Team Spirit

Chapter 177 The European Cup in Full Swing, a Glass Gathering in England

Dartford is the top indicator in this year's transfer market.

As soon as they start buying people, the market becomes incredibly hot.

But besides them, there was another "bull market," and that was the 2004 European Championship in Portugal!

In the past, when communication was underdeveloped, the "border scout" mechanism relied heavily on personal likes and dislikes when judging players. If a signing failed, the losses and responsibilities would be enormous.

Tournaments like the Copa America, Africa Cup of Nations, FIFA U-20 World Cup, and UEFA European Under-21 Championship can be used to find some promising young talents.

The World Cup and European Championship, with their huge influence, are used to find superstar players.

Only in these competitions can you see many excellent players competing on the same field, thus judging who has more transfer value.

This is what later became known as the "theory of only participating in major competitions".

The England squad for this year is as follows:

Forwards: Irving, Heskey, Rooney, Crouch
Midfielders: Beckham, Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard, Lukay, Hargreaves, Barton, Joe Cole
Backcourt: Gary Neville, Ashley Cole, Campbell, Terry, Ledley King, Bridge, Lescott, Ashley Young
Goalkeepers: James, Ronnie Coleman, Benjamin Foster.

The substitutes include Gareth Southgate, Neville Jr., Butt, Upson, Parker, Curtis Davis, Dale, Defoe, Alan Smith, White, Saval, Carragher, Walker, and others.

A total of six players from the Dartford faction were selected, surpassing the former Red Devils group to become the largest faction of domestic national team players.

Given time, the Union Jack will likely be owned by the Lu family!
But there's no way around it; this is an inevitable path for Manchester United's internationalization. The more foreign stars they bring in, the weaker their influence will become in the national team.

This is similar to the situation Real Madrid and Barcelona face with the Spanish national team.

The former pursued the path of international superstars, to the point that the national team eventually resembled Barcelona.

In addition, Valbué was selected for the French national team.

Gilardino was selected for the Italian national team.

Amorim has been selected for the Portuguese national team.

The most controversial aspect is Modric's omission from the Croatian national team.

Although Modric was only a substitute at Dartford, he still managed to win five titles without much effort.

Unfortunately, his position was ultimately secured by the son of a star, Kranjcar.

Within Croatia, Kranjcar currently enjoys far greater fame and recognition than "Bile Vomiter" Modric.

The European Championship opened on June 12.

The host nation Portugal played the opening match against Greece, and Portugal narrowly lost 1-2 to Greece.

This was also the only match in this tournament where "Greek mythology" scored two goals.

Historically, this Greek team won the European Championship, but apart from the first round, they only scored one goal in each of the other matches, demonstrating that defense wins the championship!
Coincidentally, at the club level, this year's Champions League king, Mourinho, is also a defensive specialist. However, Portuguese football has favored attacking football for the past decade or so, so Porto has a strong attacking force and is not yet considered a "defensive team."

Even during Mourinho's early years at Chelsea, the squad was so luxurious, with so many wingers and players brimming with attacking talent that he wasn't considered a purely defensive player.

But in fact, starting from this year, a counter-attacking hurricane swept through the football world, ushering in a new era of tactics.

On June 13th, England faced Zidane's France in their first match.

They lost 1-2.

After the match, England manager Stanley urgently summoned the team's chief advisor, Alfred, to Portugal.

On June 17th, a sleepy-eyed Alfred sat on the bench.

He didn't do anything after he arrived.

However, the power dynamics in the team's locker room subtly shifted, and many of the lineup and tactical requirements that Stanley had learned from Lu Kai were truly implemented.

A 3-0 thrashing of Switzerland.

After the game, the media expressed that "Sleepy Handsome" was amazing, and even his snoring on the coach's bench probably had a special tactical purpose.

June 21st, the final round of the group stage.

England defeated Croatia 4-2, finishing second in their group and advancing to the knockout stage alongside France.

Of the four groups, only their group did not suffer an upset.

Russia's elimination from Group A was expected, but Spain, despite having the same points, head-to-head record, and goal difference as Greece, lost 2-4 to Greece and was unfortunately eliminated.

Italy, Denmark, and Sweden were tied for five points in Group C, but were eliminated by Denmark and Sweden through a "scheme" and thus failed to advance to the knockout stage.

In Group D, Germany also finished third in the group and was eliminated.

