Chapter 47 - 45: Tuzla Slobođa

Chapter 47: Chapter 45: Tuzla Slobođa

In late October, the weather was still just as hot.

In Mulinar’s carpentry shop in Mostar Town.

After finishing the installation of a wardrobe, Mulinar clapped his hands and said with a smile, "Done!"

Then, he looked at Buckqi beside him and asked, "Aren’t you open for business today?"

"Taking the afternoon off!"

Buckqi waved his hand, then sighed. "We’re going to get crushed again tomorrow. I’m not in the mood."

Mulinar smiled and said, "Didn’t you guys just recruit a new player? Is he not playing well?"

"Just some hot-headed rookie," Buckqi said irritably. "Doesn’t pass! Doesn’t look up! Doesn’t track back! He’s absolutely terrible. The midfield is a total mess, and the forwards can’t score at all."

As he spoke, Buckqi’s eyes widened and he pointed at himself exaggeratedly. "Can you believe it? I’ve actually become the most reliable player on the team. Me! I’m a total sieve! This is a joke!"

Buckqi looked utterly dejected. "You retired, Suk left, and we just got into the first division this season. After the first three rounds, we’ve lost every single game! We’re definitely getting relegated this season!"

Mulinar said with a smile, "Take it slow. Things will get better."

Buckqi sighed and shook his head. "Forget it. I don’t want to think about these frustrating things."

He looked up at the clock and said, "It’s almost time, isn’t it?"

Mulinar nodded. "Let’s get ready to go."

With that, Mulinar tidied up a bit, took a number 99 Mostar Zrinjski jersey from a nearby hook and pulled it on. Then, he locked the shop’s main door, and the two of them walked along the riverside path toward the center of town.

Along the way, they saw very few pedestrians; the town was a quiet and peaceful place.

But as they neared the town center, pedestrians gradually began to appear, their numbers growing. By the time they reached Jirinsky Stadium, the area had already become somewhat crowded.

A large number of town residents had gathered here.

The sides of the road were lined with various snack stalls, as well as vendors selling cold drinks and alcohol.

The Mostar Zrinjski jersey shop nearby was even more bustling with activity, with a constant stream of people going in and out.

"French fries! French fries! 3 Mark a bag!"

"Ice-cold stout! Ice-cold stout!"

"Freshly squeezed juice!"

The sounds of hawkers, conversations, and chants mingled together, creating a lively atmosphere.

Mulinar and Buckqi bought two glasses of ice-cold stout and an order of fries.

They looked at the lively scene around them, filled with emotion.

Just two months ago, this place had been sparsely populated, with only a few town residents with time on their hands coming to watch the games.

But as Mostar Zrinjski’s performance in the league grew more and more outstanding.

Especially after they secured a ten-game winning streak in the league, and with promotion from the town’s newspaper, this place became the weekly gathering spot for the town’s residents.

The market for Mostar Zrinjski games had also become red-hot.

For every match, not only were the 1,000 seats sold out, but a standing-room stand was even developed on the opposite side to accommodate more fans.

Now, a Mostar Zrinjski match could draw up to 2,000 people into the stadium to watch.

"It’s really hard to imagine. In just two short months, this place has changed so much," Buckqi said with emotion.

When they first started coming to watch Mostar Zrinjski play, the place was still empty.

But now it was absolutely booming—incredibly booming!

"Mostar Zrinjski is Mostar’s team, after all. And their recent performance has been very strong. The games they play are also a joy to watch, so there’s no reason they’d be ignored!"

Mulinar added with a smile, "Of course, Suk and Modric, the Mostar Twins, are another reason for the booming market."

In the last few matches, Suk and Modric’s performances had been nothing short of exceptional.

They weren’t just known in the Mostar Region; they were even gaining some fame throughout all of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Modric, in particular, with his outstanding plays, had made many teams wary. He had also become a super-talent to watch in the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina League.

Modric’s talent was on full display. His presence made Mostar Zrinjski’s midfield the most dominant in the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina League.

Of course, in the Mostar Region, Suk and Modric were a package deal.

The two were known as the ’Mostar Twins’ and were adored by the residents.

Now, on the outer wall of Jirinsky Stadium, there was a graffiti mural of ’two boys with their arms around each other’s shoulders’—that was Suk and Modric.

"Let’s go! The match is about to start."

The two of them hurried forward.

By the time they entered the stadium, the atmosphere was already electric.

The cheers of the surrounding fans merged into a single roar. They shouted the players’ names toward the field, cheering them on.

"Modric, destroy them!"

"Kosopech, show them what you’re made of!"

"Suk! Suk!"

