Master Tutoring Class

Chapter 283 Was that pass too long?

March was a very hot month for European football.

In the Champions League, Liverpool continued their unbeaten run, thrashing Inter Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 away from home. Welsh star Gary Bernal twice made powerful runs down the wing, igniting the passion of the entire match.

Despite bringing in several high-profile stars, Inter Paris Saint-Germain still couldn't overcome the established powerhouses with deep roots.

The Red Army's frenzy continues to sweep across the land!
In the clash between Madrid and Atletico Torino, Ronaldo's uncanny runs twice tore apart Atletico Torino's defense, but Atletico Torino lost 3-1 away to Madrid, losing their first round of the round of 16.

A youth storm swept through Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, with young players such as Gönig, Uld, Matt, and Samprati achieving outstanding performances and defeating the powerful La Liga giants Valencia, creating the first upset in the Champions League knockout stage.

The Europa League doesn't receive as much attention as the Champions League, but the first-round match between Sporting Amsterdam and FC Milan, especially the one between 'Wei Lai and Rafael', was singled out for special coverage.

A tribute from young people on the other side of the strait!

Wei Lai: Rafael is the eternal midfield maestro!

'Raphael; an incredible young man!'

One is a rising star, the other is a former midfield maestro.

Their direct confrontation attracted attention in Europe, and Wei Lai's performance and form in this match were even more incredible to many strong European teams.

Undoubtedly, a large number of scouts will also be heading to Amsterdam.

Gold always shines; he just needs to stand on the stage.

This time, there was almost no deliberate guidance from Roy, but the European media paid a lot of attention to Wei Lai.

The media's attention almost entirely determines the club's actions.

Milan, Italy.

Inside a luxurious estate, Raphael is putting on his shoes while carrying his golf bag.

"Go, Dad! Beat that big brother!"

A childish voice rang out, and a little girl, about 10 years old, cheered loudly.

A look of tenderness appeared in Raphael's eyes as he bent down and picked up the little girl.

"Nina is cheering for her dad!"

"Dad is the best!"

In the little girl's world, her father was omnipotent.

Wang Wang!

The huge Bordeaux dog, sitting to one side, barked twice.

"Okay!" Raphael patted the dog's head and smiled, "I'll do my best!"

Raphael's wife stood in the kitchen doorway, smiling and waving at him.

He has a happy family, and as a football star, Rafael has no scandals. He is as loyal to his family as he is to football.

"Let's go! Hulk!" Nina flipped over and climbed onto the dog's back, hugging its neck, and the dog trotted away.

Raphael walked out of the garage and, among the many luxury cars, chose a spacious BMW.

Despite owning many sports cars and luxury cars, he still prefers this driving experience and sense of space.

As the car arrived at the entrance of the Milan training base, a group of tourists, fans, and bloggers who had been waiting there swarmed over.

After signing autographs, taking photos, and exchanging ideas with everyone, he finally entered the base.

"Good morning!"

Raphael walked into the locker room and greeted his teammates with fist bumps.

"The match is tonight, but Yuna suddenly got injured." Adria shook his head bitterly.

During yesterday's training session, Yuna suffered a severe ankle sprain and was unable to play.

Milan FC was somewhat taken aback by this sudden unexpected turn of events.

It's important to know that Milan's 3-5-2 formation heavily relies on wing-backs.

In some ways, the importance of Yuna and Jimmy, the two wing-backs, is even greater than that of Rafael.

Yuna's injury has left them without a wing, forcing them to switch back to a four-man defense.

"Let's work together, including Yuna's share." Rafael changed into his training gear and looked at everyone, saying, "We can't afford to play a pathetic game at home!"

Upon hearing this, the teammates' expressions immediately turned serious.

That's right!

Despite the numerous unexpected events, they can only advance by defeating Atlético Amsterdam at home!

The second leg at home is crucial!
"A tactical approach?" Milan's assistant coach couldn't help but grin.

In this match, they will need to implement tactical strategies to target Atlético Amsterdam's 17-year-old Chinese midfielder.

