Full-Level Pass, Please Call Me The Boss Of The Three Lions - Chapter 123
The first time, the second time.
Chapter 123 Leadership Temperament, Qualifying from the Group! [Six Thousand Words Chapter]
As Gerrard started to scold, Sturridge really didn’t dare to continue dribbling too much on the wing, and became much more reasonable.
Every time he got the ball, he immediately looked up and observed, seeking cooperation with his teammates.
When Ling Feng came to support, he would not stick to the ball, but directly cooperate with him by hitting the wall.
Then after tearing open the defense on the wing with a two-pass, Sturridge would go down the bottom and make a cross.
Or a high ball, or a ground ball.
This gave Rooney in the middle more support.
However, Costa Rica was able to defeat Uruguay and Italy in a row, relying on the united defense!
Five defenders, four midfielders, plus goalkeeper Navas
All ten players were squeezed into the 30-yard area of their own half, leaving little space for England to pass and cooperate.
Moreover, Costa Rican coach Pinto specially arranged two central defenders to stick closely to Rooney, preventing him from easily getting the ball or shooting.
Rooney, who was being closely guarded, either had to turn around and shoot, or use his strong body to lean on the defender and pass the ball back, allowing Ling Feng to shoot from a distance.
In just fifteen minutes, Ling Feng had three opportunities to shoot from outside the penalty area!
Unfortunately, the push shot lacked some power and could not pass Navas’s ten fingers.
After trying several times, Ling Feng began to reduce the frequency of long shots, and occasionally passed some penetrating short-distance passes to Rooney in the middle.
However, there were too many defenders in front of the penalty area, and several passes could not pass through the defenders’ legs and reach Rooney’s feet.
However, even so, England’s offensive continued to bombard Costa Rica, making Costa Rica’s defense line nervous.
If we really compare, among the four teams in Group D, the team with the most balanced and diverse offensive means in the frontcourt is England!
Uruguay’s forward twin stars have stronger personal abilities, but lack creativity in the midfield and cannot deliver ammunition to the frontcourt duo;
Italy is extremely dependent on Pirlo’s passing and Balotelli’s flash of inspiration;
Costa Rica has a certain speed in defensive counterattacks and relies heavily on teamwork.
Only England’s front line is more balanced and each has its own duties:
Ling Feng is responsible for organizing and passing threatening balls;
Rooney has superb shooting skills and plays a pivotal role in the front line;
Sterling and Sturridge have the ability to break through and can tear the defense from the wing to create space for teammates;
And Gerrard occasionally inserts long shots.
Early before the start of the World Cup, Hodgson shouted the slogan of “offensive football” in an interview with the media.
This is why he abandoned the 442 formation used by the Three Lions for more than ten years and chose the 4231 formation with a more three-dimensional offensive method!
Originally, Hodgson chose Rooney as the core of the front line.
However, judging from the first two games, Rooney was not able to take on the responsibility of connecting the front line, nor did he play a role in attacking the city.
On the contrary, Ling Feng’s performance as a substitute made him see the feasibility of the passing and controlling style.
This is also one of the reasons why he boldly took Welbeck and let Ling Feng start!
Ling Feng’s unique creativity and ability to pass threatening balls have finally given this tactical formation a real “organizing core”
From the overall performance of the team in the first half, Hodgson was very glad that he made this bold decision!
Sitting in the coaching seat, Hodgson has begun to think about the opponents he will face after qualifying from the group.
After defeating Costa Rica, England can qualify as the second in the group.
And the opponent in the round of 16 will be the South American powerhouse Colombia, which has already secured the top spot in Group C!
Colombia is not easy to play.
So far, most of the group matches have been played.
Among all the players in the group stage, three young players performed very well!
One is the super demon of the host “Samba Army”, Neymar, who is hailed as the “new generation of Brazilian future leader” by the Brazilian media;
The other is Colombia’s new number ten and frontcourt core, James Rodriguez!
In the first two rounds of the group stage, James Rodriguez scored two goals and assisted one, helping the team win two consecutive games and qualify as the group leader.
However, compared to being
James Rodriguez, who is highly expected by Colombia, the Three Lions also have their own future star!
That is Ling Feng, who came on as a substitute in two group matches, contributed one goal and two assists, and helped the team get two precious draws!
Looking at Ling Feng’s running figure on the field, Hodgson didn’t know why, but he felt very at ease.
As England pressed Costa Rica in the half court, time kept passing.
