When the time entered 70 minutes, Pan Yi became a little nervous.
Because he understands that at this point in time, negligence is most likely to occur.
The fans think they can win, and the national players think so too.
This kind of emotion can make players more confident to a certain extent, but if it goes beyond that, it is conceited and arrogant.
When facing a strong opponent like Iran, if the team cannot stay focused for even one second, it may be a disaster for the team.
And there is another very important point, that is, after fighting for most of the game, the physical fitness of the national football players will also reach a more difficult period.
After 70 minutes, with the decline in physical fitness, it is sometimes difficult for the players to maintain absolute concentration, including being 100% accurate when performing actions.
Therefore, whether it is physical or psychological, it is now a major test for the Dragon Kingdom team!
Pan Yi stood up first and went to the sidelines to shout to the players to stay focused and to play the last 20 minutes of the game wholeheartedly.
Then, he returned to the coaching bench and said to Lippi: "I think Zheng Zhi can be replaced now and replaced with a central defender to play and strengthen defense."
In the first half, Long Guo had many counterattack opportunities and finally scored a goal.
He stole the ball near the center circle, passed several opponents in succession, and finally scored a goal! Such a one-stop goal is really rare in the history of the national football team.
At this time, he even felt a little regretful. Why didn't he listen to Pan Yi earlier? Of course he could also see the problem of conceding the ball just now. If he had really switched to five defenders earlier, it might have been fine.
Therefore, Queiroz also chose to seek stability.
Besides, since the arrival of the new coaching staff, they have won two and drawn one of the three games. The winner was Korea and Iran, and they have not been eliminated early. This has far exceeded the expectations of all fans.
Later, FIFA's official website rated him as one of the top ten most anticipated new stars, tied with Messi, which shows that his technical characteristics in the game have been highly recognized.
Lippi thought for a moment and saw that the defense on the field was indeed a bit tight, so he nodded and said: "Okay, I'll do as you say."
But the question is, is one point really enough?
If this score is maintained until the end, Iran's points will reach 15 points, while the Dragon Kingdom will have 8 points.
First, stand still and still face the enemy, giving the illusion that both sides have understood each other, have spent the "garbage time", and then each takes one point home;
I'll make sure I don't concede the ball first, but if you take the risk and miss the mark, then I'm also happy to score a counterattack. Wouldn't it be nice to turn one point into three points?
Moreover, the Dragon Country team is not Argentina! They have no Di Maria, no Aguero, and no Messi.
The current situation is slightly different from when the scores were analyzed before the game, because the game between Dragon Country and Iran started later, and at this time the other two games had already ended.
Three matches, two wins and one draw. Compared with the previous three losses and one draw, this kind of result is a world of difference, and it is enough to gain the respect of all people in the Dragon Kingdom.
If Zheng Zhi is replaced at this time, Lippi cannot guarantee whether there will be any unexpected changes on the field.
When he was hesitating where to pass the ball, Azmon, who was very fast behind him, showed his characteristics and intercepted the ball as soon as he started, which resulted in the goal conceded.
In this way, South Korea's points have reached 13 points.
As captain, Feng Xiaoting plays a key role in the defense. He has shown excellent defensive ability and stable performance.
Under the leadership of German coach Krauchen, the Dragon National Youth Team showed an advanced overall playing style. The players dared to make moves and perform, and the game scene was very exciting.
This is what Pan Yi is worried about. After such a long period of fierce fighting, the players' physical fitness and concentration decline, as well as their own relaxation and slackness, making them more likely to make mistakes.
This guy is also a serious competitor for spots!
If it had become a back five at this time, the distance between the defensive line players would be closer and there would be more contact points, perhaps this would not happen.
As the saying goes, if you are prepared for the week, you will be careless, but if you are familiar with it, you will not doubt it. This comes from the first plan of "Thirty-Six Strategies", "Crossing the Sea".
Lippi also agreed with Pan Yi's statement.
As long as Long Guo dares to press forward, their defense may be broken by their opponents before they can score a goal.
Add a central defender to fill this gap in space.
In the national team, he has always been the best choice for the main central defender.
Feng Xiaoting is 1.86 meters tall, but his body is not strong, and his defensive ability with frontal headers is not his strong point.
Pan Yi quickly stood up and rushed to the sidelines, preparing to rearrange his formation.
Now, he has made a fatal mistake, and of course he cannot be denied everything.
"Zheng Zhi, you go to the central defender position and help stabilize the defense!"
All of this looks so good, and a draw doesn't seem unacceptable.
There is a famous scene of this National Youth Team, that is, in the warm-up match with the German team before the World Youth Championship, Feng Xiaoting showed his outstanding breakthrough ability.