The elimination of all three traditionally strong teams, finishing third in their groups, reflects their current situation: they have strength, but not many.

June 25th, Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

England drew the Netherlands, the "Tulip Army".

Lu Kai once played against the Netherlands in the European Under-21 Championship, and many of his opponents at that time have also joined the Oranje.

However, unlike Lu Kai, who held an absolute starting position, players like Van der Vaart and Sneijder could only sit on the bench.

And the troublemaker Robin van Persie was even excluded from the national team.

Only Robben became a starter because his competitors in the same position were too old and in poor form, and he performed excellently, earning him the title of one of the "European Championship Five Tigers" along with Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal, Wayne Rooney of England, Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Sweden, and Petr Cech of the Czech Republic!
Rooney's stats were the most impressive, but also the most regrettable.

Young, highly adaptable, and energetic, Rooney adapted very well to Lu Kai's tactics, putting up a spectacular record of four goals and one assist in three group stage matches.

Unfortunately, he was forced to withdraw from the final round of the competition due to injury. Post-match examination revealed a leg fracture, ruling him out of the remaining matches.

He was the first of the Five Little Tigers to withdraw from the competition.

Manchester United then officially announced the signing of English superstar Wayne Rooney from Everton for a record-breaking 40 million euros!

Eighteen-year-old Rooney has become another bright star this summer.

Manchester United fans are very happy with Rooney.

The English also praised Manchester United's decisive move, believing that they did not give up on Rooney because of this, showing determination and responsibility.

There is only one person in the entire world who is extremely dissatisfied with Manchester United's move.

He is Ashley Young, who has always been on the bench!

Back then, when I broke my leg, you just took back six million pounds as you pleased.

Now that Rooney has a broken bone, you wouldn't even blink an eye at 40 million euros.

What do you mean?
Are they bullying honest people?

From this moment on, Manchester United was added to Ashley Young's blacklist of milk tea parties.

He turned to the dark side.

He has an extreme aversion to everything and everyone associated with Manchester United.

He will never forgive Manchester United unless they pursue him again!
……

"Great news, it's me, Huang. Today, Dartford legend Li Weifeng is still here to commentate on the match with us!" Huang Jianxiang was practically bursting with excitement.

To maintain viewership, the Asian Cup deliberately avoided the European Championship and started on July 17th.

With more preparation time, the leaders of the Chinese national football team can be more active in the media for another month, which is great.

"We all know that the England team and Xiao Lu have a special relationship. Does Xiao Li have any inside information to reveal to us?" Huang Jianxiang has a show.

Li Weifeng thought for a moment: "The England team has many big names or veteran stars. Captain Lu respects his seniors very much, so he won't interfere in the team."

"So far, Lu did not play in the first game, but he played in the next two games and played as a team."

"The England team is still playing their traditional tactics, and Stanley's changes to the England team are very limited."

The implication is that they don't have a particularly high opinion of the England team.

Unless the England team operates entirely according to Lu Kai's wishes.

But that depends on Lu Kai having complete control over the team; Dartford can do that, but England can't.

"Okay, now let me introduce the lineups of both sides..."

England is sticking with their traditional 4-4-2 formation:

Lu Kai, Irving

Scholes, Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham

Ashley Cole, Terry, Campbell, Neville
James

-

All five Green Gunners are substitutes.

The only one who can start is me, Lu.

Big-name stars, deeply entrenched.

It's very difficult to do; it would be a complete upheaval.

It's fine for Lu Kai to play as a striker, but Scholes playing as a left winger clearly indicates a compromise in the lineup.

In fact, this lineup should actually be 3142 when it comes to actual gameplay.

Cole flew up to play on the left wing-back, Beckham on the right wing-back, Scholes and Lampard as attacking midfielders, and Gerrard as the single defensive midfielder.

The main reason is that the midfielders are all too big names, and they all have to play, so there's no way to make adjustments.

Last year's Confederations Cup allowed players to experiment however they wanted, and the players didn't care.

But no player would give up such a great honor as the European Championship.

The Netherlands team's lineup was a 4-3-3:

Robben, Van Nistelrooy, Van der Meyde

Seedorf, Cocu, Davis
Van Bronckhorst, de Boer, Stam, Reiziger
范德萨

-

It's also a star-studded lineup.

Both teams face the same problem: there is too little room for young players to rise to prominence and make their mark.

