The scene of Hu Lai and Qin Lin chatting and laughing in the player tunnel before the game may give many people the feeling that this is a very relaxed game, full of the feeling of "reuniting old friends". A sense of relaxation and joy.
After all, there is a huge gap in strength between the two teams. Even if Madrid Pirates did not field the strongest lineup for this game, it would still be enough for them to defeat the South China Tigers.
The South China tiger shouldn't have too many unrealistic ideas.
Reaching the Club World Cup semi-finals is their limit and their ultimate goal.
Now that the goal has been achieved, what is the need and motivation to fight against the Madrid Pirates?
This game is probably just an "exhibition match" that goes through the motions.
There is no suspense about the final result of the game. The Madrid Pirates will eliminate the host South China Tigers and advance to the final. The South China Tigers have already tied the record of the best performance of a Chinese team in the Club World Cup, which was once created by themselves.
Of course, they can still surpass themselves and create a better performance record. That is to defeat the AFC Champions League Al Ayan in the third and fourth place finals and win the third place in the Club World Cup. The latter was already defeated in yesterday's semi-finals. South American Copa Libertadores champion Roussel was eliminated, and the latter was already waiting for the final opponent to be born in the Club World Cup final.
Therefore, there is absolutely no need for the South China Tigers to go all out in the semi-finals against the Pirates. Instead, they should save their efforts until the third or fourth place finals.
Before the game, when Hu Lai and Qin Lin were hugging and talking and laughing, it didn't look like this was a "big battle"?
After the game started, the South China Tigers, who got the kick-off opportunity, took the lead in attacking the Madrid Pirates goal.
But it didn't work out at all - the South China Tigers sent a long pass from the backcourt to starting forward Tan Yunlong, but Antonio Betia grabbed the spot first and headed the ball back.
In this game, Parotti did not arrange all the main players to start, but mixed the main players and rotation players in almost all positions.
This not only ensures the lower limit of the team's basic combat effectiveness, but also gives rotation players more playing time. On the one hand, it is naturally to appease them, and on the other hand, it is also to keep the players in game condition and allow the main players to rest.
Betia has always been the team's rotating central defender in Madrid Pirates. He served as the main starter when Madrid Pirates were eliminated in the Champions League semifinals last season. Because the team's original main central defender Kepa Amante was Ji was injured, and only he could stand up.
But his performance in that game was not very good, which ultimately led to the Madrid Pirates being eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by their city rivals, the Madrid Kings.
It was precisely because of poor performance in key games that the coaching staff and the club spent a huge sum of money that summer to introduce the talented Dutch center back Danny Drew to make up for the shortcomings in the defense.
The effect of Drew's joining was also immediate. That season, the Madrid Pirates historically won the first "Triple Crown" of Spanish football.
The combination of Drew and Moreno was very successful, so Bedia naturally had no choice but to continue to be a substitute.
Fortunately, he is a member of the Pirates youth training system and can endure loneliness. Although he can only play as a substitute, he has no complaints and is willing to be a screw in the club.
As a reward for his loyalty, Parotti arranged for him to start alongside Riva Moreno in Madrid Pirates' first Club World Cup match.
Although it was difficult for the Kings to face the offensive lineup led by Melly and Serrados, Betia was still a high-level central defender in front of the Chinese team.
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"They didn't use all the main players, and they didn't play 433, which they are best at, but 442... They still look down on us." The assistant coach sighed.
"Isn't that good?" Qin Lin said. "If they go all out, we will still be fooling around... I even hope that they will look down on us more, and it is best not to even join Hu Lai."
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The first attack was blocked at the beginning, which did not dampen the morale of the South China Tigers players.
They were facing an extremely powerful enemy, and they had known this for a long time.
So you won't be easily intimidated.
On the contrary, they immediately organized a fierce frontcourt press.
The football pushed back by Antonio Betia fell to the feet of Joaquin Vela.
But before Bella could turn around, players from the South China Tigers came up to her.
It is their Brazilian midfielder Felipe Elias. This player has played in the Turkish league and also participated in the Europa League. Although he has never been selected for the national team, he is still a powerful player. .
His movements are very agile and aggressive.
Vela just stopped the ball a little wider, but Elias suddenly accelerated from behind and poked it away with his foot.
Of course, the football that was poked away did not fall at the feet of the South China Tigers players, but fell between the Pirates players and the South China Tigers players.
Vukovic and Huang Yao rushed to the football at the same time.
In the end, Huang Yao used his desperate momentum to force Vukovich to hide and successfully grabbed the ball.
South China tiger attacks!
However, their attack this time did not finally threaten the Madrid Pirates' goal.
The substitute goalkeeper Olmer Caballo, who started in place of Hywell in this game, was not tested at all, and the South China Tigers' attack was stopped.
The South China Tigers were not discouraged and continued to press the Madrid Pirates ball carrier.
Madrid Pirates are players who play pass-and-control style. Most of the time, they still have to make a transition in the midfield. Unless the situation does not allow it, they will directly pass the ball from the backcourt to the frontcourt.
The South China Tigers aimed at this point and pressed them from a high position, hoping to make the Madrid Pirates scramble after the opening.
But what kind of team are Madrid Pirates?
As a team that is good at passing and controlling, they will always face high-position pressing from their opponents, so this was not a surprise to them.
