The football spun and flew into the goal, rubbing against the net and making a slight rustling sound. But the sound was completely drowned out by the singing made by more than 10,000 England fans at the scene.
The Nou Mestalla stadium could accommodate 70,000 spectators, and now nearly 60,000 Spanish fans were collectively silent. It had instantly changed from Spain's home ground to England's home ground.
"This is a glorious moment for English football! We are leading the host Spain team by 2: 0, and there are still 15 minutes before the end of the game! That is to say, there are only 15 minutes left before the England team reaches the final of the World Series for the first time in 50 years!! " John Motson roared excitedly into the microphone, and his voice was heard throughout England via satellite.
All the England fans cheered for his words, as if the 15 minutes were just a blink of an eye, and they were the first to step into the Bernabéu, the venue of the final.
The 2: 0 score also made half of the Spaniards present feel cold. With 15 minutes left in the game and two goals behind, if they wanted to get into the final, they had to score at least two goals in these 15 minutes, and they could not let the England team score again … Just thinking about it made them feel difficult. Not to mention putting it into practice.
Not only the fans, but some of the Spanish players on the field also felt despair when the ball went into the goal …
They were convinced that they were good, but there was a feeling of power that they could not exert … as if something was wrong.
Hierro sat in his seat and bit his lower lip so hard that it turned white. His brain was working at high speed, and he was thinking about what to do if he did not want to give up in such a situation.
After thinking for a long time, he identified George Wood and must find a breakthrough from him. Wood was the captain, the core, and the anchor of the England team. As long as something went wrong with him, the England team was likely to collapse at the last moment.
There was absolutely no shortage of such shocking reversals in the world of football. Today, his Spain team was going to give the fans such a dedication!
※ ※ ※
Tang En's excitement only lasted for a short time. Then he began to wonder if he should replace Wood at this time. Wood had a yellow card on him, and it stood to reason that he should be replaced for protection after a two-goal lead. But Tang En knew that Spain would fight back frantically after the restart, and that would be the most dangerous time. If the opponent scored a goal carelessly, the situation could be reversed in an instant, and it would no longer be England but Spain who had the upper hand.
Letting Wood stay on the field could stabilize the defense …
After weighing the pros and cons, Tang En decided to leave Wood on the field for another five minutes. After withstanding the fiercest five minutes of the Spanish offensive, he did not waste even a second and let Wood rest. In the remaining ten minutes, they had to hold on to this two-goal advantage even if they had to defend the penalty area. At that time, as long as God didn't play with people, they should be able to pass.
When England's players celebrated the goal and began to run back to their own half of the field, Tang En gestured to them on the sidelines to shrink back and defend. At this time, stability was more important than anything else, and there was no chance for a counterattack …
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After the game resumed, as Tang En had expected, although the Spaniards were pained by the score, not everyone had given up fighting. Furthermore, as professional athletes, the accumulated experience of facing disadvantageous situations over a long period of time also helped them at critical moments. Most importantly, in front of 60,000 home spectators, on their own home ground, they did not want to be absent from the UEFA European Championship final hosted by their own country.
Hierro stood on the sidelines and stared at the field with a serious expression. It was as if he was conveying a message — — Don't give up until the final whistle blows!
In order to pay tribute to such an opponent, the British Royal Navy also raised the flag of St. George. Wood continued to stay on the field until Tang En thought it was time to replace him.
On the other hand, Gareth Barry had begun to warm up on the sidelines. He would replace Wood later — — if there were no accidents …
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"We're not really going to let him get a yellow card …" Fàbregas took advantage of the dead ball to pull a few of his teammates around him and specifically told them, "If he really gets a yellow card, the situation is not good for us. I believe he will harden his heart to deal with us. Anyway, he has no chance of playing in the next game … So we just have to put pressure on them. Don't really apply for a yellow card for him … Break through from there. Don't fall to the ground at the first physical contact. You absolutely can't do that! Our goal is not to fight for a set piece in front of the penalty area, but to penetrate inside! "
Iniesta had been replaced by Hierro and replaced by Cazorla. Largo switched to the middle. Now Fàbregas was the team's only core and commander on the field. He had to keep a clear mind.
"There are still ten minutes left. Don't give up! Don't give up! "
※ ※ ※
Once again, George Wood found himself the target of public criticism. He was not afraid of such a challenge, even if he had to pay the price of not being able to play in the final. Because this was his principle — — he would not hesitate when things came to a head. As long as the boss let him stay on the field, it meant that he was important. There was a task that had not been completed, so he would never back down before he completed his task.
Unfortunately, his teammates would not agree to it.
Fàbregas had warned his teammates not to put all their thoughts on revenge against Wood, but to find ways to create goals. But Largo had his own ideas — — what could be better than making the opponent's captain miss the next game and allowing his team to advance to the final?
Largo's thinking was based on his excellent free kick skills. The Spanish team's current set pieces were all handed over to him. Deliberately creating a foul on Wood, making him get a yellow card, and at the same time giving Spain a free kick in the front field was completely in Largo's interest.
