"Inzaghi's instincts are freakin' unreal!"
Suker was secretly thrilled.
Whenever the team was stuck and couldn't find a breakthrough, Suker could always manage to score using this kind of instinct.
Even if he didn't seize every opportunity, landing just one goal this way was often deadly.
This wasn't some kind of lopsided match.
The clash between Croatia and Spain was influenced by countless factors, so even the smallest imbalance could create massive consequences.
Just like when Croatia conceded first — it forced them to keep applying attacking pressure.
You could say it was Croatia's do-or-die approach.
Had Spain scored again at that point, it would've been game over. They wouldn't even need to play out the remaining time — Spain had too many ways to shut Croatia down with a two-goal cushion.
But Croatia seized this chance.
And it was Suker who capitalized, using "Inzaghi's Instincts."
That special card that had been with him since the very beginning always seemed to bless him in crucial moments.
At this moment, Suker couldn't help but mutter:
"Pippo is a legend!"
Even though Inzaghi hadn't made it into the national team for this World Cup, back in his prime, he was absolutely phenomenal.
The Spanish players looked at Suker in frustration.
They'd marked him, tracked him for so long — and yet, at a critical moment, Suker found space with some inexplicable run.
Who could possibly guarantee 90-plus minutes of unbroken attention to Suker's positioning?
In a live match, with constant battles, non-stop communication, and information exchanges flying around, there were bound to be one or two lapses in concentration.
That was when Suker would slip into a lethal opening.
Nobody even blamed Alonso — this wasn't just his fault. It was a collective breakdown that let Croatia score.
With that goal, the scoreline was level again.
Currently, Spain 1:1 Croatia!
"This is a tightly contested game! Spain scored first, but Croatia hit back through intense attacks, and once again Suker delivers! That's his eighth goal in this World Cup — an absolutely mind-blowing performance and scoring efficiency!"
In the VIP stands, Mendes exclaimed, "And they still can't shut him down?"
Spain had tried hard to contain Suker. While other teams had gone to extreme measures, Spain's higher possession rate meant fewer chances for Suker.
Even so, give him one decent shot, and he'd score.
Mourinho let out a long breath and shook his head:
"Back when we played against Real Madrid, I underestimated that very trait of Suker. That match almost went sideways too."
"Croatia's main issue now is defense. They don't lack firepower, but if Suker scores and they leak another goal at the back, that's the real problem."
"I'm curious — if I built a rock-solid defense, what kind of freedom would that give Suker?"
"What kind of performances could he deliver then?"
Mourinho knew full well — if you had Suker, you never had to worry about offense or goals.
His individual skill covered all that.
In fact, in an extreme scenario, you could park the bus, then let Suker single-handedly launch counterattacks.
Sure, that might be slow, but it would still work.
That's how devastating Suker was in transition.
Of course, it would take a toll on him physically.
So yeah, it was an exaggeration — but it also proved how lethal Suker was on the counter.
"So, you still don't rate Croatia?" Mendes asked.
Mourinho turned to him:
"Did you forget one thing?"
"What?"
"Croatia's offense is front-loaded. They'll focus more on defense in the second half. But now that Spain scored first, their original game plan is already thrown off. What they're doing now is just hanging on."
"Really? Still, I'm backing Croatia," Mendes shrugged. "They're playing incredibly well."
Mourinho nodded.
That feeling was understandable — after enduring so many tough World Cup matches, Croatia was finally rediscovering their identity.
Like in the match against Germany.
And again here.
That tenacity, courage, relentless running — it was all coming out now.
But…
It still hadn't fully come together.
They were realizing it too late!
Mourinho paused.
Was it too late?
No!
This was their first World Cup!
People had high hopes for this Croatian team, so there was a sense of regret.
But for these young men — this was only the beginning!
The foundation built in this tournament would explode in the next one!
In 2010, Croatia showed the world their sharp claws for the first time.
If they could maintain this form, continue developing, and fully gel as a team by 2014 — who could stop them?
Mourinho had a feeling — a potential dynasty was rising on the international stage.
On the pitch, Croatia was still pressing hard.
They were desperate to score again before halftime, to gain the upper hand.
Spain, on the other hand, deliberately slowed things down.
One-touch passing, gritted teeth — they were stubbornly resisting Croatia's relentless pressure.
