Chapter 20: Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup! A Brand-New Stage!

The scorching summer heat. The fervor of the football carnival was gradually cooling down. With Brazil defeating Germany 2-0 and lifting the World Cup trophy once again—adding another golden star to their jersey—Brazil officially earned the title of the "Five-Star Brazil." Looking back on the entire World Cup, there were thrilling matches, unexpected upsets, and some highly questionable refereeing decisions. All these memories made up the summer of 2002, and the Korea-Japan World Cup came to a close. In the end, Brazil emerged as the ultimate winner—the king of the world. The early exits of France, Argentina, and Portugal in the group stage were lamentable. China made their debut on the World Cup stage. Spain was still building up strength, Germany was launching a nine-year youth development program to nurture a new generation of players, and the winds were rising over the Apennine Peninsula. Thus, the first World Cup of the new millennium concluded. Although the tournament had ended, the discussions and news about it and the players continued to dominate the media. Televisions continued replaying the most exciting matches from the tournament. Riding the tailwind of the World Cup, the hype was being milked just a little longer. Meanwhile, a new season was about to begin. Major leagues were preparing for the upcoming season. The summer transfer window was bustling, and the entire European continent was in pre-season mode. This wave of activity also reached the Balkans. Bosnia and Herzegovina's football leagues were being restructured again. First, the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina expanded to 12 teams, with a 22-match season. It would start in August, pause for a long winter break, and wrap up in mid-March. To make this happen, two teams (not including those promoted or relegated) were moved up from the First League. To balance things out, the First League drew more teams from the Second League. Sitting in third place in the league standings, Mostar Wanderers found themselves exactly in that position. This season, Mostar Wanderers were passively promoted to the First League. Inside Mr. Mlinar's carpentry workshop. "Awesome!" Suke shouted excitedly while reading a newspaper in his chair. This season they were playing in the First League, and the reward from the draw card system for each match would definitely be more generous. Mlinar didn't understand any of this and shook his head. "We're far behind the First League teams. Even staying up will be hard." "Then let's just beat the other promoted team! As long as we're not in last place, we're good," Suke replied nonchalantly. Mlinar smiled. "Oripe signed us up for the Bosnia Cup. It starts in a week." The Bosnia Cup is an FA Cup-style tournament under the Bosnian Football Association. Teams from all league tiers can participate, similar to the German Cup—Bosnia Premier League clubs have no special privileges and start from the first round. "Wow!" Suke's eyes lit up. He saw this as more opportunities to draw cards. Whether they won or lost didn't matter—as long as he made it onto the pitch or into the matchday squad, he would get a card draw. "It's so hot! I'm burning!" Oripe burst in, carrying a stack of documents, slapping them onto the table before turning and yelling. "Get me a cold drink!" Suke jumped up, ran to get a glass of water, added some ice cubes, and handed it over. Oripe gulped it down, the chill cutting through the heat, bringing some relief. Shaking his shirt to cool off, Oripe said, "I've got one good news, one bad news." "The good news is we won't have to travel for our first Bosnia Cup match—our budget can cover it!" Suke and Mlinar both sighed in relief. For Mostar Wanderers, traveling for away games was financially challenging. Every away match required not just dipping into their own funds but also relying on financial help from supporters. If the help fell short, they might even have to forfeit. So hearing they wouldn't need to travel far was a huge relief. "That's really great." Mlinar put down his tools and asked, "What's the bad news?" Suke looked over curiously as well. Oripe sighed, "Our opponent is Zrinjski Mostar!" Suke and Mlinar froze. Zrinjski Mostar—a fellow club from the town of Mostar. But unlike the third-rate Mostar Wanderers, Zrinjski was a top-tier Premier League team. Founded in 1905, Zrinjski had over a century of history. Although they'd had their ups and downs, they had never disbanded. Since the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded in 1997, Zrinjski had been among the title contenders. While they had yet to break FK Sarajevo's grip on the championship, they were among the league's top-tier teams. In short, the Wanderers were facing a powerhouse in their first match. "Wow!" Suke shouted dramatically—they had really drawn a tough opponent. Mlinar sighed softly as well. "This is what it is," Oripe exhaled. "We might not make it far in the Cup, but we still need to prepare." "We'll hold a two-day training camp to work on tactics. Make sure no one skips it." He paused. "Not that anyone would want to miss it." The two-day camp was in full swing. As Oripe predicted, no one skipped. The entire team was deeply invested. As mentioned earlier, in the Bosnian First and Second Leagues, ambitious players were aiming for the Premier League. That was the threshold where one could make a living from football—no side jobs required. For Mostar Wanderers, many young players were holding out for a chance to shine on a big stage and catch the eye of a top-tier club. Of course, some could jump leagues via transfer, but promotion with your team was the easier route. Suke was no exception. Hearing they'd face Zrinjski, the players weren't scared or discouraged. Instead, they were fired up. When a weak team faces a strong one, teamwork is everything. With a gap in individual ability, Mostar Wanderers needed to focus on cohesion and solid defense. Oripe brought back his trusted defensive counter-attack system, placing even more emphasis on defense in the formation. "We must defend well in the first half—get through the toughest part!" He kept shouting tactical instructions from the sidelines. "Zrinjski will definitely attack from the start. They're a Premier League side—they're proud and may underestimate us. We must exploit that mindset and strike hard!" "You can only throw a strong punch after enough buildup. So until then, run like mules and defend like warriors!" His booming voice fired up the players. On the field, Suke ran relentlessly—more than anyone else. "Suke, you're running too much! Save your energy—you're our counterattack weapon!" Mlinar shouted at him. As their main attacker, Suke's energy was precious. If he used it all up now, would he have enough left when it counted? "I can run! Don't worry about me," Suke gasped, waving his hand. He was drenched in sweat, knowing that if he wanted to compete with a top team, he had to give it everything. This match could be his chance to reach the Premier League—he wasn't going to waste it. His relentless pressing gave his team added defensive stability. And Suker wasn't just blindly running—he knew how to manage his stamina. This match would be when he used his ultimate strategy. Run hard in the first half to disrupt their defense and drain their energy. Though he'd burn more energy, his opponents would be exhausted too. Then, once the second half came, he could use his Status Recovery Card to return to peak form—while the other side remained fatigued. That's when Suke would bare his fangs. Until then, his job was to pass and connect play through movement. To ensure first-half stability, he swapped in a new card setup: Diamond Card (Special) – Inzaghi's Awareness Red Card (Skill) – Toriste's Short Passing White Card (Skill) – Fatihalek's Interception Reading White Card (Skill) – Toni's Tackling White Card (Skill) – Lesten's Shooting Red Card (Skill) – Status Recovery Card This was Suker's best combination for creating front-line disruption. With Fatihalek's anticipation and Toni's tackling, he'd be a pest up front. His pressing would pile pressure on their backline. He even dropped Andre's Speedster card—defense was the priority now. Even in counterattacks, he wasn't going solo. He'd pass and create chances for the flanks—to wear down the opponent even more. Scoring would be a bonus. Then in the second half, boom—Status Recovery, followed by Roberts' Dribbling and Andre's Speedster—blitzing Zrinjski's defense like a charging bull.