Chapter 82 - 82 – Curled Shot Goal

"Mostar Zrinjski is playing too hastily. They're too eager to win the title, pushing the ball forward whenever possible, but there's no variety in their attack!" After the 20th minute, Mostar Zrinjski became visibly anxious. They kept pushing the ball forward and even tried several crosses, all of which were cleared by the tall center-back, Boscenoc. This kind of attacking strategy actually played right into Sarajevo Railway Workers' hands. Suker looked around at his teammates—everyone was charging forward recklessly. Although the momentum was strong, their offense felt chaotic. Even Modrić started to lose his composure. Staying calm while chasing the championship is hard, but that's exactly when it's most needed. Suker noticed the tempo speeding up and becoming disjointed. He felt it was time for someone to take control of the game's rhythm. With that thought, Suker quickly dropped back—all the way to the midfield line. "Luka! Pass the ball!" Modrić was just about to launch a long ball behind the opposition's defense, but when he heard Suker's shout, he stopped his action immediately. Suker glanced forward—no one was in position—and emphasized again,"Pass it here!" Modrić shifted and passed the ball to Suker. Suker didn't push forward but instead carried the ball toward the center. As pressure mounted from the opposition, he laid it off to Biljar. But Suker didn't return to his position on the wing—instead, he stayed central and moved closer to Biljar again. "Back to me!" Biljar was thinking about pushing forward, but hearing Suker's command, he stopped and passed it back. Only then did he realize—Sarajevo's center-back was already closing in. Even if he had broken through, he would've been stopped or stripped of the ball. Suker received the ball again and immediately passed it back. While retreating, he raised his hands and shouted loudly:"Slow down! Slow the tempo! Settle the ball first!" Suker held a high status on the team—something he earned with his performances and leadership. So even when he encroached into Modrić's midfield territory, no one complained. Not even Modrić himself had any objections. In fact, Modrić also realized—he had been too hasty! He pulled the ball back, passed it, and gave Suker a thumbs-up as he dropped deeper to help in buildup. Seeing this, Suker finally let out a sigh of relief. "Finally calmed down!" When the ball came to Suker again, he had his back to the defender. The opposing defensive midfielder quickly closed in, not allowing him to turn. Modrić made a forward run from the side to draw attention away. But Suker didn't pass. Instead, he passed it backward again and scolded:"You overran it! Why do you lose your head so easily?" Modrić scratched his head in embarrassment and immediately fell back to help organize. After a few clean pass-and-move sequences, Suker saw that Modrić had finally calmed down, so he returned to his position on the wing. From the stands, Besic observed Suker's movement into the middle. Surprised, he said, "Suker can organize?" "He's more of an offensive organizer, using penetrating passes to break down defenses," Ataganic scratched his head in astonishment. "But I didn't expect him to control the tempo like this!" Suker's recent passes had exactly that effect. Each pass was simple and effective, keeping possession and adjusting the tempo as needed. He read the game well and made decisions that benefitted the team most. Earlier, Mostar Zrinjski was clearly playing overhyped. Every player was too aggressive, desperate for a goal. That led to chaos in attack. Especially Modrić, who kept pressing the fast-forward button on the tempo. So Suker stepped in—occupying Modrić's space and restoring order. After a few exchanges, Mostar Zrinjski finally settled down. Besic crossed his legs and rested his chin on his hand—his signature posture when intrigued. Suker's performance gave him a big surprise. Besic smiled, "Now I see why you said Suker plays like Zidane." Of course, that was an exaggeration, but there were some similarities. Cutting in from the wing to organize, freeing the fullback to overlap. That's a key tactical role! Maybe Suker himself didn't realize he was playing such a crucial role. And he was exhausted. Attack, organize, defend—he had to do it all. Van Stoyak demanded a lot from him, and Suker had to shoulder the workload. Plus, the left wing was Mostar Zrinjski's main attacking route—he couldn't afford mistakes. With the ball at his feet on the wing, Suker made three sudden changes of direction! Each one shook the fullback, but he still managed to stay with Suker. Sarajevo's fullback, Celotic, was drenched in sweat. His heart was pounding. Every time he had to defend Suker, it felt like a near-miss. If he was a step behind, Suker would've blown past him. But he held on. He stayed about two meters away, body low and angled to block the inside cut, while giving up the outside route. Suker had two options: drive down the line for a cross—likely blocked by their tall center-back, Boscenoc—or pass to Modrić, who was marked. Both seemed covered. Celotic exhaled in relief. But suddenly, someone sprinted behind Suker as he nudged the ball forward. "Suker! Pass!" It was Mostar Zrinjski's fullback, Kelpich, making an overlapping run. "Damn it!" Celotic cursed—he lost track of the fullback. He spun and sprinted back. Kelpich raced to the byline. Seeing Celotic charging back, he knew he'd be blocked if he tried to cross. But he had no intention to cross. He pulled defenders away toward the goal and then cut the ball back. Straight to Suker. "FXXK!" Celotic cursed again and turned to chase Suker. Too late. Suker dribbled into the top of the box, just inside the area. As the center-back lunged in, Suker shot. A curled shot. Perfect body form, precise technique. The ball arced toward the top right corner. The shot wasn't fast, but deadly accurate. Sarajevo's keeper dove with everything he had. His fingertips touched it, but not enough. "Oh no!" Panic hit the goalkeeper. Everyone's eyes followed the beautiful arc. Swish! The ball clipped the inside of the post and bounced into the net. 32nd minute—Mostar Zrinjski takes the lead thanks to Suk's goal! "Suker!!! Goal!!!" "What a curve! What a strike!" "Sarajevo's keeper had no chance! He could only watch it go in." "Also credit to Kelpich for his overlapping run—he freed up Suker and helped create the goal!" "That's Suk's fifth goal of the season. He's already registered 5 goals and 13 assists!" "He is undoubtedly Mostar Zrinjski's offensive engine!" After scoring, Suk sprinted to the corner flag. As he neared it, he jumped and pumped his fist in celebration. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!! Over 10,000 fans erupted. They cheered for the precious goal—and for Suk's brilliance. His teammates sprinted over. "HAHAHAHA! What a shot!" "Goal! YES!!" "Brilliant!" "We're winning the title! HAHAHAHA!!" Everyone was fired up. This goal brought them one step closer to the championship. On the sidelines, the coaching staff of Mostar Zrinjski clapped with pride. Coach Van Stoyak was thrilled but also a bit melancholy. Next season, they'd lose both Suk and Modrić. In the stands, Besic clapped softly. "Beautiful curl, clean finish, and razor-sharp angle!" He praised the strike fully. The only flaw might be that it lacked a bit of power—was a little slow. But that didn't matter much. Besic sat up straighter. This season, Dinamo Zagreb had struggled due to instability. Fans were frustrated. But next season, after a first-team rebuild, some exciting things could happen.