Chapter 162 Scolari's Turtle Tactics (2)
Portugal's capital, Lisbon, Estadio da Luz, 4:35 pm, England vs. Portugal.
"Alan, catch the ball!" Gerrard pulled the ball back and then kicked it with his right foot, while looking up to remind him.
Under the attention of all the fans, on the sideline of the Portuguese penalty area, Wang Li squeezed against C. Ronaldo, suddenly turned around in the direction where the ball was rolling, shook off C. Ronaldo, took two steps to the left, stopped suddenly and dodged the position in disguise, looked up at the goal, and took a long shot following the rhythm!
"Alan got the ball!! This is an opportunity!!... In disguise, shoot!! Oh, my God, the ball was saved by Ricardo again! What a pity, if we could score a goal at this time, victory would be ours!! This 28-year-old goalkeeper is perhaps the best player of the Portugal team today. He has saved three sure goals in a row during this period. Alas..." After nearly 100 minutes of shouting, Graham's voice was obviously a little hoarse, but he still insisted on his **. Commenting on the game is his job, but football is his hobby!
Eriksson stood on the bench, staring at the game on the field with a serious face. He wanted to stand up and do something, but he felt helpless. There is no halftime break in overtime, and now the players' physical fitness is more or less a problem. In this case, making tactical adjustments is almost meaningless and may even help the opponent.
Portugal, on the other hand, was not much better. Except for Cristiano Ronaldo and Postiga who played in the second half, who were slightly more active and occasionally launched counterattacks against England, the other players almost all huddled in their own half. In fact, this could not be entirely blamed on them. First of all, after more than 100 minutes of the game, they could hardly run. Moreover, England now had a heavy gunner with great firepower. When they did not have much physical energy to fight and grab, it was safest to use human flesh to pile up in the penalty area. Many of their players were even ready for the penalty shootout, although if they did not score in the first half, they would have to continue to hold on for the next 15 minutes of the second half...
Seeing this passive situation on the court, Scholes could not sit still. Taking advantage of a sideline ball, he hurriedly called Gomez, whispered a few words to him, and then swung his arms towards the court. This action made Eriksson on the England bench stunned, and he slightly speculated in his heart: "Does this Brazilian madman want to continue attacking? Does he have any tricks?"
However, in the following games, Eriksson felt that his opponent was cunning, but he also had to admire his courage!
Because the Portuguese team actually adopted a tactic that no one could have imagined.
Full defense!!
That's right, after attacking for nearly 100 minutes, the Portuguese team made a big reversal in the last 10 minutes of overtime and turned to full-strength defense! Maybe many fans don't understand the meaning of full-strength defense, but this time, the Portuguese players used their actions to explain the concept of this tactic to all the fans who followed this game.
10:0:0 tactics!
Of course, this may be a bit exaggerated, but at least even Gomez, who was at the front, has returned to the edge of his own penalty area!
The fans in the stands were in an uproar. Veteran fans only needed to take a look at the positions of the players on the field to clearly see that Portugal, as the host team and one of the greatest teams in the world, has now completely given up the attack. Is there anything more embarrassing for the local Portuguese fans than this?
Looking back at the Portugal team's ups and downs in football history over the past 100 years, they have always been famous throughout Europe for their delicate footwork skills. This kind of football technology often represents offense, so Portugal's football advocates offense. As long as they participate in the game, the scene will look very exciting. This is the charm of offense in football matches.
This also makes many Portuguese fans proud! Maybe in their hearts, in order to maintain the team's style, it doesn't matter even if they lose the game, but now the team has chosen to shrink and defend!
This is simply a shame for the Portuguese team!
Is there anything more infuriating than this?
Then, there were sporadic boos from the Portuguese fans in the stands, which eventually became continuous. When the English fans saw the situation on the field, they also responded anxiously, and soon, the sound filled the entire Estadio de Luz!
Although they had different ideas, all the fans in the stadium were extremely united at this moment!
Although this made Scolari feel a little depressed, it did not affect the judgment of the Brazilian coach. Being hated by the fans is indeed not pleasant, but as the host, if he loses in the quarter-finals, it will be even more embarrassing for him!
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"Sir, is this a good idea? If we give up the attack, the situation will become very passive?" Assistant coach Martel asked anxiously. As a Portuguese, he did not want to see the team adopt such a shameful tactic.
"Between winning and losing face, what would you choose?" Scolari pondered for a moment, then turned to look at him and asked.
Martel thought about it and shook his head silently. This was really a difficult decision to make.
"So, I chose victory!" Scolari understood the Portuguese's thoughts, but as the team's head coach, of course, he was more focused on results. After saying that, he turned his eyes to the court, staring at the black-haired boy who was dribbling the ball, and unconsciously gave him a thumbs up in his heart.
If it weren't for this kid being so threatening, how could the Portuguese team have played the game like this?
'That's the role of a star player, just like Ronaldo...'
…………
The game on the field had entered the ninth minute of the second half of overtime. Wang Li struggled to get rid of Carvalho's entanglement and was about to kick the ball, but was pushed away by Andrade and cleared the ball with a big kick.
Just two minutes later, Beckham made a cross from the right, Owen faked the ball and let it pass directly to Wang Li. Wang Li took the ball and turned around without thinking, and the ball hit Carvalho's calf and bounced out of the sideline.
…
Since Portugal has been defending with all its might, it has been almost impossible for the team to find loopholes in its attack. The small penalty area is filled with densely packed figures, and all of them are strong players. It is really difficult to break through their defense and find a chance to score!
At this moment on the court, the black-haired boy outside the penalty area has unknowingly become the focus of everyone's attention!
He kept using his body and skills to attack the Portuguese penalty area, trying to find a chance to score. In more than 10 minutes, he made seven consecutive shots, although most of them were a bit forced, but this firepower was also formidable!
Wang Li also tried to cooperate with his teammates, but his teammates had almost no physical strength left, and the England team was not good at short-distance passing, so it was difficult to break the opponent's "turtle tactics". All of this made him feel a little powerless.
However, in order to win, he still insisted on continuing to work hard!
Just once, as long as the opponent makes a mistake, he believes he can bring victory to the team!
…………
Time was slowly passing, and almost everyone in the Luz Stadium was staring at the persistent figure on the green field. He was like a fearless warrior, attacking the Portuguese team's defense again and again. In the 20 minutes of overtime, he had no idea how many times he was intercepted and how many times he fell, but after standing up, he continued to attack. Even many local Portuguese fans were moved by his spirit and remembered this name deeply!
In the VIP box, Rita's eyes were unconsciously filled with crystal raindrops. It was impossible for her not to be moved...
In the end, Scolari's tactics were successful, and the Portuguese team defended the goal with great difficulty. With Collina's whistle, the overtime period ended with a score of 2:2 and the two teams tied.
When the whistle sounded, almost all the players on the green field sat down on the grass. They were so tired! The 120-minute game consumed too much of their physical strength and energy, whether they were the attackers or the defenders!
However, the game did not end because the time ran out, because this was the final! They had to decide the winner!
This is the cruel competition, this is the eye-catching European Cup final, this is the passion-filled sport of football!
Therefore, what awaits the two teams is the upcoming penalty shootout!!
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