Chapter 295: Chapter 294: Drogba Slips on the Ball
"Sporting Lisbon is now somewhat on the back foot,"
"Up front, they lack a bit of toughness, Porto’s restrictions on their forward line have so far been very successful. Ibrahimovic has the ability to handle the ball, but the opposition isn’t giving him that kind of space."
"The opposition is allowing Ibrahimovic to touch the ball with anything but his feet, yet it’s with his feet that Ibrahimovic is at his strongest."
"In the back line, Pepe’s charges are fierce and aggressive, but the super agile Deco is just too nimble. Pepe’s defensive style, apart from conceding free kicks, isn’t amounting to much."
"Instead, it might be better to try someone like Deschamps who has a better sense of positioning, superior interception skills, and more prudent defensive choices."
"Alright, Sporting Lisbon has completed a substitution."
Not long after the substitution, Drogba, who had been absent from the field for quite some time, proved his worth.
In the thirty-seventh minute.
Deng Kai made a through pass.
This kind of pass, cutting through the middle to the back of the defense, was a first in this game.
The reason is simple, Ibrahimovic doesn’t really like this kind of pass.
Although Ibrahimovic is not slow in terms of explosiveness and speed for a big center forward, asking him to sprint like a Labrador on the flanks is something he resists and cannot do.
Ronaldo: ???
And Drogba... perhaps far less flexible and supple than Ibrahimovic.
But pure speed and passion? That he has in abundance.
He shoved off a defender, turned, and accelerated, also clashing fiercely with another defender’s shoulder.
He was like a Transformer, sparking and lightning his way forward.
Ultimately, Porto’s defensive midfielder Pex reached out and pulled Drogba down.
He was sweaty and appeared rather helpless.
Drogba won a very favorable free kick for his team.
Quaresma stood in front of the football ready to take the kick.
Unfortunately, his shot did not curve as intended, the ball hit the wall and bounced back.
The wall immediately chased after the football.
Deng Kai met the ball with a half-hearted shot...
The ball flew into the stands.
Many fans were mocking Deng Kai for how ridiculous that shot was.
But Deco in the field was somewhat surprised.
He thought that a young midfielder like Deng Kai, with an inconsistent position, should be a player very protective of his reputation.
But it seemed that Deng Kai... didn’t really care about the public’s gaze.
That last attempt, rather than a long-range shot, could better be described as a clearance.
There was neither sufficient time to take a proper shot, nor a fitting angle—just swinging at it was bound to miss, and might even risk pulling a thigh muscle.
But Deng Kai had to do it.
Should Porto’s wall get a hold of the ball, it would’ve been a classic counterattack opportunity.
Deco excels at handling such rapid counters.
In Deco’s first couple of years at Porto, he wasn’t as decisive as Deng Kai in similar situations.
Given the same scenario, he would try to control the ball himself, and then drop back.
But if someone flipped him from behind, stole the ball, and launched a counterattack that ended in a goal, that was a scenario Deco had suffered from.
Some referees tend to be more lenient on fouls during counterattacks.
One could say, all of Deco’s assessments about Deng Kai were correct.
Except for... the point about Deng Kai’s inconsistent positioning.
In Deco’s view, let alone Deng Kai’s position of right attacking midfielder being replaceable, the entire roster of Sporting Lisbon was redundant, and always potentially subject to change.
Lisbon Athletic, once streamlined, normally has one or two fewer offensive players in the midfield and front.
So, who is the most expendable?
Obviously, Deng Kai.
Viana has better organizing abilities, Quaresma is indispensable on the right wing, and Ronaldo has at least some unique qualities on the left.
In the forty-fourth minute, Porto launched a series of continuous passes.
Deco took on the task of crucial transfers one after another and then delivered a super pass that tore through Lisbon Athletic’s defense!
Postiga and Jia De’er arrived in succession.
Postiga got there earlier, but since he came from the side, he could see the expression on Jia De’er, who was about to arrive.
Jia De’er, "Get lost, let me do it!"
Postiga had no choice but to slow down and give way.
But having already made it to the spot, it was not easy to clear out.
Bang!
Jia De’er, who took a better position, fired a shot, and even Schmeichel felt somewhat desperate.
But the football went at least a meter over the crossbar, giving Lisbon Athletic a reprieve from certain doom.
"Fuck!" Jia De’er knew he shot off target after the kick and felt terrible.
Although it seemed like Postiga gave him room to shoot, the shooter still had to consider the space needed for the leg’s follow-through, which Postiga couldn’t make in his hasty avoidance.
Postiga walked away with a gloomy face, fuck your mother, fuck.
I was here first!
This is the problem with a striker moving to the wing; Postiga’s positioning overlapped too much with centre forward Jia De’er, not only reducing the effectiveness of pulling away defenders but also encroaching on Jia De’er’s opportunities.
However, even when there was no chemistry in the frontfield, Deco still continuously created attacking chances, shining a light on his remarkable performance.
During the halftime break, Trigella gave strict and earnest instructions.
The defense needed to pay more attention to the coordination and movements of Postiga and Jia De’er, as these positions were easy to intercept.
When facing Deco, try not to rush at him; Deco’s ability to exploit gaps is too strong. Everyone should fall back, maintain the defensive line, then consider intercepting the ball from Porto’s possession. Do not rush.
The second half began.
In the fifty-second minute, Quaresma performed a splendid play.
He dribbled back and forth on the right wing, then suddenly burst forward, outpacing Little Rubens and infiltrating deep into the penalty area from the end line.
Then Quaresma made a Backward Triangle Pass, delivering the football to Drogba inside the small penalty area.
In the previous Europa League match, Quaresma also had a similar brilliant play, where he used the outside of his foot to send a high ball, assisting Ibrahimovic with a header goal.
It was becoming Quaresma’s signature move.
But in the next moment, Lisbon Athletic’s fans couldn’t believe what they saw and clutched their heads in disbelief.
Facing the incoming ball, Drogba was clearly not well prepared and his touch was too heavy, knocking the football too far, which was then collected by the rushing Porto goalkeeper.
Drogba couldn’t even forgive himself for the mistake.
"Trigella really shouldn’t have taken Ibrahimovic off!"
"Ibrahimovic would have definitely handled that ball well!"
"He might even have gone for a scorpion kick! He would have thought of that move!"
"Drogba is a bit too dull! He’s not a naturally gifted player!"
Almost only Deng Kai remained calm outside the penalty area.
Though it feels a bit harsh to say, this ball... wasn’t really Drogba’s fault.
At least, Drogba’s somewhat stiff touch and lack of adjustment ability in confined spaces are issues that cannot be changed.
Expecting Drogba to change is less realistic than expecting the passer to alter their approach. Wouldn’t just passing the ball a bit further away from his feet work?
