Chapter 229 The Peak Battle Begins! For the Henri Delaunay Trophy!! The Terrifying Matador Legion! Maël heads to the locker room to put on his shin guards, giving a final high-five to each of his teammates along the way, exchanging simple words of encouragement.
"Pa!"
When he high-fived Deschamps last, the latter asked, "There's also the matter of the European Cup closing ceremony. President Hollande wants to send Mr. Michel to offer his regards. He wants to get our opinion. What do you think?"
Maël smiled faintly upon hearing this. Knowing Michel's love for football, this was likely his own idea.
"I think it's best to skip it," he replied. Mainly because everyone's attention is highly focused right now, and Michel's arrival could easily disrupt their concentration. "Let everyone focus on preparing for the match. It's about to start."
Deschamps nodded in agreement, likely sharing the same thought.
"Pa pa!"
After confirming Maël's opinion, he clapped his hands while there was still time and said, "One last emphasis for the backfield defenders: you will bear a heavy responsibility and must remain fully focused at all times!
"Maintain your formation, don't get disconnected, don't just focus on the ball and ignore the players, don't be easily baited, and try not to make mistakes, okay? This isn't the youth team or the league anymore, where you can slowly correct mistakes. In a match like this, once you miss something due to a mistake, you'll likely never have another chance to make up for it! You could say that your efforts from childhood, your repeated training in tactical skills, and your self-corrections have all been for today! This is the day to test your final results!"
"Pa pa!" The midfielders and defenders clapped their hands, indicating they had remembered and would adjust themselves to their best condition.
Deschamps didn't communicate with the players any further. Such a match doesn't need excessive motivation; it's better to let the players quietly think about what they should do.
He believed that these young men, with an average age of twenty-something, knew what kind of stage they were standing on.
"Beep beep!" The assembly whistle sounded again outside the locker room door, the final reminder.
"Let's go, brothers!"
Maël led the French Team players out of the locker room, taking the lead to shake hands with the staff who had accompanied the team all the way, then walked towards the player tunnel with a solemn expression.
"Clang clang clang clang... de de de...!!"
Solemn and serious symphonic music rang out outside the stadium, shaking the ground slightly. It was the signal that the closing ceremony was beginning.
"OhOh!!" The fans' hoarse shouts intertwined with it, creating a sense of solemn awe.
The grand event officially began!
"Pa da, pa da!"
Maël could hear his own footsteps. He was wearing Puma shoes custom-made for him, the 'lm7', stepping towards the highest hall of European Football step by step.
Taking a deep breath, he felt his heart beating violently. He unconsciously calculated that he could move forward two steps for every three beats. He maintained this rhythm and continued to move forward.
After coming to this world, he couldn't count how many roads he had walked or where he had run from his starting point.
He only understood that the boy who had worried about his shoes and whether he could continue his football dream when he first arrived was now wearing his own signature shoes, leading a team as captain towards the final stage of a continental competition!
This change could be described as a rebirth and transformation! "Pa da pa da!"
Maël started jogging. He couldn't wait to see the European Cup closing ceremony. In his heart, it was a ball to celebrate his arrival here, a small coronation ceremony belonging to him, and it was very meaningful.
Reaching the end of the player tunnel, he took the hand of a young ball boy, then saw the dazzling light show shining in the National Stadium in Warsaw.
"Shua! Shua!"
The LED screens at the bottom of each tier of the stands on the east and west sides were now flashing blue and red lights, respectively representing the French Team and Spain, rapidly converging towards one point, about to collide.
"Bang!!"
At the moment of their violent collision, all the lights in the stadium were turned off, and everyone's eyes involuntarily followed the two beams of light as they headed towards the sky above the field.
"Whoosh, whoosh!" There, dozens of large flames soared into the sky, lighting up the entire night sky!
"Aaahhh!" The emotions of everyone in the stadium were instantly brought to a climax, they stared at the sky with excitement, and many people couldn't even control their tears.
Just attending such a grand ceremony as a spectator once is enough for them to remember for a lifetime!
"Clap clap...!"
Maël and the French Team players also clapped their hands excitedly, they were so shocked by the scene in front of them that they couldn't speak, and everyone watched with wide eyes.
A light show alone might not have moved them so much, what's more important is the meaning behind it, the heroic spirit of stepping onto the final field is blessed.
