"Congratulations, lads! With their outstanding performance, they've become the first European team to clinch a World Cup spot!"
"I believe this World Cup will be special; at the very least, it will hold a truly different meaning for us!"
"This time, we will land in Brazil with our strongest possible lineup!"
"Just watch! Croatia is here!!"
The commentator, Klausevich, roared excitedly.
He had never been so thrilled; even though the World Cup hadn't started yet, with nearly eight months to go, he could barely contain his excitement.
Undoubtedly, this World Cup is Croatia's best chance to challenge for the championship!
They have the best players in the world.
Unlike the 2010 World Cup, where these players were just starting out, this Croatian team is a formidable force, with every position reaching its peak, and their match experience and mental fortitude are top-notch.
Therefore, if they can't win it this time, he truly can't imagine under what circumstances they ever would.
The camera remained fixed on Suker.
This star, watched by all of Croatia and indeed the world, is Croatia's iconic player, having even reached historic peak levels in the realm of football.
Under the gaze of numerous cameras, Suker declared loudly, "This match was very important for us; we needed to ensure victory, and thankfully, we completed the task. Now we can relax a bit."
"As for the World Cup, I have no comment. After all, the World Cup hasn't started yet, and it's too early to say anything. However, to prepare for this World Cup, each of us will be ready, welcoming the World Cup in our best condition."
The reporters were a bit disappointed; they still wanted to hear Suker discuss the World Cup more.
However, Suker seemed to have no such intention.
For Suker, the World Cup was still eight months away. The European qualifiers were over, and they needed to focus their energy on the League.
After all, there was still some time until the World Cup!
Suker hastily ended the interview and returned to the locker room escorted by security personnel.
The locker room was already a scene of jubilation.
Mandžukić stood on a table, waving his jersey, making wailing sounds.
The others gathered around the table, jumping and bouncing, looking absolutely overjoyed.
As Suker walked in, they immediately noticed him.
Srna turned his head and pointed.
"Get him!"
Suker glared, "Who the hell?"
But Suker's threat had no deterrent effect. Dujmović and Vukojević, two strong men, together lifted Suker, and the others swarmed in, tossing Suker high into the air.
"World~~~ Cup!!"
"World~~~ Cup!!"
"World~~~ Cup!!"
Suker was tossed into the air, flailing his arms wildly, terrified that these guys might accidentally drop him.
But they caught him steadily and tossed him into the air again and again.
Suker was getting dizzy from being thrown around.
Just then, a savior appeared!
Bešić opened the door and walked in; he clearly paused when he saw the scene.
Everyone caught Suker and then all turned their heads to look.
Both sides stared at each other!
Suker gasped and shouted, "Srna!"
Bang!
Srna was quick, blocking the locker room door, and the others swarmed forward.
They once again tossed Bešić high into the air.
The locker room was still very lively.
"It's so lively!"
Van Stoyak walked in, looking expectantly at the players.
As Croatia's Assistant Coach, he had been working with these players for a long time and had a good relationship with them.
He also wanted to be cheered by the players!
But the players seemed to ignore him, as if they didn't see him.
Are you kidding me!
This guy is a big fat man weighing nearly 200 pounds; if they threw him, they wouldn't be able to catch him!
"Hey! Is this how you treat me?"
Van Stoyak looked at the crowd and called out in dissatisfaction.
Suker turned his head and smiled, "We can throw you up, but there's a high probability you'll fall to the ground because we can't catch you!"
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter!
Van Stoyak also looked down at his large belly and couldn't help but shake his head, giving up on the idea.
As Suker said, with his physique, he would truly have an intimate encounter with the floor.
They had played enough, and made enough noise!
Finally, everyone quietly sat on the benches, waiting for Bešić's speech.
Everyone sat upright, looking straight ahead, all gazing at Bešić.
Bešić stood in the center, surveying his disciples.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't proud!
Bešić's playing career was a failure, but as a Head Coach, he was successful.
For any coach, unearthing a genius player is something to boast about for a lifetime.
But Bešić had indeed created an entire super golden generation for Croatia!
These disciples, on whom he had placed great hopes, had now become the pillars of Croatian football, and they were destined to usher in a new history for Croatian football.
"Starting in 2004, I visited Croatia and surrounding countries, gathering all information, just to build the team of my dreams!"
"The first time I saw you, your performance was amazing enough to make me determined to bring you to Dinamo Zagreb."
"And now, I am even more certain of this idea!"
Bešić said sincerely, "You are truly an amazing group of guys!"
Hearing this, the Croatian National Team players couldn't help but touch their noses, looking a bit at a loss.
Bešić, who was always known for his strictness, suddenly started praising them, which made them unsure how to express their emotions.
But deep down, there was a faint sense of joy.
Especially Modrić, as one of the first players Bešić discovered, he naturally treated Bešić like a second father. Therefore, receiving Bešić's approval made him happier than winning a championship.
