Chapter 264: A long breath

Within 20 minutes of the game, two goals were led - it was a fantastic start, especially in such a competition. To achieve such a start almost means being able to win the final victory.

In the eyes of England players, the victory of this game can almost be said to be obtained. If you fall behind twice so quickly, it will be a huge blow to the psychology of Portuguese players. As long as you seize the opportunity to suppress the opponent, you can achieve the final victory!

I have to say that falling behind two goals so quickly did greatly shake the psychology of the Portuguese players. However, at this time, the two superstars in their formation stood up in time and stabilized the morale of the army!

Figo began to return to the midfield to get the ball frequently. Portugal had an advantage in the midfield confrontation, and after he was added, the advantage began to become more obvious. The problem with England's midfielder is that his defensive ability is average. Apart from Ince, there is no defensive player. Tiger hardly returns to defend. Even if he defends, he lacks the vision of blocking the ball. Beckham's running is very active. However, before the game, Keegan gave him more offensive tasks. Scholes' running is also very active, but on the wing, he is already a little awkward in the offense, let alone defense...

This situation gives Portugal a huge advantage in offense even though he only has three players in the midfield.

After attracting Ince's attention, Rui Costa distributed the ball to Figo. The one who performed well in Portugal before was Rui Costa, while Figo's performance was a bit quiet, which made the English players relax their defense against Figo.

Tiger was running back. He knew how powerful Figo was, but now he was in the midfield. There shouldn't be too many threats. The other two strikers in Portugal are in the tight defense of the English defenders, so there will be no chance...

Just as Tiger was thinking this way, Figo continued to take the ball and push forward. Because the only defensive midfielder Ince's attention was attracted by Rui Costa, Figo continued to dribble forward and waited for him to enter the 30-meter area before Adams rushed out of the penalty area to block Figo's progress.

However, at this moment, Figo swung his right foot while running and shot with a long shot!

Adams raised his foot to block the shot, but the ball flew through between his legs and then plunged into the dead corner of the goal!

In? In!

The entire stadium was silent, and even the Portuguese fans did not expect that the shot would enter so quickly!

"The ball... the ball entered? A wonderful long shot!" After a long time, the commentator shouted in a hurry. The goal came in a hurry: "Let's take a look at slow motion... The ball flew between Adams' legs, and then flew into the goal! Ximan was blocked by the defensive player. When he reacted, it was too late. The ball flew into the goal from the junction of the crossbar and the post! Absolute blind spot! World wave!"

Tiger looked at Figo with an incredible look. He knew that Figo was very strong and much stronger than his current fame. However, at this distance, with layers of barriers, he actually scored the ball in like this!

Speed, strength! And...luck, both are indispensable, so that you can score such a wonderful long shot!

"Fuck, this guy is so lucky." Tiger couldn't help but mutter to Beckham.

Beckham shook his head with a wry smile. He could see that this goal had luck, but which one of the goals that could become classics had no luck?

From leading two goals to leading one goal, England is in trouble now.

Beckham's idea was right. After getting a point back, Portugal's morale came back completely, and then they launched a stormy attack!

No, maybe it was the gentle breeze and drizzle. Their attacks were definitely not sharp, but they were very patient. They passed back and forth and kept dispatching back and forth. The skills of each Portuguese player at the foot were quite good, which made them not interrupt the rhythm by England during the process of passing back and forth.

Both Beckham and Scholes returned to defense. England, which strengthened the midfield defense, did not give Portugal too many opportunities. However, they had to run more than Portugal to prevent the defense from showing any flaws, which made their physical energy consumed much greater than their opponents.

England's schedule is very intensive. The players of the English national team, who are playing in the Premier League, are not very physically healthy. Most of the players in Portugal play in relatively relaxed national leagues, and their training time is much longer than England, which makes them gradually have an advantage on the court.

Tiger also returned to defense, but his physical fitness was not in the best condition. More than half a month ago, he had just played a Champions League final with all his strength, and he was unable to rest well after running for a while, so after he started to realize that it was unwise to do so, and he should keep his physical fitness in the offense.

This allowed him to watch Portugal attack around England in the following time, waiting for his teammates to resist the attack and pass the ball to him, just like when Valencia was there, but he failed to get such an opportunity.

Even after England intercepted the ball in the backcourt, she opened the ball to the frontcourt instead of trying to find a way to send the ball from the ground to his feet. The two opponent's central defenders bounced and stuck. Although Hiller was struggling to grab the ball from the heads of two equally experienced central defenders, this also made Portugal's offense more and more fierce.

