All-around center

Starting from the 6th, representatives from all over the world will begin to settle in South Africa and start preparations in advance.

The entire World Cup is the same as before.

32 national teams from all over the world were divided into eight groups to compete in a single round-robin competition.

The top two teams advance to the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

The single-cycle knockout rounds continue until the last winner emerges, that is, the world champion wins the Hercules Cup.

With such a tight schedule, the test for the team is also extremely important.

A single round-robin event, a matter of outcome, requires each team to be in adequate condition, and requires strong adjustment and learning abilities.

These three directions are indispensable.

Not in good enough shape and collapsed in the group stage.

If you don't have enough adjustment ability, you won't be able to go far after entering the knockout rounds.

If you don't have enough learning ability, you will be at a loss when facing sudden changes in other teams' formations, and will eventually end up losing.

Therefore, every game is a difficult test.

If you win, you will be promoted.

If you lose, you may be eliminated directly.

For Croatia, this is the first time they have entered the World Cup after eight years since 2002.

Compared with that time in 2002, the Croatian national team has completed an all-round reorganization.

Davo Suker, Boban and others have retired one after another, which represents the end of an era.

The rise of Suker, Modric and others represents the arrival of a new era in Croatia.

What's more, they competed as European Cup champions and became a thorn in the side of many media and other national teams.

Throughout the course of the World Cup, almost all South American teams and European teams competed.

Brazil, Argentina. Uruguay, France, Germany, England, Italy, Spain, etc.

These teams have become the main theme of the championship sequence.

But in this World Cup, the rise of Croatia from Eastern Europe has broken this balance to a certain extent.

Of course, Eastern Europe is strictly considered a European team, but within Europe, there is also strong antagonism between Eastern Europe and Western Europe, and incompatibility in styles, playing methods, etc. has also led to some gaps between them.

At least for Croatia, if they can defeat any Western European team, they will not show mercy.

Vice versa is also true!

Croatia is staring at opponents such as Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and Spain that threaten it.

Are these opponents wary of Croatia?

First day of open training.

A large number of media reporters came to the training ground where Croatia was located.

These are reporters from all over the world, including some of the team’s informants.

Su Ke and others also summed up some experiences.

If a reporter snaps at himself, he is really a reporter.

But once he lowers his head and writes and draws in his notebook, there is a high probability that this guy is the spy of a certain team.

Of course, Croatia also sent a large number of informants to collect information.

The status of key players, tactical usage, training performance, etc. will be recorded.

Although they are not fools and will not reveal too many details to the media, they can still analyze some key information.

hiss! ! !

There were gasps from the press seats.

Just because, on the court, Suker, Modric, Rakitic and Mandzukic played an extremely wonderful cooperation in the counterattack.

With one continuous pass, a total of six shots penetrated the defense, and Suker scored from a small angle.

Su Ke was training with the idea of ​​​​keeping a low profile as much as possible before the game.

But some people are different!

"Do it again!"

Duimovich yelled.

He immediately rushed forward and fired a powerful shot. The ball hit the goal like a cannonball and got into the blind corner.

"Cow or not?"

Duimovich raised and bent his arms, making a strong man's movement, with an excited look on his face.

"Take it easy, be careful of being targeted by the other side!"

Suk reminded in a low voice.

Duimovic turned his head: "Isn't that just right? If they pay too much attention to me, you can play easily."

Hearing this, Su Ke was stunned!

That’s right!

"I'll make a ball for you and score goals for me." Su Ke looked excited.

Duimovich grinned ferociously: "Look, I'll shoot this guy Subasic!"

Next, Suker started to play the ball continuously, and Duimovic hit the goal with crazy heavy artillery, which made Subasic very embarrassed.

"That's almost it."

Starting goalkeeper Pletikosa couldn't stand it anymore.

"If we continue, my substitute will be kicked out by you."

Subasic turned his wrist, daring to be angry but afraid to speak.

He could only look at Duimovich and his accomplice Su Ke with resentment.

"We are giving him a chance to adjust his condition. What if you get injured?" Duimovic said, spreading his hands.

"Bah! What a mouthful you are." Pletikosa cursed angrily, rushed out and started chasing Duimovich.

Duimovic screamed and started running wildly across the field.

Others are not surprised by this.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Suker, Modric and others came to the sidelines and sat down.

"I didn't expect that we would play against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first game!"

Modric raised the corners of his mouth.

Su Ke grinned: "Beat your former teammates!"

Bosnia and Herzegovina is still very strong.

Bosnia and Herzegovina led by Dzeko has young strength bonuses such as Suk Bazic, Boamé, and Sterk. It has inherited the physical attributes of Eastern Europe and is extremely difficult to deal with.

At the beginning, the World Cup qualifying was delayed by Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the critical moment of the second half, Boamé scored a decisive goal, and then qualified for the World Cup.

Currently, the World Cup groupings are as follows:

Group A: South Africa, France, Uruguay, Mexico.

