A child pointed to the Czech restricted area and asked curiously: "Dad, why is that man wearing a hat?"
The man was slightly surprised. After thinking for a moment, he said, "He is afraid of the cold."
In a Premier League game in 2006, Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech suffered a skull fracture and had a close call with death.
...
The game is getting boring.
Spain surrounded the Czech penalty area and "tapped" like crazy.
Cech calmly commanded the defence.
Morata and David Silva had a crazy tug-of-war.
Iniesta had to play an important role in organizing the team, because Isco's positioning was very similar to his.
"The defensive formation is too dense."
"Today's Czech team is very Chelsea."
"The spacing between all the players was very good."
"The Spanish team still can't find any flaws. After losing Xavi, the Spanish team's passing and control system lacks overall rhythm changes!"
"A meaningless pass cannot threaten the Czech goal!"
....
The 24th minute of the game.
Spain forced the speed in the frontcourt.
The football quickly flew past the feet of Iniesta and David Silva, tearing apart the opponent's dense defense like a steel wire.
Cazorla, who was pulled to the side, raised his foot slightly.
The football finally turned into a graceful arc and jumped towards Morata's head!
How could the pie made by three midfield masters become vomiting?
"Morata's movement is great!"
"Perfect timing!"
"Look at this ball!"
Morata, who doesn't use his feet, is simply a forward bug.
The Czech team, which is a group of veterans from the Bundesliga and French Ligue 1, can't keep up with his rhythm at all.
The Spanish fans in the stands started celebrating early!
...
Czech restricted area.
Morata jumped up high and shook his head violently.
The football quickly hit the lower left corner of the Czech team's goal.
Mignano's joy was beyond words.
Vrba was so nervous that he bent his back and knees.
Morata's header never disappoints!
Cech's right arm has sequelae.
The entire Premier League took advantage of this weakness of his and beat him.
I can't beat him.
Atlantic Stadium erupted in exclamations.
With lightning speed, Cech slid down to the ground and blocked the ball with his right foot at the goal line!
Morata slapped his forehead and stamped his feet helplessly.
"pretty!"
"Cech used his weak foot to block the Spanish team's inevitable goal!"
"It's unimaginable that a 34-year-old veteran is still making progress and correcting his weaknesses!"
"His only flaw is that he is not domineering enough to become the spiritual leader of the Czech team."
He Wei quickly poked Duan Xuan.
Even if he is not domineering enough, he is still one of the top goalkeepers in the history of the Champions League.
...
Studio.
-[Cech is worthy of being the father of Arsenal’s defenders.]
-[It’s because the Czech players’ defensive positioning was good, and Morata’s offensive point position was expected, so Cech’s save and block were not that laborious.]
-[Cech is one of the people who best understands the meaning of the "Muslim Bus". The goalkeeper position has a wide field of vision, which is convenient for commanding the defense. ]
-[Spain is no longer good at passing and controlling. Without Xavi, there will be no change in rhythm. Even the opportunities they finally created cannot get past Cech!]
-【This game is probably a draw.】
-[The Italian team is much smarter! Without Pirlo, they simply give up midfield control and transition, focus forward when attacking, and retreat to assist Xuan Ming and Buffon when defending!]
-[Italy is now lagging behind Northern Ireland.]
-[You don’t understand, this is Bosque’s strategy: health-preserving kicking.]
....
Mignano kept running anxiously.
Members of the coaching staff on and off the field were busy passing on the news.
"Boss, if we qualify first in the group, we are very likely to encounter Portugal... No, Belgium is also lagging behind?"
Bosque smiled and patted the young assistant coach on the shoulder: "Don't panic, do what you can control."
Mignano said: "What is within our control right now... to win the game at the lowest cost?"
Del Bosque nodded and sat back on the coaching bench.
His coaching career has been perfect.
Club level: Led Real Madrid to win two Champions League trophies. In 2002, he defeated Bayer Leverkusen of Top.
National team level: During the 8 years of coaching the Spanish national team, the winning rate was as high as 76.32%. Together with the peak Matador dynasty, they created the first team in history to defend the European Cup and the first team to win three consecutive international championships.
.
The old man’s current situation can be described as “no guarantee”. The shame brought by the 2014 World Cup is too heavy. This European Cup is his last journey before retirement.
bench.
Diego Costa is bored.
He was certain that he would not appear in this game.
