Standing in the player's tunnel, Modrić felt an extreme sense of tension for the first time.
The cheers of the entire stadium filled his ears, yet the violent pounding of his heart was still distinct.
His breathing was rapid; despite wanting to calm this emotion, it was still very difficult to soothe it down.
He knew that stepping out of the tunnel and through the archway ahead meant reaching the Champions League final pitch they had dreamed of.
He wasn't sure when he started longing for the World Cup, nor when that longing began to take concrete shape, but at this moment, he couldn't think too much; playing the current match well was the key.
Srna stood in the front row, his gaze like a torch.
Mentally, he was a bit better than Modrić, but there were also signs of strong suppression, as it would be strange not to be nervous in a final.
Germany on the other side was in the same situation.
Both sides waited in silence for their entrance; the atmosphere at this moment was oppressive and tense, even the Referee team in front could feel this sense of impending storm.
The Referee from Sweden listened to instructions through his earpiece, then turned and shouted, "Ready to come out!"
Clang!
It was like a heavy hammer striking his heart; his heart pounded even more violently, and the blood throughout his body seemed to boil.
They breathed in short, rapid gasps, which only made the atmosphere more tense.
"Prepare for battle!"
Srna and Lahm, the two captains, shouted almost simultaneously.
This was followed by the fervent responses of both teams' players.
They were all yelling at the top of their lungs, as if whoever's voice was a little quieter was falling behind.
As the Referee team walked out of the player's tunnel, the players followed closely.
And the moment the protagonists of both sides entered, the entire stadium erupted.
Fans all over the world also burst into cheers at this moment.
The long-awaited World Cup final was finally about to begin!
The 2014 World Cup, after a month of competition and elimination, and after brutal battles, two teams finally reached the final stage.
One is Croatia from Eastern Europe!
The other is Germany from Western Europe!
Although both are European teams, they inherently adhere to different tactical styles, yet their strengths are evenly matched, and thus, the attention on this match is very high.
The starting lineups for both sides are as follows:
Croatia (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Subašić!
Defenders: Srna, Vida, Lovren, Ćorluka.
Midfielders: Perisic, Vukojević, Rakitić, Modrić, Suker.
Forward: Mandžukić.
Germany (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Neuer!
Defenders: Lahm, Boateng, Hummels, Höwedes.
Midfielders: Muller, Kramer, Kroos, Schweinsteiger, Özil.
Forward: Klose.
The formations set up by both teams are absolutely the most stable.
Injuries have not significantly reduced the combat effectiveness of the two teams; instead, they have become more resilient during the course of the match.
Germany in black jerseys and Croatia in red and white checkered kits, as they entered the final pitch, the cheers from the stands came in waves, never ceasing for a long time.
"Both teams have entered the field, and the match is about to begin!"
"Both teams have brought out their strongest lineups; facing the final stage, one step forward is the championship, one step back means losing everything!"
"Therefore, the next 90 minutes will be a crucial time for both teams in this gamble!"
"And judging from the lineup combinations of both sides, this match will be spectacular!"
All the commentators were providing pre-match commentary.
Suker stood on the field, performing his unique warm-up routine as usual.
But no matter how he moved, he couldn't shake off the tension in his heart.
Logically, having entered the Big Five Leagues since 2005, which is nearly ten years, and having played several Champions League finals during this period, he shouldn't be so nervous.
But his violently pounding heart told him that he was indeed nervous.
The more Suker valued the World Cup final stage, the higher the tension at this moment.
Suker gently patted his cheeks to keep himself awake.
Just then, both captains also completed the coin toss, and Srna ran towards them with his arm raised, which meant they had secured the kick-off, which would greatly facilitate their tactical arrangements in the first half.
"Well done!"
Suker extended his hand, and Srna slapped it hard, then swept past Suker and continued to run to his position.
And when both players stood in position, the moment Suker and Mandžukić stood in the center circle, the atmosphere of the entire stadium suddenly became subdued.