"Swish swish swish!" The spotlights on the top floor flickered on again, and two little boys appeared in the center of the field, each representing the home team Poland and Ukraine jerseys, and each holding a whistle.
"Bip!!" They leaned forward and blew hard, and the live DJ also cooperated to release the whistle sound, which officially kicked off the closing ceremony of this European Cup.
Hundreds of dancers dressed in green and orange clothes rushed into the stadium from all directions, first gathering together to dance a dance with the national characteristics of the two host countries.
Then, some people held hands and circled the entire stadium, and some people in the center of the field posed as goals, posing as whistles.
"Bip!!" Another whistle sounded, and the green dancers in the whistle ran out of the whistle model, as if they were transformed into whistle sounds, transformed into gas, and rushed to the surrounding areas of the field.
"Deng deng deng dong dong dong...!"
The music changed, and all the dancers combined again in the field, using human heads to form huge logos with elements of this European Cup.
More than a dozen white-clothed girls holding the European Cup football icon also rushed into the field to cooperate with their performances.
They sometimes pose as two goals, sometimes pose as swords slashing at football, and sometimes make bicycle kicks, long-range shots, and header actions. Whenever this happens, the football icon will also rush into the net.
Finally, everyone posed as human figures together, and the football icon was stepped on by them, and the most classic football logo appeared in the field! "Aaahhh!!" Under the cheers of the fans, the live symphony orchestra completely stopped, and the theme song of this European Cup, Endless Summer, resounded throughout the stadium.
A strong light shone on one place, where a huge Henri Delaunay Trophy was erected, and the theme song singer Oceana also appeared in front of the trophy with a microphone.
All the dancers gathered here and danced happily to the brisk rhythm.
"OhOhOhhh!"
"YeahYeahYeahhh!"
The sexily dressed Oceana appeared in front of the camera, twisting her hot body frantically, shaking her head and waiting for the music prelude to pass.
"Endless Summer!"
"Endless Summer!"
When the music started, everyone's threshold for this game reached its highest, and they sang Frenzy with Oceana's Frenzy, drawing a perfect end to this European Cup.
"You make me cheer, let your hearts radiate like those dense drum beats, up and down!"
"YeahYeahYeahhh!"
"."
Oceana's singing didn't last long before it stopped. Today's National Stadium in Warsaw is definitely not for this sexy female singer, but for the players and fans. She is just doing a simple opening.
After she left, the national flags of the 16 teams participating in the European Cup finals entered the stadium in an orderly manner from both sides of the field, and the dancers also placed a huge Henri Delaunay Trophy in the center!
After the people holding the national flags entered the field, they arranged a knockout bracket of the top 16 teams according to the group stage draw and the upper and lower halves, as if they were going to reenact the journey of each team's advancement here.
"Pa pa."
Maël was still clapping and applauding with the French Team players. They then saw the teams that had qualified from their groups into the top 8, stepping out of the line of 16 teams and moving to the center of the field.
They really were going to set up the bracket! He smiled; this segment was quite interesting, allowing them all to stand here and savor the moment.
"Dang dang... dang dang!!"
Amidst the sounds of horns and drums, the 8 teams that had entered the top 8 gradually approached and stood close together according to the matchups.
Soon after, they retreated in an orderly fashion, returning to their respective groups.
Just as people were wondering, four groups of people lurking on the upper and lower sides suddenly rushed into the very center of the field, unfurling four super-large national flags! The top 4 bracket was here!
Above were the Portugal Team and the Spain Team, and below were the French Team and the Italy Team! "Ohhh!" The four national flags fluttered in the wind, constantly shaking in the field, driving another emotional climax among the fans on the scene.
At that moment, the four groups of people holding the national flags suddenly flipped the flags in their hands, revealing the faces behind the flags.
It turned out that after the flags of the Portugal Team and the French Team were flipped over, they were pieced together into a new French flag; the same was true for the Italy Team and the Spain Team, which were pieced together into a new Spanish flag.
The final 2-team matchup appeared in the center of the field in a very creative way! "Yeahhh!!" The scene completely boiled over. The fans of the two countries looked at the flags, full of vigor, being raised in such a way, and naturally felt an extremely strong sense of honor.
They were the teams that made it to the end, the teams that competed for the Henri Delaunay Trophy!
