"It's over!"
As the match entered the 90th minute, Argentina still failed to organize any effective attacks or counterattacks, which meant they had lost the ability to turn the game around.
Suker's expression was somewhat solemn. Throughout the entire match, Germany's tactical discipline and game ability were indeed incredibly strong.
This strength was fully unleashed, unlike before when they either held back or concealed their tactics.
In this match, Germany truly delivered an outstanding performance; in fact, their form and game ability had even improved compared to the early stages of the World Cup.
All of this served as a reminder to Croatia of how difficult their final opponent would be.
"We might not be able to dominate the midfield!"
Modrić said solemnly.
This was the first time he had ever said such a thing.
Modrić was a very confident person, especially in his own domain.
But Germany's performance in this match made Modrić realize that competing with Germany for midfield control would undoubtedly be a fierce and bloody struggle.
And even then, they might not be able to gain an advantage.
While Croatia's midfield was also excellent, Germany's midfield was currently in superb form.
"Their front line is also very strong!" Srna said in a deep voice.
Not to mention Klose, players like Muller, Götze, and Özil also performed exceptionally well.
They all provided very effective tactical value to the team; their overall integration was excellent.
Klose, in particular, converted Germany's opportunities into goals with his finishing.
This style of play, with clear roles and responsibilities, was indeed somewhat tricky.
Both Germany and Croatia were in a very complete state.
And their styles were also very similar.
This meant that if they faced Germany in the final, it would undoubtedly be a battle of offense and defense!
Handling offense well or handling defense well wouldn't be enough; both aspects had to be balanced.
But the opposing team certainly wouldn't let them play that way, and this applied to both Croatia and Germany.
They would try every means to disrupt the opponent's rhythm and create a favorable situation for themselves.
This made the points of confrontation incredibly intense.
"The match is about to end!"
The voice of the Brazil commentator came from the television.
As the injury time gradually elapsed, Argentina's defeat was practically confirmed.
"Germany displayed excellent match form in this game, which also gave them sufficient confidence for their final preparations. I believe the German fans will also be full of confidence after watching this match!"
"Of course, Croatia is not an easy team to deal with, but precisely because of that, the final will be even more interesting!"
At this moment, the Referee blew the whistle, and the full-time match ended.
With three whistles, Germany defeated Argentina and advanced to the World Cup final.
The camera focused on Messi, showing his unwillingness and regret. After finally reaching the World Cup semifinals, just one step away from the final, he was eliminated.
Croatian players had all experienced this feeling, so they could empathize.
Fortunately, in this World Cup, they became the victors!
"Let's go! Time to sleep!"
Suker got up. He had no interest in watching the subsequent scenes and planned to go back to sleep early.
The other players also got up one after another.
After watching this match, they understood that to defeat Germany, they had to be in their best form, even performing beyond their usual level.
This was the World Cup final, after all!
The psychological pressure would undoubtedly be immense.
Meanwhile, in the World Cup semifinal stage that had just concluded.
Inside Germany's locker room, chaos reigned.
German players excitedly celebrated reaching the final.
"Final! Final! Here we come!"
Muller ran in circles in the locker room, non-stop.
It would normally be an annoying sight, but everyone else looked on with smiles, their faces beaming since the end of the match.
After a month of battle, finally reaching the World Cup final was the best reward for them.
Of course, they still had one crucial match, arguably the most crucial match.
This match would represent their entire World Cup journey!
"Alright, everyone settle down!" Lahm stood up and said slowly, "Those who need to shower, shower; those who need to change, change. Save some energy; the World Cup isn't over yet!"
Upon hearing this, the young players who were celebrating immediately stopped their celebrations.
Lahm was right; they still had the most important match.
"We've finally reached the final!"
Lahm sat back down and said to Schweinsteiger next to him.
The latter also nodded slightly, but his expression was very solemn.
"What's wrong?" Lahm asked.
Schweinsteiger pursed his lips: "This might not sound good, but our win rate against Croatia in the final is basically 0!"
Lahm: "How can it be zero? We've beaten them before!"
"That was the old Germany. Ever since the rise of Suker and his generation, we haven't won in the final!"
Upon hearing this, Lahm fell silent for a moment.
Schweinsteiger's concerns were not unfounded; this win rate issue would inevitably affect morale.
Although their own form was good and their confidence was high.
But thinking about Croatia as their opponent, they couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.
After all, their win rate against Croatia in the final was indeed not high.
But no matter what, since they had reached the final, they had to give their all.
"We are not the same as we used to be. We will break through this barrier. We will defeat Croatia!" Lahm's voice was firm and powerful.
Schweinsteiger: "I hope so!"