Both teams are strong, so there were a lot of spectators at the match, a total of 48,000 people, filling the Alvared Stadium to capacity.

This is Sporting CP's home stadium, built in 2003.

With the sound of a whistle, the match began.

In the eighth minute, Van der Meyde found no opportunity on the right wing and passed the ball across to his teammate.

Davis sent a long pass into the penalty area, looking for the far post.

However, Robben was contained by Neville, and Davies' long pass was also inaccurate. Campbell kicked the ball out of the penalty area from the landing point, which was somewhat like a pass.

Campbell's pass was also subpar, ending up at Seedorf's feet.

Seedorf unleashed a stunning long-range shot from outside the penalty area.

James makes a last-ditch save.

Van Nistelrooy attempted a follow-up shot in front of the goal, but was shoved from behind by Terry and failed to reach the ball.

The football rolled out of bounds.

Van Nistelrooy complained that Terry had fouled him, but the referee waved his hand to indicate that it was a legitimate challenge.

This also gave both teams a clear understanding of the intensity of the match.

Intense competition!
In the twelfth minute, Scholes' pass from the left flank was intercepted by Davies. Davies then launched a long ball to the left, where Robben dribbled forward.

The Dutch counterattack storm is coming.

England's defensive personnel are clearly insufficient.

Robben dribbled the ball to the left flank and slowed down appropriately, preparing to dribble past his opponent.

Van Bronckhorst's bottom edge creates a large space.

Robben immediately split the ball to the side.

boom!
Van Bronckhorst delivered a clever cross.

The ball barely cleared Neville's calf before starting to drop, bouncing over Campbell inside the penalty area.

Van Nistelrooy, who was trying to get a touch on the ball, didn't manage to get it.

Van der Meyde also ran past.

But "Wild Boar" Davis charged into the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot at the ball.

James' attempt to block the shot failed, and the ball went into the goal.

"GOAL!"

"The Dutch launched a brilliant counter-attack! That's their total football!"

"England's midfield looks impressive, but it's actually quite vulnerable, and their defense is very poor."

"Robben has a strong attacking presence, and this European Championship belongs to the young players! It's a pity that England's young Rooney is no longer with us."

The camera focuses on Lu Kai outside the top of the arc.

As a center, it was no easy feat for him to chase all the way back here, but he still couldn't catch up.

In the 16th minute, Lampard played a through ball to Owen.

However, De Boer followed Irving out and shoved and disrupted Irving's attempt to receive the ball.

Irving fell to the ground, but the referee did not call a foul.

Scholes and Davis battled fiercely for the ball, but Cocu eventually won possession and launched another long pass to Robben.

The Dutch counterattack storm has reignited.

This time, Robben advanced down the left flank to the edge of the penalty area and challenged Neville one-on-one.

With a left-right feint, he completely bypassed Neville and surged into the penalty area from the byline.

Lu Kai, who was chasing back, saw it clearly: the essence of Robben's feint lay in the second "left".

His second leftward movement wasn't fast, and to outsiders it would seem that Neville had a perfect chance to make the steal.

But only Neville knew how cunning Robben was.

This shaking was intentionally slowed down.

If Neville tries to steal the ball, Robben will have to nutmeg him.

Neville saw through Robben's intention and didn't give him a chance to show off, but in the end, he still gave Robben another kind of show.

Robben dribbled the ball all the way to the byline.

Because Campbell and Terry formed a tight defensive line, he had no way to cross the ball.

Neville chased after Robben from behind, but Robben cut past him again, raising his right foot to feign a shot.

"He doesn't have a right foot!"

"Just grab it!"

Lu Kai, who had rushed to the top of the arc, shouted.

Campbell didn't hesitate and immediately poked the ball away, making a crucial defensive play.

Robben then went down, hoping for a penalty.

The Dutch players applied pressure, and the match was interrupted.

However, the referee indicated that it was a good interception and there was no penalty.

Seedorf, under pressure, turned yellow due to his heightened emotions.

As the players from both teams argued, Robben, sitting on the ground, stared at Lu Kai, wondering how Lu Kai had guessed that his right foot was injured.

Lu Kai: No way? Bro, that's not even close!
Arjen Robben, one of the most famous players with a disability, is a typical example of someone who only uses one foot to play football; his left foot is invincible, while his right foot is useless.