"This is insane!"
After a pass, Xavi was gasping for breath.
How were these Croatian guys not exhausted?
Spain had most of the ball — so logically, Croatia should've been more fatigued.
Yet here they were — still flying around the pitch like madmen, pressing with wild eyes and ferocity.
It was now the 43rd minute.
Two minutes left in the first half.
These guys had been sprinting all half and were still maintaining a furious pressing tempo.
"Get him! Press!"
Vukojević shouted.
He and Rakitić teamed up to kick the ball out of Pedro's feet and into touch.
Rakitić got up slowly.
"That's it? You can't run anymore?" Vukojević shouted.
Rakitić was frustrated.
His legs really had lost power — his drag-back was too slow, giving Pedro time to boot it out.
If he'd gotten the ball, it would've been another chance to counter.
"Croatia with the throw-in. Ćorluka tosses it to Modrić. Modrić turns and switches it to Kranjčar, who launches a long ball into the Spanish penalty area… Casillas comes out and catches it!"
Kraushević shook his head:
"That cross was way too predictable. And with that, the first half is basically done."
Soon after, the halftime whistle blew.
Players from both teams slowly headed down the tunnel.
Under the camera lens, you could see both Spanish and Croatian players gasping for breath, dripping sweat.
This was the aftermath of war.
But many neutral fans were amazed by Croatia.
Compared to Spain, Croatia had run more, fought harder.
Even though there were only two goals in the first half, the match was full of rapid transitions for both sides.
Spain tried to kill the tempo — but Croatia wouldn't let them.
In the end, it was 45 minutes of pure intensity.
"In the second half, Spain will go all-out attack."
Inside Croatia's locker room, Van Stajak said grimly:
"Compared to the first half, they'll crank up the pressure even more."
The room fell silent.
The first half was already tough enough.
If Spain increased their offensive intensity now, things would only get worse.
And whether the defense could hold up — that was a whole different concern.
Meanwhile, in Spain's locker room, Del Bosque was clapping and speaking loud and clear:
"Guys, you did great. Croatia went hard in the first half, but we survived their most intense phase. Now, we can control the match more comfortably."
In Del Bosque's view, they'd weathered the storm.
A 1–1 halftime scoreline, during Croatia's powerplay — and they hadn't lost ground. Now it was Spain's turn.
He began outlining second-half tactics.
Iniesta listened quietly, then raised his hand:
"But… what if Croatia keeps pressing?"
His words brought the whole room to a halt.
"Come on!" Fàbregas shrugged. "No way they can keep up that pressing for 90 minutes!"
High pressing came with enormous physical demands.
Most teams couldn't sustain it for an entire match.
In the future, teams would need to train stamina specifically for that — but right now, hardly anyone could press nonstop.
So to Fàbregas, the idea was a joke.
"But this is Croatia," Iniesta said firmly. "It's not impossible."
The room went silent.
If that were true, this would become a hellish game.
Del Bosque clapped his hands:
"Believe in yourselves, guys. After all our preparation and hard work, we're more than capable of going toe-to-toe with Croatia!"
"If it really comes to that — then fight them head-on. I believe in you. Let's win this and get our revenge!"
The Spanish players felt a surge of energy.
Yes!
Even if Croatia went all-in, they had the courage to fight back.
Halftime was over.
Amid roaring cheers, both teams walked back onto the pitch.
At that moment, their hearts were heavy.
They all knew —
The real battle begins now!
"Welcome back to the 2010 South Africa World Cup semifinal! We're live from Durban Stadium, bringing you the action between Spain vs Croatia!"
"After a hard-fought 45 minutes, the score is tied at 1:1."
"Goals from Iniesta and Suker — making this second half all the more critical. Who will earn a ticket to the final? Let's find out!"
The second half began.
Iniesta regulated his breathing.
Spain had gone through a grueling tournament — and Croatia, hit by a hellish schedule and missing several starters, had it even worse.
Yet despite all that, Croatia still had the energy to press and play at such intensity — even Iniesta was in awe.
Had Spain gone through that schedule, they might've been finished.
But what he feared most — was whether Croatia would keep up that high pressing in the second half.
Because that was Spain's worst nightmare.
On the Croatian side, their expressions were just as grim.
During the break, Van Stajcak had scrapped his original second-half tactics.
