Chapter 71 - 69: A Thousand-Mile Solo Ride

Chapter 71: Chapter 69: A Thousand-Mile Solo Ride

On February 25th, after a three-month hiatus, the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League restarted.

The 2002/2003 Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League, Round 21: Mostar Zrinjski VS Bijeljina Radnik.

"...Mostar Zrinjski with a series of passes in the attacking third. Suk and Modric have become the hubs of their passing game. The Mostar Twins continue their outstanding performance in the second half of the season. Their constant passing is pulling the Bijeljina Radnik defense apart, putting them in a very difficult position."

The commentator, Basodachi, watched Suk and Modric running wild on the pitch, full of praise.

These two young players had already become Mostar Zrinjski’s most watched and talked-about players.

At the same time, their tactical importance was immense.

Modric played in the defensive midfield, but his occasional forward runs put immense pressure on the opposing team.

Suk, on the other hand, was a wide midfielder. Ever since the match against Tuzla Slobo?a, Suk’s position had shifted more towards that of a wide midfielder. Combining the two attacking points of Suk and Kosopech had further enhanced Mostar Zrinjski’s offensive capabilities.

Suk ran nonstop in the attacking third. He mostly operated on one flank, and his range of movement was incredibly wide.

In the opponent’s half, he continuously ran along the flank, from the halfway line to the byline.

Sometimes he pushed forward, pressuring the opposing full-back.

Sometimes he dropped back to the halfway line to receive the ball, support his teammates, and initiate a positional attack.

And sometimes he took on defenders with his Dribbling on the wing.

With Suk’s active performance, Mostar Zrinjski’s attack had been heavily focused on the left side.

Under Suk’s relentless running, the opposing defenders were finally starting to have trouble keeping up.

Taking advantage of this moment, Suk dropped back very deep.

He moved to the intersection of the halfway line and the left touchline, raised his hand, and shouted, "Luka! Pass it here!"

Modric saw Suk in space and immediately passed the Ball.

As soon as Suk received the Ball, an opposing defender was already closing in.

Suk knocked the Ball sideways and instantly accelerated, using his formidable Explosive Power to create a body’s length of separation from his opponent.

The opponent reached out and started pulling Suk’s jersey. In the past, Suk would have gone down.

But this time, Suk felt he could withstand it.

He leaned forward, fighting against the pull while looking towards the far side of the pitch.

Billiar was already making his move.

’You’re the one!’

Suk swung his right foot, powerfully launching a Long Pass towards the far side.

It was a wide switch of play, aimed precisely at the space behind the full-back, and Billiar seized the opportunity to immediately make a forward run.

"A long switch! Billiar starts his run and receives the ball! Bijeljina Radnik’s full-back closes in, forcing Billiar towards the byline—the space for a cross is blocked! Billiar lays it back to Modric! Near the edge of the penalty area, Modric passes the ball back to Suk! Suk takes the ball and pushes forward! Is he going to take him on? No, he passes again! The ball goes out to the left! Mostar Zrinjski’s advancing full-back, Kerpic, sends in a cross!"

"KOSOPECH!!"

Basodachi roared.

Amidst his shout, Kosopech’s sweat-drenched hair flew as he snapped his head towards the ball like a ferocious lion, heading it towards the goal.

SWISH!

The Ball hit the back of the net!

"GOAL!!!! KOSOPECH! He’s scored his 14th goal of the league season."

"This season, Kosopech was contained in the early stages of the league and had a very difficult time. But no one expected that Mostar Zrinjski’s tall center-forward would have such an explosive run of form in the middle of the season!"

"Kosopech is now second on the league’s top scorers list with 14 goals. He’s only one goal behind the leader, Suq Bazhi!"

After scoring with the header, Kosopech ran to the stands and roared at the fans.

His injury spell had stalled his goal count; otherwise, with Mostar Zrinjski’s attacking prowess, he would have surely surpassed Suq Bazhi by now to lead the scoring charts.

But it wasn’t too late. Their form was outstanding!

"Great pass!"

Kosopech gave Kerpic a thumbs-up.

The cross was perfect. Both the speed and the height were perfectly suited for Kosopech. Although it was slightly higher than a normal cross, it was right at the highest point of Kosopech’s jump.

This was the chemistry between old partners.

On the other side, Suk and Modric embraced each other.

They deserved some of the credit for this goal, as it was their back-and-forth passing that pulled the defense and created space for Kosopech to win the header.

In the 67th minute, Mostar Zrinjski was leading Bijeljina Radnik 2-0.

After going two goals down, Bijeljina Radnik grew desperate.

They started to charge towards Mostar Zrinjski’s penalty area, constantly sending the ball into the box from the wings for their tall center-forward to challenge for headers.

But Mostar Zrinjski had Mashovich, who was also excellent in the air.

"GET LOST!!"

"MOVE!"

"THIS ONE’S MINE!!"

Mashovich went all out, shutting down the opposing center-forward, winning header after header and clearing the ball away.

Under Mashovich’s defense, the opposing center-forward was completely helpless.

"Mostar Zrinjski’s defense is as brilliant as ever! They aren’t giving Bijeljina Radnik any chances at all!"