In short, although the final fate of the Dragon Kingdom team still has to wait for others to make mistakes, the difference of 2 points more and 2 points less is still quite big!
As for why Zheng Zhi was replaced, it was mainly because he fought too hard in the midfielder position. At the age of 36, he could no longer sustain such a high-intensity confrontation for a full 90 minutes.
Although it is indeed a pity to lose points due to the defender's mistakes, considering that in the past, whether the Dragon Country team played against Japan, South Korea, or Iran and Saudi Arabia, they always played with trepidation and fear, and always lost in the end;
Like today, they were able to play evenly with their opponents, and even when they were tied by their opponents, they actually didn't take advantage of the victory to pursue it...
In the end, they lost to the host Germany team 2-3 in the knockout round.
The current situation is that if Iran is willing to score a point, it depends on whether the Dragon Kingdom cooperates or not.
After all, Zheng Zhi's role in the midfield of the Long Guo team is absolutely irreplaceable, and his mental strength will also inspire his teammates on the court.
He also understood that if it weren't for the mistake made by Long Guo's central defender, it would be really difficult for Iran to find a better opportunity to equalize the score.
It has to be said that Queiroz's move is very pragmatic, but also very deadly.
Reducing the pressure in the frontcourt will give the Dragons more possession of the ball, but this does not mean that the Iranian team will focus on defense.
Now Iran has a certain lead in the standings. If you take into account the intricate relationship between the winners and losers in the group, in fact, as long as Iran does not lose in the next games, it may be able to qualify.
You can't blame him for wanting stability. Almost any head coach will put stability first at this time!
But Pan Yi is obviously not among this group.
Then there is only 4 points difference between them and Dragon Kingdom's theoretical maximum score of 17 points.
After Taremi scored the ball into Zeng Cheng's goal, Queiroz's tense nerves finally relaxed.
At Iran's home court, where the Dragon Kingdom has lost five consecutive games, taking one point is really not an unacceptable result.
However, his defensive awareness and anticipation skills are excellent.
Can third-place Uzbekistan win the remaining games? It is almost impossible.
Later, he first went to South Korea to play in the K-League, and finally returned to China, where he has been playing for Changzhou Hengtai and helped the team win many important championships, including two AFC Champions League championships.
His masterpiece is still the 2014 World Cup against Argentina. Queiroz relied on this style of play to prevent the Argentine team from losing their temper for the entire 90 minutes.
But as the saying goes, "Soldiers are valuable and quick," the battlefield is changing rapidly. In such a short period of time, the battle situation has changed.
When the capacity is not met, the simplest and most effective way is to increase the number of people.
He can become recognized as the world's number one coach, often because he can detect incoming dangers in advance, and then anticipate the enemy and solve these hidden dangers in advance!
In three games, they have to win at least two and draw one, which is not so sure for the Korean team.
Therefore, defensive counterattack is their special skill in the world!
What are the national football teams thinking at this time?
When used in the art of war, it is a tactic of showing false soldiers and concealing true soldiers. It is used as a camouflage in battle. After observing the opponent's omissions and laxity, he can take advantage of the situation in order to achieve unexpected combat effects.
That was in the 2019 Asian Cup. At that time, Lippi led the national football team to the quarterfinals, but met the Iranian team again.
Then there is South Korea.
Today's Long Guo team was so difficult to deal with, and I only relied on the opponent's mistakes to get the surprise. If I attacked recklessly at this time, Long Guo's sharp counterattack would definitely not give me good results.
This is the conclusion he reached after observation.
Now in Queiroz's mind, this Dragon Country team is even more difficult to deal with than the South Korean team!
So, what to do next?
Queiroz soon had his answer.
I would like to ask, which player in world football has never made a mistake, and who has not made a stupid mistake in conceding the ball specifically to the goalkeeper and defender positions?
"Secure your defense first, then think about other things!"
Moreover, part of the reason for this conceding was that when Feng Xiaoting was handling the ball, there were no teammates nearby who could pass the ball, which meant that the distance between the four defenders was relatively far.
This means placing all hope on the opponent and completely losing the initiative.
Feng Xiaoting nodded, and the firm expression that had been lost reappeared on his face.
This leaves the question to Lippi and Pan Yi: one point or zero points?
——
Want one point.
After the opponent is paralyzed, suddenly change players and formations to launch a sneak attack!
At this time, Pan Yi suddenly remembered the 1996 Asian Cup. At that time, the national football team played against Japan in the final round of the group stage. If the two sides tied, they could join hands to qualify - the one who wanted to join forces at that time was the Korean team from another group.
.(At that time, the third place in the group could also qualify. Comparing the mutual results, the Dragon National Team had the advantage)
But in stoppage time, Japanese defender Soma Naoki suddenly shot a long shot through the national football goal, and Japan finally defeated the national football team 1:0...
