"Wayne Rooney! Score another goal! Just seven minutes into the second half, England scored their third goal of the game! This is an unexpected advantage! "
This time even John Motson's tone revealed an unconcealable surprise.
Not only him, but perhaps even the most hardcore English fans did not expect their team to lead Portugal so easily.
One had to know that Portugal had always had the reputation of "Europe's Brazil." To be able to beat the European Brazil team so badly, it showed that England's strength was extraordinary. Perhaps they were no longer the rumored "Europe's second-rate"?
Rooney, who scored a brace in the game, was excited. His teammates were as excited as he was.
However, Twain also keenly noticed one thing while celebrating the goal — the expressions of the Portuguese players were not as depressed as they were at the end of the first half. It stood to reason that after trailing by three goals, their faces should have been ashen, but now it looked like their expressions did not continue to deteriorate.
What did Queiroz say to them during the halftime interval?
Twain did not think about it carefully. For him, a one-goal lead was the least secure score, but a three-goal lead was enough for him to sit in his chair and watch the show with peace of mind. He did not believe that Portugal could reverse the game under a three-goal deficit. That would be too amazing.
Unless God wants to play with me.
Twain thought of this and looked up at the sky. There was nothing in the dark blue night sky.
As the captain of the Portugal national team, Cristiano Ronaldo was not a leader-type figure. But at this moment, he gathered his teammates together.
"It's not time to give up yet! If we lose to England here, our UEFA European Championship journey will be over! They are now three goals ahead and will definitely underestimate the enemy. This is our chance! Give them a surprise! "
He clenched his fist and stretched it out. His teammates clenched their fists and put them on. More and more fists superimposed on each other. It represented the determination of the Portuguese.
Ronaldo was 31 years old this year. He could play in another World Cup, but it was hard to say for the UEFA European Championship. He knew that his form would inevitably decline. This was a rule that no one could escape. Therefore, he did not want to leave any regrets in this UEFA European Championship. They came with the ambition to conquer Europe. If they were defeated by England in the first game, how could they talk about conquering Europe?
This game must not be lost!
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"In the 52nd minute, England leads Portugal by 3: 0. It seemed that Tony Twain was indeed skilled. England is even more powerful without George Wood. It's really unexpected … "
The German coach muttered to himself in the stands. Today's match was really rewarding. Originally, after Wood's injury, the Germans' intelligence agency believed that Portugal was the biggest threat to their team. From the looks of it, the information had to be updated, and the judgment had to be revised.
The Spanish spies, the French spies, the Dutch spies, and the rest of the spies who insisted on staying in the stands had the same idea as him.
Previously, in the field of the national team, there was a popular view: no matter how brilliant Tony Twain's achievements were at the club, the club and the national team were two completely different worlds. The outstanding performance of the team he led in the qualifiers could not be explained because the opponents in that group were too weak … Danish football and Serbian football had long since declined.
As a result, Tang En had never proven his ability to coach the national team. The big shots who were coaching the national team were mostly disdainful of him. A frivolous young man, a successful person who was exaggerated by the English media … Here, actual results still spoke louder.
Now, Tony Twain used such a beautiful 3: 0 to make those people retract their doubtful gazes. It was a beautiful first game.
If they were familiar with each other, they would definitely get together to comment on the part of the game so far. But now these "spies" could only give their evaluation in their hearts:
"Tony Twain is very strong and needs to be paid special attention to. Queiroz is done for. His contract expires after the UEFA European Championship. After watching such a clumsy performance for more than 50 minutes, I believe the Portuguese Football Federation will not prepare a new contract for him. He has completely lost control of the team and is downright at a disadvantage in a direct conversation with Tony Twain … "
Some people turned their eyes to the president of the Portuguese Football Federation, Madael, who was sitting on the podium watching the game. The old man's expression was indeed not good …
In front of the world, his team was humiliated by the English with three goals. It was impossible for anyone to still laugh.
In fact, Madael had indeed cursed eight generations of Queiroz's ancestors in his heart. The English Football Association's chief executive, Mr. Shaun Barkley, sat next to him. At this moment, he was smiling as brightly as a spring flower. It was simply a blatant mockery. He really could not take it lying down.
The British man, who was a little fat, had cheered in front of him three times. Damn it!
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Ronaldo's and Queiroz's predictions were good. After a three-goal lead, England inevitably relaxed. Whether it was defense or counterattack, they were not as active as before.
This was an opportunity for the Portuguese. If they could not seize it, their failure would really be irreparable …
The Portuguese gambled all their hopes in this game and turned out in full force. They did not care how to defend against England's fourth quick counterattack. Because this kind of consideration was meaningless. If they could not pull back a goal at this time, it would not make a difference if the other side scored ten goals or one goal.
The Portuguese's fierce attack made the England team a little embarrassed and surprised Tony Twain — he really did not expect that Queiroz's team really wanted to go against the natural order.
