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Chapter 131: One-on-One Showdown, Completely Overpowering Pogba! Guardiola Says He's Learned Something!
"Welcome, viewers, to the live broadcast of the 2014 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers Group Stage match between France and Spain, brought to you by CCTV Sports."
"I'm your commentator, He Wei!"
"And I'm Zhang Lu."
Due to the early elimination of the Chinese national team in the qualifiers and the significance of this match, CCTV chose to broadcast it.
"First, let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams:
Both teams are playing in a 4-3-3 formation. Spain's lineup for today: Goalkeeper: Valdés; Defenders: Arbeloa, Piqué, Ramos, Monreal; Midfielders: Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Forwards: David Silva, Iniesta, Lin Quan.
France's lineup for today: Goalkeeper: Lloris; Defenders: Jallet, Varane, Koscielny, Evra; Midfielders: Cabaye, Pogba, Matuidi; Forwards: Benzema, Ribéry, Valbuena.
In this match, France has fielded a young player in midfield, the rising star from Serie A giants Juventus, Paul Pogba."
"This player is very young, just turned 20 this year. This is his first match for the French national team, and he's starting. It's clear that the French coach Deschamps has high hopes for him."
"Yes, Pogba came through the ranks at Manchester United's academy. He's tall and has a delicate touch. Since joining Juventus this season, he's had an outstanding performance in Serie A. Many people see a bright future for him, thinking he might be the successor to Zidane."
"Hehe, for the French team, they've been waiting for a top midfielder for six years!"
"As fans have said, since Zidane retired, French football has struggled for six years. During this time, they've lacked a top midfield general. We'll have to see if Pogba can shoulder the burden and live up to the expectations of the coach and the fans."
Standing on the turf at the Stade de France, Pogba felt his heart racing.
There were many fans in attendance, packing the stadium to the brim, most of whom were there to support the French team.
At this moment, they were waving flags, chanting the names of French players, cheering for the French team.
Vaguely, Pogba seemed to hear his own name.
This filled him with a sense of excitement: If I play well in this match, then I, Pogba, will truly make a name for myself!
...
Compared to Pogba's excitement, Lin Quan, who had experienced the terrifying atmosphere of the Westfalenstadion, appeared very calm in the face of the noise and distractions created by the French fans.
He couldn't understand French and didn't know what these French fans were shouting.
But seeing their ferocious expressions and hearing his and his teammates' names, he guessed they were probably cursing them, right?
Although he didn't know who said it, it seemed like they said, if a player isn't cursed by the opponent, then he's not successful.
The opponent's fans wouldn't insult those fringe players who pose no threat to them.
At exactly 20:00, with the referee's whistle, the match officially began.
Spain had possession of the ball. After the kickoff, Lin Quan passed the ball to Iniesta and ran toward the opponent's half.
France started aggressively after the kickoff, and Iniesta, after receiving the ball, faced pressure from two French players.
Forced to do so, he had to pass the ball to Xabi Alonso. After receiving the ball, Xabi Alonso faced the overall pressure from the French team and continued to be pressed by them.
On the sidelines, Bosque frowned:
"Is France planning to press high?"
France's aggressive pressing quickly paid off.
In the second minute of the game, they seized a Spanish passing error. After Matuidi won the ball, he passed it to his teammate.
After receiving the ball, Pogba saw a gap in the Spanish defense and immediately sent a through ball to the center.
The football accurately reached Valbuena's feet, but unfortunately, his attempt at a backheel shot went over the crossbar.
Pogba's pass caught the attention of Deschamps on the sidelines and the spectators at the stadium.
This pass showcased Pogba's broad vision and delicate footwork on the field. Most people wouldn't even notice such a fleeting passing opportunity, but he did.
The French fans were excited. Six years!
Do you know how we've spent these six years?
Since Zidane retired, they endured the torment of the group of rough guys in the team for six years.
Having watched Zidane's masterful passing, then seeing these rough guys' passing on the field, French fans couldn't bear to look.
And now, Pogba's appearance gave them a glimpse of hope.
