There is not much suspense in this UEFA Cup final.
There is no ups and downs in the development process.
The reason is that the strength gap between the two teams is too big!
Even though there are many underrated players in Porto's team, they don't have much fame, but they have good strength.
But compared with Millwall, as long as Millwall does not relax or relax, then if Porto wants to turn around, their comprehensive strength is not enough.
No Millwall player is willing to accept the end of losing all four in a season, Community Shield, Toyota Cup, Super Cup, these can be ignored, only the League Cup is left, no matter how small the mosquito is, it is still meat. Moreover, just like Aldridge inspires
As the players said: By winning the UEFA Cup, you will help the club achieve the Grand Slam of Honor!
In this way, there is no doubt about Millwall's fighting spirit.
Porto wanted to compete openly and honestly with Millwall at the top level, but unfortunately, what was presented to them was an unacceptable defeat.
In the 37th minute, Ronaldinho dribbled the ball from the wing of the midfield and cut in to the middle. He first got rid of Deco and Alenichev, and then faced Costinha with a smooth one-two with Nedved.
As soon as they cooperated, in front of the defense line, Henry and Larsson were involved in the movement at the same time. He broke through the middle, made two changes and then rushed to the small penalty area line to easily push the shot and score!
All the fans, except for the Porto fans, stood up, applauded and cheered. Many people found it incredible and unbelievable.
And Millwall fans know: the all-powerful Elf King on the pitch is back!
Ronaldinho danced a samba on the sidelines, Aldridge laughed heartily, and the Millwall generals celebrated wildly.
Mourinho was expressionless on the sidelines. He seemed to be out of touch with reality, in complete silence. In the dead silence, he stared from afar into a world of paleness and darkness on the court.
Open and aboveboard, upright, head-on confrontation.
This is what he has always believed before the game. He believes that his hard work and the unity of the whole team can bring this team to the top. The League Cup is not a big stage, but with Millwall as an opponent, defeating Millwall
If you win the championship, this may be more significant than winning the UEFA Cup!
But the half game was not finished. The team was already two goals behind.
The team he worked hard to create, the results of his hard work over the past one and a half seasons, and the carefully crafted technical and tactical system seemed vulnerable to the wild lion of Millwall.
In the blink of an eye, it vanished into ashes!
Where did you lose?
In other words, what is so good about Porto that can gain an advantage in comparison with Millwall?
The personal abilities of the players, not to mention the comparison of the strikers, are difficult to compete with. In the three-line matchup, Porto has no advantage at all.
As for player characteristics, Millwall's players have the magic of unforeseen changes.
Ronaldinho Henry, Nedved, and Larsson, this magic is vividly reflected in them. Although the power is different, the effect of such changes, that is, unpredictability, is what is on the court. In offensive football
The biggest charm lies in it.
In terms of team skills and tactics, what advantages does Porto have?
Wing attack?
Is it comparable to Millwall?
Even the full-back assists, Millwall's Schneider and Ashley Cole, brought a terrifying threat every time they came forward.
Attack in the middle?
Is there Deco in Porto?
Millwall has Nedved in front of them and Alonso in the back.
Team chemistry?
...
Which of the team qualities that are clichéd in textbooks can Porto surpass Millwall?
Of course, in football, it is not that the strong will win, but that after the competition, the winner will be stronger!
However, the kind of counterattack by the weak is rare after all, and it is called an upset.
Millwall clearly refused to be upset by Porto today!
Mourinho still stood motionless on the sidelines, but in that vast world of black and white, he had huddled in a dark corner, thinking painfully.
As a coach, he cannot have the talent resources like Aldridge. Moreover, Millwall was once a dark horse and has created many miracles. Precisely because Millwall has created so many miracles, they have gone from being penniless to leaving.
He arrived in the world of wealthy families, and then stood at the top of the world of wealthy families with many strong people!
Of course Mourinho has the courage that ordinary people say is worthless, but what is the price of being upright? Is this how he becomes a stepping stone for his opponents? Becomes a foil for his opponents on the road to success? Then, what will he get?
Tragic loser?
Respectable courage?
What's the point?
Except for the champion, ten years from now, who will remember the loser at this moment? Who will continue to admire that ridiculous courage?
I'd rather live a humble life than die a heroic death!
This is a law of football survival, or in the eyes of many people, this is a philosophy.
If Aldridge has no innate advantages and he enters this industry, he will put into practice the experience he taught to many young coaches and embody it more deeply, which is the most basic survival.
Mourinho replaced a forward before the end of the first half and deployed a double midfielder to strengthen defense.
But another problem arose. Porto itself could not switch well due to the hasty change of formations. There was one less person in the offensive system they were familiar with, and the offense that was originally unsatisfactory became even more chaotic and weak later on.
Porto can't continue to defend. Are the players on the field willing to lose the game?
In the second half, they strengthened their wing attacks and couldn't penetrate the middle at all!
Although Deco's speed is not particularly conspicuously slow, in terms of explosive power, he is obviously not at the top level, or even at the first-class level. Therefore, Porto's attack in the middle cannot increase his speed. If Deco dribbles the ball, he will be beaten by Nedvěd.
