Chapter 274: Chapter 273: The Clumsy Elephant Can Dance; Big Mouth Horse Isn’t Old Yet
"Once the ball is passed, Viana, Drogba, and Deng Kai – the three central players positioned further forward – receive the ball without tight marking around them, and then this attack can be said to have directly reached the ninth gear, achieving the best situation."
"A normal player can accept a sixth to seventh gear."
"Key players aim for an eighth gear transition or take a long shot if they’re confident."
"But the top-level players are those who can see and have the chance to pursue the ninth gear."
The camera captured this moment.
To outsiders, Trigella’s head shaking was taken to mean he thought Matthaus’s pass was a mistake.
Maxa seemed to have a different opinion, however.
Talk is talk, and squabbles are squabbles, but even Drogba was bewildered by that pass.
Golden Ball, you can pursue the highest level of passing all you want, but damn it, I’m not the highest-class receiver.
I’m mostly getting scolded for this ball control.
Just as Drogba was at a loss, a voice suddenly came from behind him.
"Don’t touch it, I got this!"
The voice moved from the right rear to the right side, and unsurprisingly, the person speaking was moving at high speed, suddenly cutting forward.
This is none other than...
Trigella’s phone assistant, the leading figure of Alcochete Base, the temporary sports director during the transfer window of Sporting Lisbon... my brother Kai!
Drogba was about to control the ball but, on hearing the voice, subconsciously chose to trust it, lifting his right leg, sweeping with the left.
The most tightly defended area around him opened up a gap in the middle, just like when a free kick breaks through a wall.
The football slipped through, heading straight for the goal.
Bang!
Hidden behind Drogba, Deng Kai started his run early, and without a good chance to control the ball, he forcefully pushed with the inside of his right foot.
Using the inside of the foot to avoid flying the ball high.
Pushing forcefully to override the ball’s initial direction, controlling the shot.
One can find an explanation for this in table tennis.
No matter if you’re spinning forwards or backwards, whether you’re looping or chopping, whether you’re doing the flying swallow or the emperor’s twist, as long as you’re strong enough, one swipe can eliminate any effect of the spin.
This is what’s called ’overpowering technique.’
Whoosh!
The football, like a streak of white light, drilled into the net, creating an exaggerated splash.
The goalkeeper didn’t even have time to react.
From the pass to the slip through to the goal, it was all done in one breath, a testament to the essence of high-quality human coordination.
Drogba: This counts as coordination?
"GOAL! Three to zero! Matthaus delivers another magical pass! They say a through ball is like a scalpel, but Matthaus’s through ball was like an axe-like missile!"
"Though Drogba’s slip might have looked clumsy, like a dancing elephant, the effect was frustratingly good!"
"No wonder even the Swedish genius Ibrahimovic is relegated to the bench. Drogba’s straightforward style is very effective. Even though he doesn’t score himself, he can help everyone else score!"
"Deng Kai and Matthaus seem to have a telepathic understanding... uh... why does he always have this telepathy with others?"
"This young Sporting Lisbon’s first European competition seems to be a success!"
Coming back from halftime, Gaziantep Sport had clearly made tactical adjustments.
Their defensive play became much more aggressive; it looked like they were scolded by the head coach during the break.
In the fifty-fifth minute, Quaresma is brought down by a flying tackle after a series of dribbles.
The opponent receives a yellow card, but Quaresma seems to have picked up a slight injury.
Being cautious, Trigella substitutes him with the former Benfica legend Joao Pinto.
Sporting Lisbon’s attacks on the right side suddenly found themselves suffocated.
It’s not to say that Joao Pinto is weak; after all, he is one of the representatives of Portugal’s Golden Generation.
It’s primarily because his style is different from Quaresma’s; he isn’t able to dribble and break through with the same agility and ease.
Sporting Lisbon started looking for opportunities more on the left side.
In the sixty-second minute.
Trigella decisively waves his hand, substituting Pepe for Viana, who was also fouled several times. Then, Pepe and Matthaus switch positions, moving Matthaus further forward.
In the sixty-fifth minute.
Pinto drops back to form the wall.
Deng Kai played a wall-pass and then chipped the ball to Drogba.
Drogba, using his physical advantage to hold off the opposing center-back, timed his run and headed the football into the penalty area.
Viana had pulled wide earlier, freeing up Ronaldo’s position; Ronaldo suddenly made a darting run into the area near the penalty box.
The player from Gaziantep couldn’t watch his team concede another goal and reached out, pulling Ronaldo down.
But he forgot, this was inside the box.
Whistle!
A yellow-card package!
Ronaldo looked at the football, unable to let go.
To him, wasn’t a penalty the same as a goal?
He really didn’t want to give it up.
But that damned Matthaus hadn’t been subbed off today.
Matthaus: ???
Matthaus approached the penalty spot, ball in hand, full of eagerness.
He then calmly slotted the penalty into the net, making the score four to zero.
He got on the scoresheet twice himself, absolutely thrilled.
The seventieth minute.
With Matthaus pushing forward, he drew considerable defensive attention from Gaziantep.
The allure of a Golden Ball winner was just that.
Deng Kai found himself liberated, frequently drifting to the right, allowing Pinto to tuck inside to a region he was more comfortable with.
Seeing Drogba’s strong desire for the ball, Deng Kai delivered a cross.
Drogba’s intentions were too obvious, and he failed to win the header.
The opposing team cleared the football, and outside the area, Deschamps regained possession.
He passed the ball to Pinto on the right side of the penalty area.
Pinto played the football out wide and immediately turned to make a run.
He signaled his intent to receive the ball near the baseline.
In the first half, Deng Kai had combined with his teammates in this exact spot to play a fantastic ground pass before completing an assist.
Pinto’s movement drew away the defenders.
Meanwhile, Deng Kai, without controlling the ball, directly whipped in a cross.
The speed was extremely fast.
This meant that Deng Kai hadn’t even considered passing to Pinto in the first place; it was never part of his plan.
This one step faster in thinking made all the difference.
Thump!
The cross was a fast one, hit with considerable force.
Before Drogba could leap inside the penalty area, the football whizzed past the back of his head.
The landing spot wasn’t where he was, but rather behind him.
In that moment, Drogba felt as if he had awakened a sixth sense, sensing a chilling presence behind him.
As soon as he landed, he immediately doubled over, clutching his head.
Thump!
A missile flew by the spot where he had been standing.
If he hadn’t ducked, his head would have exploded.
"GOAL! Incredible! A hat-trick! Matthaus bursts into the penalty area and scores with an aerial volley!"
"Too powerful! That kick, the skill of twenty years, is unstoppable by anyone!"
"Who would have thought that Deng Kai’s second cross wasn’t looking for height but for Matthaus, who charged in from outside, slightly delayed!"
"Drogba’s reaction was extremely fast, if he hadn’t bent down, he might have blocked the shot!"
"It seems Drogba and Matthaus also have a good understanding!"
Drogba: ???
You call ducking and covering your head an understanding?