"Damn it! Why am I so nervous?"
In the VIP box, Davor Šuker nervously bounced his leg.
He had watched many World Cup finals, but this was the first time he felt such personal tension.
After all, it was Croatia entering the final; this feeling was different.
The more strongly he hoped for victory, the heavier this tension felt.
Boban and the others were speechless, staring intently at the field the entire time, curious how these young men from Croatia would start the match.
Could they stabilize at the start and not deform their movements due to excessive tension?
This was the World Cup final stage, a pitch many dreamed of; tension was also part of this match, even a very large part of it.
And how to overcome this tension, that was what both teams' players needed to solve.
Beep!!
A sharp whistle sounded.
The final began so abruptly.
There was no inspiring pre-match speech, no drawn-out unexpected situations; everything unfolded with the whistle.
And the moment the whistle sounded, Croatia quickly kicked off.
"It's started!" Davor Šuker clenched his fist abruptly: "Hold steady!"
As the match began, Croatia calmly passed the ball back to their own half.
Germany's reaction was also very intense, rushing directly into Croatia's half to press!
"They all don't want to give up the midfield, huh!" Davor Šuker muttered through gritted teeth.
On the field, besides the cheers, the most common sounds were the shouts of the players.
"Move faster!"
"Don't dwell on the ball!"
"Pass it here!"
"Run into space! Run into space!"
"Don't just stand there!"
"I'm open here!"
Everyone was very active, constantly exchanging various pieces of information.
And in this sequence, Suker ran from the left wing to the center to receive the ball.
Seeing Suker's position, Modrić immediately threaded the ball to him.
Suker had two players beside him, and Modrić thought Suker would immediately pass it away to ensure possession.
But Suker's decision was completely unexpected.
Just as he was about to touch the ball, Suker suddenly stepped forward, letting the ball pass between his legs, while pushing off with his left foot and turning on his right foot as an axis, practically squeezing through Kroos and Muller.
"What the heck?"
This sudden change not only surprised the Germany players but also his Croatia teammates.
Suker had actually started to exert himself directly.
After a simple turn, fearless of confrontation, he went straight through the middle, and this run instantly disrupted Germany's midfield rhythm.
"Stop him!"
Lahm's eyelids twitched as he watched from behind.
The moment Suker turned, his heart pounded violently.
Even though he hadn't yet reached his side, he still nervously directed his teammates to intercept.
Fortunately, after dribbling past, Suker did not drive straight forward but instead passed the ball to the right, then immediately ran to the left.
It was as if he was saying, 'Just to scare you all!'
However, Suker's action did indeed scare Germany.
"Oh my!" The German commentator patted his chest: "Please! Don't give me such a scare, don't lose Suker, that's too dangerous!"
Although it was just a breakthrough and escape in the middle, it still made the Germans break out in a cold sweat.
The camera captured Suker's face; his eyes were bright and seemed to be glowing, which was a manifestation of decisive game focus.
And at this moment, Suker's biggest feeling was:
"No more numbness!"
Suker shook his arms; the arms that had been somewhat numb from pre-match tension immediately loosened up after that burst of excitement.
Or rather, his body quickly entered game mode.
This was also an attempt by Suker, pushing himself to quickly enter the game state in a dangerous situation.
Of course, this relied more on his own excellent technique to ensure he wouldn't lose the ball.
If he lost the ball, the effect would be counterproductive.
"Doesn't he know what fear is?" Van Stoyak touched his chest, soothing his wildly beating heart.
Bešić beside him smiled and shook his head, saying, "If he were consumed by such tension, he wouldn't be Suker!"
With Suker's dribbling and breakthrough, the game's rhythm subtly shifted.
It should have been a phase of mutual probing, but after Suker's breakthrough, both sides tacitly skipped this phase, and the offensive and defensive rhythm became somewhat aggressive.
"The pace of the match has quickened!"
