When Tang En walked back to the arena, he felt that something was wrong, but he could not put his finger on what exactly was wrong.
It was only when he saw Rijkaard walk out of the tunnel and then look up at the sky that he reacted.
He also looked up at the night sky.
The rain had stopped!
He widened his eyes and stretched out his palms. Not a single drop of rain hit his cheeks or palms.
The wind blew over the field. He could even see the dark clouds rolling in the night sky, about to leave.
The quagmire that bound Barcelona was gone. Heaven's will had changed.
"Damn it … Damn it …" Tang En muttered as he raised his head.
The weather conditions that were most favorable to him had become favorable to the opponent.
Without heavy rain, with the drainage capacity of the Stade de France, the field would soon not be as slippery as it was in the first half. When that time came …
It was something that he did not dare to think about.
"Tony, what's wrong?" David Kerslake, who had walked up from behind, passed Tang En and found him still standing in the same spot.
"Nothing … Let's go, David." Tang En did not want anyone to know the worry in his heart.
※ ※ ※
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the 05-06 UEFA Champions League final! The two sides are England's Nottingham Forest and Spain's Barcelona. It's now the second half of the game. The score is 1: 0. Nottingham Forest is in the lead for now. "
After the game started, Rijkaard replaced the defensive midfielder Edmilson with "Little White" Iniesta. The meaning of this substitution was obvious. It was to continue to strengthen the offense and completely gain control of the midfield. Rijkaard believed that the Forest team, who was still in the lead, would definitely continue to defend in the second half. In that case, it would be a waste to put a defensive midfielder in the midfield. Replacing Iniesta with the skillful Iniesta could still continue to create pressure on the Forest team's rear defensive line.
Barcelona continued to besiege Nottingham Forest like they had in the first half, while the Forest team huddled in the penalty area to defend. Perhaps for the audience that liked Barcelona, such a game was very good to watch because they could see the performances of star players like Ronaldinho. They could see Barcelona pressing on the opponent. They did not even need to worry about Barcelona's rear defensive line — the Forest team had no ability to break into Barcelona's 30-meter zone.
Barcelona had the overall advantage, while Nottingham Forest was beaten to the point where they could only defend and had no power to fight back. The situation made many Forest supporters break out in a cold sweat. But Twain was not worried about this at all.
Although the Forest team was on the defensive, only the experts could see that their formation was maintained very well. The three lines were compact and did not get pulled apart by Barcelona's attack. As long as the Forest team maintained this form, Barcelona would not have a chance. Don't be fooled by their huge momentum. In fact, it was all bark and no bite.
Nottingham Forest had used this tactic to play for two seasons, and now it was even more handy in the Champions League final.
"Looks like Manager Tang En is determined to defend until the end of the match. This is the situation he's best at handling, even though the second half has just begun …" The commentator's tone carried a hint of ridicule.
Barcelona did not seem to have a better way to deal with the Forest team's impenetrable formation. It was almost impossible for Ronaldinho to break through the Forest team's three layers of defense with his personal skills. Under such a concentrated defense, there was no space for Eto 'o to accelerate and escape.
Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes … Barcelona was getting more and more impatient.
They had one more player than their opponent, but they were behind in points and could not break through the situation. It would be strange if they were not impatient in the face of such a situation.
A huge pressure hung over the heads of the Barcelona players. If they could not win the match in the end, they would become the laughingstock of all of Europe. Because they were stronger than their opponent and they had more people, they had the upper hand throughout the match. Yet, they had allowed the Forest team to win the match with a sneak attack.
Being a favorite to win the championship was both an honor and an affirmation from others. At the same time, it was also a kind of pressure.
※ ※ ※
Outside the field, Twain saw the Barcelona players start to get impatient. The tense nerves on his face finally relaxed. This was a good sign.
As the match went on, as long as the Forest team continued to defend like this, then Barcelona would become even more impatient. When that happened, Eto 'o, who was like a barrel of gunpowder, might choose to act recklessly.
It was good to act recklessly! Tang En liked reckless opponents and reckless vanguards.
He was not afraid of opponents who relied on their bodies to kick the ball.
The Forest team successfully intercepted the ball and launched an attack. Albertini's long pass found Viduka, the lighthouse in the front field. Viduka won in the fight for a header with Márquez. He placed the ball to Arteta, who had already quickly plugged in. The Forest team switched from defense to offense.
Defense was not just about defending. It was necessary to use counterattacks to continue harassing the opponent, so that Barcelona would not dare to press forward with full force. This was already a cliché. Even if Twain did not say it, the Forest players knew what to do.
Arteta did not stop the ball well, allowing Puyol to intercept it. Following that, Barcelona took advantage of the situation to counterattack. At this time, the Forest team's defense in the back field was not concentrated because of the right-handed attack. There was a lot of space that could be used.
Puyol did not hesitate. He directly pushed the ball in a straight line, and the ball rolled to Iniesta's feet.
Just as the Forest players focused their attention on Eto 'o and Ronaldinho, Iniesta charged out. After receiving the ball, he took advantage of the situation to turn around and shake off Albertini. Then, faced with Piqué's tackle, he agilely pushed the ball away and jumped to avoid it. At this time, there was only Pepe and the goalkeeper, Paul Gerrard, in front of him.
