As the second half began, the atmosphere at the stadium visibly transformed, becoming tense and somber.
With both teams tied at 1-1, both Croatian fans and Brazil fans understood what this match signified.
After the game, one team would inevitably be eliminated. To avoid leaving the World Cup, they needed to perform accordingly in the next 45 minutes.
The moment both sets of players returned to the field, a heavy atmosphere began to spread.
As the camera shifted, the serious expressions on the players' faces were visible. They frequently covered their mouths to communicate, constantly discussing issues for the second half.
Both Brazil and Croatia were well aware that the start of the second half was crucial.
This represented control over the tempo!
Especially Croatia, who were initially suppressed in the first half. Although they equalized, to be honest, they didn't play comfortably.
To avoid replicating that passive situation in the second half, they needed to make some changes.
"We still have to fight! Especially in the midfield high pressing. We can't ignore Brazil's stable midfield. If we're afraid of counterattacks or penetrations and don't actively high press, it will only allow their midfield to perform even better!"
Suker said with a heavy tone.
Modrić nodded, "I know, and at this point, we really need to go all out!"
Suker: "I will drop back more to help connect the midfield offense. If you feel it's necessary, just call me anytime."
Modrić exhaled and nodded again.
Both teams returned to the field, with Croatia kicking off the second half.
Suker stood over the ball in the center circle, waiting for the kickoff. Beside him, Mandžukić had his head down, hands clasped tightly in front of his chest, as if praying.
Other players were in similar states, adopting any method that could provide psychological suggestion or help adjust their condition.
Everyone knew that if they didn't put in a good performance in the next 45 minutes, their four years of effort would be in vain.
"Ready to start!"
The Referee shouted loudly, then began to move out of the center circle.
Suker also turned to look at Mandžukić, who nodded slightly.
Beep!
The moment the whistle blew, Suker decisively kicked off.
"The second half has begun. After the halftime break and adjustments, both teams have regrouped to face the most important 45 minutes, which will decide the outcome of the match!"
"After the first half, both teams have scored one goal each, resulting in a draw!"
"Oscar, Brazil's midfielder, and Ćorluka, Croatia's full-back, each scored a goal. For both teams, the development of the second half is crucial!"
The Brazilian commentator's tone was very serious. Although he wanted Brazil to finish the game quickly, considering Croatia's intensity, he knew they needed to play patiently.
After the kickoff, Croatia's entire midfield began to spread out.
Losing the midfield tempo in the first half not only made them play passively but also led to them conceding first, which made them very uncomfortable.
After their halftime summary, they still planned to increase their midfield control.
Counterattacking was sharp, but it also meant playing more passively.
Moreover, without sufficient midfield support, Suker's full capabilities could not be completely displayed.
Suker intended to explode!
For this, he would also help the midfield organize the tempo and actively drive Croatia's offensive rhythm.
Suker continued to roam on the wing and in the center, and Casemiro stuck tightly to Suker.
However, in the second half, Suker's runs were not as direct as in the first half.
Instead, he paid attention to the positioning of both sides and also started to focus on Casemiro's attention.
As soon as Casemiro's eyes turned to the other side, Suker would suddenly accelerate, even if it was just to deceive, to keep Casemiro in a state of high tension and further diminish his attention.
Suker didn't expect immediate success; he wanted to control the midfield first.
Dropping back a certain distance along the sideline, Modrić, finding no good opportunity to probe, directly passed the ball to Suker.
Unlike passing to others, Modrić trusted Suker.
If other players were not in a good position, or their positioning was not ideal, he would not pass.
But Suker was different; unless he was triple-teamed, he would always consider passing to him. At other times, he could always give it a try.
After all, Suker's ability to escape pressure was evident, and Suker also knew very well how to cooperate and organize the tempo.
Meeting Modrić's pass, Suker actively dropped back a certain distance and gently controlled the ball.
But he didn't show any intention of breaking through. He waited for a moment, and once Modrić ran to the next position, he immediately passed it back.
Although it was a simple back pass, it perfectly cut into Modrić's overlapping space, making him play more comfortably.
For Croatia's midfield to perform well, Modrić had to be comfortable.
Modrić also secretly gave a thumbs-up.
Though it was a simple back pass, the timing of the stop and the pass were perfectly executed, allowing Modrić to effortlessly switch the ball to the other side and then continue the control chain.
In a word, 'comfortable'.
Seeing the ball circulate smoothly, Suker then moved diagonally to the left flank.
He could have moved deeper into the central position, but he didn't.
Firstly, this would compress Rakitić's space.
Secondly, the receiving point on the left would be gone, which would cause Modrić to lack a passing option when distributing, leading to a broken rhythm.
Rhythm is something that needs to be maintained gradually.
It is built step by step through constant movement and passing.
The current starting phase was very good.
Of course, Brazil also noticed this.
"They are actively controlling the tempo!" Kaka's expression became serious.
Kaka was now very sensitive to tempo. When he saw Modrić's runs and Suker's coordinated passes, he immediately understood what Croatia wanted to do.