Because previous competitions have proved that his foot skills cannot meet the requirements of the passing and controlling system.
Saul, Koke and De Gea were also put on the bench.
"Li, our Atletico Madrid will have a new luxury stadium soon!"
"Li, Atletico Madrid's training is very intense, La Liga's taxes are too heavy, and our dressing room at Old Trafford has a massage pool..."
“We also have a Jacuzzi!”
Li Kang nodded.
Then he turned his attention back to the green field.
He couldn't help but think: If we encounter a team that is good at positional defense in the knockout stage, how should we use the characteristics of our teammates to launch a threatening attack.
....
The football kept rolling in front of the Czech penalty area, but was unable to threaten the goal again.
Iniesta's long-range shot and Isco's horizontal and vertical penetration were all blocked by the experienced Bundesliga and French Ligue 1 veterans.
What about David Silva?
Every time he got the ball in the half-space, he would be defended by three Czechs.
The slow version of Messi is never Messi himself.
There is no way to easily achieve the feat of "suddenly bursting out" and breaking through the defense line.
What about Morata?
Invisible.
...
Atlantic Stadium is like a huge library.
Fans from both sides looked at the dull situation and felt somewhat regretful about paying for the tickets.
The Czech team had several good chances to counterattack.
Rosicky can always tear apart Spain's high defense with long passes at the first opportunity.
This is the "Football Mozart" who became famous in Dortmund and Arsenal!
He once interpreted elegance and lightness in European football, but suffered serious injuries.
It's a pity that the teammates on the front line are so bad.
The strength of Neshid and others is limited.
Even if they received the pass, they could not overcome the interceptions of Ramos and Pique.
Even if Pique is distracted, he can easily complete the blockade and destruction.
...
In the 93rd minute of the game, the last moment of injury time.
Morata found a gap outside the penalty area!
A well-rounded forward, being invisible means holding back his ultimate move.
Cazorla knocked the ball over.
"Morata's movement is amazing."
"The Czech people's attention has dropped, what a good opportunity."
"coming!"
Morata didn't stop the ball.
Aim for the upper right corner of the goal.
Kick up and shoot!
Snapped!
The moment when the football makes an arc.
Cech moved.
He predicted the direction of the shot, volleyed sideways, and accurately blocked it with his left fist!
The path of the football was changed, it hit teammate Si Walker on the head and bounced into the net!
1:0!!!
"oops!"
"Own goals!"
"The Czechs held on for 93 minutes without being breached by their opponents, but they were knocked open by their own people!"
"Morata! He created a danger at the last minute and killed the game!"
"With three consecutive wins, the Spanish team has secured the top spot in the group stage!"
Morata rushed to the corner flag area and beat his chest excitedly.
Cazorla and others gathered around excitedly.
The players on the bench also stood up excitedly.
The referee looked at his watch.
Beep! Beep beep~
The whistle was blown to end the game.
Cech took off his tank cap and comforted his teammate who scored an own goal.
He is very open-minded.
When I was a child, my family was poor and could not afford expensive ice hockey equipment, so I had to give up my dream and switch to playing football.
The result was many honors at club level.
Premier League clean sheet record.
Three Premier League Golden Gloves.
Premier League champion.
Champions League champion.
The national team...even the golden generation of the Czech Republic is always so bad.
This is his fourth European Cup.
At the beginning of the century, Cech, who was not blocked by the hat, could compete with Buffon for the world's No. 1 goalkeeper.
....
Compared to the red flags waving crazily in the stands.
The Spanish coaching staff couldn't laugh.
Mignano said in a panic: "Boss... our opponent in the knockout round is Italy!"
Bosque was smiling and applauding, and his expression did not change after hearing the news.
"Have a fearless heart."
"In this game, our Li... most of the main members got valuable rest and adjustment time."
"It's not us who should be afraid, but Italy!"
After a while.
Li Kang and his teammates left the field and walked into the players' tunnel.
Morata is still being interviewed by reporters from various media.
"Luck is part of football. If Lee plays, the game will lose suspense earlier."
"Are you asking about the knockout rounds? Well... I love Juventus deeply... The Italian team has Juventus's defense and goalkeeper, but they don't have Juventus' forwards."
....
Lille.
This city, famous for its seafood, has not become a blessed place for Italians.
Conte overturned.
He couldn't control his emotions and beat the turf frantically.