"Barcelona's chance! Iniesta … Iniesta! He bypassed two of them! "
Pepe's positioning was very reasonable. He was also very confident in this kind of one-on-one. Iniesta saw Pepe cautiously retreating to guard against his surprise attack, so he did not choose to force a breakthrough. Instead, he suddenly raised his leg to shoot from outside the penalty area!
The football rolled along the turf toward the goal. Paul Gerrard, who was highly focused, caught the ball in his arms in the end.
"Paul Gerrard saved Iniesta's shot! This was originally a good chance for Barcelona, but Iniesta's shot was too light! "
Pepe shouted from behind, "Don't give them another chance like this!"
But what was the use? The Forest team could not hide in the penalty area for forty-five minutes. They had to attack and press forward.
Of course, Iniesta's breakthrough just now might have been stopped at Albertini's position. If George Wood had been in that position, he would definitely have fouled without hesitation.
※ ※ ※
"Tony, we need to counterattack …" Kerslake reminded after seeing the thrilling scene on the field just now.
"Of course … if we have the strength to spare." Twain still insisted on stabilizing the defense first.
"A one-goal lead is not safe."
"Against Barcelona, it's not easy to lead by one goal, David." With that, Twain got up from his seat and walked to the substitutes' bench. "Freddy, go and warm up."
Eastwood jumped up from his seat, threw off his jacket and ran out.
Having given his instructions, Twain returned to his seat in the technical area.
Kerslake smiled. "Ready to change players?"
"No, just in case. I don't expect Viduka to score in the front. His role is not to score goals. He's a nail nailed to Barcelona's rear defensive line, so they don't dare to act rashly. But if I want to make a change, he's the only one I can change. "
Kerslake nodded to show that he understood Twain's thinking.
The Forest team's middle and backfield could hardly be moved because the current defensive system was still well organized. If they were to casually change players, it was likely that there would be loopholes that Barcelona could take advantage of.
So, if they wanted to seek a change and make the passive situation less passive, the only position that could be moved was the stitches.
Thinking of that, he turned his head to look at Anelka, who sat on the substitutes' bench. The French striker had been silent ever since he was replaced. During the halftime interval, he did not interact with anyone else. He sat alone in the corner, looking very gloomy.
Anelka was actually an expert in counterattacks. If he were not in the starting lineup, he would have been Twain's first choice at this time. Unfortunately, Edwin van der Sar's red card had changed the fates of several people.
※ ※ ※
Freddy Eastwood did his warm-up on the sidelines, his eyes fixed on the field. All his attention was on the match.
Back when he was playing for West Ham's youth team, his biggest dream was to play in a real professional match and become a true professional player. Later, in a match against Nottingham Forest's youth team, he broke his leg. For half a year after that, his only wish was to be able to play football again. For that, he went to an amateur team.
Following that, a future he had never imagined appeared in his life, one after another.
Twain came knocking on his door and became a true professional player. In the League One match against Sunderland, he played in a real professional match. He scored twice in that match and scored the first two goals of his professional career. Half a year later, not only did the team successfully rise to the English Premier League, but they also defeated Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on penalty kicks. As a key player, he picked up the first championship trophy of his professional career.
Now, he was warming up on the side of the Stade de France. Would this highly anticipated match be another first in his life?
Now that the team was in a predicament, Viduka only had one tactical role in the front field — to restrain the opponent's forces. He could not pose a real threat to Barcelona's goal. Why did the manager want him to warm up? He would certainly bring him on. What was the point of bringing him on? If it was still to restrain the opponent's forces, Eastwood believed that the strong Viduka could do better.
Clearly, if he were to go on, it must be because the manager was dissatisfied with the current situation and had more demands for such a score. He wanted him to go up and score a goal, to truly threaten Barcelona's goal.
What should he do then?
Taking advantage of the warm-up, Eastwood thought about how to go on the field to change the situation.
※ ※ ※
Although Iniesta's shot this time did not score, it brought confidence to the Barcelona players. Following that, they launched an even more ferocious attack on Forest's goal.
Deco ran the ball horizontally at the front of the penalty area, swung the angle, and then raised his left foot for a volley shot. Paul Gerrard pressed the ball to the ground in a slightly disheveled manner. Following that, Viduka shoved van Bommel after losing the ball in the midfield and was shown a yellow card by the referee. Tang En was equally dissatisfied with the decision. Ever since Edwin van der Sar was sent off with a red card, every time the referee made a decision that was not in Forest's favor, it would cause Tang En to yell on the sidelines for a while. This time, the slow-motion footage showed that Tang En's anger was very reasonable, because Viduka had shoveled the ball first.
Following that, Iniesta passed a straight pass from the middle. Ronaldinho was brought down by Pepe when he broke through, and Barcelona won a free kick from the top of the penalty area. His right foot free kick hit the human wall and bounced off Arteta's body. Arteta fell to the ground, clutching his stomach. Ronaldinho had no intention of kicking the ball out. Instead, he met the ball for a volley shot. This time, the ball went wide of the goal.