But it was not okay to create a foul anywhere. It had to be as close to the penalty area as possible, close to the danger zone, so that the opponent's foul had the value of making the referee take out his card, and such a free kick was also more threatening.
When Largo received the football, he did not pass the football to Fàbregas, who had already pulled out a gap and saw the gap in the England team's defense and was raising his hand for the ball. Instead, he chose to dribble to break through. He was still quite confident in his dribbling skills …
"Idiot!" After seeing his teammate's decision, Fàbregas could not help but scold. When he looked back, England's rear defensive line had automatically made adjustments. The gap that had just been exposed disappeared in a flash, and it was unknown when it would appear again next time.
Fàbregas was naturally furious to waste a chance that could have scored a goal. But he could not get angry now. He still had to cooperate with his teammates' offense.
Largo did not know that Fàbregas was unhappy with his actions just now. He only had eyes for George Wood in front of him. He wanted to get that man off and save Spain with a free kick!
Wood did not let him get what he wanted. Maybe because there were too many distractions in his mind, when he approached Wood, Largo's own footwork was messed up and he did not control the ball. Faced with such a dribble, Wood easily blocked the ball. Largo stumbled out a few steps and then remembered to fall. He did not get anything … No, at least he got the ridicule of the England fans.
"Such a poor dive, the referee should give him a yellow card!" Motson was also not polite to the Spanish players.
The England team took the opportunity to organize a quick attack and once again threatened the Spanish team's goal. Fortunately, this time Asenjo was focused and played well to save Vaughan's shot, who was in excellent form.
But this made Fàbregas, who had already put on the captain's armband, very unhappy. He waved at Largo and roared, complaining that he was too independent just now.
Largo retorted very discontentedly.
This scene made Tang En very happy watching off the field. It looked like the Spanish people's patience was running out. When a team's players no longer believed that teamwork could open up the game, and preferred to use their individual skills to play the hero, the team was not far from death …
Despite his criticism of Largo's performance just now, when Largo appeared in the right position, Fàbregas selflessly passed the ball over. Then he ran himself, hoping to receive Largo.
This time Largo still disappointed Fàbregas. He continued to dribble the ball towards Wood. This kind of emotion was really not normal, but in a situation where they were two goals behind and there was only one second left in the game, no matter how abnormal it was, it was still understandable. Everyone would have moments where they would become impatient and lose their rationality. It was just that Lago had arrived a bit earlier than Fàbregas.
This time, Wood went up to make the other side completely give up, to let him understand that he was an insurmountable mountain, and he was just an ant-like mortal.
This was what Largo was waiting for. This time he must make Wood pay a heavy price!
But the two men did not meet. Five meters away from them, Mitchell, who was actively involved in the defense, knocked down Largo from the other side. The referee's whistle rang out as expected.
Mitchell and Largo fell to the ground together, while Wood turned his head to look at the referee running over. His eyes were focused on the opponent's left arm, which was reaching towards his chest pocket.
If he remembered correctly, Mitchell had already received a yellow card in the game against Sweden …
Mitchell clearly did not expect that his foul would bring him a yellow card. He wanted to show off to Wood that he had helped him stop another of the enemy's plots, but he saw that Wood's expression was not right. So, he followed Wood's gaze and looked back to see the yellow card in the referee's hand!
It was not only Wood and Mitchell who realized the seriousness of the problem. Tang En was also well aware of what this yellow card meant to Mitchell: if England could successfully defeat Spain, then he would be absent from the most important game — the finals!
"How could this be …" Mitchell murmured. Then, he suddenly rushed towards the referee and wanted to protest angrily. However, he was quickly grabbed by George Wood and dragged back forcefully.
"Do you want to be directly sent off the field with a red card?" He shouted at Mitchell, who was struggling desperately.
The person in his arms did not calm down, but struggled even more fiercely. "This is not fair!" He roared.
Wood could not continue to comfort Mitchell, because if he had just committed a foul, then the yellow card should have been given to him. Because the location was too sensitive … a little before the top of the penalty arc at the front of the penalty area, if Largo broke through himself, he would directly face the defensive line of the center backs led by Terry.
Not only Mitchell, but the other England players were also dissatisfied with the referee's decision. They surrounded the referee, hoping that he would withdraw the yellow card decision. But how could that be possible? The decision made was like water that had been splashed out …
Tang En did not curse from below, because he knew that the fouls in this area were very sensitive, and whether the referee would give a card or not depended on his mood. Obviously, the black-clothed judge was not in a good mood at this time …
He just turned around to ask Des Walker how Barry's warm-up was going. Looking at the situation, he could not continue to keep Wood on the field. Mitchell was a good example.
Barry took off his training vest as he ran to Tang En's side. He knew that he had finally waited for the opportunity to play.
"You go on the field and replace George …" Tang En said to him.
※ ※ ※
At the same time, the England players' protest against the referee on the field had ended, because it did not help at all. Only Mitchell looked very depressed. The best opportunity was in front of him, but he had to become a spectator … He could not accept such a fact, but what could he do?
