The stands at the Camp Nou stadium were packed to the brim. As Spain was close to Portugal, many Portuguese fans came to the game. They almost turned Barcelona's stadium into the Portuguese team's home ground.
The reporters present got the England squad list, which included all the members on the starting and substitutes' bench. Someone saw the name "George Wood" on it. They were a little confused — didn't they say that Wood's injury had not recovered and he could not play in all the stages of the group stage? Shouldn't he be sitting in the stands at this time and not on the substitutes' bench?
Could it be that everything was a smokescreen cast by Twain?
The English reporters understood what was going on. Twain must have hoped that George Wood, as the captain, could be with the team during every game, so that the team could feel a sense of security.
They guessed right.
Although George Wood could not play, he was doing what he could to help the team.
His teammates were warming up on the field. He did not watch the show from the side, but helped the coaches place the triangular cones, and then he did some jogging to warm up. This scene fell into the eyes of the reporters and caused another round of discussion.
"I really can't see how his injury has affected him. Look at his jogging movements, it's so normal!"
"No, you can still see it if you look closely. He doesn't dare to exert force in the front end of his right foot."
"That's right, jogging and playing on the field are two different concepts … Alas, it was not a problem to advance from the group stage, but now I'm worried for England."
"What's there to worry about? It's not like England is a motley crew without George Wood. Are the best players in the Premier League just for show? "
Someone muttered in his heart, "The Premier League's publicity is so exaggerated, maybe it's really just for show …"
Let's count the players on the England squad list. There were probably only four players who could reach the true world-class level, Gerrard, Terry, Rooney and George Wood. It was still unknown whether the others could play as the main force in the big clubs of Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga. Just like Lennon, who was considered the first choice on the right in England, could not even play as a substitute in Inter Milan.
Therefore, for those who understand football, England has always been a "pseudo-strong team". The English media certainly understood football, but in order to satisfy the pride and arrogance of the English fans, they advocated that the English football world was full of talented players and that there were as many super-class players as dogs. This was the only way to bring them economic benefits. After all, no one liked to hear bad things about the team they supported.
As a result, the previous England teams always looked brilliant, but in fact, they could not withstand a single blow, like a porcelain vase with a shiny appearance. And what was even more frightening was that these England players lived in the media's lies and exaggerated propaganda all day long. They really thought that they were world-class and were unwilling to continue to improve. They were arrogant and would collectively drop the ball at a critical moment.
It was no longer a secret. Everyone in Europe knew that England was just blowing their own trumpet. For example, their opponent in this game, the Portuguese team knew this very well.
After returning to the locker room after the warm-up, Queiroz analyzed England's current situation for the players. He came to a conclusion — — Tony Twain was bluffing, saying that he did not have him. He could not wait for others to think that England without George Wood was a second-rate team. In fact, it was indeed so. If the Portuguese team was afraid of England's legendary "no-core tactics" and held back in the game, they would lose a great opportunity.
This was a rare opportunity to get points.
Queiroz remembered Twain's belittling of him at the press conference yesterday, which made him very angry. That man was just lucky to win a few Champions League titles. The reason why he was famous was not because he was strong, but because he was in England! At that time, the media was so advanced that even a sesame seed could be blown up by them as a major event that affected the development of the world.
How could a maverick, foul-mouthed manager who married a supermodel who was 21 years younger than him not be famous? All he had to do was curse at the camera and it would be enough for the media to hype it up for a week.
His reputation and confidence were all built on this foundation, and this foundation was so fragile and illusory that it couldn't even withstand a single blow.
I'll let you see it in this game …
"We have to attack at the start of the game," Queiroz said as he looked at his players.
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"If the kick-off is in our hands, we'll retreat to defend after a round of attack and lure them out. If the kick-off is in their hands, then it's just as well. Let them attack, and we'll defend and counterattack. "
Twain made the final arrangements in the locker room.
"The 15 minutes before the start of the game should be the time when you're under the most pressure. No matter what, I don't want to see you concede a goal. Even if you sacrifice your offense, you have to defend. Once the opponent scores first, the game will not be easy to play. "
He said seriously, "This is our first group stage match. Whether we can advance or not depends on the result of this game. Guys, we have to admit that we're not in a good situation right now. Our opponents are all trying to take advantage of this. "Everyone knew he was referring to George Wood's absence from the group stage.