All World Cup semifinals concluded, and the two finalists were officially determined.
Both teams were from Europe, and they successfully met in Brazil.
For South American teams, this moment was somewhat bleak.
South American and European football had always been in competition.
But in this World Cup, South American teams were completely wiped out in the semi-finals, with no team reaching the final, and this was even South America's Manchester United, which made them somewhat embarrassed.
But regardless, the final opponents had been decided, and whether it was Croatia or Germany, they had both demonstrated superior competitive levels. No one could dispute their advancement to the final.
There were three days of preparation time between the semifinals and the final.
The final venue was set at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro.
After the semifinals ended, a large number of German and Croatian fans gradually began to pour into the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The last brilliant and most intense match of the World Cup would be played here.
Local Brazil fans were also very excited. Although not everyone could go to the stadium to watch the match, they could already feel the thrilling atmosphere.
For Germany, this would be their crucial battle.
Germany's last World Cup victory dated back to 1990, which was 14 years ago, when Beckenbauer, as Head Coach, led the Germany (West Germany) to sweep the World Cup stage.
After fourteen years of ups and downs, following a massive explosion in youth development, Germany once again possessed the ability to challenge for the World Cup title.
Whether they could win their third World Cup title was something many fans eagerly anticipated.
Of course, compared to Germany, Croatia had a higher support rate.
Neutral fans were tired of seeing the old powerhouses dominate various major competitions; they needed something new.
And at this time, Croatia from Eastern Europe entered their sight.
Croatia was not considered a top European powerhouse, and their rise was not deliberately planned, but it just happened so suddenly.
Suker, Modrić, Srna, Rakitić, and a group of top players emerged from this land, and their appearance seemed to break all records.
From their Dinamo Zagreb days, they had created legendary stories in the Champions League and the European Cup.
And now, they had reached the World Cup final stage. Many people were looking forward to them continuing to create legendary stories, adding a touch of fun and excitement to this World Cup where strong teams remained strong and weak teams remained weak.
"This is a hotel located in the south of Rio de Janeiro, also the hotel where the Croatia National Team is staying!"
A local Brazil reporter stood outside the hotel, broadcasting.
Through the camera, one could see that the surroundings were filled with Croatian fans who had come on their own. From their excited expressions, it was not difficult to see how much they anticipated this final.
The reporter randomly found a few Croatian fans for interviews.
"They are an era that creates miracles. I believe they will not disappoint us!"
A young man excitedly raised his hands, his eyes full of desire for victory and pursuit of honor.
"I lived through Yugoslavia and the era of Davor Šuker!" an elderly fan exclaimed, "But I've never been this excited before! These young men from Croatia are amazing; they give me a strong feeling that they will win the game!"
"They've never disappointed us!"
"We'll shout at the highest decibels in the final!"
"I can't wait!"
"Go, Croatia!"
More and more Croatian fans shouted loudly at the camera, their enthusiasm clearly visible.
At the same time, the hotel gate slowly opened, and the bus carrying the Croatian players drove out.
At this moment, the entire space seemed to be shaking, and the fans' cheers were deafening.
The camera immediately focused on the bus, and through the window, they could see the faces of the Croatian players, among whom Suker, sitting in the second to last row, made the scene even crazier.
Although Suker did not make any gestures or wave.
But the moment they saw him, the fans in the entire stadium spontaneously shouted Suker's name.
This was like a belief, a deep-seated desire, and a hope from their hearts.
They shouted Suker's name as if they were shouting for victory.
Even as the bus slowly departed and they chased for a distance, the cheers never stopped.
"They're really passionate!"
Inside the bus, which was heading towards the training base, Mandžukić couldn't help but sigh.
Although they had experienced big occasions, such as the European Cup final, Champions League, and so on.
But at this moment, the enthusiasm shown by the Croatian fans was different.
As the top-tier competition, the World Cup, the fans were well aware of what this championship honor represented.
Therefore, their excitement and exhilaration were understandable.
"Tomorrow is the final!" Mandžukić patted his chest; "Damn it! I'm a little nervous!"
He thought it would bring laughter from his teammates, but he found that no one spoke.
In fact, not only Mandžukić, but also others, including Suker, felt a sense of nervousness.
There was no way around it; although they were veterans and had played in finals of various important competitions, even winning them.
But for the World Cup final, everyone here was unfamiliar with it!
What they could do now was to prepare as much as possible and give their best performance in the final.
"Regular tactics won't work in the final!" Van Stoyak said to Bešić: "Germany is more experienced and has a deeper foundation than us; they know better what to do at what time, so if we just follow the rhythm, we will definitely be at a disadvantage!"
Bešić stroked his chin; he also agreed with Van Stoyak's point of view.
