Chapter 168 Predicament
After Italy took the lead, Spain's national team coach Vicente del Bosque used his first substitution, replacing Pedro with right winger Keylor Navas.
Vicente del Bosque hopes that Navas, with his speed, dribbling skills, and exceptional ability to break through defenses, can revitalize Spain's right flank.
The substitution had an immediate effect; after Navas came on, Spain launched another wave of attacks.
In the 64th minute, Navas received a through ball from Alonso, broke through on the right wing, and crossed the ball after getting past Gattuso who came to intercept. Villa got past Nesta and came over to meet the ball, but his shot hit De Sanctis's arm.
In the 68th minute, Navas came back and crossed from the right wing again, but Villa's left-footed shot went wide of the post.
In the 71st minute, Xavi, Alonso, and Iniesta broke through Italy's midfield blockade with a short passing combination. Xavi then chipped the ball diagonally to Ramos, who was making a run down the wing. Ramos' header went over the crossbar.
In the 74th minute, Iniesta received a back pass from Villa and unleashed a powerful shot from the left side of the penalty area. De Sanctis guessed the wrong way, and the ball was blocked by Nesta.
...
Spain's attack came like a tidal wave, and Italy, which was already at a disadvantage, found it increasingly difficult to defend.
Fino had dropped back to the Italian half, shuttling back and forth between the midfield and the penalty area, contributing to the defense in conjunction with the two lines of defense in the middle and back.
With less and less time remaining in the game, Spain's offensive became increasingly fierce, and Italy's defense gradually began to crumble.
After struggling to hold on until the 80th minute, Lippi finally used his second substitution, replacing Ambrosini with Cannavaro to add a center-back and solidify the defense.
Cannavaro gave the order to defend to the death. Italy completely abandoned the attack and put all its strength into defense. Even Di Natale, who had stayed in the front to play counter-attacks, was withdrawn to the Italian half.
After enduring 80 minutes of intense competition, every Italian player's legs felt like lead, but they had only one belief in their hearts: just 10 more minutes, and if they could hold on for just 10 more minutes, they could lift the trophy!
Time ticked away, and Italy's defenses, like saplings swaying in a storm, remained resilient despite being battered and bruised by Spain's onslaught.
The Italian players on the bench had all stood up, put their arms around each other's shoulders, and waited for the final whistle to blow.
With the third minute of stoppage time approaching, Spain was awarded a corner kick.
With little stoppage time remaining, this is a chance to decide Spain's fate.
Goal! The game went into extra time, and the Spain-Italy battle continued. If no more goals were scored, Spain could only watch Italy lift the trophy.
Xavi was still standing at the corner flag.
Xavi took a deep breath and gently pushed the ball to Alonso, who was near the edge of the penalty area. At the moment of passing the ball, he also left the corner flag.
After receiving the ball, Alonso did not pass it into the penalty area, but instead passed it back to Xavi.
After Xavi touched the ball, he passed it out again, aiming at Iniesta, who suddenly surged from the back of the six-yard box to the penalty spot.
At this point, apart from Xavi, Alonso, and Gattuso and Zambrotta following alongside them, almost all the other players from both sides were crowded in the penalty area. Iniesta's run was unexpected by everyone.
Iniesta received the ball and chipped it over the heads of numerous players in the six-yard box, sending it into the top right corner of the goal.
With his view blocked by the players from both sides, De Sanctis didn't see the shot clearly, and he didn't even make a save attempt the instant the ball went into the net.
1-1, Spain equalized with a corner kick in the final moments of stoppage time, successfully forcing the game into extra time.
"Gooooal! Iniesta's shot is in! Iniesta is in! Iniesta is in! We've equalized! We've equalized! The game is about to go into extra time, Spain still has a chance! Spain still has a chance!" The Spanish commentator roared, his voice punctuated by obvious sobs.
The Spanish players were ecstatic. They hugged each other tightly, crying and laughing, their faces beaming with the joy of surviving a disaster.
De Sanctis's body gradually slid down, as if pressed down by something invisible, and he knelt directly on the ground.
The other Italian players also looked bewildered, a stark contrast to the expressions on the faces of the Spanish players on the other side.
Although the match ended in a draw, the morale of the two teams was vastly different at this point.
Italy led for more than 30 minutes under pressure from Spain, but were equalized at the last moment. Spain, on the other hand, fought back under pressure for 30 minutes and finally equalized at the last moment.
On one side, it's like falling into an abyss; on the other, it's like finding a way out of a desperate situation.
Seeing his teammates lost in confusion and frustration, Cannavaro, who had put the captain's armband back on, shouted: "Cheer up! We're just back on the same starting line!"
Fino tried to calm her rapid breathing, grabbed her already wet hair, adjusted her headband, and turned to walk off the field.
There is a few minutes of rest before overtime begins, during which the players can meet up with their coaches on the sidelines.
After taking a few steps, he realized his teammates hadn't followed, so he turned around, frowned, and shouted at them, "What are you standing there for? Don't cry over spilled milk, get ready for overtime, we'll win!"
The teammates jolted awake, as if from a dream.
With a cold expression, Fino looked very dignified, like a pillar of strength that made people willingly obey and follow him.
The South Africa World Cup lasted for a month. Fino, the youngest player and participating in a major tournament for the first time, became the spiritual pillar of the Italian team in just seven games.
