Thanks to "kylz" for the tip!
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Adrianse had reason to have high hopes for his team. Crush Ajax!
Similarly, the Alkmaar fans were also full of confidence in their team!
This was not absurd!
Take a look at Alkmaar's record in the first nine rounds.
Apart from the opening match of the league, they unexpectedly lost to William II in an away match. Similarly, William II was also a team that Adrianse had previously coached. Moreover, he was the one who personally transformed William II, bringing it from the bottom to the middle. It was also through that experience that Adrianse's reputation in the coaching circle soared!
Since that loss, Alkmaar's momentum was like a rainbow, undefeated in 8 matches!
They achieved an impressive record of 7 wins and 1 draw.
They were forced to a draw by Feyenoord at home, and in their away match, they conquered the Philips Stadium!
On the scoreboard, Alkmaar was now ranked second, 2 points behind Ajax! They were 3 points ahead of the defending champions, PSV Eindhoven!
They did not have the most popular talents of the Netherlands, Robben, Van Persie, Kežman, Van Der Vaart, Snede, Ibrahimovic. However, they relied on their tenacious overall fighting strength, teamwork, and efficient execution of tactics. Under the expectations of the fans, they attempted to repeat the miracle of 20 years ago: Dominating the orange land!
To conquer this land, they had to defeat their most direct competitors!
Adrianse's heart was not as calm and serious as he appeared on the surface. He was arrogant, hot-blooded, and in the cold wind and rain, it was as if his blood was boiling!
Ajax!
I will bring Alkmaar to the clouds!
Against PSV Eindhoven, Feyenoord, and you, Ajax!
Enter the battle for the throne!
Comain must have known that Alkmaar's recent momentum was too fierce, and could be said to be monstrous!
Therefore, even if there was a Champions League match in the next few days, for this match against Alkmaar, they still sent out the main force of the team, just to be safe, they let the veteran Galasek avoid the match.
At this crucial moment, the clash between competitors could have a crucial impact on the entire season!
If Ajax lost!
Alkmaar usurped the throne and ascended to the top!
This would be a huge boost to the morale of Alkmaar's team of "blue collar warriors".
But on the other hand, if Alkmaar did not win, they could only watch Ajax retreat at their doorstep, or worse, watch Ajax widen the gap between them, and at the same time, PSV Eindhoven might catch up. Such a blow, to them, how heavy would it be?
Due to these factors, the second half of October and the second half of November were the toughest matches for Ajax. The two matches in the Champions League and the two matches in the Premier League had a huge impact on the season.
In this match, Qin Xiong did not seem to be greatly affected by the rain. His performance was very stable. On one hand, he was fully prepared. On the other hand, there was not much pressure. The opponent did not focus on the middle, so his movements were not affected.
From the start of the match, Ajax was in a passive position. In the wind and rain, Alkmaar's team's overall rhythm was pulled fast from the start. Their attacks were clean and efficient, and their defense was active. In addition, their physical condition was obviously better than Ajax's, which made Ajax unable to exert his advantage in the attack and defense rhythm.
Qin Xiong did not force the team's rhythm. He pursued speed with Alkmaar, to be faster than the opponent!
This was not realistic. First of all, Ajax's team did not want to go all out in this match. They wanted to win in a smarter and less exhausting way. This required the midfield commander, Qin Xiong, to remain calm at all times. He could not drive the rhythm, and he could not let his teammates repeatedly explode.
It looked like Qin Xiong did not control the overall situation like he did in previous matches, and he became simple and unassuming.
He was thinking, observing, and collecting information on the opponent's overall formation.
On the basis of not being able to compete with the opponent's speed, the opponent's two defensive midfielders were close to the rear defensive line, which compressed Van Der Vaart and Ibrahimovic's space to move in the middle.
Qin Xiong began to take advantage of this. He did not force the attack, but did the opposite. Slow!
Unparalleled slow!
Sloppy and slow!
Alkmaar retreated after finishing the attack quickly. Qin Xiong did not take advantage of the difference in rhythm between attack and defense to play a fast attack. Instead, he slowly passed the ball with De Rong and the two full backs. Sometimes, he even dribbled slowly in the midfield, waiting for the opponent to surround and suppress him.
In the 11th minute, Mildick dribbled the ball for a long distance attack from the right flank. He passed the ball from the flank, and Nelisse was defeated by Eskuder in a scramble for the header. Qin Xiong controlled the ball on the periphery. He did not launch a counterattack. He slowly dribbled the ball forward and waited for the opponent's chasing player to get into position before he passed the ball to Snede on the flank. However, Ajax obviously did not have a good opportunity to attack quickly, and it became a positional game.