Group B: Croatia, Argentina, Bosnia and Herzegovina, South Korea.

Group C: England, United States, Slovenia, Algeria.

Group D: Germany, Ghana, Australia, Serbia.

Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon.

Group F: Italy, Slovakia, Paraguay, New Zealand.

Group G: Brazil, Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire, North Korea.

Group H: Spain, Chile, Switzerland, Honduras.

The combat strength of each major group is quite balanced, and there is no real death group.

But if we talk about focus groups, it is definitely Group B where Croatia and Argentina are.

These two European and South American super teams were divided into the same group, which shocked everyone, but also excited them.

There is no doubt about Croatia's strength.

As European Cup champions, they are currently ranked second in the FIFA national team rankings, second only to five-star Brazil.

Argentina is in eighth place, and together with Bosnia and Herzegovina, which performed well in the World Cup qualifiers, it forms a fierce enough confrontation.

As for South Korea, without the home field advantage, who are they?

Currently, Argentina and Bosnia and Herzegovina are dangerous factors for Croatia.

Of course, many people are more wary of Argentina, but

"Did you watch Argentina's World Cup qualifying match?"

Suk suddenly asked.

Modric blinked: "No, I didn't know at the time that Argentina was in the same group as us, and after the grouping was completed, I had to take care of the club games, so there was no time to watch!"

"I saw it!"

Sirna suddenly raised his hand.

Su Ke turned around and gave him an appreciative look.

"How is it?" Suk asked.

Srna grinned: "How damn weird!"

Suk smiled.

That’s right!

"Zanetti, Cambiaso, these Champions League champions are all not selected for the national team. What does Maradona think?"

Srna shook his head and complained.

He also fought for club captains Zanetti and Cambiasso.

Maradona advocated offensive football, and for this purpose he created a super offensive line composed of Messi, Di Maria, Aguero, Higuain, Milito, Tevez and others.

It can be said that the intensity of the strikers is ridiculously high, even to the extent that it overflows, and they can create two top striker teams.

But what about the midfield?

What about defense?

Argentina now is just like Real Madrid before, top-heavy.

Technical football at home and attack at home, but too much neglect of the midfield and defense.

If Argentina encounters Croatia and puts up this lineup, once they cannot take advantage, they will rely on Croatia's super counterattack ability to hit every one accurately.

In an office at the training ground, the coaching staff such as Van Steyak and Bilic are also preparing for the game.

Not only do the players need to prepare, but they, the coaches, also need to make more preparations.

Especially this period before the game is the most test of the coach's ability.

Information collection and integration capabilities, targeted tactical reserves, tactical selection, etc.

It can be said that the workload in the early stage is huge and critical.

This is related to whether Croatia can start smoothly in the World Cup.

In the 2010 World Cup, Croatia attracted too much attention. As the European Cup champions, they naturally have an aura. They are also one of the seed teams to win the World Cup, so they naturally become the focus of research by other teams.

For this reason, they need more tactical reserves based on the original tactics.

For example, Croatia's previous core style of play was high pressing + total attack and defense, which was somewhat similar to the Dutch team's style of play.

But now, they are beginning to prepare for defensive counterattacks, dog-catching Frisbees, and even pass-and-control kicks.

While the core remains unchanged, these tactical reserves can provide them with great room for adjustment.

Van Steyak discussed the collected information with Bilic and other coaches.

Boban, the national team leader on the side, looked at the information in his hand, scratched his head, and said in surprise: "I thought our playing style was crazy enough, but I didn't expect Argentina to be even crazier."

For Boban, the Croatia of today is completely different from that of their time.

The playing styles are different.

The games played are also different.

Croatia at that time was far from being a strong team and was at most a dark horse, so it did not receive that much attention in international competitions.

But Croatia is different now.

A European Cup champion in his own right.

At the same time, with a super giant like Su Ke, all their news will enter the desks of coaches of other teams immediately.

To this end, Croatia's tactical style will also be diversified.

This is to avoid being targeted.

Again, the core tactics remain unchanged, but other tactics must also be played.

Compared with Boban's period, this strategy is indeed much richer, and the ability to resist risks has also been greatly increased.

But this seems a bit crazy to Boban.

"This is not madness, this is illness!" Van Styak said without looking up.

Previously, he respected Maradona's status as the world's top player and he did well in the early days.

But as the World Cup gets closer and closer, Maradona begins to let himself go.

The talented striker combination is certainly attractive.

The luxurious offensive team is also eye-catching.

But it destroys the overall team composition and infinitely adds more forwards. What's the use?

Are you going to play six forwards a game or what?

And in this way, once someone fights back, the game is over!

It's okay to say that when they encounter a weak team, they can barely maintain the pressure in the midfield, but when they encounter Croatia, will they let Argentina maintain the rhythm?

It's impossible no matter how you think about it!