Buffon, Barzagli, Bonucci and Chiellini sat on the bench with numb expressions.
Watching the younger generations being ravaged by Northern Ireland.
"Poor little guys..."
"Well, have mercy on ourselves. In the 1/8 knockout rounds, we may face Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, and Chelsea!"
"Cech was eliminated? Why don't you say a few words?"
"What are you talking about? Schmeichel's son has already won the fucking Premier League title!"
Every once in a while, the question of "who is the world's sect" always triggers heated debates.
1996, Buffon and Schmeichel.
In 2004, Buffon and Cech.
In 2010, Buffon and Casillas.
In 2014, Buffon and Neuer.
...
That night.
The results of the European Cup round of 16 are officially announced!
Top half A:
Switzerland VS Poland.
Croatia vs Portugal.
Top half B:
Wales vs Northern Ireland.
Hungary vs Belgium.
Lower half area A:
Germany VS Slovakia.
Spain vs Italy.
Lower half area B:
France vs Ireland.
England VS Iceland.
...
The news quickly became a hot search topic on the Internet.
The number of comments, likes and retweets has skyrocketed.
-[What kind of hell difficulty is the lower half? The strongest teams in Europe are all together! 】
-[What does this division mean? Doesn’t it need to be drawn like the Champions League?]
-[In the knockout stages of major national team cup competitions, there is generally no need to draw lots. Let me give you an example: Suppose Spain defeats Italy, then it will face the winner between Germany and Slovakia!]
-[Assuming that Spain breaks out of the siege, they will face the winners of the four teams of France, Ireland, England, and Iceland. They will win all the way and finally reach the finals. Their opponent will be the final winner of the top half! 】
-[Spain is simply a hellish difficulty, you have to fight against strong teams along the way!]
-[From another perspective, if other teams encounter Li Mingdeng, it will be hell difficulty...]
.....
Ile de Ré, France.
Spanish Station, Tactics Room.
Del Bosque asked all players to attend the meeting.
A large screen projected a hotspot image of the battle with the Czech Republic.
"If we want to stick to the pass-and-control style of play, we lack changes in speed and rhythm!"
"Eight of our possessions were destroyed by simple lateral shifts!"
"It's too slow. The opponent can always gain a numerical advantage in the ribs and cut off our passing connection."
"Although we won this game by luck, it made us feel like we were back in the embarrassing situation of the 2014 group stage."
"The ball possession rate and number of passes are completely meaningless in the face of the score."
"Italy's defensive system is far superior to that of the Czech Republic...What can we use to break their goal?"
This chapter is not over, please click on the next page to continue reading! Everything in the picture.
Members of the coaching staff began to review Italy's first two rounds of group matches.
Iniesta and Busquets looked at each other.
They have known it for a long time, but they just don’t want to admit it:
Perhaps...the fall of the peak matador dynasty is not just because of Xavi and the aging lineup.
Rather, after a tactic achieves its ultimate performance, it will inevitably be studied and overcome in the simplest and most efficient way.
...
Li Kang watched the Italian game in advance.
He also saw two old friends in the video: Buffon and De Rossi.
Conte also showed his strength in the squad: no Pirlo, no Totti, no Verratti, no Marchisio, no Balotelli.
Even the active players in Serie A, Purple Beibei, Green Beibei and Red Beibei, were unable to be selected due to various injuries.
But this does not mean that this civilian Italian team is good. Conte's mature three-center-back system fits well with Juventus's defense team.
From God's perspective.
Slowly review the details of the Italian team's game.
The shadows on the brain spread crazily.
In an instant, a three-dimensional image was formed.
3-5-2 formation.
The three central defenders rotate the ball.
De Rossi trailed behind and Parolo connected.
Florenci and Candreva's asymmetric attack.
All information crazily floods the brain.
...
After a while.
The coaching staff just finished analyzing Italy's tactical system.
Cazorla, David Silva and others still have lingering fears.
If the lineup against the Czech team continues, the Spanish team will definitely fall in front of the Azzurri.
It is very likely that you will lose completely.
Saul and Koke frowned. They represented Atletico Madrid and played against Juventus in the Champions League: This guy named Conte seems to be much better than Allegri.
Diego Costa yawned.
Isco turned to look at Li Kang from time to time.
Morata looked confused: The Italian team's Xuan Ming and Buffon are different from the club's!
Bosque lightly knocked on the table and said seriously: "It is Italy that is afraid."