.

But based on Suker's goal, it was still a draw.

And they were about to enter halftime, so Bešić could make some tactical adjustments.

Although they conceded, it was still within an acceptable range.

Löw suddenly stood up from his seat, vigorously waving his arms.

One could see his hands trembling slightly, and his fingernails were gnawed into a jagged shape.

It was evident how anxious Löw had been in the first half.

Without this goal, his plan would have been ruined!

Fortunately, the lads on the field completed their self-redemption.

This goal also made Löw breathe a long sigh of relief.

"Reus's goal, Germany has equalized. Currently, Croatia 1:1 Germany. The situation on the field is still very tight."

"And once they enter the second half with a draw, both teams will need to make some tactical adjustments."

As the commentator spoke, the match on the field resumed.

Croatia began to actively retreat into a defensive shell.

They couldn't let Germany create any more steals or counterattacks on the flanks.

To this end, Suker and Perisic dropped back and tucked in, increasing the security of receiving the ball in the middle.

This also significantly reduced the pressure on Srna.

At the same time, seeing Croatia actively retract their defensive line, Germany did not continue to attack, but instead played steadily.

Both teams placed their hopes on the confrontation in the second half.

Soon, the halftime whistle blew.

The match entered halftime.

Cheers roared throughout the stadium; fans of both teams were shouting intensely. However, under the camera, the expressions of the players from both sides were incredibly heavy.

This match was much harder to play than they had imagined.

"My fault!"

Back in the locker room, Srna proactively took the blame.

"Now is not the time to point fingers," Suker said, waving his hand. "First, we need to figure out how to play in the second half."

With that, Suker grabbed an energy drink and gulped it down.

"Suker is right, we must open up the attack on the right wing."

At this moment, Modrić was also blunt.

At this point, they weren't going to spare anyone's feelings.

Played poorly!

It was played poorly!

They were still being lenient; if it were someone else with a bad temper, Perisic would probably have been scolded.

Perisic also hung his head, not speaking.

He knew his problem was significant; Suker had attracted so much defensive pressure, yet he failed to threaten the opponent's defense, so he had no face to say anything.

At this moment, everyone suddenly quieted down.

Bešić walked in.

"Substitution in the 55th minute of the second half!"

After Bešić entered, he immediately said.

This substitution was within the expectations of Suker and the others; if they didn't make a change, they would continue to face a passive situation.

And this kind of problem must be solved by substitution.

Most likely, Perisic would be substituted.

"At the start of the second half, maintain a defensive posture. After the substitution in the 55th minute, we will attack again!"

Bešić said in a deep voice, "Tomi will play the right midfield position!"

Bešić looked at Dujmović: "You have only one task, and that is to shoot from long range!"

Dujmović immediately nodded and said loudly, "Leave it to me!"

"At the same time, Rakitić will play as the right winger, Modrić as the left attacking midfielder. Luka must control the rhythm in the midfield. Once we complete the substitution, immediately cooperate with Suker's burst to launch an effective attack."

"We will still focus on the left wing. Once Germany's defense leans too much to the left, then quickly switch sides and use Rakitić's ability to break through in the weak spot, understand?"

Everyone nodded.

Bešić still came up with a solution, which relieved Suker and the others.

Inside Germany's locker room, Löw was also making tactical changes.

"Croatia's right wing isn't working, they can only choose to make a substitution, either a direct substitution in midfield or at the 55th or 65th minute mark. But regardless of that, our goal is to preempt them!"

Löw turned and shouted, "Muller!"

Muller immediately stood up.

"I'm here!"

Löw said in a deep voice, "Are you warmed up?"

Muller nodded vigorously, giving an affirmative answer.

"Very good!" Löw said in a deep voice, "In the second half, we will make a direct substitution."

"Croatia doesn't have many options, but I'm sure they won't play defensively for the entire half. Once they attack, they'll need to solve the right wing problem. I don't know how Croatia will make specific adjustments, but from their current lineup, only Rakitić has the ability to pose a threat on the right wing!"

"So, it's highly probable that Rakitić will play as the right winger, and then the midfield will be adjusted into an inverted triangle formation!"

Bang!

Löw slammed the tactics board, his eyes shining as he said, "This will result in Vukojević playing as a single defensive midfielder."

"At this point, Muller needs to use his runs to disrupt the opponent's defense. I know you can do it!"

Muller smiled, "I'm best at running like that!"

Schweinsteiger frowned, "But what if Croatia doesn't change their formation? What if they still play 4-2-3-1?"

