Valencia has created a unique style of play that can score goals and win games, but the threshold before the end of the championship trophy is the quality they still lack: shrewdness and sophistication.
Millwall did not have this quality in the past, so Aldridge gave the team instructions in the European Cup Winners' Cup final against Real Madrid two years ago to attack wildly, forget all pressure, attack wildly, and play like himself.
Don't worry about anything else. Fortunately, two years ago we met Real Madrid, which had not had the Champions League in 30 years. The opponent was equally nervous and under pressure, and could not take it easy.
Teams that play in the finals for the first time are most afraid of worrying about gains and losses. Valencia may not have this emotion, but due to the team's inherent deficiencies, this emotion will inevitably arise when the score is behind.
Millwall became very sophisticated today, steadily dominating the situation on the field. The pace was slow for more than 70% of the time, but suddenly they played fast, and the impact of the change in pace made it difficult for Valencia to withstand.
While celebrating Larsson's goal, Aldrich also discovered a detail, a situation that he had not thought of before the game.
He walked back to the coaching bench and said to Villas-Boas: "The opponent's left back, Gerardo, give me a brief introduction."
Villas-Boas stood up and whispered next to Aldrich: "He was born in Real Madrid, but he never played an official game for Real Madrid. Then he came up from a low-level team, transferred to Valencia in the middle of the season, and played less than twice in La Liga.
Less, one on one, Ronaldinho beat him completely!"
Boas's introduction is indeed simple enough.
Aldrich nodded thoughtfully.
Gerardo's appearance was not a surprise because Carboni was suspended.
How old is Carboni? 35 years old.
How old is Gerardo? 26 years old.
The former is obviously older, while the latter is in his prime.
But for Valencia's defensive counterattack, defend first and then counterattack. If you can't defend well, then counterattack is useless!
In their defense line, if Carboni can play, apart from Pellegrino who is 29 years old, the next youngest is 34-year-old Dukic, and the remaining two defenders are both 35 years old.
How do they rely on defense?
experience!
They cannot run 10,000 meters, 12,000 meters, 30,000 meters or more in one game like young people.
But the running distance of many young players is acceptable and above average. But among them, maybe three thousand or five thousand meters are running blindly, running randomly, and wasting physical energy doing useless work.
Veterans are different. Veterans rely on experience and run less, but they all run on the right path. When the team needs them, they will be there!
Otherwise, with an aging defense line, can Valencia reach the finals?
Boas not only evaluated the opponent's ability, but also provided a very important piece of information.
Gerardo lacks top level experience!
He worked his way up from a lower-level team and moved to Valencia less than half a year ago.
What's the game today?
Champions League final!
Valencia itself overall lacks the ability to withstand pressure in this level of competition, coupled with its unsatisfactory performance at certain points, this is definitely an important piece of information that can be used.
Aldrich didn't expect it before the game because he didn't know much about Gerardo. No one could tell whether the opponent would be a god or a mess.
In the first half hour of the game, I didn't find how vulnerable the opponent was, because Larson was good at passing and running. Larson himself didn't overly use one-on-one to fight with the opponent. Gerardo was
At this point, I can't tell whether the performance is good or bad.
But just now Schneider made an assist and easily passed Gerardo, and that scene caught Aldrich's attention.
He walked to the sidelines and told Schneider not to take the kick when a foul ball opportunity arose. He called Larson in front of him and said to him: "You and Thierry change positions and let Thierry have more time."
Get into the space between the opposition full-back and centre-back."
Larson took the order, went back and had a few words with Henry, and the two exchanged positions.
In the following games, Gerardo was frequently in trouble.
First of all, he couldn't cut off Henry's ball.
Secondly, if he rushes forward rashly, he will lose his position.
Henry's ability to escape, explosiveness and ball control are slightly better than Larsson's, and his individual ability can completely defeat Gerardo on the right.
This forces the midfielders to help defend Gerardo more often.