Finally, there's a player who isn't just black and tough, but one who can play with flair.
This shot seemed to bring a great deal of encouragement to the French team's period. They invested more manpower in the frontcourt press.
In the fifth minute, France completed another steal in the frontcourt. Matuidi's left-footed shot went over the crossbar.
Just five minutes into the game, they had already taken two shots, seemingly firmly controlling the momentum on the field.
This scene excited the French fans even more. They cheered louder, generating a wave of noise, trying to provide more energy to the French players on the field.
Facing France's press, Spain quickly adjusted.
They changed to a 4-6-0 formation, with all three forwards retreating to their own half, joining the midfield battle.
Spain's no-striker formation was well-known because all of their forwards could play in midfield.
Iniesta, David Silva, and Lin Quan were not traditional strikers.
After joining the midfield battle, they made Spain's numerical advantage in midfield evident.
Originally pressured by the opponent, some frantic Spanish players now had more passing options, and the risk of mistakes decreased significantly.
So, the fans gradually realized that although France was still trying to press the ball-carrying Spanish players, their efficiency in pressing had dropped significantly. Since the fifth minute, they hadn't touched the ball for several minutes.
In this way, France's pressing didn't seem effective anymore; it looked more like they were being walked by the Spanish.
On the sidelines, seeing that the team's midfield had gradually stabilized, Bosque let out a sigh of relief.
He sat back in the coach's seat, feeling so happy that he almost wanted to hum a cheerful tune.
With such a luxurious midfield configuration, what is there to fear about your pressing?
As long as you don't get the ball, then this pressing momentum won't be sustained.
Under the blow of failed pressing tactics time and time again, the confidence and initiative of the French players would be lost.
Moreover, with the opponent's formation pressing so high, it was a great opportunity for Spain to counterattack.
Thinking of this, Bosque looked at Lin Quan on the field.
I've prepared the stage for you to perform; now it's up to you!
Seeing that the team's pressing tactic seemed to have failed, Deschamps stood on the sidelines, directing the players to increase their running speed and press more actively to increase the success rate of their pressing.
But just as they pressed heavily, Spain found a chance to counterattack.
In the 12th minute of the match, Spain played a long ball from the back, attracting the pressure of three French forwards pressing up.
Monreal quickly passed the ball to Xabi Alonso after winning the ball.
Xabi Alonso looked up and immediately made a long pass from a super long distance, finding Lin Quan in the center.
Lin Quan quickly accelerated toward the French half.
Pogba was closest to Lin Quan and almost instinctively appeared in front of him, trying to intercept him.
The audience saw the two directly facing each other, and they all began to anticipate.
One is the super rookie from Spain, the other is the rising star from the French team.
The direct confrontation between the two is full of excitement, making people especially curious about who will win in the showdown.
"Lin, I won't let you get past me so easily!" Pogba stared at Lin Quan, his fighting spirit soaring.
As long as he can win the direct confrontation with Lin Quan, he can prove his strength and then solidify his position in the national team.
Facing this tall defender, Lin Quan didn't use any fancy skills.
He lowered his left shoulder while simultaneously shifting the ball to his left foot, making a move as if to break through from the left side.
Pogba had never faced Lin Quan before, so he didn't know how deceptive his feints could be.
Seeing the change in his opponent's center of gravity, Pogba assumed that Lin Quan would break through from his right side, so he chose to intercept with a tackle.
Then...
Lin Quan and the football disappeared from his left side.
The crowd erupted into gasps, especially the French fans.
They expected to witness a closely contested showdown, but to their surprise, their highly anticipated Pogba was easily passed by the opponent as if he were a wooden puppet.
How could this be? They couldn't comprehend it, and neither could Pogba: How could that be a feint?
His center of gravity had clearly shifted to the right, so why did he break through from the left?
Because Lin Quan's speed was too fast for Pogba to react, forcing the opposing center-back to charge towards Lin Quan.
They couldn't afford to give this kid too much space; otherwise, whether it was a long shot or a breakthrough, it would be difficult to defend against.