"So, we need to come up with some special tactics?"
Croatia's tactical reserves were still good; after all, they hadn't exposed too many tactics so far.
Van Stoyak shook his head; "A major change in direction is unnecessary; it will make us play more inexplicably, as we are already familiar with this style of play, and I think we should continue with it."
"However, on this basis, we need some special changes!"
"Special changes?"
Bešić raised an eyebrow.
Van Stoyak said seriously: "Exactly! It's about placing the bet where it should be placed!"
Bešić immediately understood: "On Suker?"
Van Stoyak nodded; "In terms of tactical domain, match form, and team coordination, we are on par with Germany, but if we play at this rhythm, Germany is more experienced than us; they know what to do at what time, and they can handle it better.
In this aspect, both you and I are lacking, so I think we need to break this rhythm."
"We are not familiar with the rhythm, so we won't let the Germans play according to the rhythm, right?"
"Exactly!" Van Stoyak nodded again: "It can even be said that the more chaotic the situation, the more advantageous it is for us!"
"Compared to Germany, our advantage is having a superstar!"
"Suker's presence will definitely make Germany very anxious, and how to flexibly utilize Suker to make him provide more value is the key!"
"Germany will target Suker, and we need to unleash Suker; this is the key to our match tactics."
"I don't object to holistic play, but sometimes, in some critical situations, I still want to put the weight on Suker; he has never disappointed us, has he?" Van Stoyak said.
Listening to Van Stoyak, Bešić did not respond immediately.
In the early days of football, in the era when superstars dominated, the value of a superstar was indeed very crucial.
For example, Maradona led a not-so-strong Argentina team through all the obstacles to win the World Cup.
But even earlier, the value of such stars was even more important.
That was an ancient period of football where tactical positions had not yet been fully realized, but with the emergence of the WM formation and the Dutch using collective power to curb the era of star dominance, 'football is dead' became the slogan of the time.
But football did not die; instead, the value of stars was greatly reduced.
Compared to the environment at that time, today's stars also have the same value.
However, it requires stricter conditions.
Individual ability, tactical literacy, overall vision, and so on, none of which can be lacking.
It can be said that a superstar today, as long as there is appropriate tactical support, can still provide enough value.
Van Stoyak was right!
Compared to Germany, they indeed lacked experience, and on the World Cup final stage, Bešić really didn't dare to say that they would go head-to-head with Germany using teamwork.
They might not do better than Germany in this regard!
In fact, if you look at the games where they defeated Germany, none of them were normal examples of team-oriented tactical play.
Instead, they were full of contradictions and destructive factors.
How to make Germany uncomfortable became Croatia's main focus.
The outside world spoke highly of Croatia, but Bešić did not blindly believe that they were truly invincible; they also had their shortcomings and advantages.
And how to cover up shortcomings and leverage strengths became the problem the Head Coach needed to focus on.
Van Stoyak's view was correct, but it required a certain amount of courage and stress resistance.
After all, once they lost, Bešić would bear a huge responsibility.
Van Stoyak stared at Bešić; he knew making this decision required great courage.
This required them to break their previous playing style and respond in a completely new way.
If it didn't work, the fans would definitely be confused.
Their anger would not be directed at Suker but would converge on Bešić.
If someone had to take the blame, that person would definitely be the Head Coach; this would negate all of Bešić's previous achievements.
Yes!
It was that dangerous!
"Ha~~~~"
After a long silence, Bešić suddenly sighed, then shook his head and smiled, saying; "Let's do as you say; we'll plan it out well!"
"You agreed?" Van Stoyak was surprised.
He thought he would have to argue a bit, but he didn't expect Bešić to agree so readily.
"You've explained it thoroughly enough, and analyzed it well enough; if I still hesitated, then I would truly be foolish!" Bešić sighed; "During my playing career, I wasn't the standout one; when guys like Davor shone, I could only regretfully retire.
Now that I'm a Head Coach, I'm still not that talented; at least, you're more like a Head Coach than I am!"
Upon hearing this, Van Stoyak waved his hand and said: "No! On this point, I disagree!"
He pointed behind him and said; "Look! These faces, they all came from Dinamo Zagreb; you discovered them all yourself."
"I believe a Head Coach doesn't necessarily only need tactical ability, as this can be compensated for in other ways, and your value is irreplaceable!"
Van Stoyak turned his head; "These guys are all top players; they are arrogant, and not many people can keep them in check.
Bilić couldn't control them back then and almost caused the locker room to collapse!"
"But you are different; if these guys respect anyone, then that person is definitely you!"
"It can be said that in this world, the only person who can keep these guys in check is you!"
"This is your value!"