The Spaniards must not have thought that they would concede the ball in this way. With three consecutive shots, their defenders did not manage to grab any of the landing points. It was all within England's grasp.
It was clear that England had studied Spain thoroughly and the tactics they came up with were right.
Twain excitedly celebrated the goal not far away, while Hierro sat in his chair and did not even lift his butt. He was thinking about such a question — England's change in formation must have a profound meaning, but what were the specific profound meanings?
From the point of view of this goal … Was it a coincidence or premeditated?
This was completely different from England's previous offensive style. The two strikers, Rooney and Agbonlahor, played as the side midfielders, while Gerrard, the attacking midfielder, did not exercise the responsibility of organizing the attack … What was Tony Twain thinking?
"It looks like we made the right bet!" On the other side, Tony Twain was excitedly saying to Des Walker, "The Spaniards did not expect us to make such a frame jump. They could not react in time and could not find a way to deal with us!"
"If they find a way to deal with us, what are we going to do?" Walker was not as excited as Twain. He always thought this kind of change in tactics was too risky.
"I don't think Hierro could think of a way to deal with us until the end of the first half … Even if he thought of it, he couldn't implement it." Twain smiled proudly. He was confident in this aspect. "To deal with us, he has to change players. In the semi-finals, he dare not change players before the end of the first half. Look at Spain's starting list now, how many players can be replaced? "
Fàbregas and Iniesta were Spain's core duo and certainly could not be replaced. Both of them were more inclined to attack and contributed pitifully little to the defense. The two flanks, Silva and Largo, were not the kind of players who were good at and liked to defend. Their task was to attack, attack, and attack. Spain, known as the strongest midfielder in Europe, only had one defensive midfielder, Camacho. But how could he defend against the successive attacks of Gerrard, Rooney, Agbonlahor and Wood? The goal just now was very clear: Camacho followed Gerrard's position, leaving Rooney unmarked. After Rooney took the ball and attracted the attention of the Spanish defensive line, Vaughan quietly left the sight of the Spanish defenders. No one noticed him. On the one hand, the defenders were keeping a close eye on Rooney's next move. On the other hand, it was because this was Vaughan's first start in this tournament. Compared to the other England players, he was not that famous, so the Spanish defenders really did not have much of a presence …
At the end of the day, Tang En's tactic was to use Mitchell to attract the attention of the Spanish defenders. Rooney, Agbonlahor, as well as Gerrard, the three midfielders with outstanding attacking abilities, were the real killer moves. If Rooney was lucky, his first shot would have gone in. Unfortunately, Asenjo made a world-class save. On the contrary, it was Vaughn who took advantage of the situation.
If Spain wanted to make adjustments to England's tactics, it was not a matter of who would mark Rooney or who would mark Agbonlahor, but they must find someone to tie down George Wood. Because England's brain was his, not anyone else's. If Wood could not pass the ball normally, England's offense would be paralyzed.
But Wood's position was a defensive midfielder, very far back. Even if he did not come up, he could achieve the goal of organizing the attack through long passes. To find someone who could defend him, it could not be said that there was no such person in the world of football. At least in the current Spain … it was difficult.
"I see … I remember Hierro said in an interview before the UEFA European Championship that he would give the Spanish fans the best UEFA European Championship. In other words, he intends to stick to the offensive tactics. For this reason, he brought a lot of offensive players, and the defensive players are only … "At this point, Walker suddenly stopped and turned his head to look at Tang En in surprise.
Tang En smiled at him and said, "Yes, the only midfielder who can really defend is Camacho. Hierro can't let the center back rush to our half of the field to defend George, can he? "
Hearing Tang En's words, Walker's worried heart finally relaxed. He sat back in the technical area and looked at the players running on the field. He thought to himself that Tony was right. Everything in Spain today was within their calculations. They should not be surprised even if they made any adjustments. At least we are safe for the first half.