"I've heard some things before. I don't know if you've heard of it." Twain suddenly laughed. But in the eyes of the players who knew him, his smile was very strange.
"The outside world has this view of us. They feel that the England team is made up by the British media. In reality, our strength is only second-rate in Europe."
Some of the players looked surprised, while others did not seem surprised.
"I don't know what you think, but I'm not very happy. Because you were selected by me. The team you form is called 'Europe's second-rate.' Europe's second-rate! " Twain suddenly raised the volume of his voice. "I don't care what the England team's previous results were, or what impression it gave people. I only know one thing — my team is here to win the championship. Will a team that can win the European championship be Europe's second-rate? "
"No, it's not, boss."
The players answered one after another.
"So I've been thinking that we need a chance to prove it to them. To prove that we're not just for show. "Twain waved his hands." Portugal is a good opponent. " He laughed. "We won't be seen as unconvincing because we beat a weak team. As long as we win Portugal, those bastards who say we're 'Europe's second-rate' can only be slapped in the face by us! But a victory in a game is not enough, because there will always be some diehards who will say we're just lucky. So this game, the next game, the next game … all the way to the final, we have to win! "
The players' emotions were gradually stirred up by Twain.
When the time was ripe, Twain said, "I don't care which club you come from, and I don't care what kind of football philosophy you received. I want to say, with me, with the national team, forget your club identity and football. The national team's football is very simple. I don't ask you to do anything other than win! "
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It had been a long time since Wood had such an experience, sitting on the bench and watching his teammates play. In the past, during the Eriksson and McClaren era, he often enjoyed the treatment of sitting closest to the field to watch the game. Later, he gradually grew into the team's midfield main force. He did not expect to become a spectator again after so many years.
It did not feel good.
The game had already begun, and Terry had won the right to pick the side, so the ball possession belonged to Portugal. Twain was very satisfied with the result. He applauded from below before the game began.
After the game began, Portugal took advantage of their kick-off to take the initiative on the field.
Portuguese and Spanish football had a lot in common. They both belonged to the Latin school of Europe, emphasizing ball control and delicate footwork. They scoffed at the English style of long passes. Once they were allowed to control the ball, it would be difficult for the opponent to snatch it back.
That was what Portugal did within the first ten minutes of the game.
As long as the ball was at their feet, it would be difficult for the England team to intercept their ball unless they finished an attack. Portugal's two full backs could therefore boldly plug in to assist with the offense.
Moutinho and Veloso contained England's Gerrard and Michael Johnson in the middle, while Cristiano Ronaldo and Quaresma kept attacking England's rear defensive line from the left and right.
The only thing to be thankful for was that a tall center forward like Mitchell was not in Portugal. They could not use headers to threaten the goal guarded by Joe Hart.
It was just that the Portuguese changed their playing style after they realized that they had not laughed at the passes from the flanks.
At the beginning, when Portugal frequently passed from the flanks, the England team almost gave up the defense on the flanks and shrank to the middle mainly to pass. Now after Portugal's targeted adjustments, the England team was a little embarrassed.
Portugal's wingers had outstanding skills, speed and awareness. They were not passers who only knew how to pass. At the same time, they were also renowned as attackers on the flanks.
After Quaresma used a feint on the right to bypass England's left midfielder, Downing, he suddenly changed to cut inside. Joe Mattock reached out to intercept the ball but tripped his opponent. The referee whistled for a foul on Mattock. The foul scared all the England supporters into a cold sweat – the location of the foul was only one step away from the penalty area. Quaresma almost created a penalty kick!
If that was the case, Twain's pre-game deployment would have been nullified. Thanks to George Wood, Quaresma had been seriously injured once. In addition, he was now thirty-two years old. His speed was not as good as it used to be, but his skills were maturing, much like Luis Figo in the past. He could deceive his opponent to complete a breakthrough with only his footwork skills.
Veloso took the free kick. He did not choose to pass. Instead, he shot directly from the corner of the penalty area!
He completely deceived the England goalkeeper, Joe Hart. When the football brushed against the goalpost and flew out of the end line, Joe Hart was still at the far end of the goalpost ready to defend against the pass …
"Wow! What a pity! "The commentator shouted.
