The Japanese team's starting formation is 442, which is also their traditional formation. The Japanese team, which learned Brazilian football, has adhered to this formation for decades.
The four midfielders can indeed ensure their advantage in the midfield.
On the front line, the Japanese team started this game with Hirokawa Masato and Itōnu. The former plays for the powerful La Liga team Valentia, and the latter plays for Almaine in the Bundesliga.
Although Masato Hirokawa plays for a strong La Liga team like Valentia, he is not the main player, but a rotation player. Moreover, in Valentia's tactics, he is not a forward responsible for scoring, but more like a tactic.
Center forward. Passes, pulls, and counterattacks in the frontcourt... He can do everything, but he scores few goals.
Halfway through La Liga this season, he has only scored one league goal, one goal in the Copa del Rey, and no goals in the Champions League.
Neither the fans nor Valentia's head coach expect him to score goals.
His ability to join Valentia and get opportunities to play as a rotation player is definitely not due to his ability to score goals. It is his diligent attitude towards the game and his versatile attributes.
Itonu is the main player for the mid-to-lower Bundesliga team Almen. He has scored five goals in the Bundesliga this season and performed well.
He scored more goals than Masato Hirokawa, but compared with Hu Lai... it's really not enough.
Therefore, the scoring ability of the two main forwards of the Japanese team is relatively poor.
Of course, the difference depends on how you compare.
They are said to be inferior because the target is the Chinese striker...or to be precise, the reference standard is Hu Lai.
In fact, this comparison is demanding of Japanese forwards. After all, there is no one in Asia who can be better than Hu Lai.
Even Park Soon-tae, the main forward of the South Korean team, scored four goals in the Premier League this season, which is far behind Hu Lai's eleven Premier League goals. Hu Lai was simply born to score goals, and he only knows how to score goals.
Goals. If a striker only examines the quality of scoring goals, no one can compare with Hu Lai. But if it is based on overall strength, Hu Lai may not be ranked...
If not for Hulebi, the Japanese team's forward combination is still considered the top in Asia.
So it's not that the Japanese team's offense is too strong, but that the Chinese team's offense is too strong.
In the Japanese team's tactics, in addition to scoring goals, Masato Hirokawa and Tsutomu Ito are also responsible for containing the Chinese team's defense and creating open opportunities for the midfielder who comes in from behind.
Yonezawa Masao's previous shot was a reflection of this offensive tactic.
This requires the Chinese team's midfielder to come back in time to help defend and protect the space in front of the defense.
Therefore, Dong Jianhai deployed a double midfielder lineup in this game, Jiang Wanqing was dedicated to defense, and Xia Xiaoyu also had to retreat in time.
Under such circumstances, he asked the Chinese team to go as wide as possible when attacking and quickly pass through the midfield without entangled with the opponent here. This also had defensive considerations - on the one hand, it prevented the Chinese team from losing the ball in the midfield and being beaten by the opponent.
It is possible to directly counterattack. On the other hand, it will not affect Xia Xiaoyu's participation in defense. When attacking, he only needs to pass the football long to the frontcourt or divide the sides, which can effectively reduce his pressure in the game.
At the same time, the two wingers Chen Xingyi and Luo Kai must also actively return to assist the defense.
Therefore, when the Chinese team defends, the formation is actually 451, with Hu Lai alone in front to contain the Japanese team's center back.
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"Dong still made some changes and didn't blindly copy what Shi did. Isn't that good?" commented Dillon, who was watching the game with Yu Jintao in front of the TV.
"But this approach is really risky..." Yu Jintao said.
Dillon curled his lips: "But it's worth it. Dong's problem before was that he was too conservative and wanted stability in everything. But the result of seeking stability is often not stability. Besides, the Chinese team is not that kind of stable style... there are so many young people in the team.
In a team, but asking them to be stable...isn't this very contradictory?"
Yu Jintao was speechless because he thought Dillon was right.
Although there are veterans like Yao Huasheng, Hao De and Jiang Wanqing in this Chinese team, there are still more young people like Hu Lai and Xia Xiaoyu. A national team dominated by young people will naturally be more energetic.