Catching up from behind, this scene will make people feel that Deco is a bit exaggeratedly slow.
If Porto only plays on the wing, Millwall will quickly use one of Millwall's defensive midfielders and a full-back to double-team the defense. And their wing players do not have particularly strong individual attack capabilities.
In other words, Ronaldinho and Henry Larsson can destroy the opponent's wing defense by themselves on the wing. They can not only get rid of the opponent's full-back who is returning to defend, but also break through the opponent's full-back's frontal defense. But Porto
The wide midfielder turned around to hit Millwall's Schneider and Ashley Cole, but it was difficult to do this.
In addition, Deco was slow to follow up in the middle, and their forwards were weak. The combination of wing and center could not produce good results at all.
As they were torn back and forth between defense and offense, they themselves were in chaos. Due to the loss of control of the rhythm, the whole team was not at the same rhythm point, so naturally there were local flaws.
In the 58th minute of the second half, Henry pulled up and switched positions with Larsson. Once Schneider passed the ball straight forward from the backcourt, Henry changed positions with Larsson while dribbling the ball forward.
Larsson completed a two-on-one. Although Larsson's finishing ability has declined somewhat due to the decline in impact power, his ability to deal with the situation on the court has declined.
His insight is even better, he has a clear eye for fire, and his ball-playing ability has also been improved through the accumulation of rich experience. He cleverly gave Henry a pick pass. When Henry entered the penalty area, he directly shook off Coster and Carvalho, and the ball bounced to the ground.
After one shot and before the second shot hit the ground, he volleyed the ball cleanly into Porto's goal.
Mourinho put his head in his hands, seemingly in disbelief.
Stronger, stronger!
In his memory, Millwall had the ability to cut through the air. But the tacit exchange of positions between Henry and Larsson directly caused the defenders to panic. The cooperation was very subtle, based on individual abilities, and the group cooperation
It has reached a level that an ordinary team cannot pursue. It is admirable and obsessed...
Lose, lose completely!
This will be the most unforgettable tragic defeat in Mourinho's coaching career to this day.
Because he had no choice, the situation on the field was out of control, and no adjustment was possible.
If he had to say that he had encountered all kinds of monsters and monsters in the European war before, then what he saw in the UEFA Cup final today, what the team faced, was a wild beast! It only existed in the legends they had heard.
And I have never faced it personally!
Aldridge will not be proud of defeating Mourinho.
Millwall must not be pleased either.
For the whole Millwall team, Porto is just one of the countless opponents they have defeated. In a few days, they will forget it. They will only remember that on this day, they won a championship trophy and remember the beauty of today.
Opponent? Is it important?
In their eyes, Porto is neither the top team in Europe, nor does it have the historical glory or legend of European hegemons like Real Madrid, Liverpool, and Bayern Munich.
Why bother remembering them?
If Aldrich was complacent, he himself would feel a little shameless.
He is neither afraid of Mourinho nor particularly excited about beating the opponent.
For him, there is no coach in European football that he can challenge.
Now, he is guarding the country.
It's someone else who challenges him!
Therefore, Mourinho may be just one of the strongest future challengers, but he is not in a special position because Aldridge is confident of defeating all challengers!
My five league titles and four Champions League trophies are not for nothing.
Aldridge has never published an autobiography, but his past and coaching career are naturally well-known to the outside world. The story of his earliest travels in Europe and visiting every corner of European football as a boy is also familiar to Lions fans. There are many other stories about him.
People who are interested in Aldrich also know this, and this is part of the legend of this young coach.
Mourinho was originally just an outsider, trying to understand Aldridge with the mentality of learning from his experience. However, in today's game, specifically before the game, when Aldridge repeated that sentence in his ear,
When he spoke, Mourinho was shocked as never before.
Back then, as a translator, he had already determined to achieve success in football.
Based on the stories surrounding Aldridge, he could guess that the young Aldridge must have been traveling in Portugal. Although Portugal is a small country, Portuguese football has a certain status in the European map.
Portuguese football style.
And Aldridge, who was almost traveling at that time, has become a legendary coach with a global reputation today. How could Mourinho be willing to accept it?
He remembered everything about today, before the game, during the game, and after the game, every detail, everything he could see with the naked eye, he would remember, and then digest it all, think deeply, even if he loses today
10:0, he will not forget it. He firmly believes that any setback is the best motivation for himself!
Aldridge asked the substitutes to warm up when Henry scored the third goal. This game was a sure win. As a coach, he wanted some players to come on and feel the atmosphere or enjoy the game.
For many Millwall players and all fans, today is undoubtedly a happy day. In the final, they led the opponent 3:0. The opponent Porto was beaten without any power to fight back. The opponent obviously could not perform a miracle. The fans were singing and dancing in the stands.
Just wait for the game to end and then party.
The most important thing is that everything has returned to the rhythm they are familiar with. Even if Aldridge does not steal the spotlight in this game, his presence can make all Lions fans feel at ease and think that everything is under control.
However, there are people in the Millwall team who are not particularly happy.
For example, Lampard and Klose are warming up. (To be continued)
