"Over here!"
Davor Šuker sat in the stands, waving to Boban.
The two of them sat together just behind the coaches' bench.
Šuker gazed intently at the pitch, his eyes full of spirit.
After two seasons of growth, these Croatian players had fully adapted to European football.
Among them, Šuker and Modrić had performed especially well.
In Davor Šuker's eyes, Croatia's new generation had truly reached a level worthy of high expectations.
He believed that nothing in the Euro qualifying rounds could stop them now—it was only a matter of how far they could go in the European Championship itself.
With that mindset, his anticipation for Euro 2008 grew even stronger.
"Bilic is doing a great job!" Davor praised.
"It's probably the assistant doing a great job," Boban said, glancing at Van Stoyak, who was currently leading warm-ups on the touchline.
Since Van Stoyak joined the coaching staff, the Croatian team had seemed to spring to life.
The effect was obvious.
Bilic could manage the big picture, but when it came to tactical planning, Van Stoyak was clearly more capable.
The situation had, in a way, flipped.
The head coach wasn't managing tactics, while the assistant coach handled the game plans.
While their current relationship was harmonious, if any conflict arose, things could quickly sour.
Boban naturally hoped that wouldn't happen—but he still had to stay vigilant.
Davor Šuker, on the other hand, wasn't concerned with those issues. He focused only on the present.
Out on the field, Šuker was actively warming up.
His body moved with rhythm as he performed dynamic stretches and joint movements. Occasionally, he also participated in passing drills.
During warm-ups, the Croatian fans were already going wild, shouting Šuker's name:
ŠUKER!!!!!!!
ŠUKER!!!!!!!
ŠUKER!!!!!!!
Every time the camera panned to Šuker, the stadium erupted in cheers.
And whenever Šuker acknowledged them, the cheers grew even more intense.
"He's become a true superstar!"
Davor Šuker laughed.
He was proud that his "successor" had reached such heights.
Not even considering his national team performance—just in terms of club success—this new Šuker had already surpassed Davor Šuker in just two years.
Even now, Davor felt like it was surreal.
But when he saw the young Šuker wearing Croatia's checkered jersey, with the number 9 and "Suker" on the back, his heart was full.
Though he had retired, he had given Croatia an even better Šuker.
That's right—
A better Šuker!
At least, that's how Davor saw it.
"They're a generation that will surpass us," Boban added. "They're destined to do it."
Davor nodded. "I believe that."
As they spoke, the stadium camera suddenly focused on them—Davor Šuker and Boban.
With direction from the stadium DJ, the crowd exploded in a massive cheer.
Šuker also followed the camera's direction and finally spotted Davor in the stands.
He smiled and waved.
Davor happily waved back.
This former little kid who once followed behind him had now become the leader of Croatia's attack.
Davor was filled with emotion.
Soon, warm-ups ended, and both teams returned to the locker rooms for final preparations.
As they lined up in the tunnel, the cheers grew louder and more frenzied.
Starting Lineups:
Croatia (4-2-3-1):GK: Pletikosa
Defenders: Srna, Šimunić, Kovač, Pranjić
Midfielders: Kranjčar, Vukojević, Rakitić, Modrić, Šuker
Forward: Mandžukić
Russia (4-1-3-1-1):
GK: Akinfeev
Defenders: Zhirkov, Kolodin, Ignashevich, Anyukov
Midfielders: Zyryanov, Sansov, Semak, Ivan Sankov
Forwards: Arshavin, Pavlyuchenko
Hiddink frowned deeply as he looked at Croatia's lineup and tactics.
As a Dutch coach, he understood clearly what this formation meant.
In the first match against Croatia, they hadn't felt much pressure—the Croatian coach's inexperience had let them off the hook.
But this time, Croatia was giving them no chances.
This formation was clearly aimed at dominating midfield control and possession.
And when facing Croatia, if you lost the midfield, Russia would be in serious trouble.
With roaring cheers, the players walked onto the pitch, each leading a mascot.
The captains exchanged flags and did the coin toss.
Russia kicked off.
The players took their positions.
"Welcome to the seventh round of the Euro 2008 Qualifiers—Croatia vs. Russia here in Zagreb!"
"In the first leg, Russia held Croatia to a draw at home, but now that Croatia is back on home turf, they're not going to let that happen again!"
Croatian commentator Kraljšević's voice was full of confidence—confidence built from the Croatian national team's performances in this qualifying campaign.
"They beat England. What's one more Russia?"
On the Russian side, the tone was more serious.
"We must keep a close eye on Šuker. He's Croatia's most dangerous player. Winning the Golden Boot in both the Champions League and Serie A has already proven his scoring ability."
"To win, we must contain Šuker."
"We also need to watch out for Luka Modrić. In the Champions League semifinal between Manchester United and AC Milan, Modrić played superbly. Despite his age, he's already showing the field vision of a top midfielder!"
With both commentators setting the scene, the atmosphere grew more intense.
Šuker continued doing his high-knee jumps and warm-up moves.
When both feet landed, he felt light and loose—perfectly ready.
"Let's hit them hard from the start!"
Šuker shouted loudly.
The Croatian players were fired up.
If this were AC Milan, Šuker wouldn't say that. Milan's squad was aging, and intense running would just wear them down.
But this Croatian team was full of young, energetic players. Once they turned on the heat, the impact was huge.
BEEP!
The whistle blew.
The match began.
As soon as the game kicked off, the Croatian players sprinted forward aggressively, trying to disrupt Russia's passing rhythm.
Relentless pressing and interference cut off Russia's passing channels.
Russia was forced to retreat.
Near the edge of their penalty area, Russian center-back Kolodin received the ball but didn't release it quickly—he trusted his technique.
He took one step forward.
That was all Mandžukić needed.
"Go for it!"
Mandžukić charged, instantly closing the distance.
Kolodin was startled. He hadn't expected such a decisive burst from Mandžukić.
He tried to shift the ball sideways to create space, but Mandžukić barreled right into him.
Kolodin lost control of the ball.
Mandžukić pounced, flicking the ball with his heel toward the left-side channel.
Šuker instantly accelerated and darted forward.
With his first touch, he entered the penalty area.
Before the Russian goalkeeper could react, Šuker curled the ball toward the far post.
It curved beautifully around the keeper's outstretched fingers and flew into the bottom left corner.
Whoosh!
The net rippled.
The Maksimir Stadium fell silent for a split second.
Even Croatian commentator Kraljšević froze for a moment and instinctively checked the clock.
1 minute and 10 seconds!
"GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Kraljšević jumped up, shouting with joy.
"Just 1 minute and 10 seconds into the match, Croatia scores! Mandžukić with the steal, Šuker with a beautiful finish!"
"Of course, Kolodin's carelessness was key—center-backs can't afford to show off with the ball like that!"
Kraljšević was overjoyed and cursed under his breath:
"Show off your damn skills, huh?"
That foolish decision gave Croatia their first attack—and their first goal.
Just over a minute into the match, and they were already ahead.
A perfect start!