The All-Around Center Forward

"Damn it! I don't know how many sprints I've done back and forth—I feel like I can't catch my breath!"

Šrna panted heavily, feeling like his lungs were on fire.

Even when playing at Inter Milan, he hadn't been this exhausted.

"This ball touch frequency is way too low—on average, I get the ball once every 2 or 3 sprints!"

Pranjić complained as well.

"You can't count it that way. Even if you don't get the ball, your forward runs still pull the opponent's defense attention. If your positioning was better, you could create real threats in key areas,"

Modrić explained.

"But you guys run way too much. Thanks for the hard work!"

"A 'thanks for your hard work' and that's it? If you don't put on a show at your wedding, it won't be enough to reward our efforts."

"What's that got to do with me?" Modrić turned and laughed, "It's tactical requirements. You should ask the coach for rewards!"

"We're running our butts off to make up for your stamina. Who can keep running like this all game? Your match is 90 minutes, ours is 60 minutes!" Šrna clapped his hands, "We must sing a song—Suker leads!"

Suker kicked at him.

"Don't think just because you're captain I won't hit you!"

Šrna laughed and turned away.

Though exhausted, the effort was effective. Tired or not, as long as they won, it was fine.

Simunić and others smiled watching the banter.

Croatia's current form and spirit were excellent. If they could keep this up until the World Cup, it would be perfect.

The match quickly entered the second half.

With the upper hand from the first half, Croatia's control over the game was stronger.

At the 60th minute, Van Stiak made substitutions.

Both fullbacks, Šrna and Pranjić, were replaced simultaneously by Šimić and Ćorluka.

After they came on, Croatia shifted from offense to defense.

Belarus thought they had a chance to counterattack, but from that moment on, Suker frequently dropped back.

Modrić and Suker launched repeated counters along the central axis.

Suker no longer acted as the attacking spearhead but focused on midfield control, stabilizing the rhythm, while reinforcing central counterattacks.

Belarus was dizzy from Croatia's tactical oscillations.

At the 76th minute, Mandžukić headed in a goal to widen the score again.

This was the final goal of the match.

Croatia ultimately beat Belarus 3–0 to claim victory.

The entire match was a feast for Croatian fans.

A game!A tactically layered, almost crushing performance.

From the start, Croatia imposed dual pressure—both in lineup and tactics—on Belarus, quickly extending the score gap and securing victory.

It was a thoroughly satisfying match, even though it was the last game before the summer break, everyone was still extremely excited.

After the match, Croatian players officially entered holiday mode.

However, most, including Suker, stayed in Zagreb to wait for a while.

The reason was simple: Modrić's wedding was about to be held.

Modrić's wedding took place in a small but historic church in northern Zagreb.

The wedding naturally drew much attention, but the media was refused entry.

At the ceremony, Suker, Vukićević, Šrna, and other national teammates attended.

Club teammates like Ronaldo and Rooney also came.

Even Manchester United's mentor Ferguson sent his blessings via video.

Zagreb Dinamo's coach, and Modrić's mentor, Bešić served as the best man.

Surrounded by blessings from friends and family, Modrić and Bosnić exchanged rings and formed a brand-new family.

Suker saw Modrić's face beaming with smiles throughout.

For someone who experienced war and the loss of family, nothing was more important than family.

Suker knew clearly the two things Modrić wanted most: a home and a family.

Now, Modrić had them both.

"Congratulations, Luka!"

Suker hugged Modrić and sent his blessings.

After the wedding, Suker left Croatia and vanished for a while.

The media tracked his whereabouts.

Sometimes reports claimed Suker was vacationing on a Spanish island.

Other times, they said he was completing his last endorsement events in Milan.

Rumors flew, but no one could find any solid trace of Suker.

Still, no rush—on July 1, Suker was sure to appear in Madrid for his signing ceremony with Real Madrid.

June 30—the day before July 1—was agonizing for Real Madrid fans.

Since Florentino's appointment, Suker's big-money transfer to Real Madrid for 100 million euros had pushed both Suker and the club to global headlines.

As the day of Suker's arrival in Madrid approached, Real Madrid fans scoured the internet for any news.

Danar Ferdinand was an ordinary Madrid fan.

As a kid, Danar also dreamed of becoming a professional player, stepping onto the coveted Bernabéu pitch.

But his talent wasn't enough to stand out in the youth ranks.

After being cut from the academy, Danar learned Chinese cooking under Uncle Wang next door and opened a Chinese restaurant in downtown Madrid.

Danar was a skilled cook, and his restaurant quickly became well-known.

He even innovated by combining French, Spanish, and Chinese cuisines, gaining popularity.

For example: spicy seafood mapo tofu, sweet and sour tomahawk steak...

Though talented in cooking, he still wished his talent had been in his feet, making him a pro footballer.

Not playing at Bernabéu was an eternal regret.

Danar's shop was small, blending East and West features.

Red lanterns hung at the door—somewhat out of place.

The restaurant's hours were 11 am–2 pm and 4 pm–10 pm.

It was currently 3 pm, the break between lunch and dinner, so the place was empty.

Ding-ling!

The wind chime rang.

Two figures entered.

The leader loudly said, "Danar, open for business!"

Danar, wearing an apron, came out from the kitchen and looked at the doorway with a bad-tempered face, "Ikerr, do you think this is a training base canteen or what?"

He patted the hours schedule, "Still one hour before opening. I'm resting now."

Iker Casillas shrugged and turned to the figure behind him, wearing a gray oversized T-shirt and a baseball cap, shrugging, "Suker, looks like we can't taste Danar's cooking."

"Wait!"

Danar stopped in his tracks, turned suddenly, astonished, "Suker?"

At the door, Suker slowly raised his head, took off his hat, and smiled, "Hello, Danar!"

Danar was stunned for a long moment, then warmly welcomed them.

Danar once had a forward's dream. He and Casillas were youth teammates.

But Casillas succeeded while he didn't.

They had been friends since childhood.

He never imagined Casillas would bring Suker to his restaurant one day.

Danar really liked—or rather, admired—Suker.

Suker perfectly embodied the forward traits he dreamed of.

An all-around center forward!

Though Real Madrid had many great forwards, including Raúl and Ronaldo, Danar still preferred Suker.

Because Suker's versatility struck deeply at his football aesthetic.

Suker sat at the table, looking at the strange menu. He thought he had come to a fake Chinese restaurant.

What was spicy seafood mapo tofu?

And sweet and sour tomahawk steak?

Cheese fried noodles? Could that be eaten together?

Danar excitedly looked at Suker: "These are my recipes. Though strange, they taste good—you can try some."

Casillas nodded too: "Danar has no talent in football, but his cooking skills are pretty good."

Bang!

Danar slapped Casillas's back, making him clutch the burning spot in pain.

Danar glared at Casillas, then turned to Suker, his face suddenly brightening with a dazzling smile: "You can ignore this idiot goalkeeper. Aside from saving shots, he's good for nothing."

Suker looked at the two curiously, grinned, and nervously ordered two dishes.