Chapter 61 - 59: Sinking Day

Chapter 61: Chapter 59: Sinking Day

"Modric passes the ball out to the right wing, where full-back Kerpic is racing forward down the line. A cross! Can Kosopech get his head on it? It’s gone past him! The ball... Suk!!!!—"

Basodachi cried out in alarm.

He thought Kerpic was crossing the ball to the center, but he hadn’t expected it to go to the far post.

Kosopech and Billiar had already drawn away all the defenders. After all, nobody would consider the 160-centimeter-tall Suk a threat in the air.

But that was precisely what allowed Suk to run into an undefended position and make the header.

Suk ducked his head and whipped it at the goal. Some of the power was taken off the ball, so it wasn’t moving very fast.

In his effort to head the ball, Suk stumbled a couple of steps after landing and plopped onto the ground.

However, the goalkeeper managed to slap the ball away.

"There’s still a chance!"

Basodachi shouted.

Billiar quickly surged forward, poking the ball into the net just before the opposing full-back could get to it.

SWISH!

The ball was in the back of the net. Mostar Zrinjski had taken the lead.

"GOAL!!!!!!!!!—"

"Mostar Zrinjski’s brilliant interweaving runs in the attack created an undefended space for Suk, and after Suk’s header, the keeper fumbled the save, allowing Billiar to rush in for the follow-up shot!"

"During that attack, Mostar Zrinjski showcased some brilliant forward movement. They tore open the defensive line through continuous pulls and created chaos in front of the goal, which Billiar capitalized on with a rebound shot."

"Mostar Zrinjski takes the lead away from home once again! After Sarajevo, it seems Sarajevo Railway Workers are also about to crumble under Mostar Zrinjski’s relentless bombardment!"

After scoring, Billiar excitedly ran to the corner flag and did a knee-slide celebration.

He pumped his fist excitedly towards the Mostar Zrinjski away fans in the stands, his expression ecstatic.

On the coaching bench, Van Stiake also pumped his fist in excitement.

That goal didn’t come easy, but it proved that his tactical change was correct—using Suk as a decoy to open up paths for others to attack.

Of course, what pleased him most was that Suk was still trying hard to press forward even under these circumstances.

"He could have just stopped after his lateral run, but he chose to push forward to help pull defenders away, and that’s what created this goal."

Assistant Coach Fandier absolutely loved Suk.

Even in such a difficult environment, Suk maintained a positive attitude and kept running.

He went above and beyond his job, and it was precisely his off-the-ball movement that helped the team create the opportunity to score.

He never complained in the face of adversity.

Even when assigned tasks he didn’t like, he still performed them excellently, doing his utmost to create scoring chances for the team.

Never admit defeat! Never give up! Never compromise!

Suk’s relentless running was the key to this goal!

"Come on!!"

"Mess with me now!"

"Try and knock me over now!"

Suk roared nonstop, as excited as if he had scored the goal himself.

But it was understandable. After all, Suk had been knocked around for the entire first half, and it was incredibly frustrating for him.

Suk shouted for so long that his throat was about to go hoarse.

And after that goal, at the 70-minute mark, Suk was substituted.

Suk came off, and Boamei came on.

There was little point in keeping Suk on the field. Boamei was also fast and physically stronger. Although he lacked Suk’s playmaking abilities, he offered more in terms of pure impact.

After being substituted, Suk felt quite frustrated.

After all, it hadn’t been a comfortable match to play in.

And this match gave Suk a premonition that he would inevitably face even tougher situations in future games.

As Suk’s fame grew, the teams in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League were bound to start putting more pressure on him.

Of course, players of Vulic’s caliber were still in the minority.

For Suk, as long as he could shake off his marker right away, he could play with ease and, in turn, put more pressure on the opposition.

After Suk was substituted, Mostar Zrinjski’s playstyle switched to a defensive counter-attack.

It was still the traditional long ball, "hoof and chase" tactic: a big kick from the back, the winger receives the ball, goes down the line for a cross, and Kosopech contests the header.

Perhaps Suk’s constant running before he was subbed off had drained too much of the Sarajevo Railway Workers’ stamina, as Bosschenoqi seemed to be struggling to keep up with Kosopech.

Their few confrontations were evenly matched, a complete departure from the one-sided dominance seen earlier.

And by the 80th minute, Kosopech was actually starting to get the upper hand.

With one minute left in stoppage time, Mostar Zrinjski won a corner kick.

Modric took the corner, sending it to the near post.

Kosopech instinctively rushed to the near post, met the descending ball, and flicked his head at it.

The ball glanced off his forehead and flew into the top corner of the near post.