His feint with his right foot lacks any function of mid-course adjustment, ball control, or ball control.

Purely a facade.

However, if he fakes a shot with his left foot, he can change tactics at any time, and the level of threat is incomparable.

In the 21st minute, Cole was pressed in his own half and sent a long pass forward.

Scholes and Davis contested for the header, but neither of them touched the ball.

Lu Kai blocked Reiziger, received the ball with his back to goal, passed it back to Scholes, and then turned and accelerated.

Scholes played a one-two pass without stopping the ball.

The advantage of turning your back to the other person is that you can block their view. Since they won't know your intentions, it will be slower for them to turn around and catch up after you turn around.

Lu Kai took the lead with this advantage, but Reiziger kept close behind.

Lu Kai caught up with the ball and delivered a lob pass with the outside of his right foot.

The ball bypassed the slower Stam and entered the penalty area, precisely finding Owen who was sprinting to get a touch on the ball.

However, De Boer followed Irving's lead.

The two men clashed.

Irving had the ball at his feet, but he couldn't get a shot off.

He ultimately fell on the edge of the six-yard box.

The England team members all insisted it was a penalty.

However, the referee continued to wave his hand, still considering it a normal confrontation.

The situation is turning against England.

Three or five years ago, Irving was able to execute sharp attacks and powerful shots in high-intensity competition.

However, after the major injury, Irving's ability to compete declined noticeably.

If you apply a little pressure, it will be very difficult for him to get a shot off.

Even in Pro Evolution Soccer, as long as a defender marks Owen closely, Owen will stumble and lose possession of the ball.

In the 25th minute, Gerrard and Neville combined to dispossess Robben.

Young players don't know how to hold their own; if you give them the ball, they'll attack, making them easy targets for double-teams.

The seasoned veterans act on impulse, reporting back promptly if things go wrong, showing no concern for their image.

boom!
Gerrard delivered a penetrating through ball that cut through the entire Dutch team.

Irving and De Boer emerged victorious, engaging in a fierce battle.

It's clear that Irving's adrenaline is surging. He can't accept becoming a striker who wastes chances and loses possession at the slightest touch. He wants to...

puff.

Irving and De Boer both fell to the ground.

Van der Sar, rushing out of his goal, kicked the ball to the sideline, clearing it from the field.

Both players were lying on the ground.

However, De Boer ultimately indicated that the Dutch team doctor did not need to come over.

Lu Kai called England's team doctor onto the pitch.

The team doctor shook his head after examining the patient.

Kyrie Irving is injured.

Minor injury.

But the European Championship cannot continue.

Amid sighs from England fans, Heskey came on as a substitute, replacing Owen.

Trailing by one goal, their key striker was forced to leave the game due to injury.

England's situation is dire.

In the 34th minute, Beckham passed the ball on the right side.

Cole came up to receive the ball and sent a through pass.

Lu Kai caught up with the ball in front of the byline and cut inside the penalty area with his left foot.

Stam, who was in pursuit, immediately slowed down and raised his hands.

His model is large and has a strong impact; if he were to collide with Lu Kai like that, he might be penalized with a penalty kick.

Lu Kai's method of using his body to squeeze into the penalty area was very clever.

However, as a top defender, Stam also occupied all the positions in the penalty area, and if Lu Kai tried to control the ball, he would be pushed out of bounds by him.

However, the next moment, Lu Kai rushed out of bounds and pushed the ball along the baseline first.

He then circled back from outside the baseline, caught up with the ball at the edge of the penalty area, and delivered a triangular back pass.

De Boer's flying tackle failed to clear the ball.

Cocu and Seedorf, one after the other, both missed out on football.

This clearly shows how well Lu Kai positioned himself for that back pass.

boom!
Heskey made a run and fired a shot.

The football... flew into the stands.

The traditional, joyful footwork of England!
Lu Kai almost rolled his eyes.

This is why Rooney was able to start ahead of Heskey in the previous few matches and score four goals.

He doesn't need to be super strong; all he needs is a certain level of physical strength and a reliable shooting technique.

But in England, a nation of great stature, there is only one striker with such qualities: Rooney.

It's absolutely bizarre.

To be honest, Lu Kai misses Gilardino a little.

Quickly pass on your "Lifespan Burning Shot" technique to Heskey!

Thirty-nine minutes.

The Netherlands team had a golden one-on-one opportunity.