"Ronaldo forced a breakthrough in the middle … He was tripped by Michael Johnson and fell to the ground. Free kick! … Ronaldo personally took the penalty. He stood behind the ball … ran up and raised his leg to shoot — the ball went in! The ball went in!! "
"GOOOOOAL —!!!" The Portuguese commentator roared excitedly.
The Portuguese fans in the stands, who had been silent for most of the game, also jumped up from their seats.
"The Portuguese team pulled back a goal … It's really unexpected, but it doesn't change the result of the game. For the Portuguese fans, it's just a face-saving goal." John Motson said. He made a lot of sense. The English fans were not upset or angry about the goal concede. They still had smiles on their faces — they still had a two-goal lead.
Madael stood up and waved his fist for a while before sitting down again. After a brief excitement, he still felt depressed. His team still had to score three more goals to win … It was too difficult.
The goal concede was beyond Twain's expectations. He stood up and expressed his dissatisfaction. But he did not take the goal concede too seriously in his heart. Like the English fans, he felt that he still had a two-goal advantage in hand and had nothing to fear.
But the goal boosted the Portuguese's fighting spirit and confidence.
Just four minutes later, they made a comeback, and Binnello passed the ball forward. The player who pulled to the flank to receive the ball this time was not Ronaldo, but their striker, Yannick Djalo. The black kid, who was not tall, was fast. After he received the football, he also tore apart the England team's defense.
Then he did not continue to go down to the ground or cut inside to break through. Instead, he suddenly lifted his leg to pass the ball!
England's rear defense was not tight, otherwise they would not have been torn apart by Djalo. They clearly did not care as much about the Portuguese attack as before. Ronaldo's free kick that broke the goal did not ring the alarm bells for them.
Djalo's pass did not kick the football to the front of the goal, but into the penalty area. There, Ronaldo, who suddenly appeared in the middle, leaped high. He was 1.88 meters tall and had an excellent jump. Occasionally, he would use a header to break the goal …
"Djalo crosses … Ronaldo jumps to head the ball!!"
The football was headed by him and flew towards the goal. Joe Hart's position was a bit problematic. He was defending the back post, but he did not expect Ronaldo to head the front post … The England national goalkeeper flew out with all his might, but did not touch the ball at all.
Everyone saw the football brush the near post and hit the net …
"The ball's in!! The second goal! Ronaldo scores a brace!!! "The Portuguese commentator went crazy." GOOOOOAL!!!! This is incredible! We've pulled back two goals and are only behind by one goal! Everything is possible! Come on, Portugal!! "
Ronaldo was extremely excited after the goal. He waved his fists wildly and roared to the sky. So much so that his teammates did not dare to approach him for a while, for fear that his fists would hurt the innocent.
"This is really …" Motson did not know what to say for a moment. In just four minutes, their lead had changed from three goals to one goal, becoming the "most unsafe score in the world" … "The tenacious Portuguese, the England team is a little arrogant and underestimated the enemy!" It was not just "a little arrogant and underestimated the enemy".
It was as if an earthquake was happening at Camp Nou. The Portuguese fans stamped their feet and cheered wildly in the stands. Even the camera lenses were shaking. They saw the hope of beating England.
Come on, let's make an earth-shattering reversal!
The Portuguese were reveling, while Tony Twain was a little exasperated. He got up from his seat, waved his arms and shouted abuse. He was very dissatisfied with the performance of his players in these four minutes. "You bastards! Let's see how you clean up now! "
The members of the England coaching staff also looked grave.
The England players stood on the field with blank expressions. They were incredulous at the score. Many of them probably had not recovered yet.
Instead, those "onlookers" in the stands had smiles on their faces. This game was really interesting …
"… Tony Twain's team is like his own temperament, a little unstable, and their performance is up and down. With a three-goal lead, Portugal was able to score two goals in a row in four minutes. This is very telling … "The German added another line in his little notebook.
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On the podium, Madaïr cheered from the bottom of his heart. His mood was now very different from four minutes ago. It was very simple. He saw the hope of winning. It was right in front of him … He just had to reach out and he could grab it. He no longer cared what the Englishman, Barclay, would think of his crazy celebration. He just wanted to show off!
Come on, Portugal!
He roared in his heart.
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Twain threw down the words "I'll see how you clean up" and then sat in his seat a little angrily, waiting for the players who were at a loss on the field. But he did not maintain this posture for long. He quickly got up from his seat and walked to the sidelines. He yelled inside, "What are you doing? Now you should cheer up for me, right? Gentlemen! We're only one goal ahead. If you don't do something, all of us will become the laughing stock of the world tomorrow!! "
"We can still lose the game with a three-goal lead! We'll be the first! Do you think it's glorious?! "
He did not make any tactical adjustments. Because there was no problem with the tactics at all. The problem was the mentality of the executors. As long as the mentality was adjusted, the tactics would still work.
And he knew that as long as the players' mentality could be adjusted, the initiative of the game was actually still in his hands.
The Portuguese could not accept the result of a 2: 3 defeat. They would continue to attack and press heavily, hoping to take advantage of the England team's collective daze to equalize the score, or even overtake …
It was a dangerous moment for England. But it was also a time full of opportunities … It depended on who could seize them. So, he had to wake the England players up immediately.