And they know what to do.
Using the South China Tigers players to press high, they mobilized the South China Tigers players through various quick passes and cross transfers.
Technically speaking, the Madrid Pirates players are one level above the South China Tigers players - this may be a bit of a modest statement.
They were not in a hurry to attack.
Just pass it back and forth like this, leading the South China tiger by its nose and running around.
Six minutes after the opening, the South China Tigers did not get another chance to attack through a high press. Instead, the Madrid Pirates pushed their formation back bit by bit.
Joaquin Vela picked up the ball in the center circle. Facing the pressing of the two forwards of the South China Tigers, Tan Yunlong and Martin Coetzee, he passed the ball forward from between the two to Luca Che who recovered it to the ribs.
Lovich.
When the South China Tigers players saw this, they immediately attacked. Huang Yao and Elias approached Celovic from different directions.
The Croatian international did not stop the ball. He turned around and sent the ball forward. Not only did the two South China Tiger players miss the ball, but he also attracted them out.
Then Daniel Dikunzo behind them easily received the ball.
Huang Yao and Elias could only turn around and pounce back.
But Di Kunzo kept passing the ball and passed it back.
After passing the ball, Luka Cerovic moved laterally and received the ball passed back by Dikunzo.
When he received the ball, Hu Lai at the front began to move towards the line where the South China Tigers' center back was.
The South China Tigers were very concerned about him. When they saw him pushing forward, the two central defenders Liu Yan and Yao Huasheng immediately pressed forward to rule out offside.
Celovic didn't really pass the ball because he is not good at sending accurate overhead crosses with his right foot.
If he wants to ensure the accuracy of the pass, he has to adjust the football to his left foot.
After just such an adjustment, the South China Tigers players had formed two complete lines of defense in front of him.
Different from the high-position press in the frontcourt, once the Madrid Pirates pressed them to the thirty-meter area, the South China Tigers immediately changed to a positional battle, set up their posture, and adopted a defensive posture, but they were not in a hurry.
Chelovic saw that the South China Tigers' defense line was well laid out and there were no big holes, so he did not force a pass at a 45-degree angle.
South China Tigers midfielder Huang Yao, who had just been mobilized by him to make a return run, slowly approached him, preparing to interfere with him getting the ball.
Seeing this, Celovic took a step laterally and passed the football to Vukovich in the middle.
The Serbian midfielder saw the football rolling toward him and quickly looked back at the situation on the right behind him.
There, Kamala stood close to the touchline.
And there is a lot of space.
After learning about this situation, Vukovich knew what he should do.
Along with the football, there were also players from the South China Tigers.
When Tan Yunlong saw that Vukovic was about to catch the ball, he accelerated from the front and chased back, preparing to stick to the opponent, interfere with him, and prevent him from easily organizing an attack.
But Vukovich's reaction was faster than his actions:
After catching the ball, he turned around, adjusted the football to his right foot, blocked Tan Yunlong with the left side of his body, and then swung his leg to pass the ball.
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Peng Weijun followed the football and turned around and ran to the wing to defend.
When Kamara caught the ball in front of him, he put his hands behind his back, lowered his center of gravity, and prepared for Kamara.
He knows Kamara is a player who is very good at breaking through.
But Kamara did not break through. When he saw that the South China Tigers' left back did not come up to block him immediately and was about five or six meters away, he simply made a pass!
"I come!"
Yao Huasheng shouted, reminding Liu Yan in front of him that he was retreating to head the ball to clear the siege, which was obviously not more convenient than rushing forward to head the ball to clear the siege.
He stepped in from Liu Yan's side, and then headed Kamara's low-quality cross!
The South China Tigers fans in the stands cheered for the captain's header to save the ball.
But their cheers did not last because the ball pushed out by Yao Huasheng fell directly in front of Vukovich outside the penalty area.
Vukovich took a step forward, bent his knees slightly, used his chest to remove the flying football, and then volleyed without waiting for the South China Tigers defensive players to pounce!
Although Yao Huasheng rushed towards Vukovich immediately after completing his header to clear the ball, he was still half a beat too late.
When he stretched his legs to block, the football whizzed past him and rushed towards the goal behind him!
Duke, the main goalkeeper of the South China Tigers, reacted quickly enough, because when he saw the football flying toward the unmarked Vukovich, he realized that the opponent might take a long shot and was already prepared.
When he saw the football flying over, he quickly fell to the ground and threw himself on his side!
He successfully blocked the football!
Push the ball away from the goal with both hands!
But he only pushed, not hit.
So football has not flown far!
Even close at hand!
Fell to the middle!
over there……
"Hu Lai! Opportunity! There is it!!"
Accompanied by the passionate roar of the commentator He Feng, Hu Lai, standing just outside the penalty area, raised his foot and pushed the football pushed by the goalkeeper into the empty goal!
Duke struggled to get up from the ground and make a second save, but he was too late.
Liu Yan, who was originally following Hu Lai, tried to block it with his legs, but he was far behind!
Hu Lai did not simply push the ball, but lifted the football slightly.
More like "end shot".
The football just passed over Liu Yan's legs and Duke's arms, and finally flew into the goal!
Just seven minutes into the game, Madrid Pirates took the lead!
