Chapter 48: The Curved Pass!

"GOAL!! What a brilliant attacking combination! Starting with Suke's breakthrough, the entire Zrinjski Mostar side moved into tactical positioning. Then Kosović, dropping back, acted as the pivot, completing a one-two with Suke that completely tore through the opposition defense." "Everyone's attention was drawn to Suke, and at the same time, Kosović's forward run drew in the center-back and full-back, giving Biliar the space to make a horizontal run." "This was an exquisite pass-and-move sequence. This is Zrinjski Mostar! They've unleashed yet another stunning new tactic!" Basodachi couldn't stop cheering. Every time he watched Zrinjski Mostar play, it was a revelation. Unlike the current Bosnian league, which is often dominated by crude and simplistic football, Zrinjski Mostar emphasized teamwork and fluid link-up play. Just like this goal—from the moment Suke initiated the attack, the entire Zrinjski Mostar squad moved in harmony. The attack was utterly fluid. During the sequence, Suke acted as the main orchestrator. He first broke into space and received a pass from Modrić near the center circle, turned, and began his sprint. Using Kosović as a pivot, he shook off the midfield defense and surged forward, finally delivering a killer pass for Biliar to score. It was fluid teamwork and brilliant passing runs—how could one not be excited? The fans at the stadium erupted in wild cheers. They might not understand all the technicalities, but they could see clearly how smooth and beautiful the attack was. This wasn't just mindless charging or basic wing crosses. "We have to acknowledge Van Stoyak, the young and imaginative head coach. It's only through his constant tactical innovations that Zrinjski Mostar is able to play like this. I truly believe this will have a major impact on tactics throughout the Bosnian league." The camera cut to Van Stoyak, who was punching the air in celebration. Nothing brings more joy than seeing a newly developed tactic succeed. This strategy was based on a strong midfield and the concept of a center-forward dropping deep. Unlike Suke who often drops back, Kosović mainly acts as a pivot in the final third and doesn't get involved in orchestration. The real playmaker is Suke, positioned as a wide midfielder. At the same time, Modrić drops deeper to stabilize passing in the back half. With one deep and one advanced playmaker, Zrinjski Mostar's offensive framework becomes much more solid. However, this setup demands a lot from the midfield. Consistent passing, threatening deliveries, and intelligent off-the-ball movement. All of it was the result of a month of hard training. Suke and Modrić were the keys to this system. Two playmaking points: one in front, one behind. That's right—under Van Stoyak's tactics, Suke was never truly a winger. He could make threatening runs, but his main role was to coordinate attacks, using his vision and passing to break open defenses in just a few touches. "Stoyak, you're a genius!" Assistant coach Vandil couldn't help but give Van Stoyak a big hug. Seeing this system come together—this was now Zrinjski Mostar's most dangerous tactic. It could beat any team, and it couldn't be copied! Even if others wanted to imitate it, they'd need a Modrić-type deep playmaker and a Suke-type front-line passer. That's incredibly rare! Even Van Stoyak himself was now glad he had brought Suke to Zrinjski Mostar in the first place—none of this would've been possible otherwise. "Crush them!" Van Stoyak shouted, full of confidence. On the pitch, Zrinjski Mostar's attack went into full swing. Relying on Suke and Modrić as the dual passing hubs, the two dictated the tempo. They even started using the half-spaces for dangerous attacks. Suke would often cut diagonally into the half-space. That allowed full-backs to make overlapping runs, drawing away defenders and giving Suk more passing options. Even if Suke didn't get into that space, Modrić could. That just made it worse for the opposition. Just like now—Modrić received the ball and sent a through pass into open space. Suke burst forward along the wing, his pace electric. Just as the full-back tried to pull him back, Suke scooped the ball with a chipped cross. It arced beautifully—almost right onto Kosović's head. Kosović barely had to jump—he held off the center-back and smashed the header into the ground and into the net. In just 10 minutes, Zrinjski Mostar had scored twice. Suke bagged two assists. Kosović and Biliar each had a goal. But it wasn't over yet. With Zrinjski Mostar pushing forward, Modrić found space for a long-range shot, completely unchallenged. He drew back and fired—a low shot that skimmed the post and flew into the net. The keeper didn't even move. 15 minutes in, 3-0. Zrinjski Mostar were on fire! Right at the start of the second half, they delivered three heavy blows to third-place Tuzla Sloboda. Tuzla's players were in total shock. They had no idea how to defend or even continue playing. But Zrinjski Mostar's attack didn't stop. Once again, it started with Suke. After a few dribbles, he spotted a gap and struck the ball with the outside of his right foot. The ball stayed low, drawing a crazy arc like a rainbow, bending across half the field and over both the center-back and full-back, landing right in front of Biljal. "OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!——" Basodachi was stunned, hairs standing on end, eyes wide, hands on his head: "That pass BENDS!!!!!!!!——" It wasn't just the commentator—every fan in the stadium was frozen in awe. They had never seen a pass this beautiful. It was a work of art. On the sideline, Van Stoyak also held his head in disbelief: "Oh! My God!" Everyone else was equally shocked. Biliar was just as shaken, but stayed focused. He accelerated furiously, caught the ball, cut inside, and fired with his right foot. The ball shot past the keeper's legs and into the net. Zrinjski Mostar scored again. 4-0! But more than the goal, it was the stunning curved pass that had everyone speechless. Suke leapt with joy. That was a De Bruyne esque curved pass! Never seen it before, right? Of course, this was the only successful one. During training, he often passed straight to the opposition, causing a few howlers. But with the lead already secure, Suke took a chance—and it actually worked. "You're the god of passing!" "Incredible! How did you even do that?" "That was insane—absolutely amazing!" "That pass crossed half the pitch!" His teammates were full of admiration—anyone would be, seeing a pass like that for the first time. Though some were skeptical. "Was that just a fluke?" Biliar had doubts. He'd seen Suke trying this in training—none had worked. Suke pointed at Biliar in mock annoyance. "Still want passes or not?" Biliar instantly backed down. Smart man. He gave a double thumbs-up with a big grin: "Godly pass!!——" Satisfied, Suke lowered his hand. That "rainbow pass" had shattered Tuzla Sloboda's morale. Yes, "rainbow pass"—a term coined by Basodac. This era loved naming signature plays. The point was: Tuzla Sloboda were utterly crushed. Not just the players—even their head coach, Old Möster, was dumbfounded. That goal broke them completely. Afterward, Zrinjski Mostar eased up—they had the win, and just wanted to avoid injuries. Though Biliar, the stubborn mule, kept charging at the defense, trying to pad his stats. He even managed another goal. Until an enraged full-back took him out with a flying tackle, forcing him to settle down. In the end, the 13th round of the 2002/2003 Bosnian Premier League came to a close. Zrinjski Mostar thrashed Tuzla Sloboda 5–0 at home, delivering both physical and psychological devastation to the third-placed team. As the final whistle blew, the players went over to thank the fans. The passionate crowd waved and cheered in love for their team. And the star of the match—Suke—was the center of attention. Especially for that rainbow pass, which left fans in awe. "What a pass!" "Suke, give us more of those!" "Awesome match!" "Victory! Another win!" "Suke! Suke!" Seeing the fans so excited, the players were delighted too. But they knew it was time to focus—the real challenge was about to begin. Round 14 of the Bosnian Premier League: FK Sarajevo vs. Zrinjski Mostar. They were about to face the league leaders—their biggest challenge yet.