One attack and one defense, both sides showed great concentration and hard work.
Finally, the referee blew the whistle to end the first half!
And the players and fans of Costa Rica breathed a sigh of relief.
They were suffocated by England’s wave after wave of offensives.
Such a suffocating sense of oppression was not experienced in the games against Italy and Uruguay.
At least they can take a breath now.
However, for England, this is far from enough!
You know, in a football match, a one-goal lead is the most dangerous!
Because the opponent only needs one effective attack to equalize the score.
Once the score is equalized, the three points will become one point.
And one point is not enough for England to qualify for the next round!
Therefore, during the halftime break, both coach Hodgson and captain Gerrard emphasized that they must not relax on the field, as the game is not over yet.
“In the second half, we must show a more aggressive performance and continue to threaten the opponent’s goal!”
“Keep attacking! Keep scoring!”
“Go on the field and score another one! We can be sure to qualify!”
“Come on!”
After a short halftime break, players from both sides returned to the field one after another to play the second half of the game.
Neither side made any substitutions.
It can be seen that both sides are satisfied with their team’s performance in the first half.
Indeed.
For Costa Rica, only losing one goal in the first half is acceptable.
You know, England had an absolute advantage in the first half.
The ball possession rate reached 60%, and the number of shots was as many as thirteen times!
What’s more, they have already rotated the lineup for this game.
More than half of the players are substitutes who did not play in the previous two group matches.
Anyway, the win or loss of this game will not affect their qualification as the top team in the group.
Therefore, there is no need to focus on the main players. Giving the substitutes in the team some playing time can also let them feel the atmosphere of the World Cup.
Kill two birds with one stone!
Of course, the Three Lions don’t care whether you are the main players or substitutes.
They have only one task in the second half:
Score a goal!
So, from the first second of the second half, England continued the offensive rhythm of the first half.
The backcourt kept passing the ball through the midfield quickly and handed the ball to Ling Feng in the frontcourt to organize and decide the direction of the attack.
However, in Ling Feng’s view, the more you want to score a goal, the more you need to keep your mentality stable and not rush.
The fast offensive rhythm can certainly frequently pull the opponent’s defensive formation, making the opponent exhausted and their physical strength rapidly decline.
However, if the lineup is too pressed, the defense space will be larger, giving the opponent the possibility of counterattack.
Moreover, the Three Lions are not Spain, and their ability to penetrate with short passes is still not good enough.
They can’t pass the ball into the goal after a series of short passes like tiki-taka.
Many times, they still rely on single-point blasts on the two sides and Ling Feng’s sudden straight pass behind him in the middle to have the opportunity to threaten the goal.
Anyway, they are leading by one goal, even if they don’t expand the score, they can still qualify.
But if they are too eager to score and Costa Rica seizes the opportunity to counterattack, it will be a loss.
You know, Italy and Uruguay were “stolen” three points by Costa Rica’s counterattack in this way!
With the lessons learned from the past, they can’t fall into the same river!
So, when Ling Feng controlled the ball again, he slowed down, pressed his hands down, and shouted:
“Guys, be steady, play more patiently!”
“Don’t press too hard, beware of their counterattack!”
Watching Ling Feng commanding and calling his teammates on the field, Beckham in the stands couldn’t help but have bright eyes.
This kid, 20 years younger than himself, was not at all stage-shy on the big stage of the World Cup.
He vaguely saw the shadow of Cantona in Ling Feng.
At that time, Cantona, who had just joined Manchester United not long ago, was respected by other teammates in the locker room.
In Beckham’s view, Ling Feng, like Cantona, had a calm and composed attitude.
A special temperament that makes people feel at ease.
Perhaps, that is the natural leadership temperament!
Even under Ling Feng’s command, England slowed down the rhythm of the attack to a certain extent and paid more attention to the quality of the attack.
However, it did not reduce the pressure of the entire attack. On the contrary, every attack formed an effective shot.
And Costa Rican goalkeeper Navas became the busiest person in the game.
This season’s La Liga best goalkeeper blocked the ball high and low in front of the goal, blocking the Three Lions’ shots again and again!
And looking at the field without scoring, Hodgson turned his head and said to his assistant:
“Should we make some changes?”
In his opinion, after Ling Feng started, the team’s offense has obviously improved.
His dispatch and passing in the frontcourt are like lubricants, making the whole machine run very smoothly.
However, it is still a little short of scoring.
In the final analysis, the striker’s ability to seize opportunities is somewhat lacking.