※ ※ ※
The subsequent game was as Tang En said. The Spanish team tried hard to fight back. In fact, they did create a lot of threats to the England goal in terms of offense, but no matter how many shots they shot, they did not bring about a goal. And considering the England team's offense, the Spanish two full backs did not dare to rush to plug in to assist. Hierro specifically told them on the sidelines. Until the end of the first half, not to continue to concede the goal was the top priority.
The England side was also very active in seeking to attack. A one-goal lead was not safe. If possible, it would be good to be two goals ahead at the end of the first half. From the coach to the players, everyone thought so.
The game became more interesting after England's goal. Spain, who was good at offense, and England, who wanted to attack, collided with passionate sparks in the Nou Mestalla stadium.
Both sides played wonderful and beautiful offensive cooperation, but everyone was a little unlucky. Until the referee blew the whistle at the end of the first half, the score was still 0: 1, and the host Spain team was temporarily behind.
Although he was not very satisfied with the score of 1: 0, it was a good result to be in the lead. Therefore, Twain did not show any dissatisfaction when he came off the field.
And the Spanish players were not particularly depressed. After all, they were only behind by one goal. The manager was bound to make adjustments during the halftime interval. The second half was the real decisive battle!
The two teams left the stadium with different moods. The Spanish fans in the stands were not as confident about the second half as their team was. The vast majority of the Spanish fans were worried about the fate of the team. And the thing that the England fans liked to do the most now was to discuss the naval battle 500 years ago.
It was in that naval battle that the British Royal Navy defeated the world's number one Spanish Invincible Fleet, thus allowing England to replace Spain as the hegemon of the sea, laying a solid foundation for England's future establishment of an "empire where the sun never sets."
This glorious history was well known to every Englishman. In today's game, it was simply too fitting.
※ ※ ※
"We're one goal ahead, but now is not the time to celebrate, guys." In the locker room, Twain was lecturing the team. "You know …"
"A one-goal lead is the most dangerous score in the world!" Some of the players had already helped him to shout out the words.
Twain laughed, pointed to the players and said, "Not bad, not bad, you've all learned to answer first …"
There was a burst of laughter in the locker room. Although it was the semi-finals, the players' mentality was very good, and Twain was very satisfied with it.
"In the second half, Spain will definitely make adjustments to our tactics. You have to be mentally prepared — the second half of the game will not be as easy as the first. We may get into a tough battle — if you don't widen the gap at the beginning of the second half. What kind of adjustments will they make? It will not be defense, but offense. They will strengthen their offense on the flanks. Fàbregas and Iniesta will frequently split the ball to the flanks, or simply go to the flanks. Only by strengthening their offense on the flanks can they suppress our offense on the flanks … "At this point, Twain pointed to Rooney and Agbonlahor." Pay attention, you need to return to defend in the second half. "
Agbonlahor nodded, but Rooney had doubts. "Boss, since their purpose is to suppress our offense on the flanks, if Gabriel and I both return to defend, won't that just let them achieve their goal?"
Twain smiled slightly. "We still have George. If they suppress our flanks, we will go in the middle. After forty-five minutes in the first half, the Spaniards must think that our main attack direction is on the two sides, and that Mitchell and Vaughn are just a facade used to attract the opponent's attention. If they really think so and make the corresponding adjustments, then in the second half … "Tang En pointed to Mitchell and Vaughn." You two will let the Spaniards know who is the real decoration! "
"No problem, boss!" Mitchell answered loudly.
※ ※ ※
"I have to admit that I didn't expect England to make such a change …" In the Spanish team's locker room, Hierro's first words were to apologize to the whole team and admit his miscalculation. "I apologize for the overall disadvantageous situation in the first half."
The Spanish players did not expect the dignified manager to bow his head in public, but it made them feel that they had not done their duty. The reality of being one goal behind should not be borne by the manager, because the team falling behind was not the responsibility of one person, but the problem of the whole team.
The atmosphere in the Spanish team had always been good. Although in Spain, Catalonia had been clamoring for independence, it did not affect the friendship of the players within the national team. Now they were a whole, there was no distinction between the Madrilenians, Basques and Catalans.