Seeing his teammates being pressed by the opponent but had no choice but to smile bitterly. If it were Valencia, in this case, the teammates in the backcourt would try every means to pass the ball from the ground to him, and then organize a counterattack to reduce the pressure in the backcourt, but now, he can't do this.

Before the pass from the backcourt came, Portugal's second goal came in the 37th minute. After twenty or thirty consecutive passes, Rui Costa, who was pulling the side, made an extremely exquisite cross-top pass. The ball fell between two central defenders in England. Joao Pinto, who was in the forward pass, bent over the top and pushed the ball into the lower left corner of the goal. Himann made a little hard save, and he could only beat the lawn helplessly.

The English fans looked at the Portuguese players in celebrating in amazement. They could not believe what they saw. They had previously taken two goals to lead in fantasy, but before the first half was over, the advantage of two goals to lead was gone...

After returning to the locker room, Keegan looked quite angry. It was not that he couldn't afford to lose, but that he thought about the whole first half and could not find an offensive method of fighting against Portugal with a soft knife...

English players are good at running and confrontation, but when the ball is passed, no matter how fast you run, you are not as fast as the ball is. At the same time, the opponent will not be physically confronting you at all. The two forwards in the penalty area are slippery like fish, and they just don't fight against the defenders, making Adams and Campbell unable to do anything.

Tiger also shut his mouth in the locker room. He wanted to say, "Let's let's pass in the attack too," but he also knew that the national team had never played this tactic. The barely used it can only increase the turnover rate, but instead make the defensive flaws in the backcourt - it's a fatal loss in the midfield, and Portugal's frontcourt does not lack the speed of offense.

As for counterattack... it seems that they can't accurately send the ball to Tiger's feet when counterattacking...

"We must strengthen the offense in the second half! Use offense to fight their offense...Wirestle, sideways, do you understand? To complete the offense through the sideways, there are big problems in their defense..." Keegan, who had been thinking about it for a long time, could only emphasize strengthening the offense in the second half, hoping to suppress the opponent with offense...

However, this confusing guiding ideology did not improve England. They completed two more threatening attacks after the kick-off in the second half. Tiger's pass helped Hiller and Irving each get a chance, but the next game became the world of Portugal.

In terms of technology against physical fitness, Portugal fully utilized its technical advantages. Their mercury-like attack made England unable to support it. Himann's mistake almost made Pinto face the empty goal directly, but Pinto was not prepared to hit the ball high in the face of this big gift that came to the door, and England escaped.

However, luck alone is not enough - in the 59th minute, Rui Costa made a brilliant pass and crossed England's defense line. Gomez beautifully shook over Adams, who was overly swung in the penalty area, and then shot the ball into the dead corner of the goal!

This is Gomez's first goal with the Portuguese national team!

From zero to 2 to 3 to 2, Portugal alone is enough to shock the world! It is enough to remind people of the fact that they won the European Youth Championship twice, and the main players who won the European Youth Championship twice now form this Portuguese national team!

Keegan replaced Irving in poor form with Husky to strengthen his impact, but this approach made England's midfield and frontcourt even more disconnected. Irving had often retreated to connect to the midfield and frontcourt, but now the two centers were in front, and the England national team, which lost the midfield, could not pass the ball to the frontcourt. Tiger would be attacked by two or even three opponents every time he took the ball, while Beckham and Scholes lacked the speed of breakthrough. When the two forwards were watched by the Portuguese defender, their long passes would not have much effect no matter how accurate they were.

As time came to the 75th minute, Keegan finally made the most correct substitution.

He replaced McManaman with Captain Hiller, who was also poorly performed, and Scholes returned to the middle and Tiger pushed the frontcourt to play the second striker!

Tiger grinned when he heard McManaman who was on the field convey Keegan's intentions to him.

This time the substitution is in line with his wishes.

The addition of a player in the midfield made England's midfield thicker. Scholes, who returned to the middle, had a certain defensive ability to protect the midfield, while McMannaman was able to create opportunities through breakthroughs. More importantly, Tiger moved forward and was closer to the goal, and the threat was greater!

Several midfielders in England are very good in physical fitness, and McMannaman has just changed. Portugal's style of play may not consume much physical fitness, but it is very energy-consuming. After all, it is very tiring to maintain that kind of accurate pass.

So, despite Tiger's position moving forward, England's midfielder gradually regained a little bit of the situation and the passes to the frontcourt began to increase.

