Beep! Beep! Beep!!
Heavy breathing. Burning lungs. Pounding hearts and leaden legs.
All of it told the Croatian and German players one thing—they had given it their all.
But... the match wasn't over yet!
120 minutes—90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of extra time—had passed.
Now, they would face the cruelest decider: the penalty shootout!
No tactics now.Only pure technique and nerves.
Penalty shootouts are cruel because every goal scored—or missed—brings you one step closer to victory or defeat, in the simplest and most brutal way.
This moment required players to summon their willpower, courage, skill, and everything they had.
"Keep your spirits up! We can do this! One last step—believe in yourself, believe in the team!"
In front of Croatia's dugout, Suker shouted out encouragement.
He took a sip of water, rinsed his mouth, and spat it out.
"Boss!" Suker looked at Van Stoyac and said, "Announce the penalty takers."
At this moment, everyone's hearts were heavy.
A penalty shootout—such a cruel battle—put immense psychological pressure on both the players and their opponents.
Van Stoyac nodded. Clutching his notebook, he walked into the center and raised his voice:
"Before I announce the lineup, I want to say something."
Everyone fell silent.
The crowd's cheering still roared, so Van Stoyac had to almost shout at the top of his lungs:
"From the group stage until now, you've played brilliantly. You've followed my tactics with loyalty, and we've come this far together. No matter the outcome, we'll face it together!"
"Remember—we are one unit. No one will back down. I'll take responsibility, and you must do the same!"
Hearing this, Bilic muttered, "Responsibility, huh~"
"First, I want to thank you. I've never told you this, but now I will: you're the best team I've ever worked with!"
"We created miracles together at the 2008 Euros…"
The Croatian players smiled slightly. That magical summer returned to their minds.
"And now, we will not fall here!"
Van Stoyac's voice grew firm, and the players' eyes filled with determination.
"Show courage. Show fighting spirit!"
"Lads, you are the lucky ones. No one can beat us in a penalty shootout—because children who survived the Kosovo War have always been blessed by the goddess of fortune!"
Van Stoyac thumped his chest and shouted:
"Think of the tens of thousands of fans in the stadium! Think of the four million people at home, watching through their screens—they are why we fight!"
"Believe in yourselves! Don't leave any regrets! Face the challenge head-on!"
"Victory belongs to Croatia!!"
In an instant, the players roared in unison—
"Victory belongs to Croatia!!!——"
"Good." Van Stoyac nodded, seeing the burning determination in their eyes. He placed his notebook in front of him.
"First penalty taker..."
Everyone tensed.
Vastic's eyes moved back and forth between Suker and Modric.
Clearly, he hadn't fully decided yet.
Suker sighed inwardly and was just about to raise his hand when Modric suddenly did.
"I'll go first!"
Modric calmly volunteered.
Everyone turned to look at him.
This was the first penalty!
The most critical one—it set the tone for everyone who followed.
Most would avoid it.
But Modric volunteered.
"I'll take the first one!" he said, then pointed at Suker: "Let Suker take the final one—he can handle the pressure!"
Suker grinned.
The others chuckled too.
Truthfully, that was what they all thought.
Van Stoyac nodded. "Alright."
"First taker: Modric."
"Second: Simunic."
"Third: Petric.""Fourth…"
Vastic's eyes danced between Dujmovic and Kranjcar.
Finally, he said, "Dujmovic!"
Dujmovic bit his lip. The pressure was immense.
"Fifth: Suker!"
"We try to end it within five. If it goes to sudden death, then the order will be…"
Van Stoyac continued to assign the shootout order for sudden death.
Meanwhile, the German team was also finalizing their order.
But compared to Croatia, the German players looked far more dejected.
Their minds were haunted by the two leads they had lost.
Regret clouded everything—Why didn't we finish the game earlier?Why couldn't we hold the score?Why couldn't we stop Suker?Why did it come to penalties?Everything was a mess!
In such a mental state, it was hard to focus.
And after such a draining match, their stamina and concentration were clearly dropping.
Eventually, Germany finalized their shooters:
Schweinsteiger
Lahm
Ozil
Kroos
Klose
Soon, both teams walked onto the pitch.
The stadium fell eerily silent.
Neither side's fans dared to speak, their hearts pounding so hard their limbs went numb.
This was the penalty shootout!