In the next moment, except for the flags of the French Team and the Spain Team, all the others were taken away, and the rest of the people quickly ran to the side near the player tunnel, picked up the large blue curtain, and sprinted to the other side.
As strips of blue cloth were lifted, the green field where the European Cup final was held was officially revealed to everyone.
The match was really about to begin!
"National Stadium in Warsaw! Welcome the French Team and the Spain Team!!"
"..."
The camera focused on the Henri Delaunay Trophy in front of the player tunnel. Under the spotlight of the scene, it no longer had a magnificent feeling, but it still looked extremely dazzling.
On both sides of it, 4 black-clothed referees led the players of both sides out of the field, and 22 starting superstars officially appeared on the final stage.
"The Henri Delaunay Trophy, this is the symbol of the European champion!" In the previous 13 European Cups, 9 champions have been produced! Among them, the Germany Team has won this trophy 3 times, ranking first in history!
"The French Team and the Spain Team each have 2 times, in the second place in parallel!" If any of them wins one more time, they will be tied for first place with the Germany Team!"
"..."
In front of the tunnel, Maël led the ball boy at the front, and beside him was the Spain Team and Real Madrid's Grand Slam winner, Casillas.
As a goalkeeper, Saint Casillas had almost no chance to pursue the highest personal honor and was slightly thin, but in terms of team honor, he was definitely the object Maël needed to pursue.
Without paying too much attention to his opponent, Maël looked up at the stadium, feeling the glory of stepping into it.
The grand occasion of the closing ceremony kept flashing through his mind, and his ears were full of fans' screams.
Just by stepping on this field, he had a feeling of tears in his eyes, and he couldn't wait to start the championship battle here!
"While the two captains are conducting the side selection ceremony, let's take a look at the starting players of both sides. These are two very dazzling lineups.
"Spain's coach Del Bosque, as one of the most outstanding coaches in the world today, he is still very firmly choosing the lineup arrangement of the past few games in the final.
"Goalkeeper Casillas, center backs are Pique paired with Ramos, left back Alba, right back Arbeloa.
"The three midfielders in the center are Busquets, with Xavi and Alonso on either side.
"Attacking midfielder Fabregas, with David Silva and Iniesta at the very front.
"But we all know that their mid-to-front formation doesn't really count, the team is definitely a six-midfielder, striker-less formation! "The six forwards will rely on their strong individual abilities and creativity to constantly intersperse and switch positions, anyone could suddenly surge forward and become the killer! "This is a style of play that relies on configuration, but who can argue when this Spanish team possesses the most powerful midfield configuration in the history of football?
"It's hard to find a midfield lineup that is more powerful than theirs, even including the back line, their starting 11 is a dynasty team in the top 3 of all time!"
"."
"For the French team, Deschamps has made some changes to the starting lineup compared to the last game! The team has changed to a 4-1-4-1 formation!"
"Goalkeeper Lloris, center backs Koscielny and Rami, left back Clichy, right back Sagna.
"The single defensive midfielder is Matuidi, and the two midfielders in front of him are Malouda and Cabaye.
"On the wings are Maël and Nasri, and the center forward is still Giroud.
"Deschamps has compromised, he has chosen to strengthen the control and defensive capabilities of the midfield, otherwise, whether it is a 4-4-2 or other formation to face the impact of Spain's six midfielders, it will be difficult to withstand!
"Malouda and Cabaye should retreat to the front of their own penalty area when defending, forming a 7-man backcourt defensive group.
"Even, if there is time, I estimate that Nasri will also come back, only Maël and Giroud will stay in the frontcourt!"
"."
"From the starting lineups, both teams have obvious strengths and hidden dangers.
"The hidden danger for the Spanish team is their right back Arbeloa, who is an offensive full-back, it's a bit too difficult for him to resist Maël's impact.
"And the hidden danger for the French team is the team's mid-to-backcourt defense, there's no way around it, even if they pile up a lot of people, it still seems difficult to resist the Spanish team's super control and offensive ability.
"But I believe that both Deschamps and Del Bosque understand this, the former wants to use Maël's attacking ability to achieve balance, and the latter wants to use ball control instead of defense to reduce the French super runner's possession of the ball."
"."
At the National Stadium in Warsaw, the starting players of both sides came to the center of the field and stood ready, waiting for the referee's opening whistle.
