Thanks to Samsara 9999, Eilia, and Yue Aiping for their tips!
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Alkmaar City, DSB Stadium.
Today was not a good day to watch football. The wind was cold and the rain was chilly. Many of the spectators in the stands were wearing raincoats, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the spectators.
The rain could never extinguish the passion that was ignited in the green field!
Standing in the players' tunnel, Qin Xiong's expression was resolute. His chin was slightly raised, and the fighting spirit in his heart was extremely strong!
Was he afraid of a rain battle?
No!
Even if it was Groningen's home ground, he was never afraid.
It was just that it would definitely affect his ability to play. This was determined by objective factors.
The difference was that in Groningen, he was not mentally prepared. He was not used to it, and he did not have suitable equipment for a rain battle.
But today, he was wearing the suitable Rain of Spikes shoes. After more than 10 days of intensive training in a rain battle environment, he was more confident and mentally prepared.
He was looking forward to the rain battle to come sooner, so that he could test his actual combat ability!
He would not run away, never.
Today's rain battle was just what he wanted. This was a test for him to make up for his shortcomings. The more matches like this, the stronger he could become!
If he could become stronger, why should he be afraid? Why should he run away?
Therefore, he was excited, extremely excited!
He was not used to wearing the Spikes shoes indoors. But when Qin Xiong walked into the field with his teammates, the moment his feet landed on the turf, the firm and strong ground supported his strong body. This feeling made him feel at ease!
He even lifted his leg and stomped on the ground after stepping into the field filled with wind and rain!
It was as if he could hear the subtle vibrations on the ground that humans could not detect. This filled him with more confidence and fighting spirit.
Swaying in the wind and rain, in the stands of the stadium, the home fans were cheering for their team. On the other hand, there was an abnormal commotion in the stands of the away fans.
That was the sound of mockery towards Alkmaar's general manager, Ko Adrianse.
He had not left Ajax for long, only two or three years. Many of the players in Ajax's squad were his former disciples.
At that time, he was not on good terms with the fans and the board of directors. After he left, Comain led the team to win the Eredivisie title. They also had a small breakthrough in the Champions League last season compared to the results in recent years. The overall development of the team was thriving, which made the Ajax fans even more proud and glad. There was also some hatred.
He hated Adrianse for wasting Ajax's time. Without him, Ajax might be even stronger today!
Adrian stood steadily at the side of the field, facing the wind and rain, his face solemn.
Don't be fooled by how harmless he looked at the press conference, and how he and Ajax got along peacefully. But now that they were in the middle of the competition and were about to begin, it was a completely different matter!
From the head coach to the players, Alkmaar was exuding a murderous aura!
Especially under the dark clouds of the wind and rain, the players on the field stood in their positions, looking majestic. They were like the black knights of the apocalypse, waiting for the whistle to blow and explode!
Alkmaar was the only team in the past 40 years that could snatch the Eredivisie title from the hands of the three biggest clubs in the Netherlands. But this was not enough to make them proud, nor did it give them a sense of superiority, especially when they were facing the local king, Ajax!
But this was the city of Alkmaar, Alkmaar's home ground. There were tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of fans watching them!
As a mid-tier team in the Eredivisie, even if Alkmaar did not have the hatred and vengeance that Adrianse had towards Ajax, at the very least, they had a strong determination to defend their dignity!
Ajax!
Don't you dare mess around in front of our house!
Alkmaar will be facing the league leader, Ajax. Four days later, Ajax will be facing the Champions League death match on their home ground. Their opponent is the mighty AC Milan. Ajax's fighting spirit in this match is worrying. They definitely do not want to waste too much energy on Alkmaar. But the head coach, Comain, has still sent out a strong lineup. Only the veteran Galasek has been kept as a substitute for safety purposes. Another good news is that in two days, the injured Pienaar will be back in training. Ajax will have more options in his lineup.
Alright, let's take a look at the starting lineups of both sides.