Although Rooney worked hard and ran actively.
However, he was closely guarded by the opponent and did not get many shooting opportunities;
And Sturridge did not continue his hot form in the Premier League to the World Cup;
As for Sterling on the right, it goes without saying.
Do we still have to rely on Ling Feng? !
Although Ling Feng scored in the last game.
However, we can’t put all the hope and pressure on this 19-year-old young man.
And for many head coaches, once there is a situation where they have the upper hand but cannot score on the field, they must make changes!
Whether it is tactical or personnel.
Otherwise, if you don’t score the opponent’s goal, the opponent will score your goal!
Hearing this, assistant coach Livington touched his chin and responded:
“How about we replace Jamie?”
This personnel suggestion made Hodgson’s eyes light up.
“That’s him!”
In his opinion, Vardy and Ling Feng are club teammates, and he can understand Ling Feng’s passing intentions better than others, so as to play a more tacit cooperation.
Moreover, Vardy’s impact and confrontation are not bad, and he can also blast in local areas.
In particular, his defensive enthusiasm is much better than Sturridge.
So, in the 60th minute of the game, England took the lead in substitutions.
Replaced Sturridge on the left with Ling Feng’s club teammate Vardy!
With Vardy’s appearance, the Three Lions’ passing and receiving cooperation in the frontcourt became smoother.
Because, compared with Sturridge, Vardy has a very huge difference:
The former is a ball-free striker who does not need too much ball possession, likes to run to the empty space to receive the ball, and then complete the shot.
The latter is a ball-holding striker who needs a certain amount of ball possession, takes the ball and attacks independently, and creates threats!
Although when Sturridge is on the court, the team can have an extra side ball-holding point in the frontcourt.
However, not only him, but also Sterling and Ling Feng need the ball.
Ling Feng is fine. If there is no ball at his feet, he can still create opportunities for his teammates by running without the ball and passing the ball with one foot.
But Sterling can’t.
He must have the ball at his feet to dribble in order to play his explosive ability on the wing.
Therefore, considering the problem of ball distribution, it is enough to keep one Sterling on the field!
Moreover, compared with Sturridge, who has average passing quality, Vardy is more adapted to the cross-court tactics after breaking through the wing.
And this substitution adjustment soon received the most direct effect!
In the 72nd minute of the game, Ling Feng took the ball at the front of the penalty area line, and then made a small lob pass and passed the ball.
The ball just jumped between the two central defenders and fell to the left side of the penalty area.
And a white figure that started early flashed in!
It was Jamie Vardy!
Whether it was the timing of Ling Feng’s pass or Vardy’s forward insertion, it was just right.
“Nice lob pass!”
“Vardy has entered the penalty area!”
The two Costa Rican central defenders turned around suddenly and were surprised to see Vardy, who was one step faster than them.
They knew very well that if Vardy got the ball, they could face Navas alone.
Such a close distance was equivalent to handing the goal over to him!
In a flash, Costa Rican substitute central defender Umana, who was making his first start, got excited and subconsciously reached out to pull Vardy’s jersey.
Vardy, who was sprinting and met resistance, froze, and then screamed and fell backwards.
Vardy’s fall immediately scared Umana.
He quickly raised his hands to indicate that he had not committed a foul.
However, the referee, who was not far away, saw the whole process clearly.
He blew the whistle decisively and pointed to the penalty spot.
Penalty!
This penalty immediately caused the English fans at the scene to burst into warm cheers.
Of course, the cheers were mixed with boos from Costa Rican fans.
The Costa Rican players also surrounded the referee, as if they wanted to argue.
The referee stretched out his hands with a determined look, signaling the Costa Rican players to stay away from him.
The penalty has been made and cannot be changed.
Seeing Vardy successfully create a penalty, Ling Feng on the side immediately stepped forward and stretched out his hands to his second brother on the ground:
“Jamie, well done!”
The latter just held Ling Feng’s hands, stood up suddenly with the help of the force, and then smiled:
“Just like in Leicester City, isn’t it?”
“Of course!”
The other teammates also came to Vardy’s side and patted his shoulders and head.
“Good job, man!”
“Excellent running!”
As the top player and striker of the Three Lions, Rooney is the team’s first penalty taker.
He was seen holding the ball, calmly coming to the penalty spot and putting the ball in place.
Then, after taking a few steps back, he looked up at Navas standing on the goal line and exhaled.