"The players have taken the field. After 120 minutes, it's Croatia 3 – 3 Germany. We now enter the brutal penalty shootout!"
"Whew~~~~~~"
Krausivic exhaled, his voice trembling with nerves.
He knew he shouldn't show that tension, but he couldn't help it.
"Pray now! To the Almighty! To the goddess of victory and fortune—bless Croatia! Let us reach the World Cup semifinals again!"
"And we must believe in these young men—they've fought hard to turn the impossible into a seed of hope. Believe in them."
He ended with a shaky voice:
"May God bless these boys!"
Zagreb, Times Square.
Hundreds of thousands stood with clenched hands, eyes closed, praying devoutly.
"May God bless these boys!!——"
In a small orphanage, led by an elderly priest, children knelt in prayer.
"May God bless these boys!!!!——"
Across Croatia, 4 million citizens prayed with the utmost sincerity.
"May God bless the boys!!!!!!!!!!——"
Johannesburg, South Africa – Soccer City Stadium.
The entire stadium fell into dead silence.
Croatian players stood shoulder-to-shoulder at the center circle, arms wrapped around each other.
From the dugout, Van Stoyac, Bilic, and the entire bench knelt on both knees.
The tension was unbearable.
Germany would shoot first.
Schweinsteiger stepped up.
"Miss it! Miss it! Miss it!"
"Curse you! Curse you! Curse you!"
"Clumsy feet! Clumsy feet! Clumsy feet!"
The Croatians hurled vicious insults.
Pletikosa, the Croatian goalkeeper, stretched his arms and swayed, trying to psych him out.
But Schweinsteiger stared at the ground, ignoring him.
He began his run-up.
The tension peaked.
"Miss it! Miss it! Miss it!"
"Curse you! Curse you! Curse you!"
The Croatians' faces twisted with strain. Dujmovic was clenching his butt cheeks tight.
Swoosh!Ball in.
"Schweinsteiger scores! Germany takes the lead. Now the pressure's on Croatia!"
Suker cursed with a string of filthy Croatian swears.
Germany had scored. Pressure shifted.
Modric exhaled slowly.
"I'm going."
Suddenly, Suker called out: "Luka!"
Modric turned his head.
Suker patted his chest.
"Believe in yourself—you've got this!"
Modric smiled.
"You're my safety net—why should I be afraid?"
Suker grinned. "Miss it, and it's five Chinese dinners for me!"
Modric raised his eyebrows. "What if I score?"
"Then you're the boss—whatever you say goes!"
Modric waved him off. "Watch and see."
He walked away confidently.
Everyone grew even more tense.
"Believe in Luka!"
"Yeah, we have no choice now!"
Dujmovic muttered, "It's fine if he scores. If he doesn't…"
Everyone turned to him.
"Then sacrifice him to the gods. Magic will follow."
The tension was crushing.
Croatia's first taker: Luka Modric.
"Luka Modric—once a shepherd boy, now a world-class midfielder. All his struggles have become fuel for this moment!"
"Luka, score! Open the path to victory for us!"
Everyone held their breath as Modric began his run-up.
Near the ball, he subtly changed pace, making Neuer shift his weight right—and then Modric struck left.
Ball in.
Croatia and Germany each scored their first.
"Modric slots it into the bottom left! Calmly delivers Croatia's first penalty!"
Modric turned and jogged back.
The team erupted.
"Luka's a beast!"
"You're the best!"
"We love you!"
Modric smiled as his teammates swarmed him.
Next: Lahm, Germany's captain.
Croatia resumed their chanting.
"Curse you! Curse you! Curse you!"
"Miss it! Miss it! Miss it!"
Suddenly, a strange voice cut in—
"Lahm will score! Lahm will score!"
Huh?
The Croatian players whipped their heads around. A mole?
Suker calmly turned to them.
"You guys are amateurs. That was low-tier cursing. I'm using reverse psychology—the super curse."
Everyone suddenly got it. Then joined in with Suker's chant.
While they chanted, Lahm stepped up and—
slipped.The ball flew way off target.
"Ohhhhhhhh Lahm!! He missed!! Unbelievable! Germany's captain couldn't take the pressure!"
Croatian fans went wild.
Clapping, yelling, jeering—the pressure on the Germans mounted.
Now Croatia had the chance to take the lead.
"Josip, believe in yourself!"
Simunic walked up.
"Don't jinx me!" he barked.
