Chapter 156: Leaves Brazilian fans speechless by dribbling past several players!
On the last day of the group stage, Spain faced the Nigerian Super Eagles at the Maracanã Stadium.
The Nigerian team wasn't particularly strong, but neither were they especially weak.
Therefore, Spain fielded a team with a mix of starters and substitutes to face them.
Although from the Spanish perspective, they were playing with half a team of substitutes.
But from the Nigerian players' perspective, Spain's substitute team was even more luxurious than their starting lineup.
So even if Spain was playing with substitutes, it wouldn't be easy to beat them.
The course of the match confirmed this idea.
Just three minutes after the start of the game, Lin Quan dribbled along the flank, passed three players and entered the penalty area. Facing the goalkeeper, calmly, he placed the ball in the far corner, scoring a spectacular goal and helping the team change the score.
This goal was incredible, eliciting exclamations of amazement from the fans in the stadium.
Against Lin Quan, the opposing defenders seemed as clumsy as logs, barely able to react before being completely overtaken.
Even Brazilian fans in the stadium, despite supporting Neymar, couldn't help but acknowledge how beautiful that goal was.
Although Neymar has also scored goals by dribbling past several players, these kinds of goals are rare and don't look as fluid as those of Lin Quan.
During the process of that goal, Lin Quan didn't use any complicated moves, simply dribbled with ease, changing pace, and effortlessly outmaneuvering his opponents.
In the face of his stride frequency and touch rhythm, the opposing defenders truly couldn't keep up with his pace.
This dribbling style left Brazilian fans very impressed.
Although they had previously looked down on their opponents' lack of flashy plays, after experiencing the startling strength they brought, they began to think: maybe this dribbling style is more effective?
After scoring this goal, Lin Quan reached 4 goals in the Confederations Cup.
Neymar, who had equaled his goals in the last match, was quickly overtaken by Lin Quan, who only needed three minutes to do so, taking the first place for himself!
The Nigerian players weren't even fully in the game mood when their goal had already been breached.
This left the Nigerian players bewildered.
Being behind on the scoreboard so early, coupled with the overwhelming strength of the opponent, put the Nigerian players under great pressure to advance in the group stage.
In the 11th minute of the first half, while Lin Quan was carrying the ball, Nigeria's Kenneth Omeruo attempted to take the ball from him and, in doing so, injured his thigh.
It was like stealing a chicken but losing the rice; he failed to take the ball and, instead, couldn't continue playing due to the injury.
Nigeria had to make a forced substitution.
After losing one of their main defenders, Nigeria's defensive line became even weaker.
And Spain, being smart, immediately took advantage of this weakness.
Their targeted attack quickly bore fruit.
In the 34th minute of the first half, Spain extended their lead.
After Lin Quan received the ball in the center of the field, he sent a precise long pass to Torres on the edge of the area.
After receiving the ball, Torres advanced toward the penalty area before the defenders could close in, and with a powerful shot, sent the ball into the back of the net.
This was Torres's second goal assisted by Lin Quan, and the collaboration between the two on the field seemed promising.
Torres was very excited after scoring, he ran to Lin Quan to hug him and thank him.
With two goals in two matches, now no one could say that Torres was just passing through the team.
"I also made a significant contribution to the team!"
Against Spain's powerful midfield, Nigeria found it difficult to create threats.
The score of 2-0 remained until the end of the first half.
In the second half, Spain began to make changes. Isco entered the field, replacing Fábregas.
This was Isco's first match representing the Spanish national team.
Isco, in his debut, was very excited, going after the opposing defenders like a rabid dog.
But although he didn't manage to steal the ball, he received a yellow card from the referee for a foul.
With less than five minutes on the field, he already had a yellow card, it couldn't get any worse!
Vicente del Bosque, on the sideline, seeing Isco receive a yellow card so soon, felt half dead scared.
"Darn, can't this kid calm down a bit? That foul was unnecessary at all!"
He didn't expect Isco to contribute to the team's attack, he just put him on the field to experience the atmosphere of the match.
But if Isco received two yellow cards and was sent off the field, it would be a mockery!
Why can't these young players be as reliable as Lin Quan?
Del Bosque sighed helplessly in his heart.
"Isco, calm down a bit, don't get too excited.
There's still plenty of time in the match, if you commit fouls and get a red card, I'm sure you won't have a place in the national team in the future."
Lin Quan also realized that Isco was too excited, so he took advantage of a dead ball opportunity to go and remind him.
"Understood, thank you, Lin." Isco nodded strongly, expressing that he knew what to do.
He's not like Balotelli, who's a bit crazy, Isco is a normal person with a good intellect.
After regulating his emotions, he soon calmed down.
And once calm, Isco's performance also began to improve.
Del Bosque, on the edge of the field, saw the change in Isco and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Haven't you noticed that Lin has a lot of prestige among the young players?"
After seeing how Lin approached Isco to advise him, Del Bosque turned to his assistant Tony and asked.
"I've noticed it for a long time, don't you see that Morata and the others always gather around Lin? This guy is like the big brother of the young generation of players!" Tony clearly paid more attention to this aspect than Del Bosque.
Upon hearing Tony's words, Del Bosque began to think seriously:
Without a doubt, Lin Quan is the tactical core of Spain in the coming years, and even in the next decade.
If he's the most important player on the team, then it's natural that he would have some additional responsibilities.
For example, being the team captain and assuming the role of the team's spiritual leader.
This idea had already crossed Del Bosque's mind, but due to Lin's little experience on the team and his young age, he had never acted on it.
But now, realizing Lin's prestige among the young players, Del Bosque felt it was time to start preparing.