"We have to make adjustments in the second half. Unfortunately, we don't have many defensive players in the midfield. "
Camacho immediately felt everyone's eyes on him. He knew that as the team's only defensive defensive midfielder, his task in the second half would be heavier.
"We can't make too many adjustments in the defense. I can't ask Camacho to cover from the front to the back. We can only think of a way to attack. "Hierro pondered for a moment. "England's tradition is to attack from the flanks. Their midfield passes are fast and they mainly rely on the flanks to drive the attack. George Wood is only responsible for dispatching. There are very few fatal passes close to the penalty area. If we want to suppress their attacks on the flanks, we can only attack them from the flanks. Spain's tradition is also to attack from the flanks. Don't forget that, gentlemen! "
Hierro decided to put the heavy players on the flanks. Whether it was Iniesta or Fàbregas, they had to move more on the flanks and play a varied attack with Largo and Silva.
※ ※ ※
"In the offense, our midfield has to release the ball quickly and reduce the number of touches and time of possession. We are not as good as Spain technically. You have to admit that. "Seeing someone look unhappy, Twain immediately pointed over. "If the Spanish team strengthens their control and defense in the midfield, then we will use more long passes from the back … Mitchell and Vaughan are the two lighthouses in the front field. Look for them for the long passes. Gerrard, your task is to control the second point of descent when they control the high ground. If you are close to the penalty area, try to shoot! "
Gerrard nodded and clenched his fists. He would not lose to anyone when it came to long shots. Getting older did not affect the explosive power of his shots, and now his long shots were more tricky and his feet were more hidden.
"If we don't score at the beginning of the second half, slow down the pace for a while, withdraw the formation and stabilize the defense. But in such a situation, don't forget to attack. Grab hold of any opportunity to attack! I'm telling you, on the football field, wasting opportunities will get you what you deserve! "
"I just want to emphasize one thing — you must be fast when you attack! Run fast, receive fast, pass fast, even if it's a shot, you must be fast! This kind of fast pace is what Spain lacks and what they are afraid of. It's our advantage and we must make good use of it. "
※ ※ ※
"What if England plays us on the counterattack? They are very fast. If you are sure you are not sure to stop the football, then foul! Foul away from the penalty area, the sooner the better! Don't think that I'm talking to the defensive players. Starting from the strikers, once the ball is lost, counterattack and block. Even if we can't intercept the ball, we have to force them to pass back. We can't let them attack quickly. Once England's speed is picked up, it will be difficult to stop them … None of our players were booked in the first half. That's our advantage. The referee is more lenient towards us, which is also our advantage and we have to make use of it. In addition, in the physical confrontation with England, we can fall to the ground more. Remember, we are the host, this is our home ground! "
※ ※ ※
"Pay attention when you defend. You have to be discreet, discreet! Do you know what it means to be discreet? Don't let the damn referee see even if it's a small move! Let the Spanish suffer a discreet loss! You have to know that we are playing in an away game, and the referee will be slightly biased towards the Spanish team. There is no doubt that I know the style of the UEFA. "Twain said this, and some people snickered in their hearts. Nottingham Forest was rectified by the UEFA every year. As a rich manager, he certainly knew the style of the UEFA.
"If you are judged to have fouled, don't try to argue with the referee. Under the circumstances at the time, any action you take may be interpreted by the referee as a provocation to his authority. I absolutely, absolutely don't want to see a yellow card because of a foul, and then a second yellow card because of a verbal protest. "
Twain's expression was serious. He wanted the players to know how important it was.
※ ※ ※
"Well, I've said all that needs to be said. Do you want more than 60,000 fans to witness their favorite team play in the third and fourth finals? Do you want to miss the chance to pick up the championship trophy at home? It's not a big deal to be one goal behind. We are Spain, we are a whole! "Hierro showed the demeanor he had when he was the Spanish team captain and loudly encouraged the players. "We are the host, and there are so many fans watching us. We can't lose no matter what!"
※ ※
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.
