The dull game made people more concerned about the current temperature. The fans in the stands kept flashing various things in their hands to create wind to take away the heat brought by the summer heat.
The commentator had repeatedly mentioned several times that the current temperature was 36 degrees. Under such high temperatures, time seemed to slow down, as if it was about to freeze …
The pace of the game was slow, there were many mistakes on both sides, and there were few exciting offensive and defensive scenes. This was not a scene that should appear in a game between England and Germany.
Compared with the fiery scene before the game, the contrast was really big. Only the most hardcore fans could still maintain their passion under such circumstances.
For example, Fat John and the others. John, who had taken off his shirt and was baring his fat, was leading his partners in singing and clapping to cheer for England. Their position happened to be in direct sunlight. Everyone was bare-chested and their sweat glistened in the sun, staining the England flag painted on their chests.
"In the heat of 36 degrees, the players on both sides seem to have not woken up from their afternoon nap. Look at this ball, Schweinsteiger did not even catch up … Is the passing speed too fast? There is no problem with Toni Kroos' pass. "
Schweinsteiger also knew that it was his own problem. He turned back and gave a thumbs up to his Bayern Munich teammate, Kroos, who passed the ball for him.
Sammer observed for a while more and found that England's counterattack did not pose any threat to the German team's rear defensive line, so he adjusted again and let the team press forward again. They used the sidelines to get the ball up and look for Mario Gomez in the penalty area. At the same time, they strengthened their long shots and tried to use powerful long shots to blast open England's defensive position.
After the German team took the initiative, the situation of the game finally changed a little. At least one side had more shots at goal.
The Germans were noisy again. The Englishmen looked a little dispirited.
They had gradually become used to Tang En's style, but when facing the Germans, they still hoped that their team could overwhelm the Germans not only in the result, but also on the field.
"Even if we can win, this scene is really depressing …"
In the stands, there were England fans who muttered.
Of course, it was definitely not only the fans who had such thoughts.
※ ※ ※
"I don't think we can always hide like this and wait for others to attack!" Taking advantage of a defensive corner kick, Walcott complained loudly in the crowd.
"What are you trying to say, Teo?" a teammate asked him.
"We should take the initiative and try to attack!" Walcott clenched his fist.
"Cut the crap, Teo. Go do your job … "Captain John Terry pointed to the penalty area and shouted at Walcott, who had not yet taken his position.
"Alright, it's defense. Defend, defend … I got it. "Walcott shook his head and walked away without a care in the world.
Walcott's performance in the first match was outstanding and he completely pushed the other two competitors to the substitutes' bench, securing his position as the main right midfielder. But in the second game, he was as mute as the team. Now he hoped to prove himself again through the game against Germany and perform well in front of the manager.
"Keep an eye on your own people! Don't let the target escape! "Terry shouted after teaching Walcott a lesson.
Walcott didn't care about that. Anyway, his body was thin and weak, and he did not have an advantage in height and jumping. Defending the corner kick was just for show. There was no need for him to really defend anything.
All he could think about now was how to attack. He focused all his attention on finding a loophole in the Germans' defense.
For him, this might be a good opportunity. Didn't the boss always say that the opportunity to attack was hidden in every defense? Now that Germany got a corner kick, their two center backs would definitely press up to participate in the attack. The back defense was empty and it was the perfect opportunity for him to play his speed advantage!
Walcott looked at Mertesacker and Westermann who were entangled with Terry in the penalty area. The two men were 1.98 meters and 1.90 meters respectively, much taller than Terry and Taylor. They stood in front of the goal and made the England defenders flustered. Walcott felt that it was not bad. At least the Germans would never think that their corner kick would become his opportunity.
Who were the players left in the backfield? Jansen and Rolfes, plus a goalkeeper.