Mostar Zrinjski 2, Sarajevo Railway Workers 0.

They had extended their lead.

"Captain! Fucking awesome!"

Suk yelled from the sidelines.

Kosopech celebrated excitedly by taking off his shirt.

At that time, celebrating by taking off one’s shirt was common, as the policy of issuing a yellow card for it didn’t exist yet.

But even if that policy had been in place, Kosopech would have still taken it off.

He was that thrilled.

He had been playing under immense frustration for the past few games.

Bosschenoqi and Ivan Krich had both given him a lot of trouble.

And now, he had finally broken through a barrier, which left him exhilarated.

During his celebration, Kosopech also heard Suk’s shouts.

He gave Suk a thumbs-up from a distance, acknowledging his young teammate.

Finally, the match ended with Mostar Zrinjski defeating Sarajevo Railway Workers 2-0.

They had now taken down two Sarajevo-based teams in two consecutive matches, which left the local Sarajevo sports media feeling rather dejected.

They dubbed this day ’The Day of Downfall’.

"The Threat from Mostar: Two Sarajevo Teams Suffer Home Defeats in Two Weeks!"

"Mostar on the Path to Revival!"

"Van Stiake Brings New Tactics to Mostar, and a Pair of Twin Stars with Them!"

"Suk + Modric > Sarajevo!"

Mostar Zrinjski’s dominant performance over these past three weeks sent shockwaves through the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League.

Previously, although Mostar Zrinjski was a long-standing powerhouse in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League, their performance and dominance on the pitch had never reached this level.

But now, Tuzla Slobo?a, Sarajevo Railway Workers, and Sarajevo—three powerhouses of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League—had all been defeated in succession.

One match was practically a slaughter!

Two away wins!

All of this demonstrated Mostar Zrinjski’s strength!

Slaughter you at home, take three points on the road!

It was a terrifying performance.

But what was most frightening was the brand-new style of play Mostar Zrinjski had introduced.

Their performance, based on the Netherlands’ Total Football tactical system, left opponents at a loss.

Many teams in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League were getting a headache just thinking about it.

At this moment, Ukavic, a legend of Bosnia and Herzegovina Football and former Head Coach of the national team, expressed his opinion.

"Bosnia and Herzegovina Football needs to import more tactical systems instead of always playing such simple football."

"We’ve been too focused on the basic factors of height, power, and speed. Many coaches in Bosnia and Herzegovina like to set up cannons up front for penalty box bombardments, but it’s been proven just how fragile this bloated, clumsy system is when faced with diversified attacks and continuous overlapping runs."

"Mostar Zrinjski is a great example. They got rid of the cannon up front and instead used a nimble, deep-lying center forward like Suk. Many people thought Suk’s height was a huge problem, but his performance has shown that even at only 160 centimeters tall, he can still throw the defensive lines of top Bosnia and Herzegovina teams into complete disarray!"

"Of course, I’m not encouraging this sort of thing. There’s only one Suk; he’s just an exception."

"Overall, we need to bring in more tactical approaches, actively seek change, and align ourselves with higher-level leagues. Just look at how they play in the Five Major Leagues! Beyond their regional characteristics, the tactical systems they employ are rich and varied. I believe the path forward for the Bosnia and Herzegovina League lies there."

"Change doesn’t guarantee success, but not changing guarantees you’ll be left behind!"

Ukavic’s words stirred the entire world of Bosnia and Herzegovina Football.

Although he was a highly decorated and respected veteran coach, treading on certain people’s toes would still get him viciously berated.

For example, a group of old-timers, led by Tuzla Slobo?a’s Head Coach Old Moerst, began to blast Ukavic, claiming he was shaking the very foundations of Bosnia and Herzegovina Football.

Some even brought up the topic that Ukavic worshipped foreign coaches and looked down on local ones.

Ukavic did not offer an explanation for this and made no further public statements.

"He’s right, though! Those coaches from Bosnia and Herzegovina really are pretty useless!"

"You can’t really say that. For weaker teams, these simple tactics are more effective." Modric shrugged. "Are you really expecting them to pull off cohesive possession football?"

Suk glanced at Modric. The guy had the makings of a sharp tongue.

Suk looked down on the local coaches in Bosnia and Herzegovina, mainly because his experiences in the youth academy there had led him to dislike the country’s entire football scene.

He thought it was full of short-sighted people.

His youth coach, Sakovic, who had brought him to Bosnia and Herzegovina only to abandon him, was a prime example.

’I wonder if that guy would be shocked speechless if he saw my accomplishments now.’

’The shorty he once deemed to have no future is now tearing it up in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League!’

Hmph!

Suk thought with a smug look on his face.