George Wood could still clearly remember what his mother said to him when he was selected for the first time for the England national team's World Cup squad.
It seemed like it was yesterday when he thought about it now. But in fact, four years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Four years ago, he watched other people play in Germany and sat on the bench for five games. He did not get a chance to play for even a minute.
Four years later, there were many calls in the media for him to be in the starting lineup. And he was well aware of it.
After Capello took over, Wood, who was not put in an important position, gradually won the favor of the iron-fisted Italian coach with his dedicated performance and uncomplaining attitude. In the games he played, England's midfield defense was more than a level better than before. If the opponent wanted to easily pass through the middle, they would hit an iron plate. Now Capello should not be thinking about whether Wood should play or not, but what kind of partner he should give George Wood.
But George Wood's popularity in the team did not improve with his position as the main player. His quiet personality made him like a drop of oil in a glass of water in England.
Other than Leighton Baines and Aaron Lennon, who were also from Nottingham Forest, he did not have anyone in the England team to chat with.
He always had a straight face, just like Capello, which made people feel difficult to get close to.
In the last days of South Africa's preparation for the World Cup, he could not think of anything else to do other than training. The others would go shopping together and let the paparazzi follow them to take photos. But you definitely could not find George Wood in those photos.
He would rather talk to his mother on the overseas phone.
One of his teammates secretly gave him the nickname "good boy", which formed a sharp contrast with his tough character on the field.
George Wood was definitely not a news figure off the field, and he did not attract attention. When his name was mentioned in the media, it must be related to tactics and the game. He had no part in the gossip. Other than training and warm-up games, he seemed to disappear from the public eye.
But such days would not last long. The World Cup was about to start, and it would be George Wood's stage.
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The opening game was between the hosts, South Africa and Uruguay. There were no big name stars, South Africa had the home advantage, and Uruguay was slightly stronger than South Africa, so the two sides fought evenly — in the end, they shook hands with 1: 1.
This match could be considered exciting, but there were no classic scenes worth reminiscing about. For the England fans, even if it was the opening game of the World Cup, it was not worth their attention.
Everyone was waiting for the match between England and Costa Rica in Group D.
In the group stage of this World Cup, England, as the second-tier team, had drawn a good draw: They were grouped with Costa Rica from North America, South Korea from Asia and Brazil from South America.
Brazil was certainly very strong, but as for the remaining two opponents … The world's media unanimously favored Brazil and England to advance from this group. Costa Rica and South Korea do not pose any threat to these two teams.
The Korean media and Korean fans were still dreaming of a historic Korean semifinalist in 2002. They had even come up with many plans to advance to the semifinals. This included a draw with Brazil, a small win over England, and a big win over Costa Rica; a loss to Brazil, a draw with England, and a big win over Costa Rica, beating England to the second place in the group with a goal difference; a win over Brazil, a win over England, and a win over Costa Rica, and a win over Costa Rica, advancing smoothly in all three games …
However, apart from their own countrymen, no one in the world believed that they would be able to advance from their group.
The day before the match against Costa Rica, the news about England's starting lineup for the next day had already spread. In the lineup that Tony Twain had arranged for himself in the pre-match forecast program, George Wood firmly occupied the position in the middle of the midfield.
Everyone thought that George Wood's World Cup debut would be tomorrow.
But …
During lunch, Wood was told that he would not be in the starting lineup tomorrow.
The iron-fisted manager, Capello did not explain the details to Wood. He just told him that because of tactical needs, the starting midfield for tomorrow's game would still be Lampard and Gerrard.
After Capello announced the decision, he specifically looked at Wood. He found that the kid was expressionless and just nodded in acceptance of the decision. Only then did he leave with peace of mind.
When Capello announced the decision to the public, he did not treat the media the same way he treated Wood. He gave his own explanation — Costa Rica's strength was not strong. He needed more goals to play against such an opponent. Wood contributed very little in the offensive aspect, so there was no need to waste an offensive spot to strengthen the defense in the middle. Therefore, he let Wood rest.
Such an explanation made sense, but when Wood's supporters thought that they would not be able to see Wood in the England team's World Cup debut tomorrow, they were still somewhat unwilling …
In the next afternoon's game, England, without George Wood, felt pressured by Costa Rica in the opening 20 minutes. The rest of the time, they controlled the situation on the field and did not give Costa Rica any better chances.
As Capello had hoped, England successfully defeated the fourth-tier team in the group with a 3: 1 score in the game.
Lampard, who replaced George Wood, scored a goal and assisted a goal in the game and was named the Man of the Match.
Twain was a little worried about this. No manager would replace the best player in the next game. Therefore, Capello had no reason to let Wood play in the next game against a weak South Korea team.
Before the World Cup, he also wrote that George Wood would be one of the main actors in this World Cup. Now, it seemed that he was being positioned as a "substitute player." Even if he were to play in the game against Brazil, the impression that he would give was that England was letting the main players rest after advancing ahead of time and not going head-to-head with Brazil.