Van der Meyde receives a long pass from his teammate.

Terry quickly caught up, going head-to-head with Van der Meyde.

Van der Meyde failed to get a shooting opportunity, losing possession after being double-teamed by Campbell who had rushed back. A golden chance was missed.

In the 42nd minute, the first half entered its final stage.

Terry passed the ball to Lampard, who then made a diagonal pass with his back to goal to Lu Kai, who had dropped back, before making a forward run himself... only to be brought down by Davis.

After receiving the ball, Lu Kai feinted by lifting his leg to observe his teammates' positions. Realizing the situation was unfavorable, he passed the ball to Beckham on the wing.

Beckham's feint cross sent panic through the Dutch defense, prompting them to react defensively.

boom!
Beckham passed the ball back to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai unleashed a powerful shot at the ball without stopping it.

They exploited a gap in the Dutch team's defense.

The football flew through the crowd and nestled into the left corner of the goal.

【Bati GOAL - God of War - Master】!
Van der Sar was powerless to intervene.

"GOAL! One to one!"

"Lu Kai's signature long-range shot!"

"The Dutch team still couldn't stop that shot."

"There's no way around it, England has too many long-range shooting experts in midfield: Gerrard, Lampard, Scholes, Lu Kai... each of them has a long-range shot."

"Give England an open space in front of the penalty arc, and any one of them can change the score!"

"Huh, what's Lampard doing here..."

Unfortunately, Lampard is also injured.

This top player, who had just received the highest salary in the Premier League, was forced to leave the game due to injury. Although the injury was not serious, it still had a significant impact on the match.

Hargreaves then came on, replacing Lampard.

The score was 1-1 at halftime.

But England had far fewer chances than the Netherlands.

The Netherlands had a clear advantage on the field.

During halftime, Lu Kai and Alfred had a quick conversation.

Alfred then communicated the changes to the team's tactics to the entire squad.

The formation has been officially changed from 442 to 3331!

Heskey as a lone striker.

Cole, Lu Kai, Beckham

Scholes, Hargreaves, Gerrard
Terry, Campbell, Neville
-

Compared to Lu Kai, Cole and Beckham are positioned further back. These two wing-backs are used entirely to provide width to the formation and are not responsible for attacking.

The goal was to stretch the Dutch out and then use England's numerical advantage in midfield to control the ball.

Then, through Scholes and Gerrard's forward runs, they created attacking opportunities.

Lu Kai is the tactical core.

Without the sense of crisis brought about by the temporary injuries of Lampard and Irving, the players mentioned above might not all have followed the instructions.

In other words, simply fielding this lineup as the starting lineup won't produce the effect Lu Kai wants.

Only in times of crisis are these superstars willing to condescend and play only the role of a piece in the puzzle.

Fifteen minutes later, the two sides switched sides and resumed play.

The noticeable change in England's positioning has sparked discussion.

Everyone knew that Alfred, who had been sleeping throughout the first half, had finally made his move!
That's not sleeping, it's meditation, it's a battle between mind and body within the temple of his own thoughts!

In the 52nd minute, Robben made consecutive runs down the left flank against Beckham and Gerrard, creating a throw-in in the attacking third.

After taking the throw-in, Seedorf passed the ball across to Van Nistelrooy, who was making a call at the edge of the penalty area.

Van Nistelrooy controlled the ball, dribbled past Hargreaves, and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot from outside the penalty area.

when!
It hit the pillar.

But thereafter, England's tactics gradually came together.

Their wide-ranging movement and numerical advantage in midfield allowed them to maintain possession.

The Dutch team had previously benefited greatly from counter-attacks, so they decided to focus on counter-attacks as their main strategy.

In the 61st minute, Terry sent a long pass to Beckham on the right wing.

Beckham made an unexpected volley, passing the ball directly to center forward Heskey.

Unfortunately, Hess's positioning was poor, and he couldn't get the ball directly into the penalty area. Instead, he opted to head the ball back, attempting to connect with Gerrard.

Unfortunately, Cocu managed to disrupt Gerrard's run by striking him down with a cross-court shot.

The football rolled toward Seedorf.

But Beckham and Lu Kai, who had pulled over, double-teamed him and made the steal.

Lu Kai left the ball to Beckham and then moved forward himself.

Beckham passed the ball forward to Heskey.

Heskey hits the ball against the wall and passes it to Lu Kai.