Then, Ronaldinho used a beautiful feint on the left side of the penalty area to deceive Chimbonda, who was defending against him. This move won him huge cheers from the stands. After breaking through Chimbonda, he raised his leg to pass the ball. This time, the goalkeeper, Paul Gerrard, once again made a crucial save. He subconsciously raised his hand to hit the ball, which deviated from the predetermined path, causing Eto 'o in the middle to pounce on empty air.
"Paul Gerrard — Ah! The crucial finger tip! "
Barcelona's offense was not over yet. Following that, van Bronckhorst's pass from the flank was headed out by Pepe, and Deco's long shot was firmly protected by Paul Gerrard.
The rain above Paris had stopped, but the wind and rain in front of Nottingham Forest's goal grew stronger.
"It won't do to be suppressed like this," Tang En muttered to himself.
Kerslake knew what Tang En was going to do. He ran directly to the area where the players were warming up and called Eastwood back. There was no time to lose now.
Tang En turned his head and saw that Eastwood was already standing beside him. He was still a little stunned.
Until the Romani took the initiative to ask him, "Boss, is it my turn to play?"
"Ah … Hmm, yes. Freddy, you go up and replace Viduka. You'll be the lone arrow. But your task is different from Viduka's. I want you to go up and try your best to score a goal. "Tang En extended his index finger." One. One more goal, and Barcelona will collapse. "
Eastwood nodded with a smile. This was exactly what he had expected.
"I will, Boss."
"Go up!" Tang En gave him a slap on the back and pushed him out.
※ ※ ※
"Nottingham Forest has made an adjustment. Coach Tang En has replaced Mark Viduka with Freddy Eastwood! This was a substitution in the offense! It looks like Tony Twain is not satisfied with a one-goal lead. He still wants to pursue more goals and a bigger score! What a bold move. In a situation where the rear defense is repeatedly strained, he takes the initiative to make an offensive substitution … "
"This manager has become the focus of attention in England with his crazy and unconventional words and deeds. In the Champions League final, he has once again shown us this side of him."
Viduka panted heavily and high-fived Eastwood as he left the field. Tang En shook hands with him. Eastwood ran onto the field and conveyed the specific information of the adjustment to the midfielders. From his hand gestures, he wanted the midfielders to pass low and straight balls as much as possible.
Eastwood's advantage was that his technique was more comprehensive, he was more flexible, and he had average qualities in all areas. His speed was not slow, his shooting was exquisite, his awareness was outstanding, and he also had a very threatening long shot. Letting him be the lone arrow to score goals was the best use of his talent.
Less than two minutes into the field, Eastwood snatched an opportunity in the front field!
It was really "snatched."
Forest's long ball moved forward. Márquez headed the ball back to Oleg at the front of his own penalty area. Oleg received the ball facing Márquez, but he stopped the ball a little too far.
When the astute Eastwood saw Márquez jump up to head the ball, he ran toward Oleg. Because Oleg's position was closest to Márquez, it was also the most convenient direction for him to head the ball. Puyol was also on the other side, but Arteta was not far from there. Márquez's back was facing Puyol, so it was too dangerous to head the ball backward.
Eastwood's judgment was completely correct. Oleg received the ball, and because he was not clear about the situation behind him, he stopped the ball a little too far away from his body.
When Márquez saw Eastwood charge up, it was too late for him to warn his teammates. Oleg only felt a hand on his body, and then he saw a yellow figure run past him!
The ball was intercepted!
"Nottingham Forest has intercepted the ball in the front field! Eastwood, who just came on, snatched Oleg's ball … His stopping the ball was too stupid! "
"Eastwood! Nottingham Forest's chance — "
The stands rang with boos from the Barcelona fans. These sounds were entangled with the cheers of the Nottingham Forest fans.
Márquez wanted to stretch out his leg to block, but Eastwood poked the ball past him. He had already entered the penalty area! Puyol quickly rushed up from behind and forced his way towards Eastwood. Márquez was also unwilling to be shaken off like this, so he turned around and chased back.
The goalkeeper, Valdés, quickly closed in on the near corner and blocked Eastwood's shooting angle.
There were wolves in front and tigers behind, but Eastwood was surprisingly calm. He did not give the Barcelona players a chance to complete the encirclement and suddenly raised his leg to shoot from a small angle —
"Shoot!"
The Barcelona goalkeeper, Valdés, reacted very quickly. He jumped up and slapped Eastwood's close shot out of the crossbar with one palm!
"Valdés — he saved the team!"
When he saw Eastwood's shot being pounced on by Valdés, Twain held his head in his hands and almost hit the technical area. This was an excellent opportunity. No one thought that the opportunity would come so easily … But it was a pity that they did not seize it!
"What a pity! Nottingham Forest did not increase the score, and Barcelona escaped. But this was a wake-up call for them — Nottingham Forest did not give up on the pursuit of the goal when they were pressing forward to equalize the score. They were still eyeing them covetously! Tony Twain still wants to score more goals and lock in the victory! "
(To be continued, if you want to know what happened next, please log on to WWW. CMFU. com. More chapters. Support the author. Support original reading!)
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