Löw sneered.

"I said, in their current lineup, only Rakitić is suitable for central midfield. Of course, Suker can also play there, but that would play right into our hands!"

"Once Suker plays central midfield, Croatia's wing attacks will be disrupted, and even in our wide positions, Lahm can be freed up to participate in the attack!"

Hearing this, Schweinsteiger suddenly understood.

Lahm also nodded vigorously.

This time, Germany was well-prepared.

Although Croatia's goal disrupted Löw's plan, Germany's players quickly used their excellent high pressing to regain hope for victory. This time, he would not make any more mistakes.

Halftime ended, and both teams returned to the field.

"The second half is about to begin. After the first half, the score is currently tied at 1:1. Throughout the first half, Germany's attack exerted more pressure. Since their loss in the group stage, Germany has learned some lessons, and they are clearly playing smarter against Croatia."

"And during halftime, Germany actually made a substitution first!"

"Reus off, Muller on!"

"This is a like-for-like substitution, but from a tactical perspective, it's a significant change!"

"Germany likely wants to rely on Muller's runs to disrupt Croatia's direction."

In the second half, both teams switched sides.

Suker looked at Germany's half, or rather, at Muller, and couldn't help but frown.

Modrić and the others also had a bad feeling.

"Germany actually made a substitution first!" Van Stoyak pursed his lips.

Currently, Germany held more of an advantage, and they all thought Germany would use this advantage as a premise, forcing Croatia to make a substitution first, and then they would adjust later.

But unexpectedly, Germany did something so 'un-German' this time.

This was not at all rigorous!

"Regardless of whether it's rigorous or not, it's certainly a bit dangerous." Bešić frowned. "Now it depends on Germany's performance. I hope we can stabilize our defense!"

In the second half, Croatia kicked off first.

Amidst the roaring cheers from the crowd, Croatia began to pass the ball around.

But Germany clearly did not give Croatia a chance to control the ball steadily, immediately pressing forward, using high-intensity duels to exert immense pressure in the attacking third.

This was exactly the same tactic Germany used against Spain.

Under such immense pressure, even Spain's midfield couldn't hold up, let alone Croatia.

Soon, the situation became somewhat chaotic.

Suker and Rakitić exchanged glances from afar; they had no choice but to drop back and tuck in, increasing the passing options in midfield.

"Pass it here!"

Seeing Modrić about to be surrounded, Suker shouted loudly.

Modrić immediately passed the ball.

But as he passed, the ball struck Muller's ankle, creating a half-volley.

It wasn't a low pass, nor a high ball.

It was a waist-high half-volley, and it's well-known that such balls are the most difficult to deal with.

Suker wanted to jump up and cushion the ball with his thigh.

But Schweinsteiger was tightly marking him, ready to push Suker if he dared to jump.

In desperation, Suker could only lean down and barely control the ball with his chest, attempting to trap it.

But at this moment, Schweinsteiger, with his rich experience, directly pushed Suker, preventing him from getting up.

Suker resisted with all his might, but his feet couldn't get free to control the ball.

And Schweinsteiger, seizing this opportunity, pulled the ball away and completed the transfer.

"I didn't pass well!"

Modrić actively raised his hand to signal.

Suker shook his head, he turned to look at these guys from Germany.

These guys were indeed playing smarter and smarter.

Bang!

The ball was passed to Muller's feet.

Muller didn't hold onto the ball, immediately passing it to Özil.

Özil switched it to the other wing, passing to Podolski.

Podolski looked at the well-prepared Srna, then suddenly twisted his body towards the penalty area, and immediately lofted a pass.

"Directly lofted in?"

Srna was a little surprised.

Inside the penalty area, Klose, Vida, Özil, and Lovren scrambled together.

Although the situation was chaotic, it wouldn't be easy to win a header and score.

Just then, Klose and Vida collided, and the ball bounced off both their shoulders.

The ball landed in the area between the penalty spot and the edge of the box, and a figure suddenly appeared.

Bešić was startled, he suddenly stood up and shouted:

"Watch the second ball!"

But he had already finished shouting.

Thomas Müller, facing the falling ball, completed a shot with an extremely awkward posture.

It was almost a cross-body shot with both hands and feet moving together, but the ball somehow squeezed between Özil and Lovren, flying into the far corner of the goal.

48 minutes.

The second half had only just begun, just 3 minutes in, and Germany had already scored.

Thomas Müller, just three minutes after coming on, helped Germany score a goal!