"After the European Cup ended, we began our World Cup journey. We achieved the first qualification spot with an excellent performance of eight consecutive wins. I want to say, you did very well, much better than I imagined, and I also want to express my gratitude to you for supporting my work as Head Coach."
Clap clap clap clap!!
Srna led the applause.
Everyone else also clapped.
Loud applause filled the locker room.
Bešić smiled, motioned for silence, and then his expression suddenly became serious.
"But I want to tell you, our journey has just begun. The European qualifiers are just the start; the World Cup is the stage where you will shine. There are still eight months until the 2014 World Cup. During this time, you must adjust your condition and also ensure your physical health. I don't want any more accidents in this World Cup."
"I hope that when the call-up comes again, I can see all of you, completely healthy!"
"The country has high expectations for us. I know this will put some pressure on you. If you feel this pressure is detrimental to your performance, you can communicate with me at any time, and I will make adjustments. I just hope you don't have too much psychological burden. You need to understand that a healthy you is enough to take down any team in this world!"
Their eyes burned with strong fighting spirit; they wished the World Cup would start immediately so they could fight their way into the World Cup finals and finally lift the World Cup trophy.
"There are still two matches left," Bešić shrugged. "Of course, this isn't critical; we've already qualified early, so you can relax a bit. The starters will focus their energy on the League, and I'll give more time to the substitutes in the remaining two matches."
"Suker!" Bešić suddenly called out.
Suker immediately looked up.
Bešić: "You can leave tomorrow. Of course, your task isn't over yet; you need to return to the country and cooperate with Davor on some domestic promotional work."
Suker paused, then said in dissatisfaction, "Why do they get to play matches while I have to run errands?"
The others looked at Suker with schadenfreude.
Running errands was much more tiring than playing matches.
Interview after interview, plus some live broadcasts—Suker had to attend all of these.
"Go on, besides you, who else is suitable?"
Srna hooked Suker's neck and said with a smile, "After all, you are our number one star."
Promotion naturally requires the number one star.
Currently, the football atmosphere in Croatia is high, and fans are also looking forward to interacting with Suker.
In the past, Suker was busy with League and National Team matches, and even when he did promotional activities, they were mostly conducted abroad, while Croatia, his home base, was neglected.
For this reason, Davor Šuker acted as an intermediary this time, arranging for Suker to tour Croatia as a representative of the National Team.
"Go! Go! You won't be needed for the upcoming matches!"
"Once you're gone, I'll be the top scorer!"
Mandžukić said with an even more mischievous grin.
Perisic, who was standing nearby, tilted his head and said, "I remember Ivan has scored more goals than you, right?"
Mandžukić immediately turned his head and pounced.
Why speak such a harsh truth!
Everyone started making a ruckus again.
After returning to Croatia, Suker left the National Team and began participating in various promotional activities with Davor Šuker.
These promotions were not limited to the Capital Zagreb, but also extended to other regions.
Therefore, Suker was almost constantly on the road.
He slept in the car and gave interviews upon arrival.
In three days, Suker received six exclusive interviews, and he was almost dizzy.
Of course, these exclusive interviews were all with Croatian domestic media; foreign media would have to pay for an interview.
Yet, even so, Spain's Marca and Germany's Kicker Magazine both sent interview invitations to Suker, occupying two of the six interview slots.
In these interviews, Suker discussed many things.
There were interesting club anecdotes and also some stories from the National Team.
Of course, this time Suker also publicly discussed stories from the 2008 European Cup.
A lot of time had passed, and Croatia had achieved good results, and Bilić had also accepted some penalties, so there was nothing that couldn't be talked about.
People were very curious about these stories, so the viewership was also very high.
Suker led them in reliving the 2008 European Cup victory, a tumultuous yet magnificent journey to the championship, further igniting the public's passion for football.
At the same time, Suker also received an invitation; he and Klausevich, a famous Croatian commentator, would be together in the commentary booth, commentating on Croatia's last European qualifier.
Zagreb, Suker Stadium (formerly Maksimir Stadium).
The live commentary booth was under the eaves of the second-tier stands. Suker, wearing a National Team training uniform, with over-ear headphones, holding a microphone, looked out at the field.
This was his first time sitting in the commentary booth, and he didn't know what to say.
Moreover, the surrounding fans were constantly greeting him, taking out their phones and snapping pictures of him.
Suker could only offer an awkward smile.
Fortunately, Klausevich was an experienced commentator; he knew Suker was uncomfortable, so he immediately started warming up the atmosphere.
"Today's commentary is very special. Sitting next to me is a guy you've all dreamed of seeing. Come on, Suker, say hello to the fans."
Suker picked up the microphone and said loudly, "It's a pleasure to be in the commentary booth. I'm Suker!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a huge cheer erupted throughout the stadium.
Not only Suker, but even the fans found it extremely novel.
Even in the television broadcast, there were originally no shots of the commentary booth, but to ensure Suker's exposure, a commentary booth shot was specially placed in the lower right corner for fans to watch.
"This is your first time sitting in the commentary booth. What are your thoughts?"