If Argentina really dares to arrange its troops like this, Croatia will dare to pluck all the hair off this Pampas eagle.

See how you fly!

It depends on how you behave!

"Bosnia and Herzegovina's counterattack is also very sharp. It relies on Dzeko's ability to advance. The two wings also have strong breakthrough capabilities, and the full-backs can cover the sides."

Bilic looked up at Van Stryak.

During this period, he also learned many key tactical points while studying with Van Steyak.

Combining my own accumulated experience, I can give a lot of pertinent opinions and even identify problems.

"I once coached the player Boamé." Van Steyak frowned slightly: "But Boamé was a substitute at the time, and I never thought about using him, so he has been put on the bench. But from the current position Judging from his performance, he is indeed a threat.”

"Let Srna do it!" Bilic suggested: "Srna can play as two full-backs, and he is fast. During the qualifiers, he blocked Rooney. I think he has the ability to limit Srna. Amei."

Van Stryak nodded; "Yes! I think so too. Faced with their rimming, Srna needs to follow up further, and at the same time requires Duimovich to immediately follow up on the restrictions."

Thinking of this, Van Stryak felt a headache again.

Vukojevic has not fully recovered from his injury, which also makes them a little uncomfortable in the choice of midfielder.

Vukojevic's single defensive midfielder is the best choice, which can maximize Modric's ability.

In the current situation, Modric and Duimovic/Kovac need to serve as double midfielders to ensure defensive stability.

Although part of the power of the ball is sacrificed, Rakitic is still responsible for connecting the midfield and frontcourt in front, and Suker can retreat when necessary, which solves this problem.

"Who do you choose for the position on the right?"

Croatia's right wing has been unable to find a suitable candidate.

After attacking from the left wing and switching to the right wing, the problem of offensive incoordination will soon appear.

"Olic is a good choice."

Boban suggested.

Olic, who plays for Bayern Munich, has won many honors with Bayern Munich, and his ability is worthy of recognition.

"Olic is suitable to play center, but in our lineup, he can only be in the third position at the center position. Suker and Mandzukic are ranked in front of him. Besides, Olic's role in the center position Too small, not as rich as Mandzukic."

Van Steyak pondered for a moment and said; "I plan to use Perisic on the right wing from this World Cup onwards!"

Bilic was surprised: "Is Perisic too young?"

"Everyone has their youth, and judging from his previous performance, he is the most suitable for this team." Van Steyak said; "We can't keep suppressing him just because he is too young. Young people can only give With the opportunity, he can return more outstanding performances.”

Seeing Van Stryak's serious look, Bilic nodded and said, "Okay, you make the decision in this regard!"

The first day of open training is over.

In the evening, Van Steyak began to convene the players individually for tactical explanations.

First up is Suk.

"In the World Cup, with the exception of a few teams that use the club mode, other national teams will more often adopt the star mode, which is to sublimate their personal strength." Van Steyak looked at Suker seriously and said; "I plan to use the star mode in the next step. During the game, continue to increase your tactical resources."

Hearing this, Su Ke patted his chest and said, "Don't worry, I will give you a satisfactory performance."

Vansteyak couldn't help but smile.

He believes that he is luckier than other head coaches. Even though Argentina has many talented strikers, the strongest one is in his hands!

For the next half hour, Van Steyak constantly changed the tactical board in his hand to explain to Suker how to move, how to attack, and even how to organize the offense.

"This is your job. Although the responsibilities are heavy, I hope you can handle the pressure. Your performance is crucial to how far we can go."

After Van Steyak finished speaking, he continued; "Call Perisic over!"

In less than three minutes, Perisic came to Van Steyak's room.

Perisic was obviously very nervous.

Mainly, this was the first time he was called to talk alone by Van Steyak, and he felt a little anxious and a little expectant.

Van Steyak also looked at Perisic.

Compared with traditional wingers, Perisic does not have that kind of outstanding skills, so he is used more as a rotation substitute.

However, Perisic's advantages lie in his superb shooting skills and non-stick characteristics.

In the frontcourt position, Su Ke needs a lot of ball rights to ensure his tactical resources. For this reason, the center and right winger will be squeezed to a certain extent.

At this time, it is crucial to be able to show performance characteristics without holding the ball.

Facing Perisic, whose eyes were evasive and uneasy.

Vansteyak frowned slightly and said sternly: "Lift your chest and don't look unconfident!"

Perisic puffed up his chest subconsciously.

Van Steyak said solemnly; "Do you want to be a starter?"

boom!

Perisic's head exploded.

He felt that he had heard wrongly.

What he expected was more opportunities to play as a substitute in the rotation, but Van Steyak asked him directly if he wanted to start.

This is equivalent to him only wanting a piece of cheese, but the other party throws him a big cake.

Perisic kept suppressing his excitement.

He knew his opportunity had come.

"Yes! I want to start, coach! Believe me, I will definitely play better!" Perisic shouted loudly.

He must seize this opportunity!