In the 81st minute, Bijeljina Radnik had a corner kick.

Mashovich leaped up furiously and once again cleared the ball.

And this time, the Ball landed right at the feet of Suk, who had dropped back.

Suk controlled the Ball, immediately looking up towards the other half of the pitch.

The opposing defenders had pushed up near the halfway line, the passing lane between Kosopech and Suk was cut off, and Billiar on the far side hadn’t yet gotten into a position for a forward run.

’I can’t waste such a good chance for a counter-attack!’

’If there’s no one to pass to, I’ll do it myself!’

Suk pushed the Ball forward with a powerful touch. Driven by his formidable Explosive Power, his body shot out with a WHOOSH, like a rocket.

This left the player pressing from behind lunging at empty air.

Suk first started Dribbling at high speed down the wing, hugging the touchline.

The opponent’s defensive midfielder came charging over horizontally.

Gauging the distance, just as the opponent was about to close in, Suk suddenly accelerated again, knocking the ball past him and bursting through.

"He’s shaken him off!!"

Basodachi shot to his feet. "Suk! He’s off and running!"

Soccer is a sport full of spectacle.

Besides intricate teamwork, there is also the primal visual impact of pure Power and pure Speed.

Just like Suk at this very moment.

He was Dribbling at high Speed down the wing, using his Speed to directly assault the opponent’s defensive line.

The drama of a solo run began!

After breaking past the defensive midfielder, Suk cut diagonally, charging straight for the opponent’s goal, looking as if he was about to burst through the gap between the full-back and the center-back.

Naturally, the two defenders weren’t having it. They quickly closed in, attempting to shut the door on him.

But as they approached, Suk slowed his footwork, feinting a move.

This change of pace made the opposing full-back feel a bit adventurous.

’If I press forward and tackle him now, won’t the danger be over?’

Everyone wants to be the hero, to show what they can do.

With this thought, the full-back’s impulse took over, and he charged directly at Suk.

"Don’t stick a leg in!"

Seeing his teammate’s action, the Bijeljina Radnik center-back cried out in alarm.

But his shout was a step too late.

The full-back had already stuck out his foot to make the tackle.

At that moment, Suk changed his rhythm again, poking the Ball with the tip of his boot through the gap between the center-back and the full-back. At the same time, Suk circled around, slipping past the full-back!

"Damn it!"

The center-back immediately turned to chase the ball.

Suk, from a slightly trailing position, also chased after the ball.

Both of them were sprinting wildly towards the Ball.

Now, it was a pure contest of Speed.

"SUK! SPEED UP!!"

"GO, GO, GO!"

"SUK!!"

"BEAT HIM!!"

At the sidelines, when the Mostar Zrinjski fans saw Suk in a footrace against the opposing center-back, their passion was instantly ignited.

The young man’s lightning-fast speed on the pitch made their blood boil.

His jersey fluttered fiercely in the biting cold wind.

His black hair was blown back, flying behind him.

His swift feet moved forward at incredible speed, like the wheels of a whirlwind.

In everyone’s eyes, Suk was like a cheetah, surging from behind to take the lead.

His speed was just too fast. Even though he started three body lengths behind the opposing center-back...

...with his formidable Explosive Power and Speed, he quickly closed the gap.

’So fast!’

The opposing center-back’s heart was filled with terror.

He watched as Suk rapidly closed in from behind, about to leave him in the dust.

’It’s over!’

The Bijeljina Radnik center-back’s face was a mask of terror.

He wanted to make a slide tackle, but his body’s momentum couldn’t keep up.

"Stop!"

He reached out to grab him but clutched at empty air.

All he could see was Suk’s back and the number 99 fluttering in the wind.

"He’s through! He’s through! He’s past him!! SUK!! ONE-ON-ONE!!!"

Suk sprinted all the way, using a series of changes in direction and dribbles to shake off the defenders and complete the breakthrough.

After a wild sprint of nearly 70 meters, Suk had carried the ball into the opponent’s penalty area.

At this moment, everyone in the stadium couldn’t help but rise to their feet.

The coaches on the sidelines also craned their necks to watch.

The opposing goalkeeper had already come off his line, lowering his center of gravity, ready to make a save at any moment.

As Suk neared the keeper, he feinted a shot, but instead cut the Ball towards the byline.

The keeper frantically dived to the side, but was still left behind.

"He’s rounded him!! SUK!!"

Basodachi raised both hands, watching as Suk easily slotted the Ball into the empty net.

At this moment, he could no longer contain his excitement and let out his most passionate cheer.

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!——"

"84th minute! Mostar Zrinjski’s number 99, Suk, completes a stunning solo run of nearly 70 meters! His Speed is incredible! No one could stop his charge, no one could keep up with his pace!"

"This goal has completely extinguished the last glimmer of hope for Bijeljina Radnik!"

"Let’s all get reacquainted with this genius player from Mostar Zrinjski. His name is Suk!"

On camera, Suk had run to the base of the stands, his right hand raised high.

And across from him were the ecstatic Mostar Zrinjski fans, their arms raised like a forest.

A brilliant smile lit up the young man’s face. Behind him, a sea of excited faces and a forest of raised arms formed a magnificent picture.