Chapter 34: The Center-Forward Who Sprints Back to Defend!

The goal came so suddenly that neither the fans in the stands nor the commentators had time to react. Just a few quick passes and combinations up front easily tore open the defense. "Goal!!!!" "Biljar, wearing the number 7 for Zrinjski Mostar, has broken the deadlock! What a surprising goal! With an exquisite series of passing plays up front, Zrinjski Mostar penetrated FK Željezničar Sarajevo's defense and found the net!" "It was number 8 Modrić's lobbed pass that completely split the defense!" Zrinjski Mostar fans were momentarily stunned but erupted into cheers once they realized a goal had been scored. On the bench, coach Van Stoyak and his staff were on their feet, clapping and celebrating. Van Stoyak, in particular, was thrilled. This goal showed that his tactical system might truly work. Nothing could be better news than that. Indeed, his decision had been correct—Suke was a vital piece in his all-out attack and defense strategy. Assistant coach Vandir applauded as well and said with a smile, "Modrić's lob was fantastic, but it was Suke who set up the whole situation. His first pass freed up Modrić, and his second drew the defense to the right. He became a pivot and enabled Modrić to deliver that key pass. His vision is remarkable!" Vandir was full of praise. While Suke's dribbling was certainly threatening, it couldn't compare to the pressure this passing combo applied up front. Most importantly, Suke had already forced the opposing defenders to be wary of his forward runs, which helped create this goal. Although it seemed like Modrić's assist made the goal, it was Suke who was orchestrating everything behind the scenes. Zrinjski Mostar had scored a crucial goal to pull ahead. And with that, the scales of victory began to tip in their favor. With the current momentum, players like Suke were able to perform even better. On the FK Željezničar Sarajevo's side, frustration was starting to show—especially on Boskjenoch's face. Since Suke came onto the field, Boskjenoch's performance had clearly taken a dip. He was once a Croatian national team member, even if just a benchwarmer, and his talent was acknowledged. But facing a center-forward as unorthodox as Suke? It was a headache. When play resumed, Zrinjski Mostar's rhythm was obviously smoother. Modrić collected the ball in the backfield and began pushing forward. As two Željezničar midfielders closed in, Modrić passed the ball forward. He knew Suke would be waiting. Indeed, Suke moved horizontally to control the ball, and once Modrić found an open lane, Suke passed it back and sprinted ahead. Modrić was now completely free, and under his organization, Sarajevo's defense became even more chaotic. "That's the destructive midfield power of the 18-year-old Croatian prodigy, Luka Modrić," exclaimed commentator Basodachi. Previously, Modrić had been neutralized, and Zrinjski lacked a playmaker up front. Now, with Suke dropping back, they had another point of organization and Modrić was freed up. Having two playmakers wreaked havoc on the opposing defense. Every Zrinjski attack now came with immense pressure. "Damn it!" Boskjenoch cursed as he saw Suke drop back again and had no choice but to follow. If they let Suke keep running wild up front, their back line would be in serious trouble. The moment Modrić passed to Suke again, Boskjenoch rushed in and shoved Suke from behind, winning the ball. It was a blatant push, but the referee didn't blow the whistle. Suke took a hard tumble but quickly got up, gritting his teeth and charging back. If he lost the ball, he'd win it back himself! Suke sprinted as Željezničar quickly launched a counterattack, pushing the ball wide. It was their best counterattack opportunity so far. As the ball came to the middle, number 10 Vukocevic cut inside past center-back Masovic and drove into the box. "Zrinjski Mostar is in danger!!" The situation flipped suddenly—Vukocevic was one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Keeper Kish rushed out, trying to block the shot. But Vukocevic chipped the ball over Kish's head. A lobbed shot! "It's over!" Masovic felt despair. Had they just lost their hard-earned lead? Suddenly, he heard rapid footsteps nearby. A white figure dashed past him. It was Suke, teeth gritted, eyes locked on the descending ball, sprinting with all his might. Run!!! Thud-thud-thud-thud!!! Everyone saw Suke—and the ball descending toward the goal. Would he make it in time? "Yes!" someone shouted. Suke powered forward, accelerated again, and leapt just in time at the goal line. He wasn't tall, but he jumped high enough. Using his head, he deflected the ball upward. Clang! The ball hit the crossbar and rebounded into the penalty area, where defender Krpic cleared it out of bounds. Suke crashed into the net. The stadium went dead silent. That wild sprint across half the field, the goal-line save—it left everyone stunned. Even the Željezničar players were speechless. Especially number 10 Vukocevic—his face was full of shock and disbelief. Why was Suke there? He's a center-forward! He should've been up front! Defending wasn't his job! But Suke had done it—racing back to make a last-ditch goal-line save. "ROAAAAARRRRR!!!!!" The roar came not from Suke, but from coach Van Stoyak. He screamed toward the sky, fists clenched, his face red with excitement, veins bulging. "Beautiful! Beautiful! That was damn beautiful!" "Hell yes!" "Hell YES!!!" Van Stoyak punched the air and ran along the sidelines like a madman. This was the center-forward he wanted. This was total football. Lose the ball? Sprint back. Defend the goal. In that moment, the stadium erupted. Zrinjski Mostar fans went berserk, hands raised, hundreds cheering like a thunderstorm. Sprinting dozens of meters, diving to save a goal in a crisis... What could be a better defensive play? "Suke!" "Suke!" "Suke!" The fans spontaneously chanted his name. The whole stadium felt like it was heating up. Goalkeeper Kish ran over and lifted the exhausted Suke up from inside the net. His face showed a mix of excitement, relief, and gratitude. That sure-goal was saved by Suke's reckless sprint. "Well done, kid!" Kish ruffled Suke's hair and hugged him tight. Suke finally caught his breath, glanced at the ball that had gone out of bounds, and muttered: "Damn... I'm awesome!" Suke walked back like a hero, teammates surrounding him, each one giving his head a pat in admiration. Even the shy Modrić looked flushed with emotion. That goal-line clearance stirred even his calm heart. "Suke!" Modrić held out his hand. Suke stepped forward and slapped it. Smack! "Cool or not?" "Cool!" That missed goal chance devastated the Željezničar Sarajevo. From that moment, the game's tempo fell completely into Zrinjski Mostar's hands. Suke continued to drop back, helping link up plays. Occasionally, he'd exploit open space to surge forward. His versatile play completely disoriented the Željezničar defense. In the 86th minute, Modrić passed to Suke again. Suke had dropped back in advance, and with an outside-foot pass, sent the ball right. Then he sprinted in a wide arc to the left. Bosjenoch was caught off guard. The ball went right, the player left. He didn't react in time. Suke easily got behind him, and Boame delivered a perfect pass into space. Suke nudged the ball forward and continued charging. But the goalkeeper stayed patient, not coming out. Only when Suke reached the right post did the keeper even think of moving. Suke suddenly stopped and, seeing no angle, passed diagonally backward. Modrić stepped in and calmly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner. Near the 90th minute, Zrinjski Mostar extended their lead again. It was the final goal of the match. When the final whistle blew, Zrinjski Mostar defeated FK Željezničar Sarajevo 3–1. Suke had no goals, just one assist—but his performance was nothing short of spectacular.