Dujmovic blinked. "You're gonna miss."
Smack!Suker slapped Dujmovic on the head.
"What the hell are you saying?!"
"Then what should I say?" Dujmovic asked.
Suker: "Shut up!"
Simunic stepped up—but perhaps from pressure, he overhit it.
Ball flew just wide.
"Ohhh~~ Simunic missed! Germany's still in it!"
Simunic fell to his knees, hands over his mouth, devastated.
But instead of scolding him, Suker shouted:
"Simunic is sacrificed!"
Everyone paused—then yelled—
"Sacrificing teammates grants ultimate power!"
"Well sacrificed!"
"Legend!"
Simunic looked up in shock. His teammates waved him over with smiles.
Despite the miss, their support lifted him.
Next: Germany's third, Ozil.
More "cursing" from the Croats—actually reverse psychology.
Ozil boldly aimed down the center.
Expecting a dive, he gambled.
But Pletikosa, originally leaning left, stopped and fell straight down—
Blocked with his leg!
"YEEESSSS!!!"
The Croatian side exploded.
Suker and others fell to their knees in celebration.
Pletikosa pumped his fists—Croatia had the advantage again.
Third Croatian kicker: Petric.
He turned: "You guys gonna say anything to cheer me on?"
Everyone shook their heads violently.
Petric chuckled, exhaled, and stepped up.
"Third penalty—can Petric extend Croatia's lead?"
He shot left.
Neuer guessed right, but the angle was too sharp—ball grazed his fingers and went in.
Thud!Dujmovic collapsed.
"Jesus, scared me to death!"
Others looked pale.
This shootout was a heart attack waiting to happen.
Croatia: O, X, OGermany: O, X, X
Croatia leads after three rounds!
Next: Kroos for Germany.
Young, composed—he scored.
"Still hope! Still hope! Neuer—it's on you now!"
German commentary was desperate.
Croatia's fourth: Dujmovic.
"Tommy!"
"Tommy!"
All eyes on him.
He patted his chest and smiled.
"Don't forget—I'm Croatia's secret weapon. This pressure won't break me."
He pointed at Suker.
"Watch this. I'll deliver the match point!"
Suker grinned: "Score, and your Chinese dinners are on me!"
Dujmovic nodded hard: "Deal!"
He walked to the spot without looking back.
"My heart's not okay…" Modric muttered, clutching his chest.
Dujmovic was indeed their secret weapon.
But so unpredictable—he was a double-edged sword.
"Now we just have to trust Tommy," Suker said, gripping Modric's shoulder.
Dujmovic stared straight at Neuer.
Most players avoided eye contact. But not him—he looked around like a weirdo.
Neuer was thrown off.
Still, he focused.
As Dujmovic ran up, Neuer read his posture—
"Right side!"
He dove—
Dujmovic chipped a Panenka.
The ball floated over—goal.
"OH~~~~ THE PANENKA!!! DUJMOVIC!! ICE-COLD!!"
BOOM!!!!
The stadium exploded.
Suker and others lost their minds.
A Panenka?! In a shootout?!
Legendary.
"Tommy's a beast!" they shouted.
Dujmovic jogged back, full of swagger.
He looked at Suker: "Your turn to finish it."
Suker smiled confidently.
Everyone felt the same.
With Suker taking the match point—they felt no pressure.
Germany's final kicker: Klose.He calmly scored.
Still alive—but now, the moment of truth.
Everything came down to Suker.
The stadium fell utterly silent.
Everyone watched him.
Suker stepped to the spot.Every step was steady and composed.
Both teams knelt on the ground.
This was it—life or death.
He cleared the spot, placed the ball, and stepped back.
"The final penalty. All the pressure rests on Suker!"
"May God bless Suker! May God bless Croatia!"
Krausivic's voice trembled violently.
Croatian fans could barely breathe.
One step forward. One mountain to climb.
They could return to the World Cup semifinals.
Paris 1998 would shine again over Johannesburg 2010!
Everything rested on this shot.
Suker ran up.
The whole world seemed to fall silent.
Everyone's hearts beat with his steps.
He twisted his body.
Neuer dove right—Suker shot left.
Swoosh!
Goal.
[Croatia: O, X, O, O, O][Germany: O, X, X, O, O]
5 penalties. Croatia wins 4:3.
For the first time since the 1998 World Cup, Croatia had returned to the semifinals!