Chapter 748: Chapter 747 Although Clumsy, But Saucy
But the Dutch did not lose heart; instead, they smiled slightly.
Did the Portuguese not know that, besides Robben, the Netherlands had an even stronger winger, Van der Meijde?
If even Robben had to be double-teamed, who was left to guard Van der Meijde?
Cocu, Terry, Deboer, and others turned their gaze toward Van der Meijde.
They saw his side was quite open.
The only obstacle ahead was Pepe.
This was a secure move!
The fifty-ninth minute.
Having feigned movement on the left, the Dutch suddenly switched the football to the right side, seeking Van der Meijde.
Van der Meijde took the ball and challenged Pepe one-on-one, trying to breeze past him with a flick.
Who knew Pepe’s turning speed was so quick? He blocked Van der Meijde by his side and then used his strength to push Van der Meijde out of bounds.
It was a beautiful tackle.
Pepe then caught up with the ball and turned to pass it to the approaching Maniche.
Maniche sent a long kick forward.
Deng Kai moved to receive the ball and, after a perfect trap, flicked the football to the right.
The ball flew past Heitinga.
The on-rushing Heitinga did not expect Deng Kai’s reception to be so smooth. When he tried to grab Deng Kai, he was brushed off by Deng Kai’s hand.
Deng Kai efficiently bypassed Heitinga.
Deboer hurried to cover defense.
Bang!
Deng Kai delivered a lofted pass and then collided with Deboer.
Deboer, not very tall, was helpless against this lofted pass.
Stam was marking Ronaldo, but he realized the ball wasn’t intended for Ronaldo.
The ball also flew over Stam’s head towards the far post.
There, no one was present.
Figo rushed toward the far post.
However, his start was slow, and his acceleration after was also slow.
In the end, he missed the ball by about one meter.
The football went out of bounds.
"Ah! What a pity!"
"That was a superb pass! It’s just that Figo and Deng Kai lacked understanding."
"Figo missed a golden opportunity to score, an absolute open space."
"Looking somewhat embarrassed, Figo gave Deng Kai a thumbs-up."
"Deng Kai smiled and nodded; there was no blame intended towards Figo."
After all, he was a veteran of thirty-two.
You could not expect him to run with the speed of his youth.
Of course, the opportunity wouldn’t have been as good had it not been passed like that.
This problem seemed unsolvable.
Despite looking similar to previous Portuguese attacks that went unrewarded, this offensive had significant meaning for the Portuguese team.
Because it proved Deng Kai’s tactical thinking.
Just focus on this route!
No one would believe this strategy if it got out.
It was like deliberately leaving space for Deng Kai when playing against the Portuguese team—a similar principle.
Van der Meijde was, after all, one of the Netherlands’ key attacking forces at this stage.
And he was wearing the number seven jersey!
The sixty-third minute.
Van der Meijde and Maniche engaged in a tussle.
Surprisingly, after some dribbling, he could not get past Maniche and eventually chose to pass back.
He seemed to lack the confidence to take players on.
However, Seedorf immediately played a one-two with Van der Meijde, getting past Maniche, and Van der Meijde chased after the ball.
Bang!
Pepe made a straightforward slide tackle, kicking the ball out of bounds in advance, denying Van der Meijde any chance to get past.
Van der Meijde also slowed down early to avoid getting hurt.
If it had been Robben, he might have sped up to touch the ball ahead and then jumped over, performing a beautiful leap over the madhouse!
The way forward would have been wide open then.
The Dutch team took the throw-in.
Once again, Van der Meijde was entangled by Pepe and could only pass back to Cocu.
Viana and Deco launched a pressing.
Cocu passed the ball further back to De Boer.
De Boer passed back to Van der Sar.
Ronaldo also started to press aggressively, charging toward Van der Sar.
Van der Sar could only clear the football with a big kick.
He still aimed for Van der Mede.
But Pepe directly overpowered Van der Mede and headed the ball to the right-back, Feng Te.
Feng Te received the ball and, after a touch, prepared to clear it with a big kick.
Seedorf, therefore, slowed down.
Bang!
Seedorf hadn’t even realized what happened when the football rolled past him.
"This... Feng Te! Feng Te is advancing with the ball! He’s just gone right past Seedorf!"
It was hard to believe when said out loud, but Feng Te indeed outplayed Seedorf.
Seedorf: MMP!
Feng Te glanced at Maniche, then nudged the ball again, heading straight for the center.
He continued to advance!
This move made Cocu, who had lunged at Maniche, miss the chance to intercept Feng Te in time.
By the time Dai Weisi moved over, Feng Te had already crossed the midfield line.
Trigella and Maxa, in the coach’s bench, were still relatively calm.
Central defenders pushing forward... this was also allowed in Deng Kai’s tactics, and the central defenders of Manchester City were skilled passers wherever they went.
It was just... unexpected that Feng Te could also play like this.
It was thought that only Pepe, Chiellini, and Thiago Silva had this capability.
On this, Feng Te gave a slight smile.
Although he was a poor player.
He was flashy!
A sudden flashy move now and then played on the element of surprise.
Bang!
Feng Te, beating Cocu and Dai Weisi to the punch, made a through pass.
Connecting with Deng Kai!
However, his through pass was really quite average; others offered surgical through passes, his were more like blunt knives.
This allowed De Boer the opportunity to slide and clear the ball before Deng Kai could reach it.
The Portuguese team won a corner kick.
Deng Kai turned around and gave a thumbs up to Feng Te.
Quite interesting.
Feng Te always had a sharp mind, just that his ability was too subpar.
This guy was not cut out to be a player; he was better suited to coaching, probably had some skills in instructing others.
The camera then cut to the sideline.
It seemed the Netherlands team was going to make a substitution.
This was understandable because since the start of the second half, Portugal’s targeting had taken effect, and they began to gain the upper hand in the game.
Continuing to play this way, the Netherlands team was very likely to concede a goal.
So, the Netherlands team had to make a move.
"What? The Netherlands team is choosing to substitute Robben off?"
"Oh, this substitution is debatable."
"Although Robben suddenly became ineffective in the second half, he did provide two assists. By staying on the pitch, he could still pose a threat to the Portuguese team."
"Of course, using Bosvelt, a defensive midfielder, to replace Robben and strengthen the defense doesn’t seem like a bad idea either."
"Two goals are enough for the Netherlands team to reach the semi-finals."
The Netherlands team’s substitution strategy sparked a lot of discussion among viewers.
Some knowledgeable fans thought the decision was not wrong.
Since the start of the second half, Robben had become invisible, barely receiving the ball, and when he did, he didn’t create any threats.
If that’s the case, better replace this "invisible man" with a defensive expert.
What?
You ask why not substitute Van der Mede off?
Please, Van der Mede’s fame, experience, and tactical significance in this Netherlands team are far greater than Robben’s.
Plus, he became much more active during the second half, creating several threats.
He also scored in the first half; if statistics were the basis for a substitution, then it made sense to replace the younger player.
Watching the Netherlands team make the substitution, Deco felt a chill.
This... Could it also be within Deng Kai’s prior planning?