Maël's eyes swept across the Spanish team's lineup, he was extremely familiar with the faces of everyone in it, because most of them were historical-level players in the same position.
In the selection of the top three goalkeepers in history, you can't get around Casillas, in the selection of the top ten center backs, you can't get around Pique and Ramos, and Alba is also a strong contender for the top five left backs.
Looking at the midfield, these people, even including Xiaofa, are all top three players in subdivided positions such as defensive midfielder, organizing midfielder, and attacking midfielder, and some are even the undisputed number one.
Of course, there is a lot of pressure to play against them, what he has to do is to believe in himself and seize the opportunities that may be very hard-won later! As he was watching, he noticed that Fabregas deliberately avoided his gaze, but it was obviously not because of fear, the other party's expression was still very confident, with a desire for successful revenge.
"TenNineEight!"
The LED screen of the stadium suddenly began to flash a countdown, which led the fans in the audience to join in, "SevenSixFiveFour!"
In the last three seconds, Maël and most of the players on the field couldn't help but shout along.
They stimulated their brains and used the last chance to make themselves more awake, "ThreeTwoOne!!"
At the moment when they counted to 1, Maël noticed that Fabregas finally turned his gaze to him, the two of them looked at each other, and then rushed into the opponent's half.
"Bip!!" The whistle symbolizing the start of the European Cup final sounded, David Silva kicked the ball to Iniesta, who passed it back, starting the backcourt passing.
"CCTV!
"CCTV!!" Dear audience, welcome to the live broadcast of the final of the 14th European Cup in 2012! The French Team and the Spanish Team will compete for the championship of this tournament!"
Under He Wei's commentary, the Spanish Team passed the ball to the right side of their own half, preparing to test the intensity of the French Team's pressing.
Deschamps must have arranged a tactic to start strong, as the French Team players crossed the halfway line with lightning speed, instantly forming a siege against Alba. The latter had no choice but to make a wide-range transfer, kicking the ball directly out of bounds on the opposite side.
Clichy came to the sideline to pick up the football and threw it to Maël, who was facing Arbeloa.
Maël glanced left and right, choosing to forcibly turn towards the center. Apart from Ramos and Pique, most of the Spanish players couldn't put any physical pressure on him.
He also wanted to make a small breakthrough at the start to feel the opponent's defensive intensity.
"Bang!"
After bumping into Arbeloa, he successfully turned towards the center. Seeing that the opponent's numbers were very dense, he chose to tap the ball to Giroud in the middle and then followed forward.
Giroud was obviously eager to score, completing a half-turn against Ramos and firing a low shot towards the Spanish Team's goal.
"Pa!" The football hit Water Lord Ramos's blocking foot and bounced back into the penalty area, landing on the right side of the Spanish Team's attacking direction.
Before the opposing players could react, Maël sprinted to the landing point, meeting the ball with a violent volley, his whole body flying up with the shot.
"Boom!"
Because he didn't notice the ball's violent spin beforehand, he didn't control the point of contact well, causing the ball to deviate from the goal by five or six meters with a rather outrageous outward arc.
After completing the shot, he smiled embarrassedly and then jogged back to his position.
The intensity of the competition and the pressure and tension in his heart would definitely cause each player's technical movements to be somewhat deformed.
He wasn't discouraged; one failed attempt was nothing to him.
Compared to other players, he must be considered stable. External interference wouldn't have a big impact on him; there was always a bottom line.
"Casillas has sent out a goal kick! The Spanish Team is controlling the ball in the backcourt, and the French Team hasn't retreated, choosing to press again! "You can see that the Spanish Team is playing more cautiously today. Everyone has come to the backcourt to help with the ball, and they are not in a hurry to break the high press, constantly dispatching to find the most suitable opportunity.
"This is somewhat different from their past. It seems that Del Bosque is well aware of the importance of the championship battle and has made some small adjustments."
"."
"Bang, bang, bang!"
The football was constantly passed along the ground, rarely bouncing. Most of the time, the turns were completed very smoothly, transitioning from one person's foot to another's.
Maël followed the team's pressing for a while and quickly discovered the difference between the Spanish Team and other teams.
Their footwork and mastery of space were too good. The passing and first touch were almost perfect, and the off-ball movement of the players was the same, always appearing in the most suitable position.