"Warriors of Mosstel, you’re the best!"

Amidst the cheers of several thousand fans, both teams completed their warm-ups.

"Go, Suk!"

As the players passed through the tunnel, Mulinar stood at the edge of the railing and shouted loudly.

Suk turned his head, and upon seeing Mulinar, he immediately broke into a smile and gave a thumbs-up.

Mulinar clapped his hands again, and after watching Suk walk inside, he remarked with emotion, "He’s gotten taller!"

A young boy’s growth spurt can be incredibly rapid. Especially after Suk started getting stable meals and energy supplements at Mostar Zrinjski, he was now about 160 cm tall.

He used to be a little bean sprout, and now he was a slightly less scrawny little bean sprout.

"We’ll play the first half as usual, with Kosopech starting. In the second half, we’ll try a new formation," Van Stiake said simply, then shouted, "Get your heads in the game, let’s get our 11th consecutive win! Let’s go!"

Everyone roared in unison.

"LET’S GO!!—"

During the final adjustments, Suk also put on a substitute’s bib and closed his eyes to rest.

Personal Panel:

[Diamond Card (Special Class): Inzaghi’s Awareness.]

[Red Card (Skill Category): Tolister’s Passing.]

[Red Card (Special Class): Andre’s Flying Leg.]

[Red Card (Skill Category): Vukocic’s Shooting.]

[Red Card (Skill Category): Robert’s Dribbling.]

[Red Card (Skill Category): Status Recovery Card.]

Attribute Panel:

[Name: Suk.]

[Height: 161 cm.]

[Weight: 50 kg.]

[Speed: 75+15.]

[Flexibility: 81.]

[Power: 65.]

[Explosive Power: 85.]

After several rounds in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League, Suk had finally collected a full set of Red Cards.

His current personal panel was filled with Red Cards, and his abilities had improved tremendously.

[Tolister’s Short Pass] had been replaced, and Suk had obtained the more comprehensive [Tolister’s Passing].

This included Short Pass, Long Pass, and various other types of passing.

[Robert’s Dribbling] had also improved Suk’s footwork to a certain extent.

He was also finally able to equip [Vukocic’s Shooting].

Of course, what made Suk happiest was that he had grown taller.

Over two months, Suk had a rapid growth spurt.

From his initial 155 cm, Suk had grown to 161 cm.

His physical development also brought significant increases to Suk’s other attributes.

Especially Power, Speed, and Explosive Power.

Although limited by his Weight, his Power still couldn’t be improved much, but combined with his Speed and Explosive Power, Suk could now just about withstand less severe impacts.

This also allowed Suk to showcase more of his technical skills during close-quarters defending.

And based on the development of this technical ability, the team’s tactics had also been adjusted.

They had been practicing this new tactic since last month.

It could be said that if this tactic succeeded, Mostar Zrinjski’s overall ability would be greatly enhanced.

At this moment, Suk sat quietly on the bench, waiting patiently.

The situation on the field was still rather deadlocked.

Mostar Zrinjski’s opponent in this round was Tuzla Slobođa.

This was the team currently in third place in the league, and moreover, the only team to have defeated Sarajevo so far. They were no pushovers.

They had clearly prepared extremely well for this match.

Their High School Guard in the backline was neutralizing Kosopech, and they had also specifically assigned a man-marking midfielder in the center of the pitch.

His current task was to mark Modric, but his real purpose was to wait for Suk.

After all, three rounds ago, Suk had been man-marked so tightly throughout the entire match that he couldn’t make any impact.

In that match, Mostar Zrinjski only managed to secure the victory thanks to a last-minute goal from a long shot by Modric.

It could be said that ever since that match, many teams had started thinking about how to contain Suk.

As soon as Suk dropped back, a dedicated player would be assigned to mark him.

This had made things very difficult for Suk for a while.

However, Suk’s expression was calm at this moment, as if his mindset wasn’t greatly affected. He watched the game intently, reading its flow.

At the same time, Suk was also thinking, ’How should I play after I get on the field?’

For the entire first half, the match between Mostar Zrinjski and Tuzla Slobođa was extremely deadlocked.

Modric and Kosopech were being contained, making it difficult for the team to launch any attacks.

The opposing Head Coach also had a confident look on his face.

’It’s true that Mostar Zrinjski has two tactical setups now, but we can counter each move as it comes.

’If they play Kosopech, we’ll use our High School Guard to contain him.

’If they play Suk, we’ll have someone man-mark him when he drops back.

’After all, Suk’s movements are basically just straight lines forward and back. That’s easy to contain.’

The Head Coach of Tuzla Slobođa was all smiles.

They were full of confidence for this match.