Chapter 60: The Collapse

"Modrić distributes the ball to the right wing. Fullback Krpić surges forward at full speed and sends in a cross! Can Kosović reach it? It goes past him! It's Suker!!!——" Basodachi exclaimed in surprise. He thought Krpić was aiming the cross to the center, but unexpectedly, it went to the far post. Kosović and Biliar had already drawn away all defensive attention—after all, no one expected the 160cm-tall Suker to pose any threat in an aerial duel. But this was exactly what allowed Suker to run into an unmarked position and head the ball towards goal. Suker hunched his shoulders and snapped his head toward the ball, but the power was reduced, and the ball wasn't fast. In the process of heading the ball, Suker lost his balance and fell to the ground, landing on his backside. However, the goalkeeper only managed to parry the ball with a palm. "There's still a chance!" Basodachi shouted. Biliar rushed in quickly, beating the opposing fullback to the ball and poking it into the net. Swish! The ball hit the net—Mostar Zrinjski takes the lead! "GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!——" "A brilliant attacking run from Mostar Zrinjski created an unmarked space for Suker. After Suker's header was parried, Biliar followed up with a rapid finish!" "In this attack, Mostar Zrinjski showcased brilliant forward movement, tearing open the defense through constant positional rotations and capitalizing on the chaos in the box with Biliar's follow-up strike." "Mostar Zrinjski takes the lead once again on the road. After beating Sarajevo, now it's the Sarajevo Railwaymen who are buckling under Mostar Zrinjski's relentless bombardment!" After scoring, Biliar dashed to the corner flag and celebrated with a sliding knee. He enthusiastically pumped his fists at the away fans in the stands, his face lit up with exhilaration. From the bench, head coach Van Stoyak also pumped his fists in excitement. This goal had not come easy, but it proved that his tactical adjustment was spot-on—using Suker as a decoy to create space for others. What made him even more proud was that Suk had kept pressing forward, even when playing the decoy. "He could've stopped after the lateral move, but he still made that run forward to drag defenders. That made this goal possible." Assistant coach Vandir was thoroughly impressed with Suker. Despite difficult circumstances, Suker continued to move positively off the ball. He overachieved in his role, and it was his off-ball movement that set the stage for the goal. No complaints. Even when tasked with things he didn't like, he still executed them well and did everything he could to create scoring opportunities for the team. No surrender! No giving up! No compromise!Suker's constant movement was the key to that goal! "Come on!!" "Hit me!" "Tackle me!" Suker roared non-stop, as excited as if he had scored himself. It was understandable—he'd been battered and bruised throughout the first half, and the frustration had built up. After all his shouting, Suker's voice was nearly hoarse. Shortly after the goal, in the 70th minute, Suker was subbed off. Boame came on. There wasn't much need for Suker to stay on the pitch anymore. Boame was fast and physically strong. Although he lacked Suker's creativity, he had superior explosiveness. Suker was visibly frustrated as he left the pitch. The match had been far from comfortable for him. And he knew, going forward, things were only going to get tougher. With his rise to fame, Bosnian Premier League teams were bound to target him with more aggressive marking. Of course, players of Vherhovac's level were rare. For Suker, as long as he could break free early, he could play freely—and put the pressure back on the opposition. After Suker's departure, Mostar Zrinjski shifted to a counter-attacking strategy. They returned to a traditional long-ball style—goal kicks from the back, wingers driving down the line and crossing for Kosović. Perhaps it was Suker's earlier runs that had exhausted Sarajevo Railwaymen's defenders. Pošćenović, in particular, seemed to lag behind Kosović. The duels between the two became more balanced—no longer the one-sided beatdowns seen earlier. By the 80th minute, Kosović was beginning to dominate. With one minute left in stoppage time, Mostar Zrinjski earned a corner. Modrić delivered the ball to the near post. Kosović made a perfectly timed run, met the ball with a powerful header—smashing it into the near top corner. Mostar Zrinjski 2:0 FK Željezničar Sarajevo. They extended their lead. "Captain! You're amazing!"Suker shouted from the sideline. Kosović celebrated by tearing off his shirt. At the time, this was common practice, and there were no automatic yellow cards for it. Even if there were, Kosović wouldn't have cared—he was overjoyed. He'd been stifled in several matches by Pošćenović and Ivan Krić. Now, he'd finally broken free—and it meant everything to him. Amid the celebration, Kosović heard Suker shouting. He turned and gave Suk a thumbs-up from afar, showing appreciation for his younger teammate. In the end, the match ended with a 2:0 victory for Mostar Zrinjski over Sarajevo Railwaymen. Having now beaten both Sarajevo teams in back-to-back matches, the local Sarajevo sports media was practically in mourning. They dubbed this day: "The Day of Collapse." "The Threat from Mostar – Two Weeks, Two Sarajevo Teams Beaten at Home!""Mostar on the Rise!""Van Stoyak Brings a New Tactic and Twin Stars to Mostar!""Suker + Modrić > Sarajevo!" Mostar Zrinjski's dominant form over the past three weeks shook the entire Bosnian Premier League. Previously a historic club, they had never shown this level of dominance or performance. Now, Tuzla Sloboda, FK Željezničar Sarajevo, and FK Sarajevo—all strong teams—had been humbled in turn. A near-slaughter at home. Two away victories. All these signs pointed to Mostar Zrinjski's resurgence. Crush you at home, steal three points away. It was a terrifying performance. Even more frightening was Mostar Zrinjski's new tactical identity. Their play, inspired by Dutch "Total Football" systems, left many Bosnian teams scrambling. Many clubs found it hard to adapt. At this moment, Bosnian football legend and former national team coach Ukavić voiced his thoughts: "Bosnian football needs more tactical diversity. We can't keep relying on simple strategies." "We put too much emphasis on height, strength, and speed. Many Bosnian coaches like to place a 'cannon' up front and bombard the box. But as we've seen, against coordinated, overlapping movement, that static, bulky system crumbles." "Mostar Zrinjski is a great example—they ditched the classic big striker for Suker, a nimble 160cm forward who drops deep. Many thought his height would be a problem, but he's been tearing apart top defenses in Bosnia!" "Of course, Suker is a rare talent—he's an exception." "Overall, we must adopt diverse tactics and learn from elite leagues. Just look at the top five European leagues—their tactics are varied and modern. I believe the path forward for the Bosnian league lies in this direction." "Change doesn't guarantee success. But refusing to change guarantees failure!" Ukavić's words stirred the entire Bosnian football scene. Despite his legacy, challenging the status quo meant he received heavy backlash. Coaches like Tuzla Sloboda's Old Moster and other traditionalists slammed Ukavić, accusing him of undermining Bosnian football. Some even claimed he favored foreign coaches and looked down on domestic ones. Ukavić didn't respond and refrained from making further public statements. "But he's right! A lot of Bosnian coaches are just useless!" "That's not entirely fair," Modrić shrugged. "For weak teams, simpler tactics work better. You really expect them to pull off fluid passing moves?" Suker glanced at Modrić—this guy had a sharp tongue beneath his calm exterior. Suker's dislike for Bosnian coaches stemmed from his youth experience. He believed the whole system was filled with short-sighted people. The coach who abandoned him, Saković, after bringing him to Bosnia, was the worst of the bunch. Suker wondered what that guy would think now, seeing the so-called "hopeless midget" dominating the Bosnian Premier League. Hmph! Suker thought smugly.