Chapter 90: Three Warm-up Matches

Davor Šuker may be getting older, but he's still in excellent form. Especially after years of playing in top European leagues, his first touch is enough to create shooting opportunities for himself. For many top strikers, that first touch is crucial—and Davor Šuker has world-class finishing skills. With a goal from him, Dinamo Zagreb took the lead in the warm-up match. But now came the real test for Zrinjski Mostar. Šuker dropped back near the midfield to link up with Modrić. Unlike traditional wingers who wait on the flank for the ball, Šuker—much like how he played at Zrinjski Mostar—was tasked with organizing the attack and becoming a key threat on the wing for Dinamo Zagreb. As Šuker received the ball, head coach Bešić cast his gaze over. He was eager to see how Šuker would perform. After receiving the ball, Šuker didn't move immediately—he paused. This pause allowed Modrić and fullback Srna to make forward runs down the sides. Šuker passed the ball to Modrić and, instead of drifting wide, he cut centrally, running behind Modrić and looping to the other side. Modrić instinctively returned the ball to Šuker, acting as a wall to distract defenders. As Šuker regained possession, Srna, Davor Šuker, and Mandžukić were all pushing forward. Šuker noticed Davor Šuker suddenly halt and open his body. Immediately, he passed the ball to Davor Šuker and made a high-speed run forward. When the ball reached Davor Šuker's feet, Zrinjski's defense was momentarily distracted. But Davor Šuker didn't give them a chance—he gently nudged the ball sideways into a gap that had opened up, even creating a narrow shooting angle. Šuker, already on the move, smashed the ball with a powerful strike. The ball skimmed the ground, deflected off Hačić's ankle, and flew into the opposite corner of the net. "Yeah!!!" Šuker jumped up in excitement. It was his first goal since joining Dinamo Zagreb. Though it was only a friendly, it was an important one. "Captain, great pass!" Šuker shouted. Both Davor Šuker and Kosović looked over. Šuker froze for a moment, awkwardly pointing at Davor Šuker. Kosović smiled and turned away. He'd instinctively assumed Šuker was calling him, forgetting that Šuker had transferred. On the sidelines, Bešić nodded slightly. It was a well-coordinated goal, and the chemistry between Šuker and Davor Šuker likely came from the past two weeks of training. But their attack pattern wasn't limited to this. In the next offensive move, Šuker again dropped back to receive, but this time he passed to Modrić and drifted wide. Meanwhile, Davor Šuker and Mandžukić switched positions. With the ball at his feet on the wing, Davor Šuker decisively cut inside and, after shaking off Haškivić, chipped the ball over the Zrinjski defense. It dropped to the far post, where Šuker had already sprinted in. Before the ball hit the ground, he chested it forward, adjusted his feet, and volleyed it toward goal. The ball flew toward the near post, hit the upright, and bounced in. Dinamo Zagreb scored their third goal. Zrinjski Mostar didn't give up. In the 70th minute, Boame used his speed on the wing to assist Kosović's header. But in the 80th minute, Modrić responded with a world-class strike. The warm-up match ended 4–1 in favor of Dinamo Zagreb. After the game, players gathered together and caught up. Šuker was getting his hair ruffled by Kvrpić, who grumbled, "You're impossible to mark. Your off-the-ball movement is getting really annoying." Yes—annoying. Kvrpić tried to mark Šuker, but he wasn't just staying on the wing. This guy would pop up on the opposite side in the half-space—utterly unpredictable. Šuker just smiled without replying. At Dinamo Zagreb, Šuker was still listed as a wide midfielder, but during attacks—especially with Srna overlapping—his positioning changed. He often drifted centrally, even into central midfield. Bešić knew Šuker lacked physical strength in duels, so he expanded his movement area to help him avoid direct confrontations. Unless the opponent assigned a dedicated man-marker, Šuker's movement would be almost impossible to contain. "I don't see any new signings, but Boame played well," Šuker noted as he glanced over Zrinjski's lineup. "The boss gave us all a raise!" Mašović smiled. "As for transfers, we don't know. Our biggest focus now is preparing for the Champions League qualifiers." Šuker was stunned for a moment, then realized, "Oh right, you're in the Champions League qualifiers this season!" Both Bosnian and Croatian league champions qualify for the UCL playoffs. If they make it through, they'll reach the group stage. But it's extremely difficult. Even so, Šuker was envious. Dinamo Zagreb's poor performance last season meant they didn't even qualify for the UCL playoffs. At that moment, Dinamo Zagreb started gathering players. "I've got to go—good luck this season!" Šuker waved and turned away. Watching him leave, Kvrpić grinned. "Now I finally understand why Sarajevo's fullback Jorjać struggled so much against Šuker." "In this match, we tightened up the defense and denied deep runs. But other teams who don't understand Šuker will suffer big time!" He turned to Mašović. "Do you think Šuker and Modrić can shine at Dinamo?" "Absolutely," Mašović nodded. "I've always believed in them." Meanwhile, Šuker jogged into the locker room. Once everyone sat down, Bešić began his tactical review. "Our counterattacks aren't decisive enough. In transitions, pass to Modrić first. If he's marked, find Šuker. Quick forward passes—that's key!" "Our defensive positioning is too loose. Not compact enough!" He paused, then looked at Šuker. "You're tracking back too often. Remember, you're our counterattack organizer. If we can't find you up front during transitions, we miss our chance—and we lose momentum. I don't know what role they gave you at Zrinjski, but here, you don't need to defend that much!" Šuker quickly nodded in agreement. As Bešić continued, Šuker muttered under his breath: "Getting scolded for working hard..." Davor Šuker overheard and grinned, rubbing Šuker's head as a sign of encouragement. He liked Šuker a lot. Who wouldn't like a talented, hard-working, and cheerful teammate? Davor Šuker's stamina wasn't what it used to be. He only seemed fine today because of Šuker's tireless running that covered for him. You could say Šuker was doing double duty. "These are all problems we need to fix. Now, onto the next stop!" Bešić declared. "Sarajevo!" Over the next two weeks, Bešić scheduled three friendlies—against Zrinjski Mostar, Sarajevo, and finally Red Star Belgrade. The second opponent, Sarajevo, was another familiar side for Šuker. Šuker and Modrić performed superbly. With Davor Šuker as the focal point, they fed him ball after ball—resulting in a hat-trick for the veteran. Šuker and Modrić each provided an assist as well. But something amusing happened that game: Three Šukers on the field—and the shouting got all mixed up. Still, the result was another success: a 3–0 victory. After a brief rest in Croatia, the team prepared for the final friendly: Red Star Belgrade. Speaking of Red Star, they were the giants of the old Yugoslav league. In 1990–91, they even won the Champions League. But due to the Yugoslav wars, the club fell into chaos. It wasn't until 2000 that they returned to European competition. By then, Red Star had declined significantly, and even reaching the UCL group stage became a struggle. Still, a wounded giant is still a giant. Compared to Dinamo Zagreb, Red Star remains a storied and formidable team.