He is already 31 years old this year and has experienced many battles, so he still has the ability to adjust mentally.
After the World Youth Championship, Feng Xiaoting also had the opportunity to play in the Bundesliga, but due to the club's excessive transfer fee, the trip failed.
In one game, three mistakes led to a 0:3 defeat. This game also made Lippi so angry that he almost vomited blood.
If the Dragon Country team also plays more safely, then it is logical that the two teams will get one point each, Iran will retreat, and the Dragon Country team can draw with a strong enemy.
He became famous at a young age. In 2002, when he was only 17 years old, he had become the team's main central defender and emerged in the Chinese Super League.
That means at least 7 points.
And now, Pan Yi absolutely cannot let such a thing happen "again" in today's game.
In addition, don’t forget that even if Iran and South Korea make no mistakes in the end and qualify as the top two in the group, Dragon Kingdom will still have to finish third to play in the play-offs.
They were just retreating to advance, allowing the Dragon Kingdom team to press out so that they could counterattack.
What's more, South Korea still needs to have a face-to-face confrontation with the Iranian team!
In this powerful dialogue, it is still unclear who will win.
In other words, even if you only get one point in this game, if you play well in the subsequent games, you still have hope of qualifying from the group!
However, this is what the fans want.
It is extremely unlikely that Iran will not score more than 2 points in the next three games. It can be said to be almost impossible, so their points will basically be higher than those of Dragon Kingdom and steal a qualifying spot.
When facing this team coached by Lippi and Pan Yi, it is really difficult to play, and it is really not easy to score a goal!
As if he had read the fans' thoughts, the live TV cameras frequently focused on the visiting team's coaching bench.
He also pulled up Feng Xiaoting who was still squatting on the ground, patted his shoulder to comfort him, and then said: "Listen to Boss Pan, don't take this mistake to heart, and continue to play well!"
It can be said that he is an excellent organizational central defender, and such a ball-playing central defender is of course also favored by top coaches such as Lippi and Pan Yi.
After he comes off the field, using the midfield combination of Cai Huikang + Huang Bowen + Wu Xi to defend is not a big problem.
But if the Dragon Country team can defeat Iran today and get 2 more points, it may be different.
There are three games left in the end. Assuming they can win three consecutive games, Dragon Kingdom can reach 8+9=17 points.
In 2003, Feng Xiaoting was selected for the national team, becoming one of the few players to be selected for the National Football Team, National Olympics and National Youth Team at the same time.
The South Korean team also played a game first. After the coaching change, they did not seem to be greatly affected. They defeated Syria 1:0 at home.
In this way, the points needed by the South Korean team become 6 points! It may be more, because after two consecutive games of 3:0, the Dragon Kingdom team has a huge goal difference advantage.
Because Pan Yi covered his mouth with great experience when speaking, even a lip-reading expert would not be able to understand the content of their conversation.
Finally scored, finally equalized!
With their offensive strength, do they really have a chance to attack Iran, which is firmly defending and counterattacking?
Uzbekistan, currently ranked third with 9 points, has just defeated Qatar 1:0, raising its score to 12 points.
Lippi's hesitation is certainly justified.
Then in the game, it was because of Feng Xiaoting's error in handling the ball that Taremi scored, giving the Iranian team the lead.
That is, the defense is still a bit tight now, mainly because after the decline in physical fitness, it is difficult for the four defenders to completely cover the defensive space in the backcourt, which easily allows the Iranian team to take advantage of it.
Under Pan Yi's command, the Long Guo team's formation was also adjusted, including some of the strikers Wu Lei and Zhang Yuning were also recovered. After all, there is one less person in the midfield and more reinforcements are needed.
That is - to maintain a tie and win!
This really goes back to what Queiroz said before the game, that even one point is acceptable.
Next, the national football players seemed to be infected.
Hundreds of thousands of Iranian fans suddenly became excited, and Feng Xiaoting, who made the mistake, squatted on the ground with his head in his hands, filled with regret.
Not only that, I am afraid that domestic fans will be proud of the performance of the national team, and the domestic media will also praise the national team for playing well, but regrettably being tied because of a mistake.
This is what many Dragon Country fans think in their hearts.
Seeing that Lippi didn't seem to agree with him - this was the first time since the two had cooperated - Pan Yi frowned and thought for a while, then proposed another plan:
"Otherwise, let Zheng Zhi retreat and play as a central defender like he did before, and let him fill in the gaps in the middle and deep position, so that there is no need to make substitutions."
But it is useless to say this now. In short, the situation on the court must be stabilized as soon as possible. The Iranian team may continue to attack!
