Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Adjustment
After Tristan's shot, Mallorca once again switched to a full-team defensive retreat.
Compared to the first fifteen minutes, Arsenal's attack became much more patient. They passed the ball back and forth, hoping to break down Mallorca's defense and find an opening for a goal.
However, Mallorca's defense caught them off guard. As Arsenal passed the ball back and forth, Mallorca's defense mirrored their movements — but it wasn't just one player running back and forth; it was the entire defensive line! Moving the whole backline with the opponent's passing requires exceptional team coordination. In such movement, it's easy to leave gaps that attackers can exploit. But Mallorca had nailed this; their defensive line was impressively synchronized!
Moreover, even though the defense moved back and forth, it was mainly the players on the periphery, with the four main defenders staying inside the penalty box, covering for any weaknesses without needing to move!
Realizing that this back-and-forth play wasn't creating any openings, Arsenal launched a fierce attack in the final moments of the first half.
A draw going into halftime was something they couldn't tolerate.
Henry dropped deeper to collect the ball. After avoiding Tristan's challenge, he started carrying it forward from midfield — one of his signature moves, as he often bursts through from this position, breaking through defenses and scoring!
But at that moment, a black figure closely shadowed him.
Few players could match Henry's speed, but Eto'o was one of them.
The two black-clad figures battled it out in Mallorca's half. Despite Eto'o's mediocre defensive skills, he kept on Henry's tail, not letting him pick up speed!
Seeing that he was about to be cornered, Henry passed the ball. Nadal, though, beat Bergkamp to it and made a timely intercept, sending the ball far downfield.
The ball flew to Arsenal's half, and Lehmann came out to collect it, preparing for a long clearance, when the referee's whistle blew, signaling the end of the first half!
Lehmann paused for a moment, then, frustrated, hugged the ball in his arms and walked toward the referee. The first half had offered him few challenges; if it weren't for the hot weather, he might've caught a cold with how little action he saw...
In the first half, Arsenal created only a few chances, despite having 11 shots. Only one of those was on target — a situation rarely seen for Arsenal, especially since Wenger's tenure had shifted the team away from Graham's brute-force style to a more refined approach.
Arsenal's fans, watching Mallorca's defense, might have thought of Graham's old Arsenal. Though they had applauded back then, they now jeered Mallorca's play...
But Mallorca's players were unfazed by the boos. They had heard much worse over the past two years. In fact, last season, they almost used this same extreme defensive style and counterattacks to defeat Lazio in the Winners Cup final. Had it not been for Nedved and Vieri's brilliant performances in the second half, Mallorca might have taken home the trophy. In fact, after that match, Mallorca was widely praised for their resilience.
As they walked into the players' tunnel, Jose exchanged a look with Wenger. Wenger's face showed no emotion, while Jose smiled politely before entering the tunnel first.
Watching Jose's back, Wenger pondered for a moment, then followed him inside.
Back in the locker room, Mallorca's players immediately became much quieter than they had been before the match. They sat in their places, catching their breath, recovering from the exhaustion caused by the intense defensive work.
This kind of defense consumes a lot of energy. They needed to move constantly to maintain the integrity of the defensive line, and it wasn't just physical exhaustion — the mental toll was even heavier.
Jose carefully observed the players' expressions. The good news was, after a brief rest, their breathing had already started to stabilize. At least they wouldn't run out of steam after just a few minutes — an important factor, since this game might turn into a battle of endurance.
Jose was surprised at how few counterattack opportunities Mallorca had created in the first half. Despite their excellent counterattacking abilities, the lack of midfield support meant Tristan and Eto'o couldn't make much happen, either. Graham's old five-man defense was still proving to be a solid force.
In this case, dragging the game into extra time or even penalties might be necessary. In that scenario, player stamina would be crucial.
What reassured Jose was that the pressure on his seasoned defenders wasn't too heavy. Due to their experience, this kind of defense had almost become second nature. With minimal physical exhaustion, they quickly recovered their composure, and the idea of playing for 90 or even 120 minutes didn't concern them.
After the players had rested enough, Jose clapped his hands, focusing their attention.
"So, how's it feeling, guys?" Jose asked with a smile, his relaxed tone helping ease the tension.
"No problem, boss!" Nino shouted. The strong center-back was the best in terms of fitness, and in the first half, he had bravely intercepted, with the other veterans covering gaps — they'd done well.
"Definitely no problem. They didn't have a single real chance. Our defense can shut down Barcelona, and we can shut them down too... I bet Wenger didn't expect us to play like this. He probably thought we'd go toe-to-toe with them, like knights, only to be overwhelmed... only fools do that! Going for back-and-forth sprints is Arsenal's strength, but we, the Spanish side, don't play that game."
The players laughed, the mention of Spanish teams made them grin — after all, tight defending wasn't typically associated with Spain...
"We're not just any Spanish team," Jose added.
That line got everyone fired up. Exactly — they weren't like any other Spanish team. They played a completely different kind of football! Maybe Valencia was the only one that played somewhat like them...
"Second half, we keep doing this," Jose declared, setting the tone. "Diego, Samuel, I know you both want to score in this match. So do I. But for now, we focus on defense. We drag this game into a grind, force them into frustration. As they get more anxious, our chances and stamina will grow. Arsenal doesn't have a world-class striker like Vieri. Henry's great, but he still needs more time to develop. Bergkamp... he's not on his best form today. That's lucky for us."
Bergkamp's first-half performance had been rather average. Apart from one shot, he hadn't been able to make much of an impact, unable to cope with Mallorca's fierce defensive challenges. Wenger had brought flair and technique to Arsenal, but at the cost of diminishing the ironclad mentality from the Graham days.
Flair and hard-nosed football were two characteristics that hardly ever coexisted.
"Second half, Kanu might come on, but don't worry. He's tall and bulky, but weak in physical duels. He's more of a technician... We, Mallorca, fear many things, but we don't fear techicians."
The players burst into laughter again — in football, it was always easier to break down beauty than to create it, and on the field, it didn't matter how pretty your skills were if you got knocked down by solid defense...
The entire halftime, Jose didn't make many changes, but Wenger next door was deep in thought.
Changing tactics at the last minute wasn't Wenger's strong suit. But when his usual strategies weren't working, he had no choice but to adjust.
"We need to change things in attack for the second half," Wenger told his players. "Besides using the flanks, we'll make full use of the width of the pitch. I know Mallorca's defense is excellent, but don't forget — their home pitch is the narrowest in La Liga. Their tactics favor tight defense. But today, we're not playing on their turf. We can exploit that."
"Understood!" Arsenal players responded in unison. Wenger's strategy was a good response — against tight defenses, quick changes in attack direction could expose weak spots.
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After all, even if all eleven players were packed in the box, it didn't mean they were truly defending. If they didn't move, they were just eleven wooden posts, not a defense.
"That said, we need to score quickly in the second half... We don't have the advantage in stamina," Wenger added.
All Arsenal players knew this — despite playing a fiery match against Newcastle just four days ago, Arsenal had fielded a full squad. Meanwhile, Mallorca had rested their starters for ten days, playing only with substitutes.
"The longer we drag this out, the more it benefits them. Since they want to see that, we won't give it to them. Let's go out there and attack. We can't afford to leave this season empty-handed."
Wenger waved his hand, and Arsenal players stood up. Led by captain Adams, they headed back onto the field.