Not all the England players could hear Twain's words clearly, but they all knew that the boss was angry.
He did have reason to be angry. A three-goal lead turned into a one-goal lead … It was so humiliating!
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The game restarted, and the Portugal team launched a tide-like offensive against the England team, wave after wave. The England team could only shrink back to defend, and it was very embarrassing.
But behind the embarrassing scene, Twain saw what he wanted — his players had found their game form. As long as they had this form, England's defense would not be a problem.
The Portuguese team also quickly found that their opponents had returned to normal and were not hit by the previous two goals. After weighing the pros and cons, they weakened their siege on England because they had to start reconsidering their defense against England's counterattack …
England then organized several counterattacks, but they were intercepted by the Portuguese rear defensive line led by Pepe. The game fell back into a stalemate after a brief climax.
The managers of the two teams also kept changing their positions on the sidelines.
At the beginning, Twain stood on the sidelines and watched the field nervously. And Queiroz sat in his position, seeming to have a card up his sleeve.
But as time went on, the score was still 3: 2. After Queiroz's butt rubbed back and forth on the technical area a few times, he finally stood up and walked to the sidelines, making various gestures. An anxious expression gradually emerged on his somewhat tanned face.
Twain turned around and sat back down, crossing his legs.
As the game went on, the situation could only become more and more favorable for him. He knew that he was getting closer to his first UEFA European Championship victory minute by minute.
So what if the situation was ugly? So what if it was a narrow victory? It was just an interlude in the process. As long as the result was good, then it was good.
Twain could be calm and composed, but it did not mean that his players could accept the result calmly — originally, a three-goal lead would have allowed them to end the game beautifully, so that no one would ever doubt that they were Europe's second-rate team. They did not expect the Portuguese's counterattack within four minutes to destroy everything they had done before. No one would remember the glory of their three-goal lead. The three-goal lead could only become a joke and a footnote to the current score. Even if they won, people would only say, "They almost lost the game with a three-goal lead, and finally won by a narrow margin … It's terrible!" "As expected of Europe's second-rate team, a group of egomaniacs touted by the English media …" "They're completely China's porcelain, good-looking but vulnerable. The Portuguese's luck is really bad … "
At the thought of getting such an evaluation, they could not bear to let the game end like this. Now, they wanted more time in the game than the Portuguese so that they could continue to widen the score.
Twain used up the last substitution in the 80th minute, replacing Downing with Chris Cohen. He had also previously replaced Walcott with Bentley and replaced Gerrard with Gareth Barry.
The two wingers he brought on were players with good stamina, who could return in time to defend and were willing to do so. This showed his attitude — defense was the most important in the final stages.
But the players on the field did not think so. They were infuriated by the Portuguese and were looking for a chance to fight back in the final moments of the game, like a pack of hungry wolves who were teased by their food at the same time.
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The 86th minute. The Portuguese attacked again. The goalkeeper, Patricio, kicked the ball toward the midfield with a big foot.
The tallest man on the field, Mitchell, won the battle for the header. He headed the ball to Gareth Barry.
Barry passed the ball to Michael Johnson in front. After the Portuguese discovered that the ball had changed hands, they hurriedly returned to defend, and three players immediately pounced on Johnson who took the ball.
Johnson, a product of Manchester City's youth camp, showed a rare calmness at this time. He did not rush to dribble the ball forward, but turned around and attracted the opponent's defensive attention to his side. Then he saw Wayne Rooney plug in from behind!
If he passed the ball over, it would be a one-on-one!
He thought of this, shook his ankle and passed the football to the front.
Rooney just plugged in and received the football between the two Portuguese center backs.
"Beautiful straight pass, empty space!"
After Rooney dribbled the ball into the penalty area, he saw the goalkeeper, Patricio, and raised his leg for a long shot!
The football was blocked by Patricio … The English fans held their heads in their hands and felt sorry for the attack.
But England's attack did not end there!
Chris Cohen, who had just played for six minutes, appeared on the left side of the penalty area, and the football just flew in that direction.
Patricio was still lying on the ground. He saw Cohen and his face showed a look of horror. Using both his hands and feet, he rolled and crawled towards the goal behind him.
There was not a single Portuguese defender around Cohen, and Johnson and Rooney helped him attract all the Portuguese players.
He suddenly slowed down as he ran, adjusted his stride frequency, and then swung his left foot just as the football fell …
A direct volley!!
Patricio flew out again, but the football flew in front of his eyes and hit the net …
"The ball went in — —!" Motson's voice was so excited that it was even a little distorted. "Chris Cohen has scored his first goal for the national team! 4: 2! England has secured the victory!! "
Queiroz, who was standing on the sidelines, felt his knees go weak and his body swayed.
Tony Twain, who had been watching the show with his legs crossed, rushed to the sidelines and raised his arms to announce his victory.
The road to conquering Europe began with a 4: 2 defeat of Portugal!
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