Four minutes later, van der Vaart's long shot from the outside was blocked, and Alkmaar played a fast attack. Huizeggi got rid of Sikora on the flank and suddenly dribbled the ball inside in front of Grygera. Qin Xiong returned to defend and intercepted the ball at his feet. Qin Xiong turned 180 degrees to protect the ball and got rid of Huizeggi, who was frantically pressing for the ball. The latter lost the ball and failed to snatch it back, so he immediately retreated. Jax still did not play a fast attack under Qin Xiong's lead.
Even Kerman, who was watching from the sidelines, was confused.
Not only did Qin Xiong not speed up, he did not even give the ball to Van Der Vaart and let the captain speed up.
It was as if he was telling everyone in the world, "Jax, just get a draw!"
Qin Xiong observed the opponent's reaction every time he controlled the ball.
When Van Der Vaart also had to retreat and take the initiative to ask Qin Xiong for the ball, Alkmaar's two defensive midfielders were a little idle.
Qin Xiong's way of slowing down the pace made Alkmaar very uncomfortable.
They wanted to win!
They were not afraid of Ajax's attack.
In fact, the more Ajax attacked, the happier they were. They relied on the overall defense, and then took advantage of the difference in the rhythm of the transition between attack and defense to fight back against Ajax!
But Qin Xiong's way of slowing down the pace was on the one hand a waste of time, and on the other hand, it let their boiling blood gradually cool down.
Their form needed to be continued!
They shuttled up and down, at a rhythm that they were very satisfied with. This rhythm was unknowingly broken by Qin Xiong, becoming incoherent, needing to pause, restart, pause, restart!
In order to maintain this rhythm, the two defensive midfielders moved!
Buskermolen boldly charged into the midfield, not daring to rob Qin Xiong, but at least he had to follow Van Der Vaart and let his own two forwards surround and rob Qin Xiong, forcing Ajax to not let Qin Xiong control the ball for a long time. The football, rolling, flowing, the rhythm, naturally, also accelerated!
However, at the 24th minute, perhaps Buskermolen himself did not realize it, but Adrianse on the sidelines must have realized it!
Qin Xiong, this China player, was really f * cking cunning!
Another seemingly careless dribble, Qin Xiong dribbled the ball from the defensive midfielders to the center line, and when Buskermolen followed Van Der Vaart, Qin Xiong suddenly raised his leg for a long pass!
He deliberately kicked the ball high, and the football's landing point was in the defensive midfielders' area, slightly deviating from the center zone. The other defensive midfielder, Walters, could not rush to the landing point immediately, and could only let the football bounce to the ground.
Ibrahimovic was caught in the middle of the two center backs, and was originally somewhat helpless, but when he looked back and saw Qin Xiong's pass, he subconsciously narrowed his eyes, and his mind raced.
Playing football for many years, he had a habitual sixth sense for the trajectory of the football after it bounced off the ground.
If he guessed correctly, after the football bounced off the ground, it would fly forward, and the landing point would be on Ibrahimovic's left side!
And on his left side, Alkmaar's center back, Vijack, was guarding!
Probably everyone who made the prediction would think that Vijack would be able to steadily head the ball out of the siege, even if Ibrahimovic was stronger than him, but as long as he stood in his position, if Ibrahimovic dared to squeeze or bump, he would definitely be judged to have fouled!
However, Ibrahimovic did not snatch, did not fight for it!
He ran in the direction behind Vijack!
Vijack's attention was still on the football, and he was ready to head the ball out of the siege.
At this moment, Qin Xiong, who was in the midfield, had a sly smile on his face.
Rain battles, I like rain battles!
It makes me stronger, it makes me find a new joy in playing football!
The football bounced off the ground once again, and flew forward.
Vijack, who had originally planned to break the siege, suddenly looked flustered!
The football, in the slippery field, under the influence of different friction, actually had an obvious acceleration!
Vijack could not jump, because if he jumped, he would definitely not be able to break the siege!
He immediately turned around, but it was as if he had seen a ghost!
Ibrahimovic, without any difficulty, successfully reversed the offside position, and stood at the football's true landing point. In the instant the football fell, he half-turned and used his chest to intercept the ball, diagonally facing the goal!
Facing the Dutch national team's number two goalkeeper, Timor, Ibrahimovic displayed his superb technical ability. He stopped the ball with his chest, and without waiting for the ball to fall to the ground, he volleyed the ball!
The football went into the net!
Timor did not react!
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