Chapter 331: Chapter 330: King Solo Dragon’s First Assist of the Season
Klose’s goal did not change anything.
Kaiserslautern’s tactics were still defensive, and they even gave up on counterattacks.
Their only hope was that the score would not widen further to avoid this series turning into the most disastrous event in the team’s history.
In the sixty-seventh minute, Deng Kai passed the ball horizontally to Matthaus, who delivered a through pass that sent the football to the most dangerous area—inside the penalty box.
However, Drogba’s control was poor, and he then stumbled, which ultimately led to a successful defense by the opponent.
Trigella immediately stood up and waved his hand grandly, beginning to make substitutions.
On one hand, it was about the time for routine substitutions.
But on the other hand, Trigella’s changes were targeted.
Drogba’s skills on the ball were average, and under tight defense, he found it hard to make an impact.
He suited situations where he could use his body and speed to dominate an opponent one-on-one and then blast a shot, or make runs to shoot on goal, or pull out of the penalty area to serve as a pivot.
Yet his foot skills and imagination did not support him in creating spectacular shots or clever passes while being surrounded by multiple defenders.
Only a flash of genius could break the deadlock in such a situation.
Ibrahimovic’s foot skills and creativity, coupled with his physicality, were just right to handle such conditions.
So when some fans think that Ibrahimovic is soft on his feet and does not perform as well as Drogba in tough battles, they are simply missing out on witnessing Ibrahimovic maneuvering through the defense of multiple players with his feet and eventually creating a dangerous opportunity.
Furthermore, Trigella substituted Paolo Bento for Deschamps.
He replaced Matthaus with Joao Pinto.
To give the veterans some rest.
Pinto, originally a forward, having played for a long time, could not only play as a left, center or right winger or a shadow striker, but he could also take up the role of an attacking midfielder.
Even when the team was short on manpower, he could play as a midfielder, wide midfielder, wing-back, or full-back—truly a stone of the revolution ready to be moved wherever needed!
As a core member of Portugal’s golden generation, it’s not easy for Pinto to have such a spirit of compromise and sacrifice for the team.
But likewise, this also reflects that most players of the Portugal golden generation did not hold a particularly high status in the industry. When compared to the rest of the world of football, they could only be considered third-rate stars.
The real top stars, even when they are cooperative in their career, are quite unlikely to have to make significant sacrifices in terms of their positions on the field and playing time.
With Pinto taking his place in the left attacking midfielder position, Deng Kai naturally had to move back.
Given both Viana and Deng Kai had to retreat for the overall performance of the team, one need not mention Pinto.
Although Pinto was capable of taking up the attacking midfielder role, he definitely lacked in creativity and organizational abilities.
It wasn’t likely to lead to losing the ball, but indeed the pace of play slowed down when the football reached his feet.
And facing Kaiserslautern’s dense defense, a slow pace meant they could not find a real opportunity to attack.
Sporting Lisbon’s offense at one point became very rigid.
Luckily, Deng Kai timely adjusted the team’s playing style, signaling the players to use Large Circle Tactics, play on the flanks, and penetrate.
He urged them not to rush to hand over control of the ball to Pinto, treating him as just another brick rather than a Shining Core like their Kerry, sparkling more than Swarovski crystals.
In the seventy-ninth minute.
After several consecutive back passes, Ronaldo saw that the opponent was already paralyzed, and this time took the ball and burst down the line for a rare quality cross.
Ibrahimovic rushed as fast as he could, but was slightly slow.
Although he made contact with the ball in his jump, the point of force was slightly off, causing the ball not to be driven downward and to hit the crossbar instead.
In the eighty-second minute, Quaresma made a cross from a relatively relaxed environment on the right wing.
Ibrahimovic leaned against the defender, giving a forceful challenge, and secured his position.
However, in the struggle with the opponent beforehand, both had moved quite a bit towards the near post.
So, when the ball arrived, it was too low for a header.
And for a shot with the foot, the ball was too high.
Ibrahimovic then threw himself backwards, performing an imaginative bicycle kick.
It’s just a pity that it was too imprecise, missing the goal by at least two meters.
But it still elicited admiration from many.
This handling method was something that Drogba did not possess.
Whether he could score was a matter of proficiency.
But whether he could conceive and execute such a method, that was the difference between players, even a gap.
The eighty-fifth minute.
Lisbon Athletics’ wing penetration failed, and the football was passed back to Feng Te’s feet.
Deng Kai moved slightly forward from his defensive midfield position, pushed up the midfield, and moved laterally, giving Feng Te the space for a direct pass.
Feng Te might not have been able to see anyone else on the pitch, but he couldn’t miss Deng Kai’s movement.
His career and vision were born for the sake of Deng Kai.
Bang!
Feng Te refused to pass to the wing, instead, he sent a straight through pass to Deng Kai’s feet.
After receiving the ball, Deng Kai turned and pushed the ball to accelerate past Djorkaeff who was trying to close in.
He then drove forward with the ball.
After a one-two wall pass with Pinto, who had come to support, he took another player out of the play.
Facing Kaiserslautern’s defensive midfielder, Deng Kai started a Chain Bike maneuver underfoot, forcing his opponent to keep retreating.
As Deng Kai got closer and closer to the top of the penalty area, Kaiserslautern’s defensive midfielder went on the offensive.
Deng Kai nudged the football sideways, failing to get past the opposing midfielder, but he hadn’t intended to get past him in the first place.
Bang!
Deng Kai executed a low, straight pass with his right foot.
Kaiserslautern’s defensive midfielder stretched out his leg but fell a bit short, allowing the football to pass through.
Quaresma cut in without the ball and, after receiving the ball on the right side of the penalty area, nudged it towards the baseline to create space.
Bang!
A shot with the outside of his foot from a tight angle!
Quaresma unexpectedly shot a cold arrow.
However, due to the small angle, Kaiserslautern’s goalkeeper blocked the football’s route into the net, parrying the ball away.
Ibrahimovic had rushed to the front of the goal but the ball rebounded to his left side, preventing him from stopping in time.
Ronaldo, who had made a run into the penalty area without the ball, gained control of it on the left side. He continuously feinted, not giving his opponent the chance to get near him.
Just as he was about to create shooting space, Ronaldo, with a stroke of genius, ahem, with peripheral vision, saw a figure darting into the penalty area from the top of the arc.
Bang!
Ronaldo, capable of taking a forceful shot on goal, chipped the ball over instead, sending it to the penalty spot.
Kaiserslautern’s central defender raised his foot perfectly blocking Ronaldo’s shooting path.
They knew this forward all too well.
This was the only forward who had scored over twenty goals, no, over ten goals for his team this season, without delivering even a single assist.
Solo!
Kingly Solo Dragon!
In this respect, Romario, the lone wolf, was far inferior to Ronaldo.
Even the world’s number one forward, Ronaldo, had never displayed such brazen audacity.
Yet here was a player, notorious for playing solo, who surprisingly did not shoot from just outside the small penalty area?
This was unscientific!
Bang!
Near the penalty spot, Deng Kai arrived quickly, shooting directly without controlling the ball first.
The football almost brushed the post as it flew into the goal.