When he was commenting on the game, he had some complaints about Capello's decision. At the same time, he suddenly hoped that the South Koreans could create more trouble for England and make some changes in England …
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The second game was as Twain expected. Lampard, who had performed well in the previous game, continued to occupy the starting position, while George Wood continued to sit on the substitute's bench.
The English people had high expectations for this game. They all wanted to see Capello's team defeat South Korea and advance ahead of time after winning two games.
Only Twain was singing a different tune — — "The South Koreans have already lost to Brazil. This game is a key battle that concerns whether they can advance out of the group stage. I don't think this game will be as easy as some people think. If anyone in the England team underestimates their opponent, even if it's the South Koreans, they can still suffer! "
Although he did not like the South Koreans, Twain still had to nod in approval of the South Korean players' willpower and quality. If they really went crazy, coupled with England's arrogance and underestimation of their opponent, it was not impossible for them to fail miserably.
This time, Twain guessed correctly again.
England encountered extremely tenacious resistance from the South Koreans right from the start of the game.
The South Korean team used a "full attack and full defense" tactic in the game. They made use of their outstanding stamina to run all over the field and snatch the ball from the feet of the England players from the front field, forcing them to make mistakes while they were busy. The technical statistics of active mistakes skyrocketed.
The England players were clearly not prepared for the South Koreans' suicidal style of play. They panicked when the South Koreans snatched the ball and could not even perform at half of their usual level.
Lampard, who had performed well in the previous game, was a "blessing in disguise" — — Because his previous performance was too outstanding and too dazzling, he received "special attention" from the South Koreans in this game. The two-man defense was the most basic. There were also kicks on the ankles, thighs, jerseys … and other small tricks.
The referee's frequent whistle could not stop the crazy South Koreans. Compared to the possibility of not being able to advance out of the group stage in the future, what was a foul?
Lampard fell to the ground again and again and raised his hands helplessly. It looked like he was surrendering, but in fact, he was protesting. But protesting was useless. The South Koreans were very good at controlling their fouls. It was very easy for a foul to appear from behind — — This kind of foul would definitely result in a card, or even a red card — — and the players who came up to commit the foul were not fixed at one or two people.
When everyone gathered together to chat during the halftime interval, John Motson said a little angrily that the South Koreans were too shameless.
Tang En smiled in response. He could not wait for the South Koreans to be more shameless …
Capello was not a fool like McClaren. In the current situation, Lampard had no chance at all when he was being watched. It was as if he had disappeared on the field in the second half of the first half, and the help to the team's defense was pitifully small. If he were Capello, he would decisively bring Lampard off and bring on George Wood, using Wood's hard work to help the England team regain control of the midfield.
Of course, Wood's offensive ability was not as good as Lampard's. But a team's offense often started from its defense. Sending on four offensive players did not mean that the team's offense would be multiplied by four, and it also did not mean that the originally poor offense would improve. The key to winning this game was to stabilize the midfield defense and use a tougher game attitude than the opponent to regain control of the midfield.
Tang En shared his point of view with the others in the studio, and everyone nodded in agreement.
Motson even joked to Tang En that he might as well wait for Capello's term to end and let the Football Association find him to take over as England's manager!
Tang En chuckled. "That would give the Football Association a headache every day."
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Not long after the second half began, the situation on the field did not change at all. The South Koreans used their tireless running and defense that bordered on foul to contain England's offense, while at the same time waiting for an opportunity to sneak attack.
They could accept the result of a draw, because the South Koreans were confident of winning their last game against Costa Rica. But England could not accept a draw, because their last game in the group stage was against the powerful Brazil. According to Capello's previous plan, they would win against Costa Rica and South Korea, and then play a game against Brazil casually. They would freeze their main force and face their opponents in the knockout stage.
Now, the South Koreans were desperately trying to drag England down. Draw with England, win against Costa Rica, and then compete with England on goal difference. In the last game, they went all out in defense and finally controlled the goal difference against Brazil to only two goals.
Capello knew that he could not continue to waste time with the South Koreans like this, so he waved his hand and decided to replace Lampard.
The person standing by the side of the field took off his winter coat, revealing the jersey inside. It was England's number 13, George Wood!
"Oh — George Wood's World Cup debut!" Motson smiled and glanced at Tang En.
Tang En noticed Motson's gaze, and he shrugged. "I think this substitution is a bit of a last-minute decision … England did not expect them to be stubbornly blocked by the South Koreans. But I believe in George's ability, he often does things like this at Nottingham Forest. "
At the same time, on the side of the field, Capello held onto Wood and told his intentions through the interpreter to the player who was about to go on.
"I want you to help us re-establish order in the midfield and contain the South Koreans' momentum. Do you know what to do, George? "
Wood nodded. "Defense."