In a local area of about thirty-five square meters, the French Team could generally invest 2-3 players to press, blocking all the passing lines of the ball-holding player at the first time.
"Bang, pa...!"
But the Spanish Team players could always break their pressing with exquisite one-touch passing and simple flicks, taking the ball out and passing it to the other side.
Even in more scenarios, when the French Team invested an equal amount of force to press, the opponent's midfielders and forwards would always read the game one step ahead of others, first joining the local battle and giving them a numerical advantage.
This wasn't because they were fast, but because their brains were quick, able to make full predictions about the situation in advance! By the time the other French Team players reacted and wanted to replenish their forces, the football had already been transferred to the weak side.
The suffocating feeling enveloped every French Team player and even the French Team fans from the moment Spain started controlling the ball. Experiencing the opponent's passing and control at close range is completely different from watching it on TV; they are two entirely different concepts.
Fast! Too fast! And too agile! One person being like that might not be much, and some French Team players can do it, but when the whole team is like that, as tight and precise as if they share the same brain, it's terrifying.
Maël felt unprecedented pressure; no other opponent had ever given him this feeling.
And if he felt pressure, one could imagine how the French Team's midfielders and defenders, facing the opponent's attack head-on, must have felt.
Concentrate and wait for the opportunity. He had a premonition that his chances to hold the ball in this match might be fewer than he had imagined before the game.
If he wanted to lead the team to win the championship with a goal, he had to seize every opportunity to hold the ball as much as possible and strive to create danger as soon as he got the ball!
"The Spain Team easily broke the French Team's opening tactics, broke through the pressing, and pushed the French Team players back into their own half.
"We have seen this scene many times in this European Cup, but the difference is that because of the existence of Maël as a threat, the Spain Team's attack is very slow and patient.
"They may try to avoid losing possession as much as possible, so as not to let their backcourt suffer Maël's frontal assault!"
"..."
He Wei made his judgment based on the situation at the beginning, but soon he realized that this was just a wrong assumption.
After arriving in the threatening area in the frontcourt, the Spain Team quickly accelerated the pace of the attack. They never procrastinated. As long as there was a shooting angle, no matter how good or bad the opportunity was, they would definitely shoot directly.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Less than 8 minutes had passed, and the team had already completed 3 shots.
Although these shots all happened outside the penalty area and none hit the target, they still carried out this idea, shooting whenever there was a chance! "Ah, I think I may have judged wrong. In previous games, Del Bosque's team sometimes seemed a bit stingy with shots because they overemphasized control.
"But in today's game, they are not stingy at all, and they are very generous when there is a shooting opportunity!
"I think this is also a change in their mentality for the final! Because in such a game, you not only have to thread the needle through passing, but also unhesitatingly seize any opportunity to create threats! "Only in this way can you sometimes be favored by God and take advantage of some luck to blast the ball into the net, otherwise, relying entirely on 22 feet to pass the ball hard is sometimes not so effective."
He Wei continued to look down and gradually realized that this was also a manifestation of confidence.
Although the Spain Team was worried about Maël as a counterattack point, thanks to their strong Ball Control ability, they could avoid the French Team launching a quick counterattack to a certain extent.
It should be known that quick transitions mostly seize mistakes, or fight for a 50-50 ball when both sides want to seize the opportunity to switch, and launch a quick attack in the chaos.
When the Spain Team can ensure that they do not make low-level mistakes and can suppress the French Team very far back, even if they lose the ball, it is far from their goal, and it is difficult to attack, the risk they face is very low.
In the following game time, a scene often appeared.
The French Team's full-backs or center-backs intercepted or blocked the opponent's pass, wanting to dribble forward or pass short to advance, but found that the Spain Team quickly organized a pressing group and rushed towards them.
"Bang!"
Even if they directly kicked a long pass to Maël's position, all the opponents except the pressing group quickly completed their defensive positions, leaving Maël with a sea of people in front of the penalty area.
It can be said that they have played passing and control into a flower, relying on control, they have created a powerful defensive system.
"Bang!!"
In the 24th minute of the game, Maël continuously shook off Arbeloa and Pique on the wing, and after playing a one-two with Giroud, he forcibly performed a Curved Shot under the interference of Xavi and Alonso.
