Chapter 1052: The Situation is Stronger than People

Standing on the sidelines, Scola was as gloomy as water, staring at the court with a worried look on his face.

It is now the second half and the score is still one to zero. Beijing Guoan, playing at home, has temporarily taken the lead.

The two sides were at loggerheads and had a lot of fun fighting.

To be frank, Scolari felt that this was the most challenging game he had encountered in the Chinese Super League and even in the AFC Champions League since he took over Guangzhou Evergrande.

The opponent was a team from the Chinese Super League, which made him realize for the first time that Yangcheng Hengda might lose.

It's not just about losing a game, it's also about losing the league championship!

He wouldn't have believed this last season, or even before this game.

Even when Beijing Guoan was on a roll with three consecutive wins, he was full of confidence in his team.

But now, he was really a little shaken.

Beijing Guoan’s tactics were indeed very active, especially in the entire midfield and frontcourt.

In this game, Park Cheng was taken off and Kaka was brought on.

Scolari is well aware of the level of his compatriot. Many people still remember Kaka as the invincible young man who chased the wind. However, few people know that Kaka has gradually begun to transform after suffering a serious injury.

Kaka now looks like a midfielder with a wide range of activities, excellent footwork, the ability to dribble, pass and shoot. Although his playing style is not as dazzling as in his peak period, it is also quite good.

And judging from his performance in the Major League Soccer and the Chinese Super League, his injuries have basically healed and his condition is maintained quite well. If such a player is placed in a Chinese Super League team, he will definitely be a core-level player.

Pochettino is very smart. Ibrahimovic is the core of the frontcourt attack. With the personal ability of the Swedish center, who can limit him?

As long as the ball can be passed to Ibrahimovic, he can create a threat.

Scolari also knew this clearly, but he couldn't completely restrict Ibrahimovic.

Feng Xiaoting and Jin Yingquan, both of them can't stand up to him alone, is it going to be three against one?

How do we play this game then?

Ibrahimovic is the spearhead. He is not only the team's most important scorer in the frontcourt, but also the bridgehead of the team's offensive tactics, planning the team's offense in the frontcourt.

Having such a player with such outstanding personal abilities and distinct technical and tactical characteristics in the frontcourt would be a considerable threat even in the top European leagues, let alone in the Chinese Super League.

It can be said that Beijing Guoan’s introduction of Ibrahimovic is definitely a super killer!

But Pochettino did more than just that.

Surrounding Ibrahimovic, Zhang Xizhe and Wu Lei, as well as Chen Zhizhao who was successfully activated this season, are all players with excellent personal abilities, good footwork, and certain organizational and passing abilities.

In this game, Beijing Guoan has an additional Kaka in the midfield and frontcourt.

Such an offensive lineup configuration is definitely a big test for Yangcheng Hengda.

Scolari wanted to limit the attack of Beijing Guoan team, but he didn't know where to start.

The opponent has a very clear offensive core, that is Ibrahimovic, but the problem is that you can't limit him.

Well, if you follow this line of thought, the usual approach is to avoid Ibrahimovic.

Since I can't restrict you, I won't let you receive the ball easily, I will isolate you from your teammates, cut off your teammates' passing routes to you, and leave you isolated and helpless in the frontcourt.

But the problem is that whether it is Zhang Xizhe, Wu Lei, Chen Zhizhao, or Kaka, they all have enough personal ability to pass the ball to Ibrahimovic's feet.

Once the Swedish center got the ball, Beijing Guoan's entire frontcourt offense came alive.

It can be said that the small-scale cooperation of Beijing Guoan's players in front of the penalty area was very exquisite. The offensive routines of two or three people were very lively. Coupled with Ibrahimovic's deterrence in the frontcourt, it was really a headache.

After the first goal, Scolari suffered enough in this regard.

He had no choice but to lower his posture as the situation was stronger than him and was forced to call up the players and retreat!

I can't afford to offend you, but can't I hide from you?

A real man can bend and stretch. I will hide from you first, avoid your attention, and then slowly find a chance to play with you!

But Scolari has rich coaching experience and knows very well that when facing a coach with a coaching style like Pochettino, if you give in too much, he will become more and more demanding.

Therefore, when retreating, Scolari also buried a hidden mine in the front court.

That is, he asked Goulart and Jackson Martinez to specifically target Xabi Alonso.

Scolari is well aware of Xabi Alonso's characteristics. His passing and organization are world-class, but his ability to escape is insufficient. Once he is targeted, his organization and passing abilities will be greatly reduced.

Not only that, after the midfield retreated completely, the focus was to pinch Beijing Guoan's team cooperation and infiltration at the front of the penalty area. Captain Zheng Zhi and midfielder Paulinho stayed in this area.

By retreating and defending the middle, Guangzhou Evergrande forced Beijing Guoan to attack only through the flanks, while at the same time cutting off the connection between the flanks and the middle. Through the advantage in numbers, they restricted the performance of players such as Ibrahimovic.

It should be said that although Scolari's targeted defense in the first half caused Guangzhou Evergrande to be in a passive and even embarrassing situation on the court, it was successful and barely blocked the attack of Beijing Guoan.

Not only that, by restricting Xabi Alonso, Guangzhou Evergrande also got several good counterattack opportunities.

But how long such tactics can be sustained is a question.

And now that Beijing Guoan has a goal in hand, Guangzhou Evergrande will definitely find ways to score a goal.

But what was surprising was that at the beginning of the second half, before Yangcheng Evergrande, who should have been more eager to score a goal, made any move, Pochettino had already taken the initiative to respond.