In the 76th minute, Tiger received the sideline ball thrown by Gary Neville and then passed the ball to the penalty area. Husky beat the opponent's defender and headed the ball. Scholes, who was inserted in the middle, volleyed by Baia and blocked the ball out of the sideline. Philip Neville immediately threw the ball from the other side again. McManaman made a cross, and Husky headed the ball again. Scholes headed the ball to the far post.

In the 81st minute, Tiger retreated and passed the ball to the right. Beckham made a cross, Husky headed in the penalty area, and the ball was above the crossbar.

These two successful attacks made England fans cheer again. The entire second half, until now, England's offense began to gradually become smoother...

"Maybe Keegan has to consider winning a forward. Tiger's most suitable position is indeed after the forward and before the midfield. If the position is too far behind, he cannot play his threat to the goal, and it will also weaken the midfield's defense... When he is in the midfield, if there is only one player behind him, the pressure on defense will be too great." Leinker commented.

Tiger retreated two steps and got the ball before Portugal's midfield and defense line. This is his favorite place to take the ball, because here, his speed can burst out without any scruples, and once it breaks through, it will be very close to the goal!

Cotto came up. In fact, he was not the kind of defender who was used to rushing forward to defend, but another defender Costa was a more traditional central defender. He had excellent head-on confrontation and turned slowly. If he was asked to go out to defend Tiger, who was as quick as a monkey, it would basically be a kill in seconds...

Tiger turned around with the ball, and Coto rushed over. Tiger just took a look and then stretched out his foot to make a cross. Coto's attention was attracted, but Tiger quickly hit the ball behind his left foot with his right foot, and then quickly turned half and threw Coto aside!

Although he easily got rid of Coto, whose condition had begun to decline, Portugal's defense was not so easy to get rid of. Both midfielders had already returned to defend. Before that, two Portugal's full-backs also shrank into the penalty area, and they still had enough manpower in the penalty area.

Before turning around, Tiger began to observe his teammates' running position. He knew that Scholes was inserting from the rear, Husky ran out of the penalty area to respond, and McManaman and Beckham on both wings...

Tiger directly poked the ball to Husky at the front of the penalty area, and then inserted it himself. Husky passed by, and Tiger swung his right foot while running!

Shaville rushed forward desperately. England's two goals scored from him before. Although he was very brave in playing for Everton, he seemed very frigid when he rushed to the defense!

Keegan made a lot of mistakes in this game, but he said one thing right, that is, Portugal's full-backs often make mistakes when making up for the position!

Shaville pounced fiercely, but he left no room for anything!

Tiger's foot stopped before touching the ball and stepped on the ball. Shaville's body slid past him, and then Tiger dunked the ball to the left and drove into the penalty area!

Baia made a timely attack - when he was in Barcelona, ​​Baia was hailed as the best goalkeeper in Europe because his control range in the penalty area was quite large and his attack was extremely timely and accurate!

However, he is not young after all, and his condition has declined very much in recent years. Otherwise, Barcelona would not have sold him, and he would not have returned to the Portuguese League to retire at the golden age of the goalkeeper at the age of 31. His attacking vision is still there, but his movements have been slower, and at the same time he cannot block the angle behind him after the attack!

Facing Baiya, who was attacking, Tiger suddenly swung his right foot while running and shot without warning - he relied entirely on his calf, which also made him use less time to shoot and even more impossible to judge in advance!

Baiya almost saw Tiger swaying his calf and saw the ball flying above his head. In a hurry, he couldn't jump up at all. He could only symbolically stretch out his hand, then turned his head, and watched the ball hit the far post, and then bounced into the goal...

After the shot, Tiger lost his balance, but he still stretched his head to look at the ball. He didn't breathe a sigh of relief until the ball flew into the goal and relaxed.

Although it is just a draw, the draw seems to be a good result when there is almost no way to deal with the opponent's offensive means...

I'm so tired. Playing football in the national team is much more tiring than playing football in Valencia...

While Tiger was sighing in his heart, England's teammates had already rushed forward and surrounded Tiger, who was still lying on the ground.

They are now convinced by Tiger. You should know that for most of the English national teams playing in the Premier League, Tiger is an alternative. Although McManaman also plays in La Liga, he has been in the Premier League for a long time before. Only Tiger has left after only one year in the Premier League. It is inevitable that his teammates will think that even if he has a good grade, he may not be able to adapt to England's style of play. But now, with two goals and one instigation, no one can have any questions about such an excellent answer.
Chapter completed!