The Football whistled towards the far corner of the goal, with a certain quality, but still did not pass through the wall of people in front of the penalty area, and bounced off the baseline after hitting Fabregas.
He dejectedly tugged at the hair on his forehead, rubbing the sweat on it into his hands, then readjusted his mindset and stepped into the penalty area, ready to compete for a header.
Such opponents are very difficult to defeat, sometimes even giving the feeling of being an impenetrable wall, but he knows that the more it is like this, the more he must persevere and believe in himself, otherwise it is easy to collapse completely.
"I said at the beginning of the match that the Spain Team is playing very cautiously, and this is also reflected in their defense.
"They no longer only advocate attacking football; on the contrary, they are willing to commit 8-9 players to defense, blocking space.
"We rarely see a helpless expression on Maël's face, but today it seems we've already seen it twice. I hope he can adjust quickly. Many people are expecting him to perform well in the final.
"The corner kick is taken! Front post! Ramos heads the ball out! There's no need to worry about the aerial defense of these two center-backs!
"Spain's Ball Control, who knows when the French Team will next get into their penalty area."
...
On the sidelines, Deschamps gradually had some ominous premonitions. He walked back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking for countermeasures to improve the attack.
He can't wait any longer. Looking at the Spain Team's state today, they will definitely not give the French Team more than 2-3 good counter-attack opportunities. It's too difficult to score goals with these opportunities, and even if they do, it won't be enough.
But right now, apart from choosing to make the team's defense more aggressive and proactive, and increase its aggressiveness, there aren't many good adjustments.
He considered it with his hands behind his back. This adjustment must be a double-edged sword. While increasing the team's success rate of steals, it will definitely expose some gaps in the backfield.
Or in other words, this is completely a gamble, betting that the counter-attack group led by Maël can get more opportunities than Spain's six midfielders in this change.
Even if they can't get more opportunities, they must be better than the opponent in seizing opportunities.
"Give it a try!"
Seeing Maël running forward in the distance, Deschamps suddenly felt a sense of security, walked to the sidelines, and called Sagna, the side guard on this side, to help convey the change in defensive tendency.
Sagna nodded and ran over, relaying the message to the people around him, and the entire mid-back defense line gradually shifted to a different state.
On the other side, Del Bosque was also pacing back and forth on the sidelines. Even though the team had the advantage on the field, his worries had not diminished much. After all, this is the final.
Looking at the time, 35 minutes have passed, and the team has not yet scored a goal. This will definitely increase their pressure and allow the French Team to slowly adapt and find more counter-attack opportunities.
"Bang!"
At this moment, Nasri on the right side of the French Team completed a Cross, and the football went straight to the back post.
After the ball passed over Giroud's head, everyone focused their attention on Maël and Pique. The two jumped at the same time, competing for the Header towards the football.
"Bang!"
Maël gained the upper hand in the end, overpowering Pique to head the ball.
The football bounced once and flew towards the far corner of the goal. Casillas quickly pounced towards his left hand, and finally managed to scoop the ball out of the small penalty area.
"Bang!" Ramos reacted quickly. Seeing the football being pushed towards his position, he cleared it to the sideline with one kick before the ball landed.
"Ah!" The regretful voices of the French Team fans resounded throughout the National Stadium in Warsaw, also sounding the alarm for the Spain Team. The opponent has a player who can change the course of the battle at any moment, so they must not be careless.
After watching this scene, Del Bosque felt that his heart almost stopped at the moment of the shot. Now that he has recovered, he also understands that he needs to make some changes.
He walked to the coaching bench and discussed with the assistant coach, "We need to consider Pedro and Torres. The team needs to increase its impact... Although the French Team's midfielders and defenders are not well-known, they are performing very well today.
"If we continue to play like this, it will be difficult to play when they are fully adapted."
Before the assistant coach could speak, the physical trainer beside him said, "If the French Team doesn't score either, I think we should at least hold on until the 70th minute.
"Their defense is indeed keeping up well, but the cost is relentless running and frequent anaerobic sprints. I've observed that their stamina is declining significantly.
"The European Cup schedule is very dense. Having played all the way here, only our style of play can ensure that the players' fatigue is within a controllable range. Other teams can't do that.
"Maintaining the status quo and fighting a war of attrition, we will definitely be the victors in the end."