Generally speaking, this kind of treatment is reserved for the key players of the opposing team.

But in the last match, Wei Lai caused them too much trouble.

By the time they locked in their tactics in the second half, Atlético Amsterdam's attacking strategy had already changed.

Can Konrad Lehmann stop him?
can!
But it requires the defensive commitment of at least 2-3 people.

However, if they target Wei Lai as the starting point of their attack, they might only need to commit one player to choke off Atlético Amsterdam's attack.

“We have carefully analyzed the characteristics of that little guy. It is indeed outstanding, but it also has many technical flaws. These flaws are what we need to address.”

Conca crossed his arms and said confidently, "That guy is the source of Amsterdam Atlético's firepower. Once we plug that gap, no matter how strong Amsterdam Atlético's attack is, they won't be able to score."

"We will beat Atlético Amsterdam and advance to the Europa League quarterfinals!"

In a hotel in Milan, Wei Lai was lying on the bed watching a match video.

The stadium inspection is over; we just need to wait for the evening's match.

European matches are almost always played on weekday evenings, which makes it convenient for fans to go home and rest on weekdays before watching the game.

Diego Ruma came out of the bathroom and couldn't help but ask Wei Lai a question;
"What are you looking at?"

Wei Lai said without looking up, "I feel like there are some parts of the video from the last game that weren't done well enough."

"Wasn't creating two goals good enough?"

Diego Ruma grinned.

Although he also had an assist in that game, his overall performance couldn't compare to Wei's; Wei was the MVP of that game.

Wei Lai did not respond, but just stared at the match video, constantly dragging the progress bar, pausing and watching.

Since acquiring the [Game Reading (Offense)] talent, some things have become clearer and more apparent.

Wei Lai even felt that his brain was unusually active and his thinking was very smooth.

Some problems that were not visible before are now visible.

Spaces that were invisible before can now be felt.

It was a very strange feeling, like I had suddenly had an epiphany.

"So Coach Pirlo has always read the game with this kind of perspective!"

Wei Lai murmured softly.

Back when I was poor and lacked talent, I felt that as long as I trained hard, I would eventually be able to catch up with those professional players.

However, as Wei Lai continued to acquire talent, increase his number of matches, and receive high-quality match coaching, he continued to improve his skills.

The match he saw had become completely different.

At the same time, he once again realized the gap between himself and those top midfielders.

It's an extreme control over details; details determine success or failure, and these top midfielders exemplify this perfectly.

Many seemingly coincidental passing combinations may actually be the product of someone's meticulous design.

A sudden change in rhythm may be the result of someone's long-term planning.

So many things, so many details.

Wei Lai may not be able to do these things now, but at least he can see them.

This means that he can try to work towards this goal.

"Ha~~~~~"

Wei Lai yawned, rolled over, and turned to look at the gloomy, rainy day outside the window. The drizzle had been falling all day and showed no signs of stopping.

"It looks like we'll be fighting in the rain today!"

Diego Ruma addressed Wei.

Wei Lai rested his chin on his hand and couldn't help but grin.

Fighting in the rain!
For a relatively technical 'rough guy' like him, ball control will be greatly reduced.

Moreover, in rainy conditions, the second bounce of a long pass becomes longer and harder to predict because the field is slippery, and the ball's trajectory and movement after hitting the bottom will change.

I'm so sleepy!

Wei Lai yawned again.

I don't know if it's because of the rain, but I've been feeling sleepy lately.

At four o'clock in the afternoon, Wei Lai went to the restaurant and had some whole wheat bread and bananas, as well as an energy bar.

On rainy days, the cool weather makes it easy for body heat to evaporate.

Wei Lai usually doesn't eat before a match, but in this kind of weather, he has to eat something to ensure he gets enough heat in his body.

After finishing his meal, Wei Lai waited in the hotel lobby.

About ten minutes later, the teammates began to come downstairs one after another. Finally, led by head coach Morton, they boarded a bus and headed to the Milan FC home stadium.

The San Siro Stadium is located in the San Siro district of Milan and is the home stadium of FC Milan.