There was also a loud sigh in the stands. Camp Nou, where the vast majority of Portuguese fans were, had completely become the home ground of the Portugal national team.
Veloso was also a little annoyed at losing such a good scoring opportunity. He looked up at the sky and kept muttering.
The shot made Twain stand up from the technical area. He felt a little nervous. No matter how much preparation was done before the game, it was impossible to accurately predict what would happen in the game. This might be a kind of charm of a football game, but it was torture for Twain.
"If you're going to foul, remember to stay away from the penalty area …" He said to himself on the sidelines.
Without George Wood, England was not as good as before in terms of midfield defense. Portugal's midfield clearly had the upper hand. They then besieged England's goal, hoping to score as soon as possible.
The Portuguese fans in the stands cheered on their team and spared no effort.
But twenty minutes passed, and Portugal's bombardment did not yield any results. England's tight defense left the Portuguese at a loss.
They wanted to use their individual skills to break through, but England would rather give them a free kick than let them break through. It served the Portuguese right that they could not score. Today, several of their free kick players were not in good form. Other than Veloso coming up to threaten the goal with Joe Hart's inertial thinking, there was no other ball that could embarrass Hart.
Seeing that his team was helpless in the face of a tight defense, the Portuguese commentator said sarcastically, "When did the great England team shrink back to defend? It's like a weak team from Eastern Europe. When Tony Twain was in charge of the Forest team, the Forest team's playing style was considered the ugliest and the least passionate. Now he has transformed England into this … "
The BBC commentator, Motson, who was in charge of commentating the England game, did not care so much. He loudly cheered for Twain's team, "The Portuguese think their offense is sharp, but in the face of England's defense, they know how wrong they are!"
Sitting in the stands, the Germany team's coach wrote in a small notebook, "… England's strength is obviously damaged without George Wood. They are more focused on a tight defense to reduce the pressure on the rear defensive line …"
Later on the same day, the Germany team would play against Wales in Valencia. They did not forget to keep a close eye on the other two competitors in this group. As for Wales, they did not take it to heart.
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Zé Castro, the Portuguese national team's center back, was bored. His teammates were busy breaking down England's goal in front, and he and Pepe stayed at the back to watch the show. This kind of game was really boring.
He looked around and continued to run forward for a short distance, pressing on the halfway line. He wondered in his mind if he should find the right time to plug in to participate in the attack and have a long shot to satisfy his craving.
"José, come back!" Pepe suddenly shouted his name from behind.
Castro rushed back and waved his hand. England was like a turtle hiding its head. What was there to be afraid of?
"This fool!" Pepe saw that he could not call him back and scolded in a low voice at the back.
He turned his eyes to the England technical area on the sidelines.
Tony Twain was standing in the command area with his hands in his pockets. Fortunately, he was not sitting in the technical area with his legs crossed.
After two years, he had not forgotten the boss's habitual movements. Different movements meant different things, which only the Nottingham Forest players could understand. If he sat on the sidelines and crossed his legs, it meant that he was confident and there must be a conspiracy behind it. Now that he was standing on the sidelines, it meant that he was not very confident in his heart — he was also afraid that his team would be destroyed by Portugal's storm-like offensive.
Maybe he was too nervous?
Pepe shook his head gently. He did not know why he had an ominous feeling in his heart when he saw England's defense in such a mess. It felt familiar. It was the feeling of Nottingham Forest.
If the England team in front of him were to change their white jerseys to red, they would probably look more like it.
Pepe was distracted, and his center back partner simply pressed past the halfway line. After receiving the return pass from his teammates, he feinted and chose to dribble the ball to break through by himself!
As a Portuguese player, even a center back had exquisite footwork. He successfully dribbled past the midfield and chose to pass the ball as he approached the England penalty area. But after passing the football to his teammate Moutinho, he did not run back. Instead, he continued to plug forward, trying to play a two-versus-one!
Moutinho's pass was intercepted by Michael Johnson!
England launched a counterattack!
Johnson passed the ball to Gerrard, and a long ball forward!