Del Bosque looked at the physical trainer, who shrugged and continued, "Look, the turning postures and running postures of many of their players have already begun to deform. Some people will forcibly twist their bodies to speed up their pace. This is a sign of exhaustion.
"If they keep playing like this, it won't just be fatigue, they might get injured."
Del Bosque pinched his chin. He chose to believe the words of this professional and decided to hold back for the time being.
"David Silva, a through ball to find Fabregas! Xiaofa has slipped past Clichy, a cross!
"Koscielny marked Alonso and cleared the ball! Spain almost scored directly! "The fourth official raised the sign for stoppage time, one minute of added time in the first half.
"According to the statistics, Spain has 64% of the Ball Control rate, while the French Team only has 36%; Spain's passing success rate is 91%, while the French Team's is 83%, both in favor of the former.
"The shot ratio between the two teams is 9:4, shots on target are 3:1, and corners are 3:2, also in favor of Spain.
"The only thing that is tied is the number of excellent opportunities, both teams have 0, which means that their defensive players have done a good job."
"."
"Both teams showed extremely high tactical level and quality in the first half. The difference in the data is partly due to the different emphasis of their styles. Of course, the strength of Spain itself is also a major reason.
"A very beautiful first half! They brought us the pinnacle of modern Football! Let us feast our eyes!
"Now it depends on the second half of the game, to see if both sides can really fight out some sparks after their Stamina declines and they adapt to each other's rhythm! To determine the ownership of the champion!"
"."
"Beep! Beep—!"
Not long after He Wei's voice fell, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half. In the first half of the final, the two sides drew zero to zero.
The players of both teams were a little dissatisfied when they left the field. Spain was dissatisfied with not scoring, while the French Team was dissatisfied with being suppressed and dissatisfied with their inner powerlessness.
As Maël walked off the field, he and Fabregas, who was returning to the locker room, made eye contact with the corner of their eyes. They knew that the second half was the real contest, the real moment to determine the winner.
Either take the opponent away in the last 45 minutes, or fight into extra time. In short, the winner will definitely not be able to avoid showing off after the game.
Soon, inside the French Team's locker room.
Maël knew he had to do something. He walked to the midfielders and defenders and said, "Our passing speed during counterattacks is too slow, even long passes are very slow.
"You've all seen it, the opponent's Stamina is very strong, and they can take this opportunity to sprint back every time, positioning 7-8 people for deep defense.
"But we can't keep up with 5-6 people in the first time. Even if we rush up later, we will mostly fall into positional attack and defense, which consumes our Stamina and can't achieve the rate we want."
This is what he wanted to say for a long time, and it is also what he wanted to change, "In this case, I suggest that you don't need to look up after intercepting the ball, just use a volley shot technique to shoot in my direction."
As soon as these words came out, many people in the locker room raised their heads and glanced at Maël with a slightly surprised look.
Looking at the confidence and courage on the other's face, they probably knew what the other party wanted to say.
"It doesn't matter if the ball is inaccurate, I will catch up with it. It doesn't matter if it is a fifty-fifty ball, I will definitely beat Arbeloa!"
Maël, wearing the captain's armband, paced back and forth in the locker room like a leader, "As long as I get the ball before they can get back, and start sprinting ahead of time, I'm confident I can break through their defense on my own!
"Then, those who can't keep up don't need to come up, saving your stamina for defense, killing two birds with one stone!"
"." The people in the locker room were silent, and even Deschamps, who had already pushed the door open and entered, stood at the door and didn't speak for a long time, as if he had forgotten the tactical instructions.
More than 10 minutes later, the players from both sides, linking arms, strode with powerful steps, rushed through the dark player tunnel, and ran towards the bright field.
The Henri Delaunay Trophy was still placed at the entrance of the player tunnel, and everyone could see it when they came out, and everyone showed covetousness towards it, and many people even swallowed their saliva.
Everyone knew that after experiencing a half of probing and adaptation, the second half that was about to begin was the final battle!
"Bip!!"
With a whistle from the referee, the second half of this European Cup final began.
ps: I'll write tonight, and get up and write tomorrow. I might release it all together after I finish the final, otherwise, releasing it chapter by chapter intermittently will definitely not be good.
This chapter is an introduction, trust me, I will try to write the most exciting game since the beginning of the book!
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