In the stadium, the boos of Costa Rican fans rang out.
They tried to use this off-field trick to disturb Rooney’s state of mind.
However, Rooney, who has been famous for a long time, did not waver in expression, as firm as a rock.
With a whistle, Rooney took a step without hesitation and rushed towards the ball!
With a “bang”, the inside of his right foot made close contact with the ball.
The next second, the ball shot out!
At the same time, Navas also made the choice to fly to the right.
However, he guessed the wrong direction.
The ball went into the net from his left side!
Finally, Rooney, the second-highest scorer in the history of the Three Lions, scored his first goal since his eleventh World Cup game!
This goal was a great relief for Rooney.
Therefore, after scoring the goal, he ran all the way to the corner flag area with a relieved smile on his face, and then made his signature celebration:
He turned into a boxer, swung at the corner flag several times, and then opened his arms to accept the cheers of the English fans!
And other teammates also came to his side and hugged each other.
At the same time, on the England bench on the sidelines, both the coaching staff and the substitutes cheered and jumped for joy.
They knew very well that with Rooney’s penalty kick, the suspense of the game was basically over.
Taking advantage of this goal, Hodgson also used up the remaining two substitutions, replacing Rooney and Gerrard, the two core players, with Lambert and Lampard.
Since qualification is in sight, he also has to prepare for the next knockout round.
. . .
Even when the game was in the 81st minute, news of Uruguay’s goal came from another stadium.
However, for England, which was already two goals ahead, the result of the game on the other field was no longer important.
In the following time, under Ling Feng’s control, England obviously slowed down its offensive momentum.
Costa Rica did not expect to tie the score, nor did it press too hard, allowing the opponent to pass the ball back and forth in the midfield and backcourt, consuming the remaining little game time.
As time went on, the situation on the field obviously became very harmonious and friendly.
And tens of thousands of English fans in the Mineirão Stadium were already singing cheerful songs loudly.
With the referee blowing the whistle to end the game, the last game of Group D ended.
England defeated Costa Rica with a score of 2-0, winning the key three points, and the two teams advanced together!
In another game in Group D, Uruguay beat Italy by a score of 1-0, and both were eliminated in the group.
The next second after the whistle sounded, the players on the England bench rushed into the stadium at the same time, hugged their teammates, and celebrated wildly for advancing to the group.
The nearby Leicester City duo also hugged each other immediately.
“Ling, we’re in!”
“Yes!”
Looking at Ling Feng with a smile on his face, Vardy was a little confused:
“Dude, why don’t you look excited?”
“Because I knew long ago that we would definitely qualify!”
Hearing Ling Feng’s answer, Vardy was stunned, and then relieved.
Meet Ling Feng
Half a year later, he gradually got to know the character of this young man.
This young man has a maturity and stability that is not in line with his age.
I can only say that you are worthy of it!
In Ling Feng’s opinion, with his help, even if the Three Lions cannot win the championship, they can still qualify from the group.
If he, who has a system plug-in, cannot help the Three Lions qualify from the group, then he is too weak!
It is worth mentioning that Ling Feng, the butterfly from the future, has once again set off ripples!
This time, it is not just the fate of one person that has been changed, but the fate of the entire Three Lions!
You know, in the original history, the Three Lions bid farewell to Brazil with the worst record in history of two losses and one draw in this World Cup.
However, with the help of Ling Feng, the Three Lions achieved a record of two draws and one win, breaking out of the death group!
Of course, this is not the first time he has changed history, nor will it be the last time he changes history.
As he gets stronger, the things he influences and changes will become wider and wider.
Just as Ling Feng was sighing in his heart, Costa Rican midfielder Tejeda suddenly came to him and said to Ling Feng in some broken English:
“Swap, OK?”
After that, he did not forget to point to his jersey.
Obviously, Ling Feng’s excellent performance in this game won the recognition and respect of his opponents.
Faced with this request, Ling Feng of course readily agreed:
“Of course!”
After the game, in the selection of the best players of this game, Ling Feng, who had a pass success rate of 93%, made two threatening passes, and contributed one assist, deservedly became the best player of this game!
And this is also the first time he has won the honor of the best player of the World Cup.
【Ding Dong! 】
【Achievement “World Cup Best Player” has been achieved】
【Achievement Rating: B】
【Achievement Reward: One Free Attribute Point】
Two thousand words left, I will make up for it tomorrow!
Thank you “Xie Juxing” for the reward, muah!
(End of this chapter)