For example, in the current TV broadcast, the Chinese team is launching an attack from the wing.
After Chen Xingyi received the ball, when faced with the Japanese team's right back Yoshiki Kiyota who approached him from the side, he did not hesitate or make any other attempts. He directly pushed the football forward, traveling more than ten meters in one go, and then relied on him
The advantages in startup are catching up.
In this way, the simplest and most direct method of speed competition was used to break through the Japanese team's defense.
This is a typical way of playing for young people. They rely on their good physical fitness and speed advantage to play like this. Players who have reached their age will no longer have such ability and energy after suffering several injuries.
Kiyota Yoshitoki, who plays for the powerful Turkish team Asia Minor, is not slow, but in the face of Chen Xingyi's unreasonable playing style, he has a hard and embarrassing pursuit.
Finally, when he saw central defender Takehiro Nakaoka coming from the center to help defend, he gave up chasing Chen Xingyi and turned to the center to protect the space left by Takehiro Nakaoka.
Chen Xingyi passed the ball directly without waiting for Takehiro Nakaoka to come forward.
This time it was Luo Kai who grabbed the point in the middle. He was almost the same height as Kengo Yamayama of the Japanese team, and had a speed advantage. Then he jumped up high with the momentum of sprinting, and still grabbed the point despite Kengo Yamayama's interference.
Push the football towards the goal!
It’s a pity that the top is too high!
"Fuck!" Yu Jintao couldn't help but cursed with regret.
"Although the goal was not scored, this is the style of play that the Chinese team should stick to. To deal with the Japanese team, we must not fight with them in the midfield. We have to use the simplest and crudest method to threaten their defense line." Dillon said.
Dong Jianhai agreed with his tactics. "Of course, it would be nice if there were some changes..."
"Slow down appropriately?"
"No, the speed cannot be slow, it must always be so fast. What I am talking about is not a change in rhythm, but a change in the offensive method. It is easier to defend when crosses from the wing are always made like this... The two centers of the Japanese team
The defender is not very tall, but their goalkeeper Nobuo Nishiguchi increased the range of his attack and began to consciously expand the control area."
Dillon pointed to the screen, where a replay of Luo Kai's ball just now was being played, and he signaled Yu Jintao to pay attention to Nobuo Nishiguchi's position.
When Chen Xingyi advanced from the wing, Nobuo Nishiguchi did not stand on the goal line, but stood on the small penalty area line.
If Chen Xingyi passes the ball closer to the goal, Nobuo Nishiguchi can directly intercept it.
Chen Xingyi finally passed the football further back, perhaps because of this consideration - he was afraid that his pass would be directly blocked by Nobuo Nishiguchi.
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Xia Xiaoyu passed the football from behind the center line to Chen Xingyi, who was pulling in from the wing.
Qu Lu, the left back of the Chinese team, began to accelerate and rush forward along the sideline, preparing to cover the sideline.
It is obvious that the Chinese team is looking for cooperation on the wing again.
This was their fixed routine during previous counterattacks.
Even with their eyes closed, the Japanese team players knew how the Chinese team was going to attack.
Right back Yoshitoki Kiyota did not immediately go to the sideline, but moved in slightly, holding Chen Xingyi and Qu Lu alone.
At the same time, center back Takehiro Nakaoka is also moving closer, intending to help defend.
Zhang Qinghuan, who was originally supposed to be in the middle, did not directly insert into the penalty area this time to form multiple contact points with Hu Lai.
He suddenly moved laterally to meet Chen Xingyi who was holding the ball, and at the same time shouted to him: "Chen Xingyi!"
Chen Xingyi, whose name was called, saw Brother Huan running towards him and passed the football without any hesitation. Then he turned around and stepped forward!
Zhang Qinghuan suddenly came to the midfield to catch the ball, and the Japanese team's midfielder Kazuya Kudo quickly stepped up to defend.
But Zhang Qinghuan didn't even wait for Kudo Kazuya to get close to him, nor did he stop the ball, he just kicked out the football passed by Chen Xingyi!