George Wood saw the fourth official raise the substitution sign on the sidelines, and the person standing next to the fourth official was Gareth Barry. He knew that he was about to be substituted. He patted Mitchell in the human wall, opened his mouth and said, "Thank you."
Then he took off the captain's armband, turned to walk towards Terry, and completed the transfer of captain. Then he slowly walked to the sidelines, enjoying the standing ovation of the England fans.
"Tang En clearly substituted Wood for the purpose of protecting Wood. It's a pity that Mitchell will miss the next game, and that is likely to be the final … "Motson felt sorry for Mitchell while rejoicing for Wood. At the same time, he was also a little worried about England's fate in the final. Although Mitchell did not score many goals, he was definitely a very useful center forward. His passing, his headers, his skills, and he could even play as a center back in a critical moment. Such a well-rounded center forward would certainly increase the team's combat effectiveness.
Wood walked to the sidelines, hugged Barry, patted him on the shoulder and sent him on the field, then shook hands with Tang En.
As they shook hands, he asked, "Aren't you going to replace Mitchell?"
Tang En shook his head and said, "He already got a yellow card, what's the use of substituting him?"
Wood did not say anything. He turned around and walked to the substitutes' bench. In the end, the assistant manager, Walker handed him a towel, put it on his head, and sat on the chair without saying a word. He was still feeling sorry for Mitchell's fate …
The Spanish side had already started to prepare for a free kick, and Largo personally did it. The football drew an arc, bypassed the human wall, and also bypassed Joe Hart's ten fingers, and drilled into the goal!
At that moment, nothing could be heard in the Nuevo Mestalla stadium except for the storm of cheers from the Spanish fans. Even Tang En himself could not hear the profanities he cursed out.
"We've pulled back a goal! We've pulled back a goal! "The Spanish commentator seemed to see hope.
Fàbregas, who had been dissatisfied with Largo just now, rushed up and gave him a strong hug.
Largo finally enjoyed the treatment of playing a hero …
While the Spaniards were busy celebrating, Mitchell picked up the football in the net alone, hugged it all the way to the center circle, and then smashed the football hard at the kickoff point. When he raised his head again, there was no longer a frustrated or angry expression.
He had rediscovered his value as a striker.
※ ※ ※
"Don't waste time on celebrating!" Hierro loudly reminded his players on the sidelines that they had no time for such things. "Hurry up and get back into the game! One goal short! Seven minutes to go! "He pointed to the watch on his wrist to the Spanish players on the field.
Nevertheless, the Spanish players who returned to their respective positions still could not hide the smile on their faces. They had already seen hope. Although there were only seven minutes left before the end of the 90-minute game, there was still injury stoppage time …
After the game resumed, Mitchell suddenly stopped actively returning to defend. Instead, he stayed in front and kept raising his hand for the ball. Other than Piqué who paid more attention to him, the Spanish players did not take it to heart. At this time, their minds were full of the need to score, to equalize the score, to complete a big reversal …
In the final moments, the Spanish team pressed up heavily. The Spanish fans in the stands also seemed to be injected with adrenaline and kept shouting in support of the team. The singing of the England fans was completely suppressed.
But when Barry sent the ball over the top of Mitchell's head with a long kick, the sound all came to an abrupt end.
Piqué was too concerned about the blocking position, but he was brushed past by Mitchell instead. He lost his center of gravity and almost fell to the ground, but he had also lost his target.
Mitchell looked back at the Spanish players who were desperately returning to defend, and then looked up at the football above his head. He was already outside the top of the penalty arc.
"How could he forget to defend?!" The Spanish commentator asked angrily, but wasn't it a little too late to ask this question at this time?
Asenjo must also want to question his teammates in the same way, but now it was better to block the opponent's one-on-one shot first …
"Asenjo has abandoned the goal and attacked. This is a one-on-one shot! It's a great opportunity for Mitchell. As long as he can score, we will definitely go to the final! "
Seeing this scene, George Wood pulled off the white towel covering his head and stood up from the substitutes' bench, nervously watching the front of the Spanish penalty area.
Not every one-on-one shot would score a goal. While the goalkeeper was under pressure, the one-on-one striker also had to bear a lot of pressure, and it was likely to be even more than the goalkeeper …
"Hit it in, Aaron!" Twain gritted his teeth and roared on the sidelines. His fists had long been clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. "This is your final! Hit it in!! "
Facing Asenjo, who had attacked near the penalty spot, Mitchell suddenly stopped in his tracks and raised his right leg. The football just fell at this moment, as if everything had been precisely calculated. He did not volley with force. He just leveled his right foot and gently lifted it … The football jumped again, flew over Asenjo's head, drew a parabola, and fell straight into the goal.
Since I can't go to the final, then I'll score the goal that was originally reserved for the final in advance!
With my right foot, I'll send the team into the final! There's nothing to regret! That's right, there's nothing to regret …
The football brushed against the crossbar and flew over the goal line, eventually falling into the goal.
Bastard! Why is it me …
Mitchell's knees buckled, and he fell to his knees.
The Nou Mestalla Stadium was silent.
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