The Young Lion

June 26, 2002, Saitama World Cup Stadium.

Aldrich closed his eyes slightly, as if to escape.

fear?

In the field of competition, for the first time in eight years, there will be such a taboo feeling.

He had always been the one who gave the opponent such a sense of oppression, but now it was him who felt the suffocation that smelled of death.

Dreamy Brazil, the pinnacle of modern offensive football, England has no power to fight back, and can only tremble under the strong offensive firepower of the opponent, the defense line is crumbling, and is constantly threatened, humiliated, and destroyed by the world-shaking 3R combination. The Three Lions are dying to die.

The lead in the first half seemed to be a short-lived strength. When the Brazilian team came to the best condition, the young coach who was so tall and heroic also fell to the point of being helpless, and some players on the England team looked forward and backward. Feeling a little frustrated.

It seems that no matter how hard one tries, the sky can't go against him!

No matter how Aldridge conceals it, he is arrogant now. There is no way, he is already famous all over the world, why can't he be arrogant? Why not be ambitious?

When he came to the World Cup, he only had the Hercules Cup in his eyes, was it wrong? Are the eyes above the top?

If it's not for the Hercules Cup, he might as well take his family to visit world famous places and have fun!

But God seems to have made a joke with him, a year and a half of painstaking effort is about to go to waste, if it falls here, the utilitarian calculations a year and a half ago, all kinds of profit and loss considerations that compare pennies and pennies seem to become insignificant, leaving behind There is only sadness and loss.

It is really hopeless!

The theoretical confrontation of skills and tactics is meaningless, and the overall strength of the Brazilian team is stronger. At its best again. From falling behind to equalizing, a strong confidence has been built.

The more aggressive they are. The advantage will become bigger and bigger. First, the rhythm has not been disrupted. Secondly, they also have the advantage in terms of physical fitness. Regardless of England's lack of counterattacks, the players seem to stay in the second half. However, the Brazilian team attacked in the frontcourt. A player's running position affects the vigilance and legs of at least two players in England!

Added up, England's physical consumption is higher than that of the Brazilian team!

In the final stage, no matter how reluctant Aldridge is, he must let the players foul, and his physical fitness has begun to show signs of being unable to keep up.

Embarrassed? Shameless?

He didn't think so. Argentina, as the defending champion, could put up a bus to block the goal in the final. If the prosperous Germany didn't rely on a flop, it would be hard to say who would win. In the eyes of the coach, this is dismissive bullshit.

But going on like this is not the way to go, the Brazilian team will bloom more offensively. There are so many means of attack, both far and near can be used to attack left and right, this is so strong that it is really hopeless.

Thousands of thoughts flashed through Aldrich's mind, and the dazzling flame deep in his heart was gradually extinguished.

However, when he closed his eyes, everyone at the scene, the audience who followed the game all over the world, saw a wonderful rainbow across the stadium.

This rainbow started from Ronaldinho's feet and passed over the heads of players from both Brazil and England. The brisk football drew a romantic parabola, and the end point of the fall would be the inside of England's goal, rubbing against the lower edge of the crossbar.

However, when the ball fell and was about to be parallel to the beam, a big hand rose from the bottom. It seemed weak, but it seemed to be holding a thousand weights. It ended the rainbow, and all the beauty disappeared. The ball bounced from the palm of the hand. Turn on and change direction, refract forward, fly above the crossbar and out of the bottom line.

There was a sigh of relief in the audience.

All England breathed a sigh of relief.

Only the coach of the England national team, who is not from England, opened his eyes calmly. He saw Ronaldinho running to take the corner kick without changing his face, and saw Seaman clapping his hands in front of the goal line and directing the team to defend the corner kick. people.

The flame that was about to be extinguished in Aldrich's heart suddenly exploded!

His expression changed slightly, it seemed a little cruel, stubborn and stubborn!

destiny?

If everything is predestined, then work hard!

Seaman lifted the ball over the crossbar on the goal line, which seemed normal to everyone. Ronaldinho tried to hang the goal, and the angle was well grasped. Seaman made a not world-class but wonderful save.

However, with Seaman's hand, Aldrich, who had already lost any hope, saw the light of hope again, even if it was very weak.

At the beginning of the first national team training camp of the previous national team coach, Aldridge gave two players very strange training tasks.

Beckham also practiced mid-range and long-range free kicks, mainly hanging goals. Beckham was very confused at the time, but he didn't ask. Seaman thought he was a training partner and kept up.

Over the past year and a half, the national team has trained for at least three times as many games as England has played. Seaman has been slammed by Beckham, and he has been slammed more often. There was a change. Firstly, Beckham's footwork was accurate. If another player came to practice, he himself was not sure. How could Seaman be vigilant?

This made Seaman subconsciously afraid of the opponent's hanging goal when facing free kick masters. In the Premier League, it is rare to see him succeed in hanging the goal in embarrassment. Today, facing Ronaldinho, he dare not be careless. At the critical moment, he really shut out Ronaldinho's hanging door.

Beckham and Seaman, who were involved, would definitely not think about their extra training in the national team at this time. Beckham himself only thought of it as honing his skills, and Seaman also kept his state to accompany training.

The ball didn't go in, so I won't think too much about it.

But if the goal is scored, I am afraid that Seaman and Beckham will respect Aldridge, and of course, regrets will inevitably be inevitable.

