Chapter 342: Wright Who?

Maksimir Stadium was packed to the brim.

Unlike the previous match against Andorra, this one against England was undoubtedly the main event of Group E.

The "Three Lions" enjoy a strong reputation in Europe and are backed by the massive Premier League machine. Even though they haven't won the World Cup, no one dares to underestimate the English national team.

They also attract a lot of hate!

That's largely due to the British media's sensationalism, their habit of fabricating stories and smearing others.

From the BBC to The Sun—every outlet acts like they're still part of the old "Empire on which the sun never sets," full of arrogant bluster.

For example, two days before the match, The London Sports News published a piece.

The article was a match preview, but the overall tone was over-the-top praise for the English team while belittling the Croatian national team.

"Relying on youngsters, Croatia won't win anything!"

"Croatia's tactical system is limited!"

"Suker and Modrić can't replicate their club form for the national team!"

Etc.

When it came to England, though, the media shamelessly hyped them up.

Of course, it's fine for English media to promote their own team—but dragging others down in the process is crossing a line.

The most blatant example of this was the media hype surrounding Wright-Phillips.

This talented young player had risen from Manchester City to the English national team, earning huge expectations from fans.

The England manager even gave him the symbolic number 10 shirt, hoping to boost the youngster's confidence.

"Foster son of Wright!"

"Beckham's successor!"

With all these titles, he was arguably the hottest young talent in England at the time.

He was even compared to Suker.

Before the match, Wright-Phillips made a confident statement:

"I believe Serie A has lost its competitiveness since 2000. Suker isn't as strong as the media makes him out to be. At the very least, I'm faster than him, and I have better control of the ball. I'll prove it in this match."

On camera, his tone was arrogant, and his expression was downright punchable.

In response, Croatian media quickly approached Suker for a rebuttal.

Suker's reply was simple:

"Wright who?"

That one line nearly sent Wright-Phillips into a meltdown.

It was pure, undisguised disdain.

"Just you wait!" Wright-Phillips vowed silently.

Besides winning, he had another mission today: to rise to fame by stepping over this era's most renowned talent.

But Suker had no interest in focusing on Wright-Phillips.

To him, a response only came when someone proved worthy of it.

Wright-Phillips wanted to use Suker as a stepping stone—but Suker had already crushed many so-called "talented players" on his rise to fame.

In this ever-changing landscape of the sport...

These young players were like starving wolf cubs.

If resources were a big, juicy meat bun—Suker already had the fattest one clamped between his teeth.

Naturally, the rest wanted to pounce and snatch it away.

That's the world of competitive sports.

It's filled with challenges—internal and external—and only by conquering them can one reach the top.

Suker feared none of it. From the moment he moved to Milan, he was prepared for this path.

He was a leader of the younger generation.

Standing at the forefront of the era.

Basking in attention and the spotlight.

Of course, that also came with doubt, criticism, and slander—but Suker wouldn't stop moving forward.

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!!—

As they stepped out of the players' tunnel, the view burst open.

The stadium lights made the pitch as bright as day.

Amidst the thunderous cheers of tens of thousands of Croatian fans.

Carrying the hopes of over 4 million Croatians—they arrived on this battlefield.

They were the chosen ones.The Croatian people had entrusted them with the right to fight.

So they wouldn't dare show the slightest bit of slack.

Starting Lineups:

Croatia (4-2-3-1):GK: PletikosaDF: Pranjić, Šimunić, Kovač, SrnaMF: Rakitić, Vukojević, Dujmović, Modrić, SukerFW: Mandžukić

England (4-3-2-1):GK: CarsonDF: Richards, Campbell, Lescott, BridgeMF: Gerrard, Lampard, BarryFW: Wright-Phillips, Crouch, Joe Cole

Sky Sports Broadcast:"This is Sky Sports, bringing you live coverage of the 2008 European Championship qualifier—Croatia hosting England!"

"In the last match, England had a dull home draw. Afterward, coach McClaren stated that they would make the necessary adjustments. He also claimed that he had solved the compatibility issue between Lampard and Gerrard."

"We'll see how the English lads perform tonight!"

Croatian National TV – Euros Broadcast Commentary Desk:

"The match is about to begin. In this game, Srna is deployed at left-back. At Inter, he often rotated with Zanetti, and he's also performed well on the left flank."

"Meanwhile, returning players Pranjić and Dujmović are also starting."

"What are your thoughts on these two?"Kraushević turned to Davor Šuker and Bešić.

Šuker looked at Bešić, indicating the latter should take this one—after all, Bešić coached Dinamo Zagreb, and 8 of the starting 11 came from his team.

Bešić cleared his throat, organized his thoughts, and said:

"Pranjić is a steady fullback. Unlike Srna, he doesn't frequently overlap or rely on blistering pace to recover. Instead, he makes sound decisions defensively. During his time at Southampton, he also developed a solid crossing ability to support the attack."

"Our backline is well-structured. One overlapping fullback, one conservative. Our center-back duo is a high-and-quick combo—they complement each other well. Šimunić can distribute from the back, while Kovač excels at pressing."

"It's a very stable defensive unit."

"As for Dujmović, many misunderstand him, thinking he's invisible in midfield. But we must understand the resource distribution in the middle."

"Suker and Modrić already consume a lot of touches. If we put another resource-hungry midfielder there, it'd create chaos."

"Dujmović fills the gaps left by Suker and Modrić. He's a vital tactical piece—and he can surprise opponents when needed."

Šuker nodded and added, "Wildcard!"

Bešić smiled. "Exactly. When the team is struggling, Dujmović always finds a way to open things up unexpectedly."

"Tonight, we must focus on midfield!"

"Suker plays as a wide midfielder, but he'll drop back and drift centrally to receive the ball. Rakitić will also tuck in. Once the flanks spread wide, we'll have plenty of overlap options."

"This Croatian system is aggressive and proactive. That's why we can look forward to these young men's performance!"