The three players combined to break through the Dutch defense.

Lu Kai broke into the penalty area from the right side, moved slightly to the left, used his body to block Van Bronckhorst, and adjusted his footwork to prepare for a shot.

boom!
Lu Kai delivered a powerful cross-foot strike with his right foot.

Fake shot, real pass.

Van der Sar was faked out and made a diving save.

The football moved along the horizontal line of the penalty area, and no one could touch it.

It looked like they were about to slide out of the penalty area.

But before the Dutch could even catch their breath, Ashley Cole arrived in a flash and unleashed a powerful left-footed shot.

Van der Sar got up and rushed towards the left side of the goal before diving to save the shot.

boom!
He made a save to the football.

Unfortunately, the ball bounced off the goal and into the left-side netting.

The goal stands.

“GOAL!!!”

"2-1! England have taken the lead!"

"Alfred's tactics have succeeded!"

"By utilizing Beckham's movement to the wing and their numerical advantage, they created a dominant situation and eventually had a chance."

"Lu Kai did not take credit at the crucial moment, but instead saw Ashley Cole, who had been almost forgotten by everyone, and delivered a fatal assist."

"Cole's feet are hard, at least harder than Husky's!"

"The shooting skills of England's forwards are not only inferior to those of the midfielders, but even inferior to those of the defenders!"

The England team celebrated enthusiastically.

Ashley Young, on the bench, couldn't seem to cheer up.

Kerr was simply benefiting from tactical advantages.

Going up there yourself will have the same effect.

Unfortunately, Cole's position is too secure at the moment, ranking among the world's best left-backs. Ashley Young can only hope that Cole will get injured if he wants to get playing time in front of him.

Ashley Young then clasped his hands together.

This scene was captured by the camera.

"Oh! Ashley Young is such a good kid. Everyone is celebrating the goal and taking the lead, but he's the only one who remembers Owen and Lampard's injuries."

"His hands were clasped together; he must be praying for Irving and Lampard to recover quickly!"

"This is the team spirit of Dartford! It has injected new energy into the England team!"

In the 68th minute, the Netherlands made two substitutions.

Roy Makaay replaced Van der Meyde.

Van der Vaart replaced Seedorf.

This can be considered a strengthening of the offensive.

In the 72nd minute, Gerrard was fouled while running into the box to receive the ball.

England were awarded a free kick in a distant attacking third.

Lu Kai found the valve core, which terrified the Dutch team's wall.

Getting hit by a juggernaut ball really hurts.

However, this was just a feint. Lu Kai then tactically passed the free kick to Beckham on the right, and Beckham delivered the real cross.

The two teams' defensive walls clashed fiercely in the penalty area, causing chaos.

Scholes, however, managed to get a shot on goal from outside the box.

But Robben was also a young and impetuous man, and he was blinded by rage.

The two feet were touching.

As a result, the football bounced up, failing to create a shot on goal, and both players ended up rolling on the ground clutching their legs.

It really hurts my feet.

Moreover, the logic of the foot is that you can't back down, whoever backs down will suffer, which leads to both sides using more force and experiencing more pain.

Ultimately, neither player could continue the game.

The Netherlands substituted Kluivert for Robben.

This is in preparation for potential high crosses from the flanks to score later.

Kluivert spent half the season recovering from injury at Barcelona, ​​and his form was not good after returning in the last two months.

His selection for the Dutch national team this time was mainly based on his reputation.

Due to Van Nistelrooy's rise, he rarely gets playing time except during moments like these when he's trying to catch up.

On the England side, Ashley Young, the "Green Wizard," successfully cast his spell.

Although it wasn't Cole who was injured and forced to leave the game, Scholes could have been.

Once they take the lead, the team can switch back to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Cole continued to play left-back.

Hargreaves and Gerrard form a double pivot midfield, alongside Ashley Young, Lu Kai, and Beckham.

Generally speaking, few teams change their formations so frequently, especially their defensive positioning in the backfield. If the players don't remember the changes, there could be a large gap in the defense.

But there's nothing we can do; both teams are currently plagued by injuries.

England, in particular, had three players injured and forced to leave the game, all of whom were substituted out of necessity.

If they win, Alfred's on-field command ability will be praised to the skies.

Seventy-seventh minute.

Van der Vaart and Van Bronckhorst combined to create a free kick deep on the left flank.