Aldridge slightly looked up at the sky that had completely turned into night. If everything was predestined, wouldn't his hard work be a joke?

No, his hard work paid off.

History is in his hands!

Millwall is proof.

The innumerable trophies are also proof.

It is proof that Seaman can reject Ronaldinho's shocking blow!

If you lose in the end, you either lose to fate or lose yourself. Don't make excuses for yourself!

Aldrich gritted his teeth. The smile is fleeting.

fear. It will make people lost and make people escape.

Only by having the courage to conquer your fears can you face reality, no matter how brutal.

No matter how weak the hope is, the right to choose is always in your hands!

He closed his eyes again, his mind racing.

England now has no possibility of disturbing Brazil, not even the ability to intimidate the Brazilian team to restrain it a little!

It cannot interrupt the Brazilian team's mad offensive momentum.

So. There is only one chance to change the overall rhythm!

90 minutes game over!

After the 90 minutes of the game, a short break before entering overtime, no matter how short the time, can make the Brazilian team temporarily calm down, and the state will drop briefly, while the England team can also get a breather and regain their composure.

It is now impossible for Aldridge to give any offensive instructions, because the team is fully defensive. Any active adjustment forward may give the Brazilian team room for a fatal blow.

In the end how to wade through the mountains of Brazil. Aldridge still hasn't come up with a solution, but the most sensible choice at the moment is to make the overall rhythm of the game change.

He opened his eyes and yelled at the players to strengthen their defense. McManaman and Scholes simply returned to the midfielder. Irving also retreated behind the center circle, symbolically harassing the Brazil midfielder. support.

The cheering momentum of the Brazilian fans at the scene became more and more magnificent, while the cheering of the England fans became more and more tragic.

The whole world has seen the Samba Army, which performed the peak offensive in the second half, saw their strength, and also saw that the Three Lions Army, who also advanced to the semi-finals with 5 victories, had no power to fight back. Now, only We can use negative football, anti-football, and various methods that are diametrically opposed to the football development trend called by the mainstream to prevent the Samba from crushing.

When the referee showed a yellow card to Irving who pulled Kleberson's jersey in the 84th minute, let alone the English players on the field felt sad, and even Aldridge, as the coach, couldn't bear to look directly.

In order to prevent the Samba Army from crushing, England retreated again and again, blocked again and again, used intensive defense, used foul tactics, the road became narrower and narrower, and the illusory final tickets seemed to be flying to Brazil human arms.

McManaman, Owen, Lampard, Butt, Beckham, Scholes, England's repeated fouls caused the referee to draw cards frequently in a short period of time. Brazil was protesting, but England at least There is no malicious foul, and there is no obvious absolute red card tactical foul. It's just that getting a yellow card is like hanging a knife around your neck. The next time you foul, you may step into hell.

In the 87th minute, Ferdinand blocked Ronaldinho's dribble into the penalty area outside the penalty area. He was also yellow and missed the next game!

7 people in England got yellow cards!

In front of the TV and in the stands, some people have already yelled that England is shameless and can only use this method to tarnish football. Some English people feel that it is tragic. England is lingering under the strong offensive firepower of the Brazilian team. Contest? Brazil's half, with the English? After the England defense has begun to make a hasty big-foot clearance, and got the tacit approval of Aldridge.

He couldn't disagree. The physical fitness of the players couldn't keep up at all. The impact from the back to the front couldn't run fast. How can we talk about counterattacks?

We must slow down, we must give them some time to adjust, we must give them some hope of winning!

If there is anything that gives them confidence, it is Aldridge who is tirelessly directing the players to move and defend on the sidelines, even calling out the players' names directly to make them foul!

Yes, Aldridge has no guru demeanor now, what is the difference with a local ruffian?

He asked Scholes to foul at the top of his voice, what kind of handsome man is this?

It was his roar like a wild beast that made the England team hold their breath and fight to the death, and did not lose their minds. Under his command, there were many yellow cards, but no one had two yellow cards and one red card.

In the 89th minute, Southgate decisively rushed out of the penalty area and used a flying shovel to kick Ronaldinho away from the foot of the alien, and brought Ronaldo down at the same time. Yellow card for Southgate.

One minute later, Seaman also received a yellow card for delaying time.

England started with 11 players, 9 of whom were yellow!

After Seaman procrastinated, he passed the ball to Ashley Cole. When Rivaldo came to harass him, the latter directly kicked the ball forward. The edge of the bottom line.

Then, the England team substitutions!

This substitution is basically delaying time.

Jensen had already come up to suggest whether Aldridge should consider substituting, and let players with better physical fitness come on the field to supplement fresh blood.

Aldridge refused without hesitation.

To be honest, the players on the bench must have good physical fitness, but at critical moments, there are really no expectations. England has no surprises at all!

The substitution this time has the least impact on the overall situation.

The England team replaced Phil Neville with Mills. I don't understand Hall's substitution. I really don't understand it. Even if he replaces a defensive player with a yellow card, it is understandable, but he is innocent. The Phil Neville, put on a Mills whose offensive role is almost negligible, or strengthen the defense? But what is the use? Is the England team really going to play a penalty shootout with the Brazil team?

In fact, Aldridge's substitution has only one purpose: delaying time.

Let the players on the field take a breather, let Brazil's formation recuperate, spend some time on both offensive and defensive ends, and then wait for the regular game time to end! (to be continued...) ()