Instead of passing the football back to Chen Xingyi who was advancing forward, he used his left foot to create an arc and let the football fly directly to the left rib of the Japanese team's penalty area.
There Hu Lai and Shan Qianwu were running towards the landing point!
"Zhang Qinghuan directly passed... Hu Lai! Opportunity!"
"Chinese team's attack, be careful!"
The commentators from both countries raised their voices at the same time.
Luo Kai, who was originally on the other side of the ribs, saw the ball and quickly moved towards the center.
He saw clearly that Zhang Qinghuan passed the ball very suddenly, but it was very difficult to catch it - on the one hand, it was a high ball, which was difficult to handle. On the other hand, Hu Lai ran horizontally to meet the ball, and he caught the ball
The situation will be almost with your back to the goal, and there is basically no shooting angle. Coupled with the close defense of Kengo Yamayama, it will be difficult to shoot directly in this situation.
Regardless of whether Hu Lai wants to force a shot or stop the ball and seek opportunities again, Luo Kai must appear in the middle and be ready to respond.
Didn’t you see that Chen Xingyi was still resolutely thrusting forward?
Just so that after Hu Lai stops the ball, he can pass the football to the side, and then Chen Xingyi passes the ball, there must be someone in the middle.
And Luo Kai is the only one.
"Very good! Shanshan was very focused and he was not thrown away by Hu Lai!" the Japanese commentator praised the team's captain.
The captain of Hassia in the Bundesliga, whether in the club or the national team, is a reassuring central defender.
With him here, the Chinese team's offensive threat will not be that great.
Zhang Qinghuan passed the ball directly without stopping. The quality of this pass was already very high, and he really wanted to catch the Japanese team's defense by surprise.
But Shanshan Qianwu's astute reaction made Zhang Qinghuan's plan doomed to fail!
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The Chinese fans in the stands were cheering, while the Japanese fans were screaming.
The voices of both sides intertwined together, like a pouring rain, covering up all other sounds.
In this commotion, Hu Lai, who was running, turned back to observe the football flying from the sky.
The football kept spinning in the air and falling, in the exact direction where he ran.
He began to adjust his pace.
Yamayama Kengo was also turning his head to observe the ball coming from the air. At the same time, from the corner of his eye, he saw Hu Lai seem to have slowed down.
Being experienced, he knew that this was Hu Lai adjusting his pace.
He wants to shoot directly?!
But he can only choose his left foot for this ball...
Yamayama Kengo didn't think so much and decided to stick up. He must not let Hu Lai succeed in shooting!
The previous goal conceded by the Japanese team was because he allowed Hu Lai to complete the shot. Although he failed to score directly, Hu Lai's shot gave Chen Xingyi a chance to make a follow-up shot.
Therefore, to defend Hu Lai is not only to prevent him from scoring goals, but also to prevent him from even kicking his feet!
The football falls from the outside.
Hu Lai raised his left foot, but instead of shooting, he stepped forward normally.
The football falls further.
Hu Lai turned sideways to block Kengo Shango behind him, and at the same time raised his right foot... to lift the fallen football!
He shot!
Flirting with the outer instep!
This was far beyond Yamayama Kengo's expectations. He put all his attention on Hu Lai's left foot, but he didn't expect that the opponent would shoot with the outside instep of his right foot!
He failed to make any interception and interference actions, and just watched Hu Lai complete the shot from the nearest distance!
"Hulai——!!"
He Feng only saw Hu Lai in the penalty area lift his right leg in the commentary box, and then the football suddenly jumped up in front of him, drawing a parabola and falling towards the back corner of the goal!
Japanese team goalkeeper Nobuo Nishiguchi originally blocked Hu Lai's shot from the front point. When he saw the football flying over, he could only jump on the spot and wave his arms upwards, trying to hit the football away.
But the flying height of the football is far higher than what his hands can reach...
He waved his hand and threw it away. He could only watch the football falling towards the goal behind him!
He can no longer stop the ball...and no one in the entire Japanese team can stop it!
The football hits the intersection between the crossbar and the goalpost from behind and flies into the goal!
In the 38th minute, the Chinese team scored another goal, leading the Japanese team by two goals!
