Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup: Mostar Zrinjski vs. Leotar
"Goal!!! Koso Pešić with a powerful header!"
"Leotar is completely outmatched by Mostar Zrinjski in the air—they're being dominated!"
"After two games without a goal, Koso Pešić once again proves the value of a tall center forward! This is his second goal of the match! Mostar Zrinjski now has a commanding lead in the first half!"
Koso Pešić's headers remained a lethal weapon for Mostar Zrinjski.
While he faced tighter marking in the league, in the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup—especially against lower-division teams—his dominance was undeniable.
Suk watched as Pešić repeatedly used his physique and aerial strength to overwhelm Leotar's center-back Unović, who had once given Suk trouble. His heart swelled with pride.
"Captain! That was awesome!"
Suk shouted from the sidelines.
Hearing his little brother's voice, Koso Pešić grinned and gave Suk a thumbs-up from a distance.
At this point, Mostar Zrinjski was in a very favorable position.
Coach Vanja Dudić leaned back comfortably on the bench and said softly to Suk, "Go warm up. You're coming on in the second half."
Suk sprinted off without hesitation.
Soon, the first half ended.
During the break, Vanja Dudić instructed the team to stay solid during the first five minutes of the second half and announced upcoming substitutions.
Koso Pešić and Oliveira were subbed off.
Suk and Boa Morte came on.
Suk was thrilled to get playing time—but Birjukov was even more excited.
"Hey Suk! High five!"
Birjukov jumped up and held out his hand.
Suk slapped it.
Birjukov draped an arm around Suk's neck and whispered, "I even bought you breakfast this morning. That earns me some passes, right?"
"You only gave it to me because you couldn't finish it," Suk replied.
"Then I'll buy you a new one tomorrow."
Suk squinted. "Just tomorrow?"
Birjukov gritted his teeth. "Fine! A whole week!"
"Deal!"
Suk's appearance was a boost for Birjukov.
Unlike Pešić, Suk wouldn't crowd his space.
More importantly, Suk's role focused on passing and assisting—perfect for helping Birjukov shine.
In fact, Birjukov secretly hoped Suk would become the regular starting center forward. His chances to score increased whenever Suk played.
Five minutes into the second half, Mostar Zrinjski had stabilized the game.
The substitutions were made: Koso Pešić and Oliveira out, Suk and Boa Morte in.
Suk and Boa Morte stood on the sideline.
As Koso Pešić walked off, Suk gave him a firm high five.
"Good luck!" Pešić shouted.
Oliveira brushed past Boa Morte without even looking at him. Boa Morte didn't seem to care.
Commentator Basso Dadić brightened as he saw Suk coming on.
"Number 99, Suk, is back as a substitute!"
"In the last two league games, Suk performed brilliantly—three assists in two matches. His intelligent movement and ability to drop deep link Mostar Zrinjski's attack seamlessly. While Pešić is a battering ram, Suk is a lubricant, helping the attack flow smoothly and creating chances for others."
Basso Dadić was eager to see Suk's impact.
Meanwhile, Leotar's center-back Unović was watching Suk carefully.
This "small" center forward, once of Mostar Velež, had handed them a loss at the end of last season.
Though Leotar had already secured promotion and weren't fully focused, Unović now realized that even at full strength, stopping Suk wouldn't be easy.
Still, he believed Suk would be easier to handle than Pešić.
When play resumed, Suk immediately dropped deep to link up.
Unović followed him closely.
He knew exactly what could happen if Suk was allowed to pass freely.
Suk pulled wide into space; Unović stayed glued to him. Suk turned, looked him in the eye, and said, "There's space behind."
"What?"
Unović was confused.
The next second, Modrić zipped a ground pass through the midfield—straight into the space Suk had cleared.
Boa Morte darted diagonally through the gap, using his pace to beat the full-back. He squared the ball to Birjukov.
Birjukov struck it!
Bang!
Too central!
The goalkeeper dived and held onto it.
"Ahhhhh—"
Birjukov ruffled his hair in frustration. He knew it was a poor shot and was annoyed with himself.
Still, he gave a thumbs-up to Suk and Boa Morte, acknowledging their smart movement and passing.
Unović, however, was baffled.
He'd stayed with Suk, yet Mostar Zrinjski had attacked with ease.
Of course it was different now.
Suk glanced at the confused Unović and thought to himself: Mostar Zrinjski and Mostar Velež are worlds apart.
Just looking at midfield: was Mlinar on Modrić's level?
Back at Velež, Suk had to drop constantly to relieve midfield pressure, becoming the front-line outlet.
But here, with Modrić's vision and precise passing, the game flowed.
As long as Suk created space, the team could break down defenses on their own.
That kind of fluidity left defenders like Unović feeling helpless.
Should they follow or not?
This time, Suk dropped even deeper—almost to the midfield line.
"Shit," Unović muttered. He couldn't follow that far.
Suk noticed he'd lost his marker and spun around quickly.
Now on the right side and behind the winger, Suk received Modrić's pass, laid it off to the flank, and then surged forward.
Modrić joined the run, and right-back Kerpić also overlapped.
Suddenly, Mostar Zrinjski had more players in attack than Leotar had in defense.
"Numerical advantage!"
Coach Vanja Dudić pumped his fist on the sideline.
With full-backs overlapping, Suk and Modrić cutting inside, midfielders pushing up, and the back line advancing—Zrinjski overwhelmed Leotar.
Birjukov sent the ball to Kerpić, who overlapped perfectly.
Suk's diagonal run dragged a center-back away, opening space.
Birjukov found himself completely unmarked.
Kerpić slipped the ball through the defender's legs.
Birjukov blasted it—straight into the top-left corner!
Zrinjski extended their lead.
"What a beautiful tactical sequence!"
Basso Dadić exclaimed.
In the Bosnia and Herzegovina league, most teams use brute force—either a battering ram like Pešić or speedsters down the wings.
Rarely did anyone attempt intricate buildup play like this.
But that's exactly what made the match so enjoyable.
This was the biggest change Suk brought since joining.
In this play, Suk only touched the ball once, but he was the spark.
His quick pass wide, his unselfish run to draw defenders—he made the goal possible.
A complex but aesthetically perfect move.
"Roar!!!"
Birjukov pumped his fists, running to the crowd and waving as the fans erupted.
Mostar Zrinjski supporters were thrilled.
Their team was getting better and better.
Support for Zrinjski soared.
And for Suk, the match was just beginning.
---
The next day, Mostar's newspapers featured bold headlines:
"A Pleasing Game! Mostar Zrinjski's Beautiful Football!"
"Vanja Dudić Brings a New Football Philosophy to Mostar!"
"Two Tactical Systems, Three Consecutive Wins!"
All headlines praised Mostar Zrinjski.
And at the bottom of the page, a small photo and caption read:
"Vanja Dudić: He's the key to it all. He's made it happen. His name is Suk."
A small black-and-white photo showed Suk smiling in the crowd, arms raised in celebration.