In the 44th minute of the game, Henry faced the double-teams of Gerardo and Farinos on the right. He was not reckless and knocked the ball back to Schneider who came up from the side. The latter passed the ball straight to find the midfielder.
Larson.
Larson then hit Nedvěd, who was charging forward at full speed. Due to Farinos' help, there was an opening in the middle of Valencia. Larson's pass also allowed Pellegrino and Dukic to pass.
Unexpectedly, Nedvěd hit the ball with a powerful shot from the penalty area and into the gate guarded by Canizares.
"2:0! Nedvěd's goal sent the Lions fans into a frenzy in the stands! This long shot is so beautiful. Nedvěd is indeed Mr. Golden Ball of the New World. It seems that he can get a new one today.
championship medal!”
Leading by two goals, the first half is about to end. This is a very good time. Millwall can not only go back to the locker room to let Aldridge remind the team to stay calm, but also make Valencia feel better before entering the locker room.
heavy.
Aldridge applauded Nedved's goal with a smile on his face and was not overly excited.
Valencia's overall performance was much worse than he expected.
At least, they were not as stunning and unstoppable as they were on their way to the finals.
Lack of championship temperament and limitations of lineup tactics, Valencia has begun to collapse!
It has to be said that Millwall's control of the rhythm and high-pressure press will always bring the opponent to the point of collapse when the situation is unfavorable. The behavior on the field is to lose tactical discipline, rush to grab rashly, and lose the defensive position in key areas.
, it seems like they are fighting fiercely, but in fact they are just desperate.
The early part of the second half is a stage of life and death. Even though it is not uncommon for games to be reversed and overturned at the last moment, the most critical time point in the routine is still the 20 minutes at the beginning of the second half, because in the last 25 minutes, the less time there is, the more likely the lagging side will be.
It is easier to collapse. And the leading side can also maintain victory by delaying time and reducing offense and strengthening defense.
During the halftime break, Aldrich told the team to play more steadily in the second half, maintain the overall formation, focus on defense without giving the opponent's midfield room to cooperate, and cut the opponent's formation during counterattack.
Cooper can only play Gerardo. Maybe he was a little worried before the game, but looking at the bright side and optimistically thinking, Lopez's attack on the left side in front can also put pressure on the opponent and suppress the opponent's attack on the right.
But the reality is that Flea Lopez didn't get many opportunities to perform today.
Millwall suppressed the midfielder. It became difficult for Valencia to play the ball forward, and rarely allowed the forwards to get the ball comfortably. It became very difficult to advance the offense. The midfielder could not control it, and the forwards naturally lacked strength.
support.
In the 58th minute, Ronaldinho controlled the ball on the left, Nedved advanced, Larsson pulled out of the penalty area to cover Nedved, Valencia defensive players were facing a formidable enemy, Ronaldinho was in Angeloma
Pulling the ball in front of him, he took two steps back and then suddenly took off and made a pass.
His cross was of extremely high quality. It went directly to the back post.
The ball bypassed the central defender's defense area and went straight to the back of the goal. Gerardo had another problem!
He failed to keep up with Henry Pellegrino and went to the backcourt, but was obviously a step slower. He couldn't match the flying speed of the ball. Henry jumped up from the backcourt and headed directly towards the goal!
Canizares blocked the near corner of the goal. Henry's header went towards the far post. Canizares opened his right hand to block the ball and blocked it!
But the ball he blocked was in the penalty area. Nedved was about to take a follow-up shot, but he stepped on the wrong foot and fell to the ground unable to kick the ball.
But right behind Nedved, Larsson, who was one step faster than Herard, followed up and pushed the ball with the arch of his foot, sending the ball into the goal with a half-high ball!
"Larsson scored twice and Millwall led 3:0! This is a game that you can feel when watching the game: there is no suspense! Millwall not only suppressed Valencia, but also scored less than 3 goals in 60 minutes.
