Wave after wave of shouts impacted the stadium, making the already tense atmosphere even more intense.
Both teams' players were ready, and the match was about to begin.
The Referee, pressing his earpiece for a final communication with the control department, raised his hands towards both Goalkeepers to signal if they were ready.
After receiving confirmation, the Referee decisively stepped out of the center circle and blew his whistle to start.
Beep!!!!
A sharp whistle cut through the sky, signaling the official start of the World Cup semi-final, where today one victor would advance to the World Cup final.
Croatia and Netherlands, who would earn this right? That would depend on their performance over 90 minutes.
"It's starting!"
Davor Šuker gripped his fists nervously, and the others also looked solemn.
The opening phase was crucial; at this moment, they absolutely could not be led by the nose by Netherlands.
Perhaps there would be some passive moments, but as long as the rhythm wasn't too bad, Croatia could correct everything.
Compared to Netherlands, Croatia was better at long-term, sustained battles, and they were also very patient.
For this, Davor Šuker believed Croatia should win the match in this manner.
But soon, he looked at the field with some surprise.
After the kickoff, Croatia's overall passing routes and running directions subtly revealed a sharp edge.
This was not a stable control, but rather an impactful, surging momentum.
"Croatia constantly shifts the ball to both wings, while Suker and Perisic repeatedly apply pressure on both sides."
"Currently, Netherlands cannot determine which side is the most lethal attacking route, but they need to defend well!"
Krauchivich watched the match nervously.
He hadn't expected Croatia to immediately pick up the pace at the start of the match.
They were supposed to be a team that sought stable control, but they actually took the initiative to attack!
Suker was restless on the wing, and his running routes were also somewhat nerve-wracking.
Although Suker was always closely marked, this was Suker!
Every time he touched the ball, the hearts of Netherlands fans would clench.
Bang!
Suker simply laid the ball back, and when he turned his head, he saw Kuyt, De Jong, and Sneijder all eyeing him menacingly.
Suker had experienced being triple-teamed before.
But judging by the distance of their positions, they intended to immediately get physical with him, even resorting to fouls to bring him down.
Suker pondered for a moment, thinking:
"I need to create some distance!"
He wasn't a fool; he couldn't go head-to-head with these guys from Netherlands.
One person against three in a physical contest, Suker's build certainly couldn't hold up.
He needed to utilize his flexible positioning more.
Thinking along these lines, Suker began to constantly move left and right.
And Suker's movement greatly pulled Netherlands' defensive attention.
Even if Suker didn't have the ball, they still had to follow him.
This led to Suker always being able to create space for his teammates, even without touching the ball, the effect was very good.
"Suker is constantly helping his teammates create space, and the pressure on other positions has also significantly decreased."
Krauchivich said with some excitement.
It seemed the situation was much more optimistic than expected.
They had originally thought Netherlands would pose a threat in the opening phase, but unexpectedly, they were subtly suppressed instead.
In this process, Suker played a very crucial role; he was an excellent decoy.
However, this couldn't rely solely on Suker; Modrić's intelligent distribution of passes was key to creating this situation.
"This guy! He's in good form!"
While running, Suker also paid attention to Modrić's passing routes.
At this moment, Modrić was focused, cautious, and bold.
This description seemed contradictory but was understandable.
His focus on the match allowed him to better observe the situation on the field and execute passes to their fullest potential.
Cautious back passes avoided excessive pressure on the defense; compared to letting the backline bear the pressure, Modrić chose to take on more pressure himself.
Boldness came in his forward passes; when he saw even a slight opportunity, Modrić would pass forward, some of which weren't even considered safe balls, but they made Netherlands extremely uncomfortable.
Gradually, Netherlands found themselves at a disadvantage.
"Press! Don't let him keep passing like this!"
Sneijder watched Modrić gradually control the midfield and continuously threaten their defense.
He knew that if the situation continued to develop, even without Suker, their defense could be exposed with a large hole.
They couldn't continue to play like this; they had to curb the key to all of this, which was Modrić.
With that, Sneijder, Robben, and Van Persie, along with other attacking players, began to drop back.
They cooperated with the midfield to put pressure on Modrić, even resorting to physical challenges.
Croatia also saw this situation.
Perisic had intended to drop back to help, but at that moment, Suker's shout echoed in his ears.
"Stay put!"
After shouting, Suker actively dropped back himself.
Perisic's dropping back wouldn't have much meaning; he wasn't a ball-controlling player and couldn't alleviate Modrić's pressure.
Suker's dropping back was the most necessary!
Indeed, seeing Suker drop back, Modrić, who was struggling without a passing option, immediately passed the ball to Suker.
The moment the ball rolled out of the crowd, Netherlands players once again turned and charged towards Suker!
They had to win the ball and disrupt Croatia's rhythm.
But at this moment, Suker suddenly kicked the ball, making a large-scale switch.
The ball traversed the entire field, flying precisely from the left side to an open space on the right side.
And Srna ran forward, perfectly filling that position.