Given Lin's current status, naming him captain of Spain would be difficult for many to accept.
But naming him as vice-captain, or as the third or fourth captain, wouldn't encounter much resistance, would it?
With this level of status, once the older generation of players retires from the national team, he would automatically become the captain and spiritual leader of the national team.
With this idea in mind, Del Bosque quietly committed to starting preparations after the Confederations Cup ended.
If they could win the championship and if Lin's performance in the following matches was excellent, then he would have the opportunity to announce this decision, facing less resistance.
In one of the stadium's suites, Ronaldo senior and Ronaldo junior, who had agreed to watch the game together, after watching most of the game, began to comment on Lin Quan's performance.
"This guy doesn't have a fixed position upfront, he's a bit like Messi in the Barcelona!"
Ronaldo junior, who has a very close relationship with Messi and has always watched him closely, realized that Lin Quan was playing in the same position as Messi: free upfront!
This position isn't easy to play, because it doesn't have a fixed position or a defined role.
On the wings, he needs skills to dribble and pass. Upfront, he needs to be a pivot, have skills to carry and pass the ball, and also needs exceptional finishing ability.
In midfield, he needs a strong organizing and passing ability, as well as a broad vision and an open-minded mentality.
To seize fleeting opportunities in the opposing defense, use passes to break through the opposing defensive line, and complete a deadly strike.
Having one of these skills would be enough to be an exceptional player.
Having two could almost be considered a football star.
And having all three would undoubtedly be the presence of a superstar.
Even someone as strong as Ronaldo wouldn't dare to say he could perfectly handle that role.
Ronaldo frowned, he wasn't interested in the idea of a free player upfront.
As a forward, he was more interested in how many goals Lin Quan had scored in the match.
This guy, apart from that beautiful goal at the beginning, seems like he has no intention of shooting at the goal for the rest of the time.
Sometimes he has the opportunity to shoot, but chooses to pass the ball to his teammates.
This choice puzzled Ronaldo. Isn't he a forward?
Isn't a forward's duty to score goals?
If so, why pass the ball, you should shoot yourself!
Ronaldo has witnessed the skill of Lin to dribble. He didn't believe that this defensive line of Nigeria could stop Lin's advance.
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!
So this guy is limiting himself!
Apparently, in response to Ronaldo's call, when the game reached the 71st minute, Lin Quan took advantage of a free kick opportunity and scored directly, completing a brace.
"Well, free kicks also count."
Ronaldo himself didn't score many free-kick goals, but he couldn't deny that scoring directly from a free kick was also a skill.
After scoring this goal, Lin Quan was substituted.
However, this goal brought his total to 5 goals in the Confederations Cup, surpassing second-placed Neymar with 2 goals.
Considering that Brazil only has two matches remaining at most, and that the teams they will face are very strong, Neymar will have difficulties catching up!
Spain made two changes at the same time, David Silva entered the field in place of him.
Morata also entered the field, replacing Pedro.
After coming on, Morata, like Isco, was eager to score a goal.
But it seems luck wasn't on his side.
In the 79th minute, Morata had a counterattack opportunity, but unfortunately his touch was too heavy and the opposing goalkeeper got hold of the ball.
Morata was very frustrated, it would have been better if he had shot directly at the goal!
That way, maybe he would have had a chance to score, but now the ball had been retrieved!
And after missing this counterattack opportunity, his teammates might doubt his ability, and they might not pass the ball to him in future opportunities!
Thinking about this, Morata began to miss Lin Quan.
If Lin Quan were on the field, with their relationship, maybe he would still give him passes.
That Morata and Isco didn't score doesn't mean that other Spanish players didn't have opportunities.
In the 88th minute of the match, Alba launched an impressive goal that sneaked directly into the corner of the goal, changing the score to 4-0.
After scoring, Alba looked at Isco and Morata, as if he was showing off his skill: If you want to score, this is how you should play!
Morata and Isco were both frustrated and embarrassed, being belittled by a defender was really shameful!
Finally, Spain defeated Nigeria 4-0, winning all three matches of the group stage and advancing confidently to the semifinals.
And their opponent in the semifinals will be the second-placed team from Group A, Italy, whom Spain faced in the final of the Eurocup.
In this Confederations Cup, Italy didn't have a good performance in the group stage.
Their chain defense seems to be gradually losing power, conceding a total of eight goals in three group stage matches.
In addition to the four goals scored by Brazil against them, they even faced Japan, the weakest team in the group, and allowed them to score three goals.
In that match, Italy even trailed on the scoreboard for a long time, and if it weren't for an own goal by Japan at a crucial moment, they could have lost.
Even winning against the small team of Japan was difficult, which has raised concerns about Italy's state: How is it possible for the European runner-up to fall to such a state in such a short time?
Why doesn't Spain have this situation? Although both teams have many veterans, Spain's performance in this Confederations Cup has been perfect.
With a total of 21 goals in three matches and only one goal conceded.
An average of 7 goals per game, setting a historical record in the Confederations Cup.
And they have only conceded one goal, which is completely opposite to Italy's defensive fame.
It seems that Spain is better at defending than Italy.
Given the radically different performance of the two teams in the group stage, the general public is confident that Spain can reach the final.
It's hard to believe that Italy, in such a bad state, can pose a threat to the world champion.
Not only do people think so, but also the Spanish.
With the opponent's poor state and remembering the 4-0 victory over Italy in the Eurocup final, Spain is in an advantageous position in terms of the current state of both teams and their recent encounters.
Therefore, when facing such an opponent, the entire Spanish team feels very optimistic.
It seems that winning against Italy won't be difficult.
Many people have even started studying the opponent for the final and preparing for it.
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