"Is this Croatia's tactic?"
"But Germany is also very strong in a fast pace; Croatia might not be able to withstand it!"
Maldini and others watching the match were also somewhat surprised by this sudden change.
Croatia completely abandoned their usual approach, directly disrupting the rhythm.
It was as if a large stone had been thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples and waves, and the match's pace instantly became unusual.
"Croatia themselves wanted to disrupt the rhythm!" Pirlo suddenly said.
Inzaghi: "What good does that do them?"
Pirlo pursed his lips: "If the match were to proceed in an orderly fashion, do you think Germany would have the advantage or Croatia?"
Inzaghi paused.
Despite supporting Croatia, logically Germany should have the advantage.
"So these guys are actively disrupting the rhythm to prevent it from developing in that direction?"
Pirlo suddenly laughed out loud.
"Do you remember that Champions League Round of 16 knockout match nine years ago, where a team called Dinamo Zagreb tried to break our rhythm multiple times using this method?"
Memories were instantly stirred, and the AC Milan legends present all remembered that match.
Although they won the match, Suker and others from Dinamo Zagreb indeed caused them a lot of trouble in that game.
One must know that AC Milan was at its peak at that time, and just maintaining stability in that phase was quite good, let alone causing trouble.
"I've discovered a characteristic of Croatia!" Maldini said.
"In unfamiliar territory, they will directly break the rhythm, making the situation chaotic."
Gattuso thought for a moment and said, "They're blind, so they're gouging out the opponent's eyes too?"
Everyone grinned; what a metaphor.
However, it was very apt!
"But what do they gain?" Inzaghi asked, puzzled.
Pirlo: "In a chaotic situation, what is most important?"
Everyone was silent for a moment, then Maldini spoke: "Individual ability!"
Everyone suddenly understood.
Gattuso exclaimed: "Is that what they're planning? This isn't the offensive and defensive battle the outside world is touting at all. Croatia never intended to play a collective game with Germany; they disrupted the rhythm from the start. This is them setting the stage for Suker!"
Chaos means disorder, but within disorder, opportunities are hidden.
At this time, what is tested is the players' individual ability and their ability to seize opportunities!
And in this regard, who dares to say they are more skilled than Suker?
"Don't panic! Don't panic! Hold steady!"
Lahm kept shouting, but no matter how he shouted, he couldn't stabilize the rhythm.
Even if Germany wanted to stabilize the rhythm, Croatia kept disrupting it.
If Germany was slow by even a step, they couldn't keep up with the rhythm.
The rhythm was surging like crazy; at this moment, both sides were caught.
Either they were swept along by the rhythm and ran wildly, or they abandoned the midfield and retreated to defend.
Clearly, neither side had any intention of retreating to defend, so they could only fight it out in earnest.
"Calm down! Calm down! Don't play like this!"
The German commentator's eyelids twitched.
On the other side, Krauchivich was also shouting nervously.
They could clearly see that in the process of chasing and blocking, various gaps emerged, and the scene was utterly chaotic.
As long as someone passed the ball or broke free, it could create a fatal problem.
Although this situation had not yet occurred, as this rhythm continued, one side would inevitably buckle under the pressure.
It could be said that both teams were dancing on a knife's edge, seizing opportunities amidst risk.
Bang!
Rakitić and Özil collided heavily, both falling in different directions.
But they quickly propped themselves up and got back on their feet, their movements almost identical, both extending a leg to poke the ball.
It was unclear who poked the ball, but it went forward, and several other players were fighting over it, making the situation even more chaotic.
And in this chaotic situation, Suker's eyes were always fixed on the crowd.
Although he couldn't determine the exact trajectory of the ball, intuition often had unexpected effects.
After noticing Lahm's slightly advanced position, Suker suddenly moved towards the sideline.
His movements were small, and his range of movement was also small, so he didn't attract much attention.
After all, the focus at this time was on the chaos in the midfield.