The goal also destroyed Valencia! The Valencia fans who drew bat pictures in the stands before the game must be very sad, and the fans of the Mad Lions are now singing and dancing in the stands to celebrate that their team is about to win the club's second title.
The European Champions Cup, and England’s unprecedented treble!”
The Valencia players were holding their heads on the court in disbelief. In a final, they had no power to resist.
Mendieta's expression was blank, and he didn't know why he was like this.
The midfield combination he leads is one of the best in Europe. Even if they lost to Millwall today, they are still one of the best and this will not change.
The fact is, Millwall is better, it's that simple.
Cooper's stern expression only made people feel stubborn and sympathetic, and he was helpless.
Aldridge, Klinsmann, and Jensen hugged each other to celebrate the team's third goal. They can now relax a little.
Valencia did not give up and fought harder. It was hard to believe that this was a La Liga team. They took the initiative to use physical confrontation to gain the ball. Although their actions were not rough, compared with Millwall, the two teams were
The team appears to be wearing their jerseys backwards.
In the 70th minute of the game, Aldrich made a substitution.
Neil comes on and replaces Southgate.
Six-year veteran Neil, today, Aldridge can give him more time to enjoy the Champions League final.
Before Southgate left the field, he put the captain's armband on Nedved and then applauded to greet the fans. He did not waste time and took the initiative to run to the sidelines to hug Neal. After walking out of the field, he high-fived Aldridge and finally sat down.
Rest on the bench.
Valencia fought fiercely and grabbed fiercely, but this was not the rhythm of the game that they were good at. Instead, it resulted in frequent losses of position and disjointed defense. In the 81st minute, the team suffered another blow.
Ronaldinho entered the penalty area and passed the ball back to the top of the penalty area. Pirlo kept up with the ball and fired a long shot that hit the world wave and once again penetrated the gate guarded by Canizares.
4:0.
The game was completely one-sided.
Aldrich made another substitution, replacing Bute with Keller.
Is it humiliating to change goalkeepers?
No, it was the reward he gave to Keller. As a substitute goalkeeper, Keller's ability was limited, but he worked conscientiously and had no complaints.
In the last five minutes, he replaced Ronaldinho and brought on Grenchar.
Valencia's defeat was determined, and they had no ability to turn things around. When time was running out, the whole team was discouraged.
Aldridge stood on the sidelines with a proud smile, and beside him stood the Millwall coaching staff and other players. Everyone was waiting for the game to end, and then rushed into the field to celebrate!
When the referee blew his whistle to announce the end of the game, most of the Valencia players sat down on the ground, and the Stade de France was filled with thunderous cheers from the Lions fans.
"The 1999-2000 UEFA Champions League final ended with Millwall 4:0 Valencia. Millwall, who performed exceptionally well this season, performed stably both in the league and the Champions League. They created an undefeated record in the league.
The record of winning the championship, and also winning the Champions League with an undefeated record
The club’s second Champions League trophy! This is a team now recognized as the strongest in Europe! Their absolutely dominant victory over Valencia in the final today is the epitome of their performance throughout the season! Three league championship trophies in four years,
Three European trophies in four years, including two Champions Leagues and one European Cup Winner that has been discontinued
Cup champions, countless championship trophies, big and small, Millwall, a great team, Aldrich Hall, a great young coach, he made Millwall something from scratch, he made Millwall's name
Shining around the world, he made the totem of the mad lion shock the whole of Europe. He also brought a brand new and luxurious top stadium to Millwall. Next game
At the beginning of the season, Millwall will play at their new home stadium. The new home called the Lion King Stadium ushered in the arrival of the real king. This is the era of the crazy lions. This is the era of Millwall's dynasty.
From today onwards, when mentioning Millwall, please add a brief introduction, the rich club! The rich club Millwall is coming to Europe!"
Volume Six: The Invincibility of the Wealthy Family-End
Next volume: Rebuilding the country! (To be continued...)
