Chapter 78: Tuzla Sloboda and the Bus

The thing Suker had been worried about didn't happen. The next day, Suker and Modric were called into the head coach's office for a meeting. "The club has received an offer for you!" Van Stroyak looked at Suker, who was clearly a bit nervous. Even if an offer came in, if the club blocked his transfer, things could get messy. "We've accepted the offer!" Van Stroyak's words made Suker breathe a sigh of relief — and fill with joy. "I'm really going to miss this place," Suker expressed sadness, causing Modric beside him to give him a surprised look. Van Stroyak sighed, patted Suker's shoulder, and said, "Son, the road ahead is yours to walk. There's not much more I can teach you. You're better than I imagined, and I believe your future will be even brighter." "This is only the first stop. There will be more challenges and hardships ahead, and I hope you'll face them bravely." Suker immediately straightened up and replied loudly, "Don't worry, coach! I won't let you down!" Van Stroyak smiled with satisfaction. Then he turned to Modric. "Your loan deal ends after this season. They're calling you back. I hope you'll perform well there too." Modric nodded. "Thank you, coach!" Van Stroyak waved it off. "That's one thing. The other is, I don't want you spreading this news. We're at a critical stage in the title race. No distractions. I'll announce everything at the right time." Suker and Modric immediately nodded. "Understood!" "All right! You're dismissed." Suker and Modric said goodbye and left the coach's office. "Honestly, I am going to miss this place," Suker said, rolling his neck. "It was only a year, but I had a great time here." Then he added, "But I believe Dinamo Zagreb will bring even more surprises." Modric nodded. "The tempo and intensity there are higher. Be ready." Suker smiled. "Don't worry." Back in the locker room, neither of them said a word about the meeting. Their teammates weren't thinking about transfers either — the team's focus was all on winning the championship. With 24 rounds completed in the league, the remaining nine were still crucial for Zrinjski Mostar. Even though they had beaten Sarajevo twice and opened up a five-point lead, they couldn't afford any slip-ups. Caution was the watchword. Time flew by like a white horse across a gap. The Bosnian Premier League was in full swing. The title race between Zrinjski Mostar and Sarajevo continued to heat up. With each passing round, the tension grew stronger. Sarajevo, unable to beat Zrinjski Mostar in direct matchups, hoped another team would stop them. But that was wishful thinking. If Sarajevo couldn't beat them, how could others? Still, this time, Sarajevo saw a glimmer of hope. Tuzla Sloboda — known as the "rock in the cesspool" of the Bosnian Premier League — was set to host Zrinjski Mostar. Maybe, just maybe, Old Moster could give them a shot at the title! May 14th, Round 31 of the Bosnian Premier League — Tuzla Sloboda vs. Zrinjski Mostar. Facing the strongest team in the league, Tuzla Sloboda's coach Old Moster park the bus at home. Their fans were furious about the ultra-defensive tactic — especially on home turf. It was one thing to park the bus away, but even at home? They were even more upset with Old Moster. While the rest of the league embraced tactical innovation, Old Moster stubbornly clung to his outdated style. It's not that those tactics didn't work — but fans wanted entertaining football. Across town, FK Tuzla City had brought in a Spanish coach and were trying possession football. Although they'd only won once in their last three matches, the victory featured dazzling possession play. Compared to Sloboda's ugly, passive football, fans longed for something more proactive. Winning wasn't enough anymore — they wanted to win beautifully. But Old Moster wasn't having it. The result was everything to him — not the process. And against Zrinjski Mostar, parking the bus really was the best strategy. By the 70th minute, the score was still 0–0. Zrinjski Mostar were frustrated by Sloboda's dense defensive block. Kosopvc was active, but Sloboda's two tall center-backs were a wall. It was tough to even deliver crosses, and when they did, the tall defenders easily cleared them. Suker held the ball on the wing, with defenders watching but not pressing. Looking into the packed box, he attempted a cross — but it was headed away by one of the giants. "Great ball!" Kosovic gave a thumbs-up. He'd barely touched the ball all match. Tightly marked, he was frustrated — but still made sure to encourage his teammates. He also looked worried. This deadlock was a bad sign. Suker frowned. Dealing with a parked bus was already annoying — but a disciplined one was even worse. Sloboda clearly knew how to park the bus well. Suker had tried dribbling past defenders, but was repeatedly fouled or brought down before making progress. With no joy from dribbling or crossing, there was only one option left: long shots. "Luka! I'll set you up for a cannon!" Suker said, walking over to Modric. Modric had the best long-range shot on the team — accurate and powerful. Suker would now focus on creating space for him. Modric understood immediately. He wasn't afraid to take responsibility and nodded heavily. "Long shots! And draw more set pieces!" Coach Van Stroyak shouted from the sidelines. With the parked bus impenetrable, set pieces and long shots were the key. Then he pointed to the edge of the opponent's box. "Suker! Dribble more!" Suker understood. The dribbles weren't necessarily for scoring — they were to draw fouls, maybe even a penalty. The tactic changed. Suker became the focal point, receiving the ball and immediately driving forward. Lost possession? Win it back and try again! Each foul meant a free kick. In just 10 minutes, Zrinjski Mostar won four set pieces — all from Suker's dribbles. He took some heavy knocks, but the tactic worked. Sloboda didn't dare let him into the box, so they fouled outside it — giving Modric more free kicks. "Zrinjski Mostar have changed tactics — using Suker's dribbles to earn set pieces and let Modric take them to try to break the deadlock!" "Coach Van Stroyak's adjustment is working. Zrinjski Mostar are now dominating, and Sloboda are struggling to cope." Boom! Ding! Another free kick — it smacked the crossbar, bounced on the goal line, then flew out of the box. Chaos erupted in Sloboda's area. "Clear it!!" "Get it out!!" "Mark your man!!" Their keeper finally pounced on the ball and held it. Seeing Zrinjski Mostar pressing high, Sloboda's defenders shouted, "Counter! Counterattack!" No one noticed Suker lurking behind the goalkeeper. As players surged forward, the keeper looked to launch a long ball — but just as he dropped the ball, Suker suddenly darted out, stole it, and... "Sloboda are about to counterattack — wait, the keeper—OH! SUKER!!" Commentator Basodaci screamed. Suker had intercepted the dropped ball, sidestepped the panicked keeper, tapped it past him, and rolled it into the empty net — all in front of stunned players and fans. Sloboda's keeper protested furiously. But the ref ruled the ball live — the keeper had begun his kick motion. The goal stood. He pointed to the center circle! Zrinjski Mostar took the lead, thanks to Suker's brilliant opportunism. It was a devastating blow to Sloboda. Their keeper collapsed to his knees, hands clutching his head. Sloboda's players did the same — in disbelief. They had defended for 80 minutes, only to lose to carelessness. Now they could only regret not watching Suker's positioning more closely, not paying attention. But it was too late. The whistle had blown. Their 80-minute defensive wall had finally fallen.