Srna controlled the ball steadily; even though it was a direct pass, Suker's pass was very comfortable, making it easy to control.
Srna stopped the ball at his feet.
Now, Netherlands' pressing was disrupted by this large-scale switch.
Of course, Netherlands could continue to try pressing, but Croatia would just keep doing this; if you have the ability, then run!
You won't run them to death!
Srna felt the strategy for this match was very clear.
Not only the players, but even the commentators felt this strategy.
"Oh~! How frustrating! This switch is truly deadly for Netherlands!"
"They had intended to keep the ball on Suker's side to form a structured press, but Suker's large-scale switch disrupted Netherlands' not-yet-fully-formed pressing pattern!"
"If Suker had taken even one touch, Netherlands could have immediately closed in to surround him, but Suker also perceived all this and directly kicked the ball to switch play."
Netherlands' coach Van Gaal on the sidelines also frowned deeply.
Something was wrong, the rhythm was off.
They couldn't play like this!
It should have been their strong attacking phase, but they were being held back by Croatia.
No!
Not held back, but suppressed.
"That's right! Play like this!"
In the VIP box, Davor Šuker excitedly waved his arms, his entire face flushed with excitement.
Other Croatian legends in the box were also all smiles.
Fans felt the situation was stable, but they were former professional players; although retired now, they still had their vision and experience.
They knew this situation all too well.
Netherlands was suppressed!
In the opening phase, which should have been Netherlands' strong period, they were suppressed!
These guys from Croatia achieved very significant results in an area they weren't particularly good at.
This completely disrupted Netherlands' rhythm.
If they couldn't perform during their strong period, Netherlands would be in for it once Croatia slowly integrated their game.
But clearly, Croatia wanted more than just suppression.
They also wanted to score!
Bang!
Facing Netherlands' intense pressing, Modrić dragged the ball for a half-turn, then suddenly launched a long pass.
This ball was aimed at the space behind Netherlands' right-back, Verhaegh; he noticed that his position was a bit advanced, leaving space behind him that could be exploited.
Moreover, there were only three body lengths between Suker and him.
Modrić believed that with Suker's speed, he would surely be able to reach the landing spot first.
In fact, the moment Modrić kicked the ball, Suker was already on the verge of starting.
Years of unspoken understanding and cooperation meant that when such moments arrived, some things were mutually understood.
Modrić saw it!
Suker also saw it!
For this, both of them made the same choice almost simultaneously.
Of course, Modrić might not pass, but Suker couldn't not run!
If Modrić didn't pass, at most, he would have made a run in vain.
However, if Modrić had passed and he hadn't run, that would have been a big problem.
For this, Suker would spare no effort to fight for it, even if there was a glimmer of hope.
Opportunity does not wait for the lazy!
When he frequently pushed forward, there would always be one time he could get a shot on goal.
How crucial the choice was at this moment, by the time Verhaegh had not yet turned, Suker had already closed the two-body distance and was picking up speed.
"Oh no!"
Verhaegh knew that turning around to chase back now was simply too late.
For this, he could only bite the bullet and charge towards Suker, crashing into him fiercely.
He wanted to knock Suker down or hold him, which would at least buy him some time.
But he also found that Suker's run was in an arc, meaning that Verhaegh, even after taking two steps and reaching out, could barely touch Suker's jersey.
Verhaegh stretched out his hand forcefully, trying to hold Suker back.
The moment he extended his hand, he could clearly feel his fingertips touch the jersey.
If it were the loose, baggy jerseys of the old days, he might have had a chance to grab the jersey and pull Suker back.
But today's jerseys are slim-fit, clinging tightly to the body, and the moment he closed his five fingers, his fingertips slid across the jersey, unable to grasp it.
Swish!
Verhaegh stumbled two steps, stopping himself from falling.
But the moment he turned his head, he despairingly found that Suker had already surged forward.
"Suker!!! He's broken through!!"
Krauchivich stood up excitedly.
Suker broke through Verhaegh's defense and successfully brought down the ball; now in front of him was Vlaar, coming to cover, and two other Netherlands players, De Vrij and Blind.
On Croatia's side, besides Suker, Mandžukić also firmly restricted De Vrij and Blind, preventing them from interfering with Suker.
This gave Suker a one-on-one situation.
He believed that in a one-on-one situation, no one could stop Suker unless they fouled him.
And Suker naturally knew this, so he directly slanted into the penalty area.
He gave Vlaar no room to operate; once inside the penalty area, if he dared to foul, Suker would dare to fall.
Wouldn't getting a penalty kick be great then!
Vlaar was also having a headache at this point, or rather, he was completely flustered.
He could only try his best to stick close to Suker.
"Vlaar! Vlaar! Vlaar!"
The Netherlands commentator watched the situation inside the penalty area nervously.
Vlaar one-on-one with Suker, this was not a good thing.
He felt his heart pounding violently, as if it was about to jump out of his throat.
He could only call out Vlaar's name again and again, hoping he could save Netherlands and stop Suker.
Vlaar was indeed very cautious, but when he faced Suker, the tension he felt was indescribable.