The lighthouse in the front field, Mitchell, grabbed the position before Veloso, and then jumped high to head the ball …
The football flew diagonally to the back. Walcott was plugging in at high speed!
At this time, the entire Portugal backfield was only Pepe and the goalkeeper, Rui Patrício. The Portuguese did not even react for a moment — our backfield is so empty? Where did everyone go?
"Bastard!" Pepe could only vent his anger by scolding his partner, Castro, who rushed up. He hurriedly left the middle and ran to the side to intercept Walcott. The kid's speed was at the level of a 100-meter sprint …
The ominous premonition in his heart came true. He was too familiar with this scene — when he was in the Forest team, they often dealt with strong opponents like this. When the opponents were complacent about besieging the Forest team, they did not know that their fatal weakness had been completely exposed to the Forest team's firepower.
Pepe went to grab the ball from Walcott with the idea of a foul. He flew to tackle, hoping to knock the opponent out of the field along with the ball.
But he miscalculated. Two years ago, he might have been able to do so, but now that he was 32 years old, he did not have the capital to underestimate the "Tiger Cub" Walcott's youth.
Before his toes touched the football, the ball was poked away by Walcott. Then Arsenal's winger jumped lightly and dodged Pepe's tackle.
Breakthrough!
Twain took his hands out of his trouser pockets and was about to wave them into fists.
The opportunity that England had been defending for more than 20 minutes finally came, and it came so easily that he was worried if Walcott would have too many distracting thoughts in his mind and waste this great opportunity …
"If you miss your shot, you'll be sitting on the bench for the next game!" Twain said fiercely.
Walcott broke through Pepe, and the other Forest players did not watch the show from the back. Mitchell, Rooney, Downing, the attackers in the front field all raised their speed to the maximum and ran desperately to the opponent's penalty area, ready to receive the possible pass.
This terrified the Portuguese — this was definitely not a coincidence. It was a premeditated counterattack. This was a naked conspiracy!
Now even if Walcott slowed down, England still had a good chance of breaking the goal. Portugal's center-back, José Castro, had even returned to defend near the center circle … He ran very hard, but unfortunately he was not born to be a fast player. Instead, the two full backs quickly chased back.
Rooney rushed to the front. He raised his arm and signaled that Walcott could pass the ball.
Walcott, who had already dribbled the ball into the penalty area, looked at the goalkeeper, Patricio, and then looked at Rooney, and swept the ball over.
The ball was a little forward … Rooney gritted his teeth and rushed over, and then he did a flying tackle!
"England's counterattack … Walcott is fast! Patricio attacked! He abandoned the goal and attacked! Rooney rushed in. Does Walcott know how to pass the ball … He passed the ball! He passed the ball! It's a little big, a little big, a little big … Shovel shot!! " The neutral Spanish commentator spoke very fast, like a machine gun, which made the audience's heart beat faster.
He shoveled the ball, and the ball changed direction and bounced towards the goal.
Motson had already roared out the celebration of the goal in advance, "GOOOO — —"
The football flew in a parabola and fell into the empty goal.
"— OOOAL!!"
Pepe, who was lying outside the field, saw the scene and angrily smashed the turf with his hands.
Twain raised both fists high and waved to the sky. Behind him, the people in the technical area and the substitutes' bench rushed out, waving their fists and cheering.
Rooney got up from the ground and ran excitedly to Walcott, who passed the ball for him, with open arms. Downing and Mitchell, who were still sprinting just now, did not slow down and directly turned to chase after Rooney. The other England players also rushed to the front field. It was a spectacular scene.
It took less than fifteen seconds from England's interception of the ball to them going out to celebrate the goal. More Portuguese players were still in the front field and could not react.
Queiroz angrily kicked the water bottle at his feet. England was too forced and too cunning!!
"England has scored their first goal in this tournament. In the 23rd minute, they are leading Portugal 1: 0! This is only their second shot of the game! It's frighteningly efficient! "
The England players hugged each other tightly after the goal. Twain saw the "unity" he wanted the most. He glanced at the angry Queiroz, and he knew that Portugal would not be able to escape his palm.
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PS: After many chapters of the transition without a match, Twain's performance finally came. The stage had been set up. This was the best stage for the world to watch. What kind of show could he perform on it? Everyone, please look forward to it!
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