"These guys changed their style of play!"
Unovic couldn't help but mutter.
The last time they played against the Mostar Wanderers, their opponents' tactics were a relatively simple and direct defensive counter-attack.
The only player who held the ball in the midfield was Mulinar.
Because of that, it was easy for them to shut down the other team. As long as they neutralized Mulinar, that short Number 9 wouldn't be able to get going.
But in this game, they were seeing completely different tactics.
Although it felt a bit unpracticed, the changes on the offensive end were huge.
Especially having Suk frequently drop back to receive the ball. On one hand, it relieved the pressure on Mulinar when he had possession, and on the other, it further muddled their own defensive line.
The Mostar Wanderers fans in the stadium were still cheering nonstop for the goal.
They loved watching the game, but they loved watching spectacular goals even more.
And this goal, with its fluid and seamless teamwork, was a feast for their eyes.
After scoring, Suk also ran a lap around the field. He spread his arms like an airplane, a broad smile filling his round face.
The celebration ended amidst the lively atmosphere of the stadium.
Suk and the others returned to their own half, their faces still wreathed in smiles.
Even though they had no chance of promotion this season, they had still managed to hand the champions a bitter pill to swallow in the final match, and at the same time, they'd let out a huge breath of relief.
When the match restarted, Suk's movements became even more nimble.
He no longer insisted on just pushing forward, but constantly dropped back to support.
Sometimes he would coordinate with Mulinar, and other times he would distribute the ball to the wings.
If there was an opportunity, Suk didn't mind dribbling past players, but it wasn't an easy task. Unovic had already started using his body to restrict Suk.
This restriction even escalated to the point of him grabbing onto Suk.
Unovic let go of the little pipsqueak in his arms, his face a mixture of frustration and embarrassment.
After such an ugly defensive move, he was even prepared to receive a card.
The head referee's gaze on him was also growing increasingly dangerous.
Although the Bosnia and Herzegovina League was barbaric, it was still based on the rules of soccer.
This kind of holding foul was simply not allowed.
But if he didn't do it, he truly had no way to limit Suk.
This nimble guy was darting and dodging around him like a monkey. His every touch on the ball was beyond his expectations.
One can only imagine the pressure Unovic was under.
Before the match, Unovic had talked trash, but if he had known this would be the situation, he would have definitely kept his mouth shut tight.
But soon, Leotar quickly launched a counter-attack.
Their tactic was simple.
"Long shot! Their keeper fumbles easily! Forwards, get ready for the rebound!"
They shouted the tactic right out, not bothering to hide it at all.
For opponents who knew the Mostar Wanderers, this was also the easiest way to win the match.
"Damn it!"
The goalkeeper, Buckqi, was instantly on high alert.
He tightened his newly bought gloves. The new gloves had excellent grip, which could reduce the probability of fumbling the ball.
Of course, the problem with his hand shape was the real key, but he just couldn't seem to fix it.
BANG!!
A long shot from Leotar's number 10, Caspeiro.
Caspeiro was Leotar's core player; being able to wear the number 10 jersey was a testament to how well-rounded his skills were.
The moment the ball rocketed towards the goal, Buckqi made a diving save, his body stretching out in mid-air, his hands touching the ball.
The immense force almost made him fumble it, but this time, he held on tight.
He landed on his side, hugging the ball tightly with both hands.
Only after the opposing forwards retreated, unable to find an opportunity, did he stand up and let out a roar.
"Who are you looking down on?"
Up ahead, Suk raised both hands and shouted, "Awesome!"
The others were also greatly encouraged.
When Buckqi—the man with the butterfingers, the fumble-monster—was no longer a problem, what reason did they have to lose the game?
Next, the Mostar Wanderers' offense surged forward once more.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Time was flying by, and the situation was at a complete stalemate.
With only a one-goal difference, Leotar wanted to equalize the score as quickly as possible.
Meanwhile, the Mostar Wanderers wanted to further widen the score.
In the second half, neither side's tactics changed. Both used their most proficient tactical systems to attack the other's defensive line.
But the Mostar Wanderers clearly had the upper hand.
And this advantage stemmed from Suk's constant running in the front field.
His short passes, his forward runs to draw defenders, and the occasional volley—all of these put immense pressure on the opponent.
In fact, thanks to Suk's excellent performance, the pressure on Mulinar was greatly reduced, and his own performance became increasingly outstanding as a result.
As the match approached the 80th minute, Mulinar saw that the opponent's defensive line had dropped back very far, and Suk was positioned right on that line.
There were almost no defensive players interfering with Mulinar.
The goalkeeper's positioning wasn't that tight either, which led Mulinar to directly wind up his right foot and blast a long shot.
This long shot was very powerful and went straight towards Suk.
Watching the ball fly rapidly towards him, Suk let out a cry of alarm and immediately dodged.
"Holy shit!"
Suk desperately tucked in his waist, but the ball still grazed him, causing a slight deflection.