On the Iranian team's side, Queiroz's ideas are not as radical as Pan Yi or Lippi thought.
At this time, Pan Yi was talking to Lippi about his analysis and put forward his own ideas: One point is not enough, you must strive for three points!
However, if you want to get three points, you need to be strategic.
In fact, facing the current situation on the court, Pan Yi did hesitate.
Pan Yi shook his head, but still shouted to Feng Xiaoting: "Don't panic! Lift your head and keep kicking!"
In 2005, Feng Xiaoting participated in his first international competition, the World Youth Championship. In this competition, the Longguo National Youth Team performed well, winning all three group matches and advancing to the top 16.
Lippi certainly has no objections to these adjustments.
He wanted to add another defender just to try his best to make up for such mistakes. After all, the probability of two people making mistakes at the same time was still much lower than one person making mistakes.
Soon, Azmoun took advantage of Liu Yiming's mistake to score another goal, and in the final stoppage time, the Iranian team took advantage of Shi Ke's mistake and scored with a single goal from Ansarifard.
This scene suddenly reminded Pan Yi of a game in his previous life.
A throw-in attack by the Long Guo team in the frontcourt was intercepted. The Iranian team's forward pass did not pose a threat. However, Feng Xiaoting was a little slow in handling the ball and was intercepted by Azmoun who was advancing behind him. Azmon then crossed the ball.
Knocking in the middle, Taremi, who was unguarded, pushed and scored!
The score suddenly became 1:1!
At the same time, the two full-backs also began to reduce their forward penetration, focusing more on defense, with the purpose of suppressing the Long Guo team's two-sided attack.
Now Pan Yi is preparing to fight such a battle.
Therefore, one more point is a point, and you must not give up any point, because that may give up the hope of qualifying!
Well, in fact, even the director in charge of the broadcast wants to know what they are thinking at this time!
From the camera, it can be seen that Pan Yi was holding a piece of paper and gesticulating, then turning his head to discuss something with Lippi, and Lippi nodded frequently as he listened.
Moreover, such a difficult away game against Iran can be a draw. Next, we will play Uzbekistan, Syria and Qatar, three relatively weak teams, and the hope of victory is still very high.
With three games left, can South Korea not score 4 points? It’s not impossible, but it’s very dangerous for the Dragons.
Following Pan Yi's shout, Zheng Zhi quickly understood the coaching staff's intention and ran back.
After the game restarted, everyone could see that the Iranian team clearly began to reduce the pressure in the frontcourt and began to pay more attention to the close connection between the three lines. At the same time, the defensive line also moved back to avoid being caught.
The Long Guo team attacked the space behind them.
Queiroz also used it against Pan Yi's Dragon Nation team.
This generation of the National Youth Team has brought many good memories to Dragon Country fans and is also known as the "Super Platinum Generation".
Therefore, Queiroz is not only excited about this goal, but also feels lucky.
All signs are sending a signal to everyone: Iran is really satisfied with the 1:1 draw, and they actually started to play defensive counterattack!
Don't look at the fact that the Iranian team behaves like a fierce brother in Asian competitions, rushing up and beating up anyone they see;
When he goes outside, especially at the World Cup, he is like a younger brother.
Especially what did Lippi think? What did Pan Yi think?
Due to his previous experience as a forward, Feng Xiaoting is very skilled at his feet. He has broad vision and accurate long passes.
Obviously, the Iranian team chose to retreat because they were afraid of the Dragon Kingdom's counterattack ability, and they chose to score one point each with the Dragon Kingdom!
This in itself shows the progress of Long Guo. In the eyes of opponents, this team is no longer a lamb that can be slaughtered by others. They don't just want to take three points from you.
Seeing that Pan Yi was still so calm, everyone's mentality gradually stabilized and they began to set up a defensive line to prevent their opponents from taking advantage of the victory.
Lippi listened to Pan Yi's words, looked at the court and said: "I think he can hold on a little longer. Do you think we can't hold on now?"
Although in the end, Syria, which had lost two consecutive games in the same group, used its style to defeat Uzbekistan (of course, if they could win a big victory, they would have a chance to qualify), and still sent the national football team to the quarterfinals, but it was a pity that South Korea also qualified.
Of course, in the end, the national football team had no better results. After entering the quarterfinals, they were eliminated by Saudi Arabia 4:3.
The scene in which the young player Liu Yue, who was only 21 years old at the time, was beaten by the Saudis on the wing and was then scolded by captain Fan Zhiyi, can be regarded as one of the famous events in the history of the national football team.
Today Pan Yi just wants to re-enact the famous scene where Japan defeated the national football team.
Of course, the victim may have changed from the national football team at that time to Iran today...