And once Croatia slowly gained control of the tempo, Brazil would find it very difficult to play.
"We need to break their passing rhythm!"
Kaka gritted his teeth slightly, then loudly called out to his teammates.
The next second, Brazil began to press.
"Here it comes!"
Suker raised an eyebrow slightly; the opportunity they were waiting for had arrived.
Just like in the first half, when Brazil was controlling the tempo, Croatia pressed.
Brazil made the same choice.
No one wants to play passively, and Brazil, as a team that attacks until the end, is naturally no exception.
But whether they could break Croatia's rhythm depended on their skill and determination.
The moment Brazil counter-attacked, Croatia's midfield tightened its inward contraction, and the passing tempo suddenly accelerated.
This also involved Suker, Rakitić, and Modrić's ball shielding and shifting, showing that the struggle between the two sides in the midfield was very intense.
Croatian fans also held their breath nervously, fearing a sudden interception by Brazil.
But Croatia steadily maintained possession, and Modrić's sudden dummy pass successfully moved the ball out of the fiercely contested area.
Suker dropped back again to control the ball.
He was not in a hurry to pass the ball, but waited for Brazil's counter-attack.
But the Brazilian players seemed to be frozen, not pressing Suker, but instead starting to set up their defense.
"Damn it!"
Suker couldn't help but curse under his breath.
They were pressing so eagerly before, but now that it's me, they're not pressing, right?
Suker still really hoped they would press, as it would greatly increase his chances of getting away or breaking through.
But Brazil clearly didn't want to take risks with Suker, so when the ball shifted to the left wing, the tempo suddenly dropped instead.
Suker also turned his head in frustration and passed the ball back again, looking for other opportunities.
After several consecutive presses, Brazil immediately understood.
Although sometimes they succeeded and launched attacks.
The problem was that the efficiency was too low, and Croatia's overall high pressing after losing possession was much fiercer than theirs, and the effect was much better.
Clearly, in terms of high pressing, Croatia was more skilled and also possessed the ability to suppress the midfield.
After connecting the midfield to the attacking third, the game entered a very stagnant phase.
"It's just as I thought!"
Bešić's expression on the sidelines was serious. He slowly exhaled and turned to shout, "Dujmović, warm up!"
Dujmović practically leaped from his seat and immediately began warming up along the sideline.
At the same time, Brazil also prepared for a substitution.
Clearly, both teams were planning their substitutions around the 60-minute mark.
When the game reached the 60-minute mark, during a throw-in, the Referee stopped the game, allowing both teams to make substitutions.
Croatia substituted Vukojević for Dujmović.
Brazil, on the other hand, replaced Pato with Hulk, further strengthening their attacking power.
Both teams had only made one substitution, holding onto two more, awaiting a more crucial moment.
Dujmović excitedly ran onto the field.
"Hey! Guys, your savior is here!"
Dujmović's cheerful voice slightly eased the heavy atmosphere.
Suker wiped his mouth, turned his head, and asked, "Stop talking nonsense, what instructions do you have?"
Dujmović smiled: "What are you guys playing? You didn't execute any of the tactics from halftime. The coach said to break through, don't worry about high pressing or not. As long as the ball is at your feet and you think there's a chance, be bold and try!"
After saying that, he turned to Perisic and said, "And you, if you keep slacking off, you're going to be substituted!"
He wasn't so polite when talking to Perisic.
Upon hearing this, Perisic pursed his lips slightly, then nodded.
The substitution at 60 minutes represented a turning point, indicating that the match was entering a more intense phase.
When the game restarted, Croatia immediately became more proactive and ruthless.
Many times, they charged forward, relying on Brazil's tendency to leave the flanks open, constantly breaking through and pressing forward, putting more pressure on the opponent.
And once they advanced to a certain position, they would transfer the ball to the center, both to create opportunities and to find better shooting positions.
Bang!
The ball flew towards Brazil's goal like a cannonball.
This sudden shot stunned all the players on the field.
Even Brazil's Goalkeeper reacted belatedly, quickly making a save, but the ball missed the frame, flying past the post and out of bounds.
Although they didn't concede a goal, this sudden shot still gave Brazil a fright.
"What a shame!"
Dujmović stood with his hands on his hips, shaking his head.
His first shot attempt after coming on did not result in a goal.
However,
"Good form!"
Dujmović immediately smiled again.
As for the others, they exchanged glances.
Modrić even blinked, then couldn't help but grin.
No one expected someone to shoot suddenly at this moment.
Or rather, the rhythm before was strict; both teams were top powerhouses, unwilling to give the other side a chance, wanting to continuously control the tempo.
For this reason, to avoid conceding goals, they would also carefully choose when to shoot.
But Dujmović was not wrong; if you don't try, and shoot more, who knows if you can score.
This sudden shot made the atmosphere of the match strange.
A faint glow seemed to emanate from the eyes of both Brazil and Croatia players.
That's right!
If you don't try, how can you create a goal?
Perhaps they were indeed too cautious.
Bang!
Another long-range shot, this time from Brazil midfielder Oscar.