And this deflection also caused the goalkeeper to misjudge. In his flustered state, the ball actually slipped between his legs.
In the final moments, the Mostar Wanderers scored another goal.
"OHHH!! A SUPER WORLDIE!!!"
Oripé raised his hands high and cheered loudly.
This goal almost sealed the game.
But what made him happiest was that the Mostar Wanderers hadn't conceded a single goal.
For a team that conceded an average of one goal per game, not conceding—and not conceding against the champion team at that—was already a remarkable achievement.
"That was awesome! Boss!"
"Nice one!"
His surrounding teammates also rushed towards Mulinar to celebrate.
Suk arrived a moment later, his round face etched with conflict.
'This goal should be credited to me, right? It should, right?'
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP!
The applause in the stadium became a continuous roar, and the surrounding audience was full of cheers.
"Beautiful goal, Mulinar!"
"Suk! Great performance!"
"With Buckqi not fumbling, we have no reason to lose, hahaha!"
The spectators were overjoyed. Beating the champions in the final match of the season, and winning a beautiful game at that, had left them completely satisfied.
The applause in the stadium continued to thunder, lasting until the very end of the match.
The 2001/2002 season, the second season of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Second League, came to an end.
Over the entire season, the Mostar Wanderers achieved third place.
However, with 14 goals, Suk won this season's top scorer award.
A simple silver boot trophy, clearly a crude product at first glance, but Suk happily accepted it for a photo.
This was his first-ever trophy. Although it was an individual award, it was still a very good start.
"Congratulations!"
Modric walked over.
He looked at the exhausted Suk and offered his sincere congratulations.
In this match, he had seen Suk's effort. You could say he was actively running the entire game, creating passing lanes for the team.
And his goal also helped the Mostar Wanderers win the game. He deserved this trophy.
"Haha! Come on! Let's take a picture together!"
Suk pulled Modric over and called for Oripé to take a photo of them.
Standing together, there was still a bit of a height difference between the two.
Modric was still wearing his hooded jacket, his hands hanging down, looking a little reserved.
Suk, on the other hand, was holding the trophy with a huge smile.
CLICK!
The frame froze. The photo that would later be known as the 'Friendship of the Century' was thus created.
"Where's Suk?"
Mulinar walked over.
Modric looked left and right, saying with a bewildered expression, "He was just here."
Mulinar shook his head, "Probably went to the bathroom. There's a party tonight, are you coming?"
Modric immediately shook his head.
He didn't like such gatherings.
"Alright then!"
Mulinar didn't insist and turned to leave.
At the same time, behind a small, hidden hill, Suk was praying to the void.
"All you gods and spirits, please bless me!"
Suk first brought up his attribute panel.
[Name: Suk]
[Height: 151 cm]
[Weight: 48 kg]
[Speed: 71]
[Flexibility: 80]
[Power: 60]
[Explosive Power: 77]
Suk: "!!!!—"
The moment he saw the attribute panel, Suk couldn't stay calm.
Suk rubbed his eyes and looked at the height attribute, then rubbed them again. When he confirmed it was 151 cm, he jumped up.
I grew taller!
I grew taller!!—
Suk remembered he had been 149 cm before. Although he claimed to be 150 cm, that was just his pride talking. But now, he had actually grown two centimeters.
This was fantastic news!
I'm finally hitting my growth spurt!
Suk felt tears welling up in his eyes.
Good news the moment he opened the attribute panel. Suk felt his luck wouldn't be bad today.
He calmed himself down and switched to his personal panel.
On the diagram of the human body, six cards were embedded.
[Diamond Card (Special Card)—Inzaghi's Awareness.]
[Red Card (Skill Card)—Tolister's Short Pass.]
[White Card (Skill Category)—Tony's Interception.]
[Red Card (Special Class)—Status Recovery Card.]
[White Card (Skill Category)—Roberts' Dribbling.]
[White Card (Skill Category)—Laiseten's Shooting Skill.]
Compared to the pitiful three cards he had before, after a season of hard work, he had not only obtained a Red Card but also filled all his Card Slots.
Although the quality still wasn't quite up to par, Suk felt that in certain aspects, he already met the intensity requirements of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Super League—of course, that was excluding the limitations brought on by his physical condition.
Suk had always kept the Status Recovery Card equipped just in case.
In the future, he would also dedicate a Card Slot specifically for this type of card.
After all, according to the card-drawing system's rules, after equipping a card, he had to wait 45 minutes before he could operate it again, which happened to perfectly match the length of one half in an official match.
This would also allow Suk to display different technical characteristics and styles in the first and second halves of future matches, according to the Head Coach's needs.
After a quick look at his inventory, it was time for the exciting moment.
The match card draw chance + the season card draw reward chance!
The former was so-so; the latter was the main event.
After all, based on previous experience, the season rewards were always very generous.
Last time he got an Attribute Card. He wondered if he would get one this time too.