Capello smiled. "That's right, just like that. We have lost too many goals in the midfield, allowing the South Koreans to counterattack a few times. It's dangerous to go on like this. I want you to protect the midfield, and if the South Koreans intercept the ball, you immediately snatch it back … Don't be afraid of fouling, this referee's whistle is on the soft side, and he doesn't play cards easily. Show the South Koreans what we're made of! "
He pushed Wood onto the field.
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"George Wood, a Southampton player from Nottingham Forest. He is the captain of the Forest team, and has lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy twice, the EFL Cup once, and the English Premier League trophy once. As a professional player, he has received almost all the accolades that can be obtained. But in his career in the national team, he is practically a blank piece of paper. Because he is purely a defensive midfielder, he has never been put in an important position. This game is his first appearance in a major game in his career in the national team. To play at this time, Capello clearly has high hopes for him. Let's take a closer look at the changes he can bring to the current situation on the field. "
Motson introduced George Wood in great detail. In fact, he still felt a little awkward when he said these words. As a commentator for the English Premier League, he had long since stopped recommending George Wood as if he was a newcomer who had just debuted in the live broadcast of the game. But he still had to do so in the national team.
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Wood ran onto the field and made a hand gesture for the entire team to press forward.
This was clearly also instructed by Capello. England needed to attack and score goals. As for the midfield defense … Leave it to him!
The Manchester United star, Park Ji-sung, planned to cut inside after dribbling the ball on the flank. This time he was strongly blocked — the ball under his feet was a little too big, and it was tackled by George Wood, who strode up to him.
Gerrard lost the ball in the midfield? It doesn't matter! George Wood took advantage of the time when the opponent was still adjusting the ball to poke the ball away.
The running ability and tenacious style that the South Koreans were proud of were completely unable to gain the upper hand against George Wood. If they were tough, George Wood was even tougher than them! And against these opponents, Wood was merciless. He tackled when he needed to, and fouled when he needed to. He did not hesitate at all. He was like a robot that had been programmed in advance, and he executed meticulously.
Once again, Park Ji-sung was kicked to the ground by Wood. This time, the referee finally whistled to signal that Wood had fouled, but he only gave a pocket warning and did not take out a card.
His actions caused the South Korean players to be unhappy. They surrounded the referee, hoping that the referee from Africa would give Wood a yellow card.
The actions of the South Korean players caused the England fans in the stands to collectively boo them — why didn't you take the initiative to ask for a yellow or red card when you kicked our players? Now that George has treated you like this, what right do you have to be unhappy?
Good job, George!
Kick those South Korean monkeys to death!
For a moment, the cheers for Wood in the stands suddenly became louder.
George Wood used his usual tough style and fierce expression to intimidate the South Korean players, and England regained the initiative on the field. The effect was very obvious — when England's waist stiffened, the gap in the strength of the two teams was reflected. In the South Korean team, only Park Ji-sung could barely compete with the England players, but he was already on George Wood's list of "key targets". Now that he had the ball, he had to avoid Wood. Otherwise, he was really afraid that he would be kicked off the field by Wood. When he was in the English Premier League, he had seen Wood's style of play. If it was Capello who sent him up to cripple him, then he would really be crippled …
The Koreans sprinted across the field. The advantage that they had gained through their stamina gradually disappeared as their stamina waned. Instead, England relied on George Wood's strength in the midfield to regain the upper hand.
In the 77th minute of the game, Gerrard assisted Darren Bent to score the only goal of the game. Not only did they get the right to advance, but they also kicked the once ambitious South Korean team back to their hometown in East Asia.
The South Korean fans stood in the stands, still could not believe the reality that they saw — before coming to South Africa, they had planned to stay until at least the top eight …
After experiencing the abnormal success in the 2002 World Cup, the South Korean team failed to advance out of the group stage in two consecutive World Cups. To them, the World Cup in Germany was "the collective revenge of the Europeans", and the World Cup in South Africa was "their bad luck" to be drawn into the "Group of Death" (the group of death that they named themselves). But the whole world knew that this was the true level of South Korean football. Having a player who played in a big club like Manchester United did not mean that their entire team was at the level of Manchester United. Park Ji-sung was not the savior of the world, and modern football was not invented by the South Koreans.
Their position in this sport was only able to guarantee that they would be able to reach the finals of every World Cup in the future, and they were not even as good as their neighbor, Japan.
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Twain looked very happy. On one hand, it was because the South Koreans that he hated were eliminated early, and on the other hand, it was because George Wood's performance was outstanding.
"If I were to give a score for the entire England team in this game, I would give Wood the highest score. His appearance was the key to turning the entire game around, and Capello will also be talked about by the England fans for a long time because of this substitution. A decisive substitution resulted in a victory, and it also created a brand new midfield core for England! " He made a comment after the game, praising George Wood's performance without any intention of avoiding suspicion.
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