"Toni takes a direct shot!"
Bang!
Croatian goalkeeper Pletikosa dives and knocks the ball out for a corner.
After the save, Pletikosa's heart is pounding.
That shot came too suddenly.
Or perhaps it was because the first half had gone too smoothly, and he'd let his guard down.
Pletikosa climbed up from the ground and roared toward his teammates:
"Wake up! Now is NOT the time to lose focus!"
He felt the defenders were getting complacent.
Srna shouted furiously too:
"Wake the hell up! If we concede now, everything's ruined!"
Even the usually quiet Modrić was visibly anxious:
"Run! Move! Don't just stand there!"
On the sideline, assistant coach Van Stoyac narrowed his eyes slightly.
Youth has its flaws—it's unstable and easy to get cocky.Just like Rakitić now.He played a great first half, but in the second half, he was drifting.
Moments when he should've passed, he held onto the ball,which led to a turnover and almost allowed Italy a dangerous counterattack.
Luckily, Pletikosa made the save.Had they conceded, all their efforts would've been in vain.
"Have Tomi start warming up,"Vastic whispered to head coach Bilić.
Bilić turned, surprised.
"Are we making a substitution already? Isn't it a bit early?"
Van Stoyac replied:
"Not a sub—a warning. From now on, keep your eyes on Rakitić."
Back on the field, Rakitić scratched his head in awkward embarrassment.That turnover nearly led to a goal.
Thankfully, they hadn't conceded.
But just as that thought passed, Rakitić noticed someone warming up on the sideline—Dujmović was jogging along the touchline.
And from the Croatian bench, Bilić was glaring at him with intensity.
Rakitić froze, heart sinking.
He knew his behavior had angered the coaching staff.
He wasn't on the same level as Šuker or Modrić—players who demanded respect.If he made the coach mad enough, they'd sub him out without hesitation…and might even strip him of his starting spot.
That woke Rakitić up.
Once play resumed, he began to move with greater urgency,chasing back on defense, not just participating in attack.
Šuker was constantly shifting around midfield.
In the second half, he focused more on one-touch play and passing,not on risky dribbles.He was trying to stabilize the rhythm and test Italy's defensive structure.
Šuker wouldn't attack blindly—he needed to identify weak points.Find the crack in Italy's armor.
Gattuso was still fighting with relentless energy.That guy had always been a madman on the pitch—even back at the club.
Trying to break through him would take a lot of effort.
But Ambrosini was easier to deal with.
So Šuker drifted over to Ambrosini's side of the field.
Gattuso saw this and followed quietly.
"Pass it to me!"
As Šuker called for the ball in open space, Vukojević immediately played it to him.
Just as he received it, his body shifted with a sharp fake—and Gattuso suddenly emerged from the side.
He had chased over!
Šuker didn't have time to think—he shielded the ball,pushed it left to create distance,and when Gattuso lunged in a second time,Šuker lightly hopped, used the impact to slide sideways, and regained balance.
Then he made a safe backpass—he'd lost too much time and the space was gone.
No need to force it.
Gattuso saw the pass completed and turned back to defend.
Šuker raised an eyebrow.Gattuso had shifted to the opposite flank just to mark him.
This meant that if Šuker could stabilize possession,Croatia's left wing could be a viable attack route.
"Gattuso's defending on Šuker has grown tighter—he even followed him across the field. Gattuso knows the threat Šuker poses, and with De Rossi lurking nearby, Šuker could be surrounded at any time."
Šuker continued lateral movement, carefully observing Gattuso's positioning.
After a few quick glances, he shouted in Croatian:
"Once I pull Gattuso out—make a forward run!"
He was talking to Rakitić, who immediately nodded.Professionals—one sentence was all it took to understand.
Šuker circled around Gattuso again, then began drifting to the opposite side.
Gattuso followed without hesitation.
He knew Šuker wouldn't fall for the same trick twice,but he had no choice—he had to chase.
He also gestured to De Rossi to close in and prepare to trap.
Šuker now kept dancing around the Italian midfield line.
Modrić was cautious and didn't pass to him right away—his passes prioritized safety.
But Gattuso was growing increasingly frustrated.
"If Croatia just keeps dragging out the clock like this, they can win!"
So—sell a weakness!
Gattuso pretended to look away and backed off, leaving a gap for Šuker to receive the ball.
It looked like a free space,but Gattuso could close the distance in just a few steps.
Sure enough, Modrić spotted the opening and passed the ball.
Šuker took small, controlled steps as he prepared to receive the pass,but kept Gattuso in the corner of his eye.
At the exact moment of the pass, Gattuso exploded forward.
"As expected!"Šuker muttered.
At the last second, Šuker flipped his left foot outward and flicked the ballpast the direction Gattuso was charging from—a reverse touch!
The ball rolled 3 to 4 meters into open space.
Šuker quickly pulled back a few steps to evade the incoming Gattuso,then launched forward with a powerful first step.
"Get back here!"
Gattuso reached out, trying to grab him—but Šuker was too fast!
By the time he reached for the shirt, Šuker had already surged ahead.
"ŠUKER'S THROUGH!!"
The Croatian commentator roared.
Šuker had broken free—and the space ahead was wide open!
Srna and Rakitić were both surging down the flank and half-space.
Šuker caught up to the ball and immediately played a diagonal through pass behind Italian full-back Zambrotta.
Srna exploded forward!
Originally a winger, Srna was now a full-back who could showcase his attacking skills for the national team.
Zambrotta realized he couldn't control the pass in time,so he dropped back to block the angle of the incoming cross.
But Rakitić smartly paused right at the edge of the penalty area.
Srna, without hesitation, passed it to him.
Rakitić controlled the ball, turned, and glanced toward goal.
"Careful! He's crossing!""Could be a shot too!""Keeper, be alert!"
Italy's defenders were in full alert mode.
Panucci threw his body in the way, blocking Rakitić's shooting angle.
Then—he saw Rakitić smile slightly.
Suddenly, Rakitić nudged the ball toward the byline.
Panucci was momentarily frozen—
Whoosh!
A figure flashed past from behind him.
"ŠUKER!!!!!!!"
Kraushević leapt from his seat as he saw Šuker charge in from behind Panucci,meet the ball, and go one-on-one with Buffon!
Buffon rushed out, panic etched on his face.
Šuker's heart was pounding.
He knew—this goal meant everything.
And Buffon's frantic expression confirmed it.
Stay calm. Stay calm.
Šuker turned slightly, faked a shot—Buffon instantly slid into a split to block.
But in the next second, Šuker gently flicked the ball with his toe.
It floated over Buffon's head, dipping toward goal.
Šuker spun away stylishly,not even looking at the net—he knew.
He walked toward the stands, arms spread wide.
A second later—
ROAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A volcanic eruption of cheers thundered from the Croatian fans.
Tens of thousands of voices created a tidal wave of joy.
He looked up at the crowd—
Their faces were red with emotion,wild with ecstasy.
67th minute — Croatia 2:0 Italy