But Suker was staring at the open space behind Lahm.
As long as someone poked the ball into that position, he would be able to start at the first moment.
So...
Anyone can do it!
Poke the ball out!
"I'll slide tackle!"
"I'll slide tackle again!"
"I'll f***ing slide tackle again!"
Rakitić's three consecutive slide tackles all connected with the ball; although the ball always flew in unexpected directions, it still managed to keep the rhythm chaotic.
Rakitić got up again, looked at the chaotic situation, and cursed under his breath.
"When will this end?!"
Mandžukić and Schweinsteiger scrambled for the ball, and it flew backward, hitting Rakitić's supporting leg and bouncing forward.
"Damn it! Didn't control it well… Good ball!!"
Rakitić was about to burst out cursing, but seeing the ball weave through the gaps in the crowd and fly towards the open space on the left, Rakitić's eyes immediately lit up.
Because he caught a glimpse out of his peripheral vision of a white figure rapidly surging forward on the left wing.
He hardly needed to think; this figure must be Suker!
"Defend! Defend!"
Germany coach Löw stood on the sideline, shouting excitedly.
The moment Suker started, he was already shouting.
Watching Suker sprint rapidly, Löw wished he could rush onto the field and pull Suker back.
But he couldn't do that. He could only watch helplessly as Suker sprinted along the sideline, like an arrow swiftly sweeping past the defensive line, straight to the ball's landing spot.
"Oh~~~ Suker!!"
Krauchivich suddenly stood up.
He saw Suker receive the ball outside the left side of the penalty area, while Lahm was still retreating.
But Suker did not rush directly into the penalty area; instead, he waited for a moment, and just as Lahm was about to arrive, he actually pushed the ball to the outside and then moved horizontally along the edge of the penalty area.
"Damn it!"
Boateng cursed under his breath.
He wasn't afraid of Suker rushing in; what he feared was this kind of horizontal movement.
At this point, Mandžukić and Perisic had already reached the defensive line, and he and Hummels were stuck there, neither advancing nor retreating.
Neither going up nor going down.
And at this moment, Suker had already dribbled the ball to the central position.
Suker turned his head towards the goal, and Germany Goalkeeper Neuer instantly squatted down, making a save motion.
But the next second, Suker dribbled the ball again, and then bypassed Hummels.
"Near post!"
Neuer immediately ran towards the near post.
Given Suker's current body orientation and speed, it was impossible for him to kick to the far corner.
This was a violation of the laws of physics, so it could only be the near post. As long as this position was defended, Suker would have no way.
Neuer stared intently at Suker; his vision was blocked by Hummels, and when he saw Suker's figure again, he realized that the ball at Suker's feet… was gone!
"Are you kidding me?"
Neuer was completely stunned!
"Srna!!!"
Krauchivich slammed the table and roared loudly.
Suker and Srna made a crossing run; Suker actually stopped the ball in place, while Srna burst out from the right, brought the ball back to the center, and swung his right foot to shoot.
The overall movement of the Germany defensive line, including the Goalkeeper, was from left to right. Therefore, this crossing run by Srna and Suker directly tore a gap in the Germany defensive line instantly.
And this gap was fatal!
Srna stared intently at the goal; his mind was blank at this moment, acting almost purely on bodily inertia and muscle memory.
The instep of his foot made solid contact with the ball, neither too light nor too heavy, just like his usual shot speed, and the angle was also well controlled.
The ball pierced through the crowd, flying straight towards the right goalpost.
With a 'ding', the ball hit the goalpost and rebounded into the net!
The entire stadium was silent!
And after the silence, there was a storm-like roar of cheers.
"Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!!"
"Dario Srna!"
"Croatia's captain has brought us the first goal!!"
"Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal!! Hooray!!!"
"We scored!!"
"We're leading!!!!—"
Krauchivich was screaming as if he had gone mad.
But he wasn't the only one; in Croatia, the entire country instantly erupted in excitement because of this goal.