Rolfes was very slow and the only problem was Jansen. The full back was also a fast player. If he wanted to shake him off, he might have to switch to the other side. Jansen was a left back and happened to be the right midfielder, Walcott. Walcott was not afraid to compete with others in speed, but at this critical moment, he wanted to avoid as much trouble as possible. He also did not want to show off.
Then Walcott began to calculate the obstacles that he might encounter along the way. In his view, the most troublesome part was the distance when he started. The opponent had many players and the space was small. His speed advantage could not be played to the maximum. The best way was to coordinate with his teammates. But Walcott was worried that if he handed the ball over to his teammates, his attack speed would slow down and his plan would be ruined. At this time, he was the only one who could be trusted.
He could only use his skills to dribble past the opponent's defenders and then accelerate through the midfield.
Toni Kroos did not go to the penalty area but waited outside for an opportunity. He was a pure attacking midfielder and did not know how to defend. He was also not the kind of player who would take risks to stop an attack. If he broke through from his side, he would at most stretch his legs. After Walcott chose the route to break through, he consciously moved to the outside, hoping that the football would land at his feet smoothly.
If Joe Hart got the football, he would raise his hand at the first instance to ask for the ball. He believed that Joe Hart would not refuse. If he was cleared by our defenders, then it would depend on whether his judgment of the landing point was accurate …
When Lahm placed the football, there happened to be a group of England fans in the stands behind him. The fans kept pointing their middle fingers at Lahm and scolded him with profanities that he must have understood. But Lahm was unmoved, as if there was air behind him. After placing the football, he got up and stepped back, waiting for the referee's whistle.
He waited a little longer because there was a small dispute between the players of both sides in the penalty area.
The 1.98m tall Mertesacker, 1.90m tall Westermann, 1.89m tall Gomez and 1.89m tall Khedira, these four big men stood in front of England's goal and there was a kind of silent pressure that shrouded the sky above England's goal. Terry and Taylor, as well as Joe Hart, were nervous. Mitchell appeared in front of the goal and made a cameo as the center back.
"Push them away and leave space for us!" Joe Hart had made up his mind to go out and pick the ball off himself. He really could not rest assured against the team with the highest average height in the tournament. He was 1.96m tall and was still confident that he could compete with the other team's taller players.
The referee called Mitchell and Mertesacker, who had the dispute, together and warned them not to make any unnecessary hand movements. Both men complained that the other tugged at their jerseys.
After the referee sent them back, he gestured to Lahm that he could start the ball.
Lahm's ball had a slight external spin, but the angle of the external spin was obvious in front of the goal.
Joe Hart made a mistake in his judgment and only realized that the football had flown a little further after he struck. He could not guarantee that he could hold the ball with both hands, so he could only temporarily change to a one-handed punch in the air!
Between Mitchell and Mertesacker, Hart hit the ball out with difficulty. As for how far he could hit and whose feet he could hit … he could not care less at this time. What he needed to take care of was his center of gravity. In order to hit the ball that flew a little further, his body flew out horizontally. He completely lost his center of gravity and fell directly to the ground. If a Germany player grabbed the landing point at that time …
The scene he was worried about did not come to fruition, because Walcott gambled on where the ball would land and he received the ball!
Good chance!
Walcott cheered in his heart after he received the ball. Now he just needed to pass …
Walcott stopped the ball and turned around. The person who appeared in front of him was not Toni Kroos, but Rolfes!
Walcott turned pale with fright – when did he get here?!
The unexpected opponent was in front of him and Walcott could not react at all. The ball that had just stopped was sent directly to the opponent's feet …
Oh no …
Walcott turned around to grab the ball but was blocked by Rolfes.
Rolfes, who intercepted the ball, did not waste any time. He knew that it was a crucial moment now. Joe Hart had fallen in the penalty area. As long as he could seize the opportunity, he could score …
He passed the ball to Podolski, who did not enter the penalty area to join in the fun.
The striker, who currently played for Werder Bremen, had a good long shot and now was a good time for him to display his ability!