The latter's free kick was passed back to the left flank, and Van der Vaart crossed the ball in.

The Netherlands team has a strong heading ability; Stam, Van Nistelrooy, and Kluivert are all top-class heading players.

Of course, England is not bad either.

Chaos erupted again in the penalty area.

The ball finally landed at Makaay's feet, and Makaay unleashed a powerful shot from the right side of the penalty area.

He kicked Ashley Young, who was actively tracking back on defense.

Ashley Young immediately regretted going on the court.

Too violent!

This was different from what he had imagined; the intensity of the confrontation from the Dutch was far too great.

I want to leave the field, I want to get off.

Unfortunately, England has run out of substitutions.

Eighty-third minute.

Van der Vaart tried to use his dribbling and ball control skills to find better opportunities, but Hargreaves dispossessed him because he held onto the ball too long.

Hargreaves played a through ball to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai turned and pulled the ball in a V-shape to avoid De Boer's challenge. The latter knew that it was too late to get back to defend and could only try to launch a counter-attack.

As a result, Lu Kai sent out the [Overclocking Scalpel] directly after he opened the door.

Ashley Young's left-side burst speed.

Reizig made a sliding tackle, but unfortunately failed to touch the ball and appeared to have pulled a muscle in the process.

Ashley Young received the ball and suddenly dribbled into the penalty area, outmaneuvering Stam.

So your name is Stam, right?

So you used to be a key player in Manchester United's defense, right?
Ashley Young gets fired up whenever he sees a Manchester United veteran, leaving Stam far behind and creating a super one-on-one opportunity.

Van der Sar strikes.

Ashley Young seized the opportunity and unleashed a powerful shot... which struck Van der Sar in the face.

Van der Sar's nose bled.

Van der Sar: I haven't even gone to Manchester United yet!
The football bounced behind Ashley Young.

boom!
Lu Kai scored on a rebound into the empty net.

The football stirred up countless white waves.

"GOAL! Three to one!"

"Lu Kai scored twice, sealing the victory!"

"Ashley Young wasted Lu Kai's brilliant pass, but it's okay, Lu Kai can score himself!"

"You have to admit that Ashley Young is still a bit behind Ashley Cole; his footwork isn't strong enough."

"However, it's understandable, after all, Ashley Young had broken his leg. It's reasonable for the accuracy to be off after reassembly."

In the final stages of the match, the referee's continued leniency in allowing the intensity of the confrontation to escalate resulted in a second negative consequence.

The first negative consequence is a high number of injuries and illnesses.

In the 89th minute, Ashley Young was shoved by Davis while trying to stall for time by passing the ball back from the left wing.

A conflict broke out between the two sides.

This then escalated into a large-scale conflict between the two teams.

Davis was ultimately sent off with a red card.

Ashley Young, Heskey, and Hargreaves all received yellow cards.

Finally, when the whistle blew, the English began to celebrate.

"Congratulations to England, they have emerged as the winners of this match."

"Lu Kai scored two goals and provided one assist, earning him the Man of the Match award. He was undoubtedly the biggest contributor to this game."

"Rooney's absence didn't cause too much trouble for the England team, but the problem is that they were missing three more players due to injury in this match, and now a total of four key players are unavailable for the upcoming games."

"The battle losses were far too high."

"Of course, even under such adverse circumstances, Alfred was still able to gain an advantage for the team through adjustments. The 'Sleeping Coach' truly lives up to his name. Those who questioned whether he understood football at all, like Mundo Deportivo and Sport, can finally shut up now, right?"

……

Sky Sports: "Arnold England achieves the third-best result in the European Championship! Reaching the semi-finals, only behind third place in 1968 and the semi-finals in 1996."

In fact, both times it was the semi-finals, and since there were fewer participating teams, the "loser's battle" for third place was meaningless.

So theoretically, this England team has already equaled their best-ever European Championship record.

They have met their KPIs.

BBC: "Alfred said that 'Argentine England' sounds too much like 'Argentine England' and could be exploited by those with ulterior motives in the future, so he suggested changing it to 'Land England'!"

Manchester Evening News: "Manchester United's glory! Van Nistelrooy's four goals put him tied for first place in the European Championship top scorers list with Rooney, but unfortunately, neither of them has the chance to continue scoring!"