They hadn't gone into halftime with a lead — so Plan A was out.
For Croatia, there was only one way forward.
"We go all in."
Mandžukić wiped the sweat off his face.
This might be their toughest match yet.
It would decide who went to the World Cup final.
If not now — then when?
Suker was adjusting his breathing too, heart pounding.
Even he couldn't help but feel nervous.
If he was anxious, others must be feeling even more pressure.
"Please let this be the right call," Van Stajak murmured.
Croatia had only one path — all-out high pressing.
Even with exhausted legs, even with their energy fading — it was all or nothing.
BEEP!!! The whistle blew.
Spain kicked off.
And in that very moment, Croatia charged.
Suker led the way, bursting forward like a cannonball — his explosive power and speed on full display.
Croatian players flew forward like a pack of hungry wolves.
"Damn it!"
Seeing this, Iniesta instantly knew — Croatia was all in!
"Captain! Watch out!"
Xavi shouted.
Puyol had just received the ball when Suker, like a predator, pounced.
Panicked, Puyol passed the ball sideways.
Suker pivoted violently, foot slipping, hand on the ground — but he twisted back up and kept charging.
The rest of the Croatian squad howled as they surged forward.
"GET HIM!!"
"GO FOR IT!!"
"Squeeze every drop of energy!!"
"Screw it all!!"
"PRESS PRESS PRESS!!"
They charged harder than they had in the first half — their aggression cranked to the max.
Croatian commentator Kraushević was stunned:
"The lads are storming into Spain's half — my God! Do they still have energy? How are they sprinting like this?!"
Croatian fans roared in response.
"They just don't stop running!"
Mendes watched in shock.
These guys' faces were contorted in pain, some were stumbling mid-run — but they gritted their teeth and kept sprinting.
With Suker leading the charge, each player locked onto their target.
Some couldn't even stop in time and crashed into Spanish players — but they'd just get up and keep running.
It was impossible not to be moved.
Mourinho clenched his fists, eyes shining:
"Now you see why I like Srna? These Eastern European players — they can run like hell!"
Then he looked across the field.
Suker was now sprinting after Pedro.
A forward — chasing all the way back to his own half.
And he was running full-speed, as if stamina meant nothing.
"This guy's a mule!" Mourinho added.
"GET HIM!!" Suker roared.
He and Modrić double-teamed Pedro.
Pedro panicked, trying to pass — but Suker lunged, slide-tackled, and intercepted.
Using the sole of his foot, Suker passed the ball to the oncoming Šimunić.
As Šimunić took control, Suker jumped back up.
He was about to call out — but then came a deafening roar all around:
"COUNTER!!"
"COUNTERATTACK!!"
"GOOO!!"
Modrić, Rakitić, Vukojević, Suker, Konezović, Ćorluka — all surged forward.
A white tidal wave crashed toward Spain's half.
They rushed forward with brutal force — like a tsunami.
Everyone had their heads down, legs churning.
Modrić lifted his chin, swinging his arms, legs pounding.
Rakitić gritted his teeth, dragging his heavy legs in a desperate sprint.
Vukojević's neck stretched forward, slower but still emptying the tank.
Konezović, Ćorluka — all of them doing the same.
Six men, sprinting together past the halfway line, forming a counterattack tidal wave.
Mandžukić held off Puyol at the front.
The ball dropped.
Mandžukić roared:
"MOVE!!"
He shoved Puyol away and tapped the ball to the side.
He tried to follow — but his legs gave out.
Then, a blur passed beside him.
Mandžukić lifted his head slightly.
Black hair flying in the wind, muscle fibers taut in his legs, foot stretched to push the ball forward…
Eyes laser-focused on the ball.
Suker.
Mandžukić shouted in his mind, but said nothing aloud.
WHOOSH!!
The white shadow shot forward — straight into Spain's penalty area.
Mandžukić, still kneeling, clenched his fists.
He saw Piqué closing in on Suker.
"Watch out!" he muttered.
But the next moment — Suker swung his left foot.
BANG!
The ball deflected off Piqué's foot — and curved toward the far post.
Casillas, positioned at the near post, turned his head…
SWISH!!! GOAL!
49th minute — just 4 minutes into the second half, Croatia scored again.
Spain 1:2 Croatia!