In the world of football, there are always those special kinds of players.
They may seem unremarkable most of the time, but in critical moments, they always manage to score crucial goals.
Take, for example, the super-sub during Ferguson's era — the baby-faced assassin, Solskjær.
Or the angel who gave wings to the Albiceleste — Di María.
These players weren't the absolute core of their teams, or even regular starters,but they often demonstrated stunning clutch abilities.
They had different styles and personalities, but all shared that decisive edge.
For Croatia, they had their own unpredictable clutch player — the wild card, Dujmović.
Dujmović's long-range shots had always been one of Croatia's threatening offensive weapons.
But because of his inconsistency, Van Stoyak never put him in the starting lineup — instead, he served as a hidden card, saved for the key moment.
Even Van Stoyak himself wasn't sure whether Dujmović would succeed.
But right now, he had a strong hunch.
It came suddenly — but he just felt that Dujmović could score.
At this point, Croatia had basically run out of substitutions, so he could only trust that instinct.
Šuker was the ace —the absolute core in Croatia's head-on battle with Spain.
But if Croatia wanted to win, they couldn't rely on Šuker alone.
They needed a trump card. Updates are released by novel{f}ire.net
They needed a surprise element.
Šuker would draw attention up front while creating space and opportunities for Dujmović.
Van Stoyak waved over Šimić and began explaining his final tactical setup.
At the 78th minute, Croatia made substitutions.
Mandžukić and Srna went off.Šimić and Petrić came on.
Croatia had used their last two substitutions — meaning it was time for the final battle.
"We've made our last substitutions. I don't quite understand what Bilić is thinking — is he hoping Petrić will win aerial duels up front?"
Croatia's formation shifted to 4-4-2.
Šuker and Petrić played as dual strikers.
Once on the field, Šimić immediately called over Šuker and Dujmović.
"Coach says from here on…"
Šimić passed on Van Stoyak's tactical instructions.
Beside him, Dujmović's eyes widened.
Šimić finished, and Šuker patted Dujmović on the shoulder:"If you dare blast it into the stands, I'll break your legs!"
"You seriously want me to shoot from distance?" Dujmović asked in shock.
Šimić nodded. "Coach said you're the final trump card."
Šuker added in a persuasive tone,"Just think — if you score the winning goal, you'll be a Croatian hero!"
Dujmović felt a little dizzy.
Trump card.Game winner.Hero.
These words linked together made his heart flutter with anticipation.
"You've got this!" Šuker encouraged him again.
He knew Dujmović had the shooting ability — but the guy was extremely emotional, so he needed constant confidence boosts.
"If you score this, I'll cover your Chinese food bills for life!"
"You better mean it!" Dujmović shouted, suddenly fired up:"Watch me blast it past them!"
Šuker cracked a slight smile.
As long as Dujmović dared to shoot — with confidence — they could pose a threat from the perimeter.
After the substitutions, the match resumed.
Spain still hadn't used their final substitution.
Croatia, on the other hand, had played all their cards — it was do-or-die now.
At this moment, the match entered a fever pitch.
Any goal now could determine the outcome.
Fans from both sides were shouting at full volume, trying to drown out the opposing side and fuel their teams.
In this kind of atmosphere, the match became even more intense.
Bang!Šimunić headed the ball clear, and Modrić collided hard into Iniesta to win possession.
Before Spain could press again, Modrić launched a long pass forward.
It was a fixed-point pass, but rushed and poorly aimed.
However, up front, Petrić used his physicality to overpower Puyol and laid the ball off to Šuker.
Šuker picked it up and sprinted forward.
Klausić shouted in anticipation.
At this point, they could only hope for Šuker to work his magic.
He charged forward, with Xabi Alonso and Xavi closing in from both sides.
But neither could take the ball away.
Šuker's touches were too quick — and with the goal so close, they didn't dare foul him.
They sandwiched him diagonally as Ramos joined the defense.
Three players surrounded Šuker.
Yet, in the narrow gap, Šuker twisted and weaved — his footwork dazzling. Pulling, poking, and dragging the ball —he fended off the triple team while keeping control.
When he finally tried to pass it out, Xavi stuck a foot in and kicked it out of bounds.
Šuker panted heavily.
The constant pressure and footwork had burned a lot of stamina.
He turned and saw Dujmović had moved into position.
Šuker gave him a gesture: "Get ready."
Dujmović nodded eagerly.
He was under a lot of pressure too — but more than that, he was obsessed with the idea of becoming "Croatia's hero."
He couldn't wait to shoot.
Šuker kept charging down the wing, constantly drawing the Spanish defenders' attention.
Sure enough, Spain never let their guard down around Šuker.
In the final minutes, there were always three men marking him.
Watching Šuker hold the ball under triple coverage without losing it had commentators around the world amazed.
That kind of ball control — that kind of skill —that's why this guy is the most expensive striker right now.
And worth every penny!
Bang!This time, the ball was knocked out for a corner kick.Šuker exhaled and got up from the turf.
He had tried again and again but couldn't carve out a pass.Just holding onto the ball was already his limit.
"Croatia's corner kick — this might be their best chance in the second half. Let's see if Petrić can step up!"
Petrić had previously been Croatia's main striker.
But with the rise of Mandžukić and Šuker, he had gradually lost his spot and was now a bench player.
Still, Petrić's heading ability remained a serious threat.
And he knew his role.
Before the corner was even taken, he and Puyol were already pushing and jostling for better position.
"It's the 85th minute — the score remains 2-2. Who will break the deadlock first?"
Bang!As the Austrian commentator spoke, Modrić delivered the corner.
The ball sailed into Spain's penalty area.
Šuker ran to the near post to draw attention, creating space for Petrić.
Petrić took a few steps, leaped, and hammered a header at goal.
"Petrić! Header!Ohhhh~~~ Casillas saves it at point-blank range!!"
The ball bounced off Casillas' arm, dropped onto the pitch, and rolled outside the penalty box.
Spain's players immediately sprinted to chase it down.
Suddenly, a Croatian player appeared in front of the ball.
The Croatian commentator couldn't help but cry out at the sight of Dujmović winding up for a volley.
The ball was waist-high.Dujmović leaned left, shifted his weight, and smashed the ball mid-air.
As he struck it, he screamed inside:
"Keep it down! Keep it down! Damn it, keep it down!!"
The ball spun upward, flying toward the goal with fierce velocity.
It passed just beside Puyol's head — but his body froze.
He could have deflected it with a slight tilt,but didn't react at all.
The ball soared past Puyol and rocketed into the top right corner of Spain's net.
87th minute — Dujmović scores a world-class goal!
BOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM——!!!
The entire Ernst Happel Stadium exploded in celebration.
Croatian fans leaped to their feet.
They threw their hands in the air and unleashed the loudest roar of the entire European Championship.
"GOOOOOAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL——!!!"
Even the Austrian commentator couldn't help but cheer.
The goal had come so suddenly — and it was so spectacular.
"Croatia's No. 16! A worldie from Tomislav Dujmović!!"
"Match-winner!! He's done it!!"
"Croatia!!! My God — Croatia scores their third goal!!"