The Argentine coach's response was also simple. Xabi Alonso retreated to the back line and formed a three-center-back formation with Xu Yunlong and Lei Tenglong, while the two full-backs Zhang Chengdong and Jiang Zhipeng pressed forward.

At the beginning of the second half, facing Southampton's sudden change of formation and fierce attack, there was panic in front of Yangcheng Hengda's goal again.

Scolari looked at the field worriedly, then glanced at the young Argentine coach in front of the home team's coaching bench, and cursed in his heart, "Nimei, he is really unreasonable. He has the same temper as that bastard Bielsa!"

But want to score again?

Humph, you'll be so beautiful!

Just now I was just careless for a moment and fell into your trap, allowing Ibrahimovic and Kaka to score with their personal abilities. Now you want to score again?

You are bubbling with beauty!

"Go, tell our two full-backs to get into the penalty area and let the opponents roam on both wings!"

"Tell Zheng Zhi and Paulinho to help defend the two flanks in front of the penalty area."

"Notify Goulart to withdraw and stand at the front of the penalty area to protect it."

"There is also Jackson Martinez. If you want to counterattack, you should find this spot and use him to counterattack."

Following Scolari's series of arrangements, the assistant coach quickly walked to the sidelines and immediately conveyed the information to the players on the field.

As soon as the players on the field received the adjustment instructions from the head coach, they immediately made targeted responses.

Scolari was standing on the sidelines. He saw Beijing Guoan's Chen Zhizhao on the right who didn't get any chance in the frontcourt. He hurriedly made a cross and wanted to lift the ball into the penalty area. However, the ball was confiscated by Zeng Cheng who was attacking. He immediately laughed.

Then he looked at Pochettino with a proud look in his eyes, "Let your boy learn well!"

Not only that, after restricting the attack of Jingcheng Guoen, Yangcheng Hengda quickly seized an opportunity.

Zheng Zhi made a long pass from the midfield, and Jackson Martinez quickly counterattacked.

Although Beijing Guoan's two central defenders Xu Yunlong and Lei Tenglong quickly followed up and attacked from both sides, Jackson Martinez still got a chance to shoot outside the penalty area, but he kicked the ball in a hurry and was harassed by Lei Tenglong from the side, so he missed the target and the ball went out of the baseline.

Scolari watched from the sidelines and shook his head.

For this goal, if there had been a Hengda player following Jackson Martinez, the Colombian center would have been able to avoid fighting alone, and this attack would most likely have been successful.

But just now he asked the players in the frontcourt to retreat, so when they counterattacked, they couldn't press forward so quickly.

The two central defenders of Beijing Guoan defended very quickly, especially Lei Tenglong, who was very difficult to deal with.

Now it is a bit of a dilemma for Yangcheng Hengda.

Scolari wanted to press forward, but was worried about defensive problems.

But if we don't push forward, it would be difficult for Jackson Martinez to achieve anything alone.

Just when Scolari was hesitant, things changed again on the field.

After a wall pass between Kaka and Zhang Xizhe, Kaka found Wu Lei at the front of the penalty area. Wu Lei quickly knocked the ball, and Kaka got a chance at the front of the penalty area and shot directly.

The ball hit the ground with such force that all the fans in the stadium burst into an uproar.

But goalkeeper Zeng Cheng reacted quickly and punched the ball out with both fists.

Chen Zhizhao quickly inserted from the right and made a hasty follow-up shot, but it was too high and he missed the opportunity to expand the score.

But it was Chen Zhizhao's shot that made Scolari, who originally wanted to press forward, suppress the idea in his mind.

The capital's Guoen is now on the rise, and it would be too dangerous to suppress it at this time.

Wait a little longer!

But soon, Kaka retreated again to receive the pass from Lei Tenglong, turned around and dribbled the ball forward, and made a direct over-the-top pass.

Ibrahimovic understood what he meant and shook off the two central defenders of Evergrande. He quickly moved forward and without waiting for the ball to land, he swung his right foot and performed a very difficult kick, which happened to hit the ball on its falling path.

The ball was affected and turned in another direction, falling to the right.

Feng Xiaoting and Jin Ying were both shocked, but when they reacted and looked over, they found that Wu Lei had come up from behind at some point in time, and faced the falling ball, kicked it forward, and then quickly caught up with him.

Yangcheng Evergrande's goalkeeper Zeng Cheng was shocked. God knows how the Swede could perform such a difficult move?

He originally thought that Ibrahimovic would shoot directly, or stop the ball first.

So, when Wu Lei quickly came up, he reacted immediately and abandoned the goal to attack.

But he is fast, and Wu Lei is even faster.

As soon as Wu Lei caught up with the ball, he kept his eyes on Zeng Cheng and made a direct shot.

The ball passed by Zeng Cheng, stuck to the grass, rubbed the right post, and hit the goal of Yangcheng Hengda.

Two to zero!

“The ball goes in!!!!!!!!!!!!”

All the fans in the Workers' Stadium cheered in an instant, and all the passion was ignited in an instant.

"Wu Lei! Wu Lei!! Wu Lei!!!"

This local striker, who just transferred to Beijing Guoan for a huge price this season, has performed very well in the new season and conquered the fans of Workers' Stadium.

This goal is so wonderful!

It was not just because Wu Lei calmly seized the opportunity, but also because of Ibrahimovic's sudden and difficult kick. Who would have thought that the Swedish center could even assist with this kind of move?

Could it be that this move comes from Taekwondo?

The entire Workers' Stadium was in an uproar.

Everyone knows that with a two-goal lead, Yangcheng Hengda is basically finished!

Even Yangcheng Evergrande's head coach Scolari couldn't help showing a frustrated look.

He had already retreated, but unexpectedly, he still failed to hold on!