As extra time progressed, viewers were surprised to find that the roles of attack and defense had reversed between Spain and Italy. Italy was now eager to score, while Spain solidified its defense and withstood Italy's repeated attacks.
Overtime is a test of willpower. The players have been running for a full 90 minutes, their physical strength is almost at its limit, and their movements are starting to become distorted. At this point, the test of their mental fortitude and fighting spirit is extremely high.
In the final 30 minutes of regulation time, Italy's defense was exhausted, while Spain, which kept launching attacks, was even more fatigued than Italy, and the Spanish players were already too tired to run anymore.
Under these circumstances, Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque decided to solidify the defense in extra time and drag the game into a penalty shootout.
The reason is simple: standing in front of the Spanish goal is Casillas, the Saint Casillas at the peak of his career.
Two years ago at the European Championship, Spain sent Italy home in a penalty shootout, with Buffon standing in front of the Italian goal.
And now, who is standing in front of the Italian goal?
Lippi quickly realized Bosque's idea, which made him feel very troubled.
Italy are defensive experts, and Lippi knows all too well how difficult it is to break through Spain's defense when they are exhausted.
Sure enough, Italy failed to break through Spain's defense until near the end of extra time. The frequent attacks took a toll on the players' stamina, and Zambrotta and Pirlo had already started to cramp up...
Italy still has one substitution left, and Lippi turned to look at Buffon.
Buffon understood what Lippi meant; Lippi was asking him if he could play in the penalty shootout.
He shook his head with a wry smile. He would play through the pain if there was any other way, but his back injury was too severe, seriously affecting his reaction speed and save movements, which was fatal for saving penalty kicks.
Lippi sighed and used his last substitution, replacing Criscito with Gilardino, adding another penalty specialist.
After extra time, the even more exciting penalty shootout began.
Lippi read out his list of penalty takers and their order: De Rossi, Di Natale, Pirlo, Gilardino, and Fino.
Roma's tough and spirited vice-captain De Rossi was put on the first pitch, with Lippi hoping he could get off to a good start.
Fino was placed last. Lippi and Fino have been working together for almost two years. He has great confidence in Fino's mental strength and penalty-taking ability. In particular, Fino's performance in South Africa this month has convinced him that Fino can play the role of "finisher" and withstand the pressure at crucial moments to deliver the decisive blow.
"Is there anyone who doesn't want to play? Or who has objections to the order of play? You can raise them."
Lippi's attitude was not tough; he spoke in a conciliatory tone.
At this point, there's no way to be tough. The pressure of a penalty shootout is too great. Anyone willing to step up to the penalty spot is a hero. If you really lack confidence, bring it up early and have another player take your place.
None of the five players on the free-throw list objected.
Lippi breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to have his assistant coach hand over the list of players to take the penalty kicks when he discovered another serious problem.
De Sanctis was in very bad shape; his face was pale, his teeth were clenched, and his fists were tightly knit.
In fact, De Sanctis's form was already poor from the moment Spain scored that tactical corner kick. Fortunately, Spain did not continue their relentless attack in extra time, and the three center-backs in front of the goal blocked him completely, which allowed him to hold on until the end of extra time.
When the even more exciting penalty shootout arrived, he felt he was about to give up.
This is a penalty shootout in the World Cup final; you can imagine the pressure the goalkeeper has to endure.
In the 2006 FIFA World Cup final in Germany, Buffon withstood the pressure and saved Trezeguet's penalty, helping Italy win the penalty shootout.
De Sanctis was watching on television back then, and even he felt suffocated imagining Buffon's situation. Now, the exact same scenario is playing out, and he's the protagonist now...
"Morgan, cheer up, the game will be over soon!" Cannavaro helped De Sanctis up and shook him, and the other players anxiously gathered around.
Italy has no substitutions left, and even if they did, with Buffon injured and Marchetti off the field, there's no goalkeeper to fill in. De Sanctis must pull himself together.
De Sanctis nodded. He understood the reasoning and knew he had to pull himself together and not give up. So he kept trying to mentally prepare himself, telling himself not to be nervous or afraid. But his body's reaction didn't lie; he even started gagging.
All the teammates tensed up. How could they possibly defend the goal like this?
At that moment, Lippi suddenly thought of the criticisms the media had leveled against him when the 23-man roster was announced, accusing him of favoritism and prejudice.
At that time, he vehemently refuted the media, sarcastically saying, "Every time the World Cup comes, there are all sorts of harsh voices. When we win, those who don't support us, please don't celebrate with us."
However, as the World Cup progressed, his thinking began to change. Perhaps the media's opposition wasn't entirely deliberate nitpicking; the Juventus contingent he favored did indeed fail to perform to his expectations, while Milan dragged Italy out of the group stage and all the way to the final.
In the goalkeeper position, Palermo's 23-year-old clutch young goalkeeper Sirigu and Amelia, the third-choice goalkeeper during the German World Cup, were both highly touted, but he completely ignored these voices and insisted on choosing Marchetti and De Sanctis, who were not favored by outsiders, as backup goalkeepers.
Now he's reaping what he sowed...
"I'll do it!"
A somewhat hoarse voice rang out.
It's Fino.
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Author's Note: Thank you everyone for your support! High five! [cat paw][cat paw][cat paw]
I absolutely have to finish this match tomorrow! [Crying][Crying][Crying]
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