What would Suker do?
Would he pass?
How would he choose to break through?
How would he shoot?
A feint!
A second feint!
But when the third feint appeared, Vlaar could no longer endure the torment; he made his move.
"It's over!"
The Netherlands commentator almost instinctively shouted.
When Vlaar made his move, he knew it was going to be bad.
Sure enough, Suker adjusted with a high-frequency series of small steps; the ball, which was initially pushed horizontally, suddenly cut inwards.
His feet immediately moved in tandem, pushing sideways, instantly creating a breakthrough space, and he slipped past Vlaar from the side.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!—
At this moment, the entire stadium erupted!
Croatian fans were roaring with excitement.
Suker broke through.
However, the position didn't seem ideal.
At this moment, Suker was at the sharp angle of the six-yard box, the Goalkeeper was right in front of him, arms outstretched, widening his defensive area.
The shooting space was small, and the difficulty was very high.
Suker could force a shot, but he had a better option.
Facing Mandžukić's forward press, the other two Netherlands defenders were also tightly following and restricting.
At this moment, Suker suddenly stopped and gently pushed the ball towards the penalty spot.
This was a cut-back pass.
The Netherlands Goalkeeper turned his head to look, and his pupils constricted slightly.
When he saw Rakitić at the penalty spot, already in a shooting posture, his mind went blank.
Rakitić, who had surged forward from behind, in an unmarked position, faced the assist from Suker and chose a stable push shot.
This push shot aimed for the gap in the middle, the ball threaded between Mandžukić and De Vrij, accurately hitting the net.
Swish!
The net trembled.
In the 9th minute of the first half, Croatia scored first.
"Goal!! Goal!! Goal!!"
"God!! No! It should be Suker!! This is simply amazing!"
"The choice and opportunity for this attack were all created by Suker."
"He used his speed to shake off Verhaegh, and then got past Vlaar, practically feeding the goal to Rakitić!"
"Facing such a golden opportunity, Rakitić did not let Suker down, accurately hitting the goal!"
"In the 9th minute of the first half, Croatia leads Netherlands 1-0!"
"We scored first and took the lead, this is fantastic. This start is so comfortable!"
Krauchivich excitedly jumped up from his seat, his entire face flushed, waving his arms and legs, clearly in a state of extreme excitement.
Scoring first and taking the lead in the semi-finals.
This meant they were one step closer to the final, how could this not be exciting?
What's more, Croatia is indeed good at playing from a disadvantage, and they are very resilient.
But don't forget, when Croatia is in an advantageous position, their ability to kill the game is even stronger.
"Oh, for heaven's sake!"
Van Gaal gripped his hair with both hands, his entire face filled with bitterness.
Chaos!
Complete chaos!
He had intended to score in the first half and then suppress Croatia.
But he never expected it to turn out like this.
In the previous few matches, Croatia's attacking desire in the first half wasn't as strong, and Van Gaal thought Croatia needed some time to get into the game.
But he didn't expect these guys to be in such good form in this match.
Not only did they display brilliant teamwork in attack, but they also withstood their pressing in the first half and scored.
Now, Netherlands has been pushed to the brink!
Don't just look at it as one goal; it also represents a complete collapse of rhythm, tactics, and the overall situation.
Compared to the former, the latter is the key!
This means their tactics had already failed in the 9th minute of the first half, and for the remaining 36 minutes, what should they do?
If they let Croatia continue to play like this, the situation might get worse and worse.
But if they make substitutions, they will waste substitution slots, and if it doesn't work, they might lose everything.
In the shot, Van Gaal's expression was heavy and profound.
This scene was also being broadcast to all parts of the world through television.
Inside the hotel where Germany was staying, the entire conference room was silent.
"Croatia scored first, Netherlands has been pushed to the brink!"
"The biggest problem isn't the goal, but that the tactical choice failed early, in the 9th minute. How will Netherlands hold on for the next 36 minutes?"
"I think Van Gaal's biggest mistake was choosing to attack proactively in the first half; we might not even be able to withstand Croatia's counter-attack!"
The German players discussed animatedly.
Watching this match, they also clearly realized that if they faced Croatia in the final, it would be a very tough match.
Germany's performance in this World Cup has been impressive!
But the equally strong Croatia should not be underestimated.
"Let's keep watching, I feel Van Gaal will make a substitution!"
"He has to make a substitution; the tactics have failed. If they continue like this, they will only be continuously suppressed by Croatia, and even concede more goals!"
"But I'm afraid he'll hesitate," Mustafi said bitterly, "Please, don't let Croatia reach the final, knock them out, I don't want to be matched up against Suker!"
Just thinking about being matched up against Suker made Mustafi a little terrified.
"What are you afraid of, you idiot!" Muller, standing nearby, rolled his eyes and said, "If anyone's matched up against him, it's the Captain!"
With that, he turned his head and said, "Right, Captain?"
Lahm did not respond, but instead looked at the big screen with focus and seriousness.
Clearly, Suker was putting a lot of pressure on him too.