With European competitions approaching, this stadium has entered a state of frenzy.

The rain cannot wash away the fans' love for football and their support for the team.

The entire stadium was filled with deafening cheers.

"Long spiked boots! Send out the long spiked boots!"

Peszcz directed staff to distribute the sneakers.

A professional player should prepare at least two pairs of shoes, one with short studs and one with long studs, to suit different weather conditions.

On rainy days like today, the field is slippery, requiring stronger grip, making longer spikes a better fit.

Wei Lai slipped his shoes on, tied the laces, covered his mouth, and yawned again.

Seeing this, old Mr. Morton raised an eyebrow slightly. "Has Wei not rested for three weeks?"

Pechan was organizing his gear when he turned around and said, "Yes! These past three weeks have been two matches a week. Apart from playing two full matches in one week, I've played every match in the Europa League and only half of the league matches."

Morton nodded slightly; "Let Wei rest for the next league match!"

During a long season, young players are prone to fatigue.

Morton concluded that there were three reasons.

First: The body's physiological ability to handle high-intensity intermittent exercise has not yet reached its peak.

Second: The brain experiences mental fatigue due to prolonged periods of intense concentration, making difficult decisions, and coping with stress.

Third: Technological choices and tactical understanding lead to a lot of 'useless work'.

Wei Lai triggered the first two issues and even the subtle interference of a third factor during the long league season.

Wei Lai is usually a very stable and intelligent player.

However, sometimes his physical energy allocation is not very reasonable. On the other hand, when facing pressure, Wei Lai often uses a "clumsy method", which is to increase running. A lot of running will inevitably lead to physical fatigue. Combined with the mental energy consumed under constant rapid decision-making, all of these factors have led to Wei Lai yawning all the time.

"Hmph! Hmph! Sizzle!!"

Wei Lai yelled and threw a series of wild punches, took a deep breath, then picked up a water bottle, poured some water into his palm, and slapped it hard on his face.

"You're more energetic now!"

Wei Lai's eyes widened, and he felt that the drowsiness had dissipated considerably.

clap clap clap!
Mr. Morton clapped his hands, gesturing for everyone to look over.

"The tactics have been arranged, but I still want to emphasize that this game should focus on control. Don't let the pace go too fast. Take it one step at a time and play it safe." Old man Morton looked at Mussal; "Control the pace and don't let them get too carried away."

Musar immediately nodded: "Understood!"

Old Master Morton then looked at Wei Lai; "Make good use of these factors in the changes of pace, be fast when you need to be fast, and you can judge these things yourself."

Wei Lai: "Received!"

Old Master Morton nodded as he picked at the vegetables; "Alright, get ready to go on stage!"

Dennis Chilburn shouted, "Prepare for battle!"

Hendrick was on the bench; he was captain again for this match.

As the Amsterdam Athletic players approached the corner, they saw Milan FC coming towards them.

The atmosphere instantly became heavy, and the tension suddenly escalated.

Wei looked at Raphael.

The latter also looked at Wei Lai.

After a moment of eye contact, the two pairs of eyes turned away and joined their respective sides.

Wei Lai took a deep breath.

The tribute has been paid!

But a competition is a competition, and the winner must be determined. The winner will continue to move forward, while the loser will stop.

Wei Lai didn't want to be a loser, so he had to work hard to win the game.

"This is the second leg of the 2027/2028 Europa League Round of 16, AC Milan FC vs. Sporting Amsterdam at home!"

"In the previous match, Atlético Amsterdam defeated AC Milan 3-1 at home, with Konrad Lechmann scoring twice and Wei Laiping being named Man of the Match. This match will determine the victor!"

"Leke Sports," Duan Jiang shouted loudly.

Liu Zhenghao: "For Milan, they must win the game, and at least by two goals, so that they can advance on away goals if the aggregate score is 3-3. However, Atletico Amsterdam will not give them that opportunity!"

"Moreover, both sides adopted a 4-2-3-1 formation in this match, clearly treating the midfield as the primary battleground and controlling the tempo, thus gaining more possession and attacking opportunities!"