"The Voice of Green Guns (Self-Funded Edition)": "The same Ashley, but Young is even more incisive than Cole! Ashley Cole receives a brilliant pass from Lu Kai and scores a goal, I could do that too! Ashley Young indirectly assists Lu Kai with a one-on-one opportunity, without being greedy for credit!"

After the match, Lu Kai highly praised Robben: "He is a very sharp winger, even stronger than the last time I faced him."

After Lu Kai finished speaking, Chelsea, who had already established transfer contact with Robben before the start of the European Championship, signed Robben for 18 million euros.

Lu Kai was then asked about the team's injury situation: "This is very bad for us, they are all indispensable members of the team."

"The only good news is that their injuries are not serious."

"In fact, the intensity of this match is debatable. I do not agree with increasing the excitement of the match by pushing the intensity of the competition to a level that is unacceptable to the players."

Reporter: "But the Premier League is like that too, isn't it?"

Lu Kai shrugged: "That's why I haven't played in the Premier League all these years."

reporter:? ? ?

Lu Kai's interview sparked some discussion.

But it's not aimed at UEFA and the European Championship, it's aimed at the Premier League.

Many Premier League teams have requested a winter break, fewer matches, preferential treatment in European competitions, and so on.

The FA, of course, will not compromise; they would love for all teams to come and play during Christmas.

Even if there is a winter break, they must take the opportunity to form an all-star team from the Premier League East and West, hold an all-star battle, and squeeze the commercial value to the extreme.

This wave of injuries to the England team is also related to the intensity and packed schedule of the Premier League.

Well... Campbell got injured during training too.

Five players were injured, including a starting lineup for a basketball team.

This cast a shadow over their semi-final match.

The semi-finalists of this year's European Championship are a surprise.

Looking around, there wasn't a single top-tier team.

The Czech team boasts stars like Nedved, Jan Koller, Rosicky, and Jankulovski, as well as promising young players such as Cech and Baroš.

However, they are not considered a top team by the general public.

As for the Greek team, they were a completely ordinary squad, and everyone thought they were just incredibly lucky to make it to the semi-finals.

Every opponent who fought against them considered them a great gift.

Despite having a Ballon d'Or winner like Figo, Portugal has historically not been a strong team, frequently missing out on major tournaments, and in recent years can barely be considered a second-rate team.

England has always been all talk and no action; this is already their best result in European Championship history.

Of the four teams, only the Czech Republic has won the European Championship.

June 30th, Dragon Stadium.

Euro 2016 semi-final match day.

England vs. Portugal.

Portugal's starting lineup is as follows:

Cristiano Ronaldo, Pauleta, Figo

德科
Costinia, Amorin
Valente, Andrade, Carvalho, Miguel
Ricardo

-

Unbelievable, a Green Gun civil war is happening here, and it's even a brotherly derby.

Because Amorim and his good friend Ashley Young both got the chance to start in this game.

Although Ashley Young is the senior player, unfortunately, Amorim is the starting midfielder for this Portuguese team. He's even relegated Porto midfielder Maniche, who won the Champions League, to the bench.

Besides his individual abilities, Amorim's ability to navigate social situations and his interpersonal relationships within the team are also reasons why he started the game.

In contrast, Ashley Young fared much worse.

He only made his first appearance in the last match, and he didn't even score a one-on-one chance.

Tsk tsk tsk!
Besides Amorim, the second surprise for the Portuguese team this year is Cristiano Ronaldo.

He kept his predecessor Simão on the bench.

The key is that Ronaldo plays on the right wing at Manchester United, and his ability to suppress Simão this time was entirely due to his huge popularity at Manchester United. It can be said that his popularity is both positive and negative.

Initially, the Portuguese coaching staff also faced criticism for not using a proper left winger and instead having Ronaldo, a right midfielder, fill in as a left winger.

But with Ronaldo's outstanding performance, Simão had absolutely no chance left.

In the interview, Ronaldo also believed that he had no problem starting, but due to his remarks, his relationship with Simão deteriorated rapidly, turning from teammates into enemies.

Along the way, many of the talents who once overshadowed Lu Kai can now only sit on the bench or even watch Lu Kai play on TV.

But Cristiano Ronaldo often appears opposite Lu Kai.

This time, Ronaldo will fight for the title on home soil in Portugal!

Just like the Chinese national team is fighting for the Asian Cup on home soil.

They all have reasons why they deserve to lift the trophy!
(End of this chapter)