Podolski used his right foot to stop Rolfes' ball in front of him, then swung his left foot to do a long shot on the spot!
Although it was a shot on the spot, the speed of the ball was not slow at all. This was also the strength of a Germany player.
The football whizzed through the crowd and found a straight line to the goal. John Terry stretched out his leg to try to stop it, but he kicked the air. Gomez was still in front of the goal when he saw the football coming towards his face. He was so scared that he quickly leaned back and fell down. With his height of 1.89 meters, it was really hard for him to do such a move in a second …
No one touched the football, including Joe Hart who got up from the ground. The football hit straight into the net.
"What a beautiful goal! Podolski's world-class shot!! We're leading 1: 0! "
"England finally lost the ball … Joe Hart made a mistake when he attacked! This shot was too rash! "
The commentators from both countries had completely different reactions. The fans from both countries in the stands were the same. The phalanx of Germany fans stood up from their seats and cheered with their arms raised high. On the other hand, the England fans held their heads in their hands and could not believe their eyes.
In the hearts of many England fans, the question was gradually magnified and the question mark was straightened out bit by bit:
Is the Germany team still so strong?
※ ※ ※
Seeing the football fly into the goal, Twain lowered his head and cursed. Des Walker, who was next to him, was a little agitated. He waved his arms angrily and reprimanded Joe Hart for his rash attack.
Sammer, who was next to him, jumped up the moment the football flew into the goal. His feet left the ground, which showed how excited he was. To be able to lead the opponent in such an important game would increase the chances of advancing by one point.
A tight defense could not stop a set piece … The current situation was very unfavorable for Twain. If he allowed the score to develop, England would lose the game and hand over the hope of advancing to the next round to someone else. This was not Twain's style.
He could only choose to let the team press out and strive to equalize the score as soon as possible. If not, the situation would only become more unfavorable for England as time went on.
Now that the first half had gone on for 30 minutes, there were only 15 minutes left for England. If they could not equalize the score before the first half, it would be troublesome …
※ ※ ※
Joe Hart was a little lost in front of the goal. He really did not expect his mistake to cause a goal concede.
And the person who was also a little lost in thought was Walcott. Although no one blamed him, he always thought that the goal concede had something to do with the ball suddenly being intercepted under his feet. He had too much faith in himself. He did not think that Rolfes had already pressed past the midfield when he was not paying attention — the German was rarely bold this time, and it had a miraculous effect.
In the subsequent game, Walcott looked a little absent-minded. Twain kept shaking his head on the sidelines as he watched.
Twain had already asked the team to press out to attack, but it had little effect. The glaring sun and hot weather hindered England's normal play, and Walcott's side was almost paralyzed because of his abnormal play. The England team, which could only rely on Chris Cohen, could easily be defended by the Germans. The offensive means of a one-sided pass from the side was also too simple. The German team's center backs were all tall and strong, and their anti-air ability was not much of a problem.
Until the end of the first half, England did not score and equalize the score. The situation was gradually becoming unfavorable for them.
If the manager did not have the idea of changing players at halftime, then the substitutes would use the halftime interval to warm up. When George Wood also wanted to warm up, he was stopped by Des Walker.
"You go back to the locker room with them, George." Walker said.
Wood's heart skipped a beat, and he asked, "Will I play in the second half?"
Walker's answer was very disappointing. "No, your injury has not recovered, you don't have to warm up." Walker said, shaking his head.
Wood lowered his head and followed the others into the players' tunnel sullenly.
The scorching sun on the field made people dizzy, but entering the cool tunnel made many people feel refreshed.
Separated by a wall, the England players could clearly hear the Germans' laughter. Although they did not know why they were laughing, to the England players, it was the same — they were unhappy, very unhappy.
"Damn it! I'll make sure to show us in the second half! "Wayne Rooney, who almost did nothing in the first half, angrily kicked the wall.
"Don't vent your excess energy on the wall." A cold voice came from behind.
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