Suker: "I feel the view is much wider, and I'm a bit unaccustomed. I will try my best to cooperate with you to complete the commentary for this match."
"Of course, I also believe you can complete the task excellently!"
At this moment, a staff member handed over the starting lineup.
Croatia Starting Lineup:
Goalkeeper: Subašić.
Defenders: Srna, Ćorluka, Lovren, Pranjic.
Midfielders: Vukojević, Kovacic, Brozović.
Forwards: Rebić, Mandžukić, Rakitić.
"We've made some adjustments to the starting lineup in these two matches. Having already qualified, the remaining matches are more about giving the substitutes a chance to hone their skills, am I right?"
Klausevich looked at Suker expectantly, as if seeking approval.
Suker also nodded in response: "Having already qualified, the significance of the remaining two matches is more about training and solidifying the bench's condition."
"The World Cup is a series of concentrated matches. During the group stage of every World Cup, various injuries and suspensions due to fouls occur. To cope with these situations, we must also have a sufficiently deep bench of players."
"The significance of substitute players is not just reflected in the word 'substitute'; when a starter is injured, they must be in their best condition to meet the challenge!"
"Therefore, I also hope that fans can give these substitute players more attention. When the starters warm up, they also need to warm up. When the starters train, they need to train even harder."
"Even if they can't play for years, they must ensure they are in their best condition to prevent unexpected situations."
"Especially on the World Cup stage, amidst intense matches and competition, this is also a crucial time to test the depth of the squad. If the bench is not good enough, the team will find it difficult to go far."
Klausevich nodded in agreement, exclaiming, "Yes! Substitute players are unsung heroes. They silently prepare, just for that potential unexpected moment!"
Suker's commentary had no particular characteristics; it was just decent.
He didn't clown around or use memes, but he was still very popular with the fans.
As for the match, it was still quite intense!
Because they had already qualified, the players' pressure was completely relaxed, and the substitutes were even more eager, so they fully erupted in this match.
Furthermore, their opponent in this match was North Macedonia, who were last in the group, making them even less of a match for Croatia.
Just 12 minutes into the game, Mandžukić actively dropped back, and a clever Marseille Turn-style pass successfully assisted Rebić to open the scoring.
"Mario! Super Mario!"
Klausevich commentated the match in his usual passionate voice.
He was praising Mandžukić frantically, but he didn't see Suker beside him constantly twitching the corners of his mouth.
This was a fluke!
It should be called a coincidence!
Mandžukić clearly intended to do a Marseille Turn and shoot himself!
But the force of this Marseille Turn was too great, causing the ball to leave his controlled area, and it seemed to have been bumped in the middle, causing the movement to be less fluid.
To outsiders, this was a Marseille Turn-style pass.
But Suker clearly saw that after turning, Mandžukić ran forward a few steps in a disheveled manner, as if chasing the ball.
He only stopped when he saw Rebić with a clear shot.
On the big screen, Mandžukić kept patting Rebić's head, acting like an older brother.
Rakitić, who was nearby, clearly knew it was a mistake, but Mandžukić glared him back into silence.
"How would you evaluate Mario's pass?"
Klausevich started to cue Suker.
Suker awkwardly said, "Hmm, very insightful!"
Nonsense!
The subsequent match was full of errors; perhaps they were too relaxed, leading to several mistakes.
Especially midfield errors, which also led to multiple instances of defensive blunders.
Fortunately, Subašić performed well, repeatedly covering for the defenders.
Watching this match, Suker could already imagine Head Coach Bešić's gloomy face.
Although it was a match with no bearing on the outcome, they played too carelessly.
Bešić could tolerate a certain degree of relaxation, but recklessness was unacceptable!
Suker shook his head and thought to himself:
It's the last match, wouldn't it be better to just get through it safely? They're still asking for a scolding!
After this match, every single one of these guys is going to be disciplined by Bešić.
Fortunately, even though Croatia made continuous errors, North Macedonia had already lost their spirit and couldn't capitalize on the opportunities given.
Instead, in the second half, Croatia further secured their lead by utilizing Rakitić's corner kick to help Mandžukić score with a header.
After leading by two goals, Croatia made substitutions, and the players who had made mistakes earlier were all taken off the field.
It is certain that these guys will definitely receive a severe reprimand from Bešić.
Full-time!
Ultimately, Croatia finished all their World Cup qualifiers with ten consecutive wins, becoming the only team in all of Europe to qualify for the World Cup with a perfect record.
Besides Croatia, Germany had the best performance.
They were in Group C, also securing their group stage qualification with an undefeated record of 9-1-0.
The World Cup European Qualifiers regular season concluded.
A total of 9 group winners directly entered the World Cup.
They are Group A - Croatia, group B - Italy, Group C - Germany, Group D - Netherlands, Group E - Switzerland, Group F - Russia, Group G - Bosnia and Herzegovina, Group H - England, Group I - Spain.
The remaining spots will be decided through playoffs among the best-performing teams from each group.