After scoring in the first half, Oscar attempted a long-range shot in the second half as well, returning the favor.
However, this shot was not kept down, flying over the crossbar and into the stands.
But this was already a dangerous signal.
This meant that the two teams were about to start fighting for the remaining time with real intensity.
Bang!
The moment Suker received the ball, he was caught in a two-man trap. Although he stumbled a bit, he still broke through, but he was knocked off balance and could only try to poke the ball out with his toe before finally falling.
The ball was sent to Rakitić's feet. This receiving point was behind him, which was actually difficult to handle, but Rakitić still managed to shield the ball successfully with his technique and attempted to turn and break through.
But just as he was about to get away, he was pulled by Kaka, and immediately fell to the ground with a cry.
Beep!
The Referee's whistle blew, and he quickly ran over, showing Kaka a yellow card and awarding a free-kick in the attacking half.
Kaka said nothing; this was an intentional foul.
He couldn't let Rakitić advance further into a more dangerous area.
"It's a bit far!"
Suker estimated it to be about 30 meters away.
"I'll loft it into the penalty area!"
Modrić said.
Suker thought for a moment and shook his head; "I'll try!"
Suker had scored from a 30-meter free-kick before.
However, accuracy is difficult to control, and it also requires as much power as possible, which can lead to a poorer trajectory and accuracy of the ball.
But Suker still wanted to try.
This kind of direct free-kick could put more pressure on Brazil.
Moreover, Suker also noticed that Brazil's Goalkeeper was not in very good form. Even if this attempt wasn't successful, it could help him adjust, and the next one could be more threatening.
"A free-kick from about 30 meters, taken by Suker! This might be a signal for a direct shot!"
In Suker's free-kicks, indirect plays were rare.
However, there were exceptions.
For example, this time, Suker noticed that Brazil's positioning was very loose. Apart from the necessary wall, they were mostly in clearing positions.
It was as if Brazil was convinced that Suker would shoot directly.
Seeing this, Suker raised an eyebrow slightly. He raised his right hand, holding up two fingers.
The movement wasn't very big, but the sharp-eyed Mandžukić and others still saw it, and they immediately became eager to move.
At the same time, with the whistle blowing, Suker started decisively.
Bang!
It wasn't a powerful shot, but rather a high, long-lofted ball with a curve.
The ball flew into Brazil's penalty area. After a quick visual assessment of the trajectory, Kaka immediately made a judgment.
"Header!"
Brazil immediately began to join the aerial challenge, with Mandžukić being the first to be marked.
Silva marked Mandžukić, and David Luiz jumped forcefully to head the ball clear.
"David Luiz! Very accurate judgment. In these World Cup matches, his defensive performance has been very stable!"
Unlike during the League, when his defense was criticized, David Luiz's performance this time was indeed very good.
He had already cooperated with Silva to continuously mark Croatia's aerial threats multiple times.
However, the landing spot of this ball was not good; it was clearly not controlled well.
The ball landed in the right-side area, and Perisic immediately rushed over to control it.
He was about to loft it back into the center circle to further threaten Brazil's backline, when at that moment, Modrić's shout rang in his ears.
"Pass it here!"
Modrić was near the edge of the penalty area, raising his hand for the ball.
Perisic took a touch, shook off Marcelo, and immediately passed the ball to Modrić.
Modrić received the ball, facing the attacking direction.
Seeing Modrić receive the ball in that position, Brazil's players immediately pressed forward.
"Push him out! Push him out!"
"Tackle him!"
Brazil's players swarmed over, but Modrić's eyes were sharp.
In his peripheral vision, he could clearly see a lightning-fast figure accelerating and making a run on the left side.
His speed was very fast, like an arrow released from a bow, and Modrić's choice was simple.
He faced the opponent's high pressing, and with a gentle touch of his foot.
This was a lob, lobbed right behind these Brazil players.
"This ball!!!"
Croatian commentator Krauchivich suddenly stood up. He saw Modrić's lob, and behind the landing spot, Suker was accelerating forward, taking a step that pierced through the entire backline.
"Chance!!!!!!!!--"
Krauchivich roared.
After breaking through the defense, Suker slightly turned his body, lightly jumped, maintaining his rhythm.
At the same time, his eyes were fixed on the descending ball. He slightly raised his left leg and gently cushioned the ball with his thigh.
The ball was perfectly cushioned in front of him. Suker accelerated again, catching up to the ball in two steps, without any adjustment, and pushed it with the inside of his left foot towards the far corner!
This was a big diagonal shot!
The ball almost grazed the Goalkeeper's ankle as it went towards the goal. Although Brazil's Goalkeeper reacted, getting down to save takes a certain amount of time.
And in that time, the ball had already passed him, flying into the far corner of the goal.
Swish!
The ball hit the net!
The entire Maracanã Stadium, after a moment of silence, erupted in a violent roar.
"Gooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!"
"Suker!!!"
"In the 67th minute, Croatia finally completed the comeback on the scoreboard!!"
"Croatia leads Brazil 2:1!---"