They had to compress the space around him and limit his passing and dribbling.
The judgment of the French defenders was accurate, but the problem was, both of them came to defend Lin Quan, so what about the other Spanish players?
Facing the interception of the two defenders, Lin Quan decisively passed the ball to the open space on the right.
The ball reached Iniesta, who appeared on the right side of the penalty area, and after receiving Lin Quan's pass, he faced the empty goal and shot the ball in.
In the 12th minute of the first half, Spain broke the deadlock with a seemingly ordinary counterattack.
The Stade de France, filled with eighty thousand spectators, fell silent the moment Iniesta scored, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.
The French fans were stunned, holding their heads in disbelief.
They had been dominating the game, so why was it damn Spain who scored first, and not them?
"Hehe, this goal isn't actually surprising. Spain's counterattack is of high quality, and France's high pressing left their defense vulnerable, making it easy for the opponents to launch a surprise attack."
Facing this conceded goal, He Wei chuckled.
"France is playing at home and naturally hopes to win, so their aggressive attack isn't unexpected.
However, when facing Spain with players like Lin Quan, their tactics are too risky."
Zhang Lu also laughed. Spain is basically an upgraded version of Barcelona.
What quality do you expect when you let Barcelona counterattack? It's almost unimaginable!
"This conceded goal can't be blamed on Pogba. He lacked protection from his teammates, and facing a player like Lin Quan, being defeated in a one-on-one situation is normal."
Seeing Pogba's disappointed expression on the screen, He Wei rarely said something positive about him.
"Yes, France's overall defensive strategy has problems. They shouldn't neglect the opponent's counterattack just because Spain is playing without a striker."
After the two finished speaking, they both felt strangely puzzled:
Isn't possession football about maintaining ball possession and continuously creating shooting opportunities through pressing? Why does it seem like Spain is playing long balls from the back, attracting the opponent's high press, and then counterattacking defensively?
Does this tactic feel like a combination of Guardiola and Mourinho?
Was this accidental or intentional?
In a certain box in the stadium, a certain bald coach saw Bosque's tactics and brightened up, taking out his notebook and jotting down notes.
And in a residence in Portugal, seeing the strange tactics Bosque had come up with, a certain coach surnamed Mourinho was so angry he wanted to curse.
...
The game resumed, and the French team, unwilling to fall behind, continued to wave the flag of attack.
In the 15th minute, Valbuena passed to the right, and right-back Jallet dribbled down the flank before passing it across. Benzema, who followed up in the middle, shot high.
In the 20th minute, Benzema faced multiple defenders in the penalty area and forced a shot that was blocked out for a corner.
France's corner was caught by Valdés.
During this period, France seemed to have created many shooting opportunities, but their shots were almost all non-threatening.
And as possession gradually fell into the hands of the Spanish team, even these seemingly very forced shooting opportunities became scarce for them.
After gaining control of midfield, Spain's possession tactics began to show their power.
In the 22nd minute, after continuous passing in the frontcourt, Xavi suddenly turned and shot from the top of the penalty area, but it missed the post.
Just a minute later, David Silva's low shot was blocked by Lloris.
From the 20th minute onwards, Spain dominated most of the possession.
They formed a siege on the French goal in the frontcourt.
The French forward line couldn't get the ball and had to retreat to their own half to defend.
But even so, they still appeared dangerously vulnerable under Spain's siege.
In the 31st minute, Iniesta chipped the ball, and when Lin Quan received the ball inside the penalty area, he was tripped.
This was a clear foul, but for some reason, the main referee ignored it and did not award a penalty.
The Spanish players on the field thought of the last game they played against France at home.
The referee's decisions in that game were very controversial, and after the game, Spain even lodged a protest with FIFA.
But their protest seemed to disappear without a trace after being submitted.
The Spanish players on the field protested to the referee, but he didn't change his decision, insisting that it wasn't a penalty. Xavi even received a yellow card for his emotional outburst.
Seeing that their protest was ineffective, the Spanish players were filled with anger.
And this anger was soon vented on the French team.
(End of this chapter)
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