Alkmaar, who is in the home ground, will start 4-4-2.
Goalkeeper: Timor
Defenders: Opdan, Wijk, Lindberg, Kler.
Midfielders: Mildik, Buskermoren, Walters, Huizeggi.
Forwards: Elhtebi, Nellisse.
Ajax will start 4-4-3.
Goalkeeper: Lobonte.
Defenders: Grygera, Heitinga, Eskuder, Maxwell.
Midfielders: De Jong, Qin Xiong, Van Der Vaart.
Forwards: Shikora, Ibrahimovic, Snede.
The match is about to start. What will the outcome of this highlight match be like after 90 minutes? Ajax's four-match winning streak at the start of the season was ended by Breda in the fifth round. Now, in the tenth round, they have won another four matches in a row. Will they be able to continue this unstoppable momentum? Let's wait and see! "
From the start of the match, Alkmaar quickly launched an attack. It was as if they wanted to take advantage of the wind and rain to launch a surprise attack on Ajax!
They had a reason to do so. This was their home ground. The venue and popularity were all in their favor. In addition to their physical condition, Alkmaar was stronger. On the field, other than Huizeggi who was 21 years old, the rest of the Alkmaar players were between 24 to 31 years old. Their average age was much higher than Ajax's!
If Ajax's talent resources were the best in Holland, then Alkmaar's talent resources were a notch lower. Most of the Dutch players in their team were marginal national footballers. Some were substitutes, some were not yet promoted. As for those who came from countries that were weak in football, such as Morocco, they were definitely the main force of the national team. In European football, their strength was at least above average.
Adrianse was not a staunch supporter of Holland's 4-4-3. He preferred the 4-4-2. In the attack, the defenders on both sides would assist and link up in the middle to launch a fierce attack from both sides.
Because of this, Alkmaar deployed two defensive midfielders today. They were responsible for linking up the midfield and attacking from the flanks. The two fullbacks were very good at assisting. In addition to the two midfielders, there were also two forwards in front of the goal to provide support. Alkmaar's offense was very smooth, especially in a rainy environment. The efficiency of breaking through the flanks was very high!
Because when the front defense was broken through, the defender had to turn back to defend. In the slippery conditions of the field, the player's turning speed would be affected. The player's self-awareness would definitely slow down his turning speed! On the other hand, the opponent was rushing in a straight line. Unknowingly, they had a slight advantage.
In addition to this kind of environment, the side with the advantage in physical attacks could further exploit their advantage. This also made Alkmaar's offense look fierce and unstoppable!
Especially Ajax's right flank, it was completely destroyed!
Sikora's small body was knocked dizzy by the opponent. Grygra was also unable to withstand the heavy pressure.
Qin Xiong was a little sullen.
Alkmaar and PSV Eindhoven were using the same strategy!
Motherf * cker!
They did not attack from the middle!
Both wings were flying!
He was very embarrassed. He could not wait for the opponent to attack his defensive zone, so that he could test his strength.
Alkmaar's offense was clean and crisp. As long as the attacking players had a chance, they would shoot from long range. If there was a good chance to pass the ball, they would try to pass the ball.
In one attack, regardless of success or failure, the attacking team in the front field would immediately turn back to defend!
They looked very energetic, and their posture was very swift and decisive. Especially in the wind and rain, there was a different kind of temperament.
Adrianse did not care about the wind and rain at the side of the field. When attacking, he waved his hand and shouted loudly when switching between offense and defense. He also constantly waved his arms and pointed at the key areas to remind the players on the field.
This general was really giving it his all!
Qin Xiong realized that Ajax was in a passive position since the start of the game. He was suppressed by Alkmaar's momentum!
After all, Ajax could not really play this game without any distractions. Most of his teammates were probably focused on the Champions League match in a few days.
But Qin Xiong himself did not think so much. He was thinking about how to help the team turn the situation around!
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