Milan FC (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Michelle Cage.

Defenders: Dominal, Maklikov, Tosmori, Capeso.

Midfielders: Leo, Adria, Rafael, Praet, Jimmy.

Forward: Imose

Amsterdam Athletic (4-2-3-1):
Goalkeeper: Rutte.

Defenders: Zilben, Shutak, Kakabana, Lent.

Midfielders: Robinson, Reyesa, Wei Lai, Musar, Konrad Lehmann.

Forward: Felix.

“Conca’s decision not to use a three-defender formation was the right one. The last game proved that Atletico Amsterdam’s penetrating passing ability is too strong. The gaps between the three defenders are too large, making it easy for them to exploit the space and break through. A four-defender formation can fill the gaps and prevent Atletico Amsterdam from launching penetrating attacks.”

"But at the same time, they also need to be careful of the Chinese midfielder's passing; he always manages to get the ball into the danger zone in some special way."

Wei Lai kept jumping around, trying to get his body excited as quickly as possible.

At the same time, his eyes were also studying the opponent's formation, thinking about how to proceed with the game.

But before Wei Lai could think further, the whistle blew immediately.

Beep!
After Felix kicked off, Wei Lai immediately darted forward into the opponent's half.

He tried to open his body as wide as possible, turning to the side as if to receive a pass.

However, as soon as he ran over, Wei Lai felt something was off.

He turned his head to observe the left, right, front, and back.

"Pocket space?"

With Wei Lai at the center, Milan players stood in the corners of the four squares, surrounding him.

If you receive the ball in a pocket, you will inevitably have to pass it back.

Otherwise, he would have been surrounded by four players in an instant, and if he had been a second slower, he would have been knocked down and lost possession of the ball.

He didn't believe he could break through the defense of four people.

"Let's move it and see!"

Wei Lai ran to the right, Milan's left-back pressed forward, the left defensive midfielder moved closer, and the winger dropped back to compress the space.

"Nima!"

Wei Lai couldn't help but curse under his breath.

He said that this feeling was very familiar, and that this was exactly the tactical approach of strangling the opponent in midfield!

He had experienced these things quite often with Konrad Lehmann before.

"Tactical targeting?!"

Pessant was astonished.

He suddenly turned his head to look at the Milan coaching bench.

Has Conca lost all sense of shame? Targeting a 17-year-old player with tactical maneuvers?

"Hehehe"

Mr. Morton couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"You can still laugh?" Peschan asked anxiously. "Milan is trying to cut off our key passing lanes! We can't get our attack going! If things get worse, our midfield and forward line might become disconnected."

"Will not!"

Old Master Morton waved his hand dismissively, saying calmly, "He can handle it!"

On the field, Wei Lai moved frequently on the left and right sides of the attacking third, but he just couldn't create any space.

Even if there is space, it is a trap that is obvious at a glance.

"Oh shit!"

Wei Lai stopped and couldn't help but shake his head.

"I haven't even become a core member yet, but I'm already experiencing the benefits of being a core member."

After silently complaining, Wei Lai began to slow down his pace.

He spread his hands toward Musar, signaling not to pass the ball to him, while pointing to the full-backs on both sides.

Wei Lai began pacing around the pitch, and with each movement, Milan's midfield formation would shift.

Wei Lai turned his head to look at the space in front of him.

'Football is not a one-man show; you need to learn to put down the baton!'

What does the team need me to do most?

The answer is obvious.

Involvement and attraction!

Musar began to advance forward with the ball, and Wei Lai turned to meet it.

"Keep an eye on Wei!"

Rafael lunged at Musar, while simultaneously turning to warn his teammates.

The duel between the two midfield maestros was devoid of any of the flashy moves one might expect; it was simply a display of extremely concise passing.

boom!
Musar pushed the ball horizontally, and Rafael stretched out his foot, but he was still a step too slow.

When Raphael turned his head.

He saw Wei Lai rushing towards the ball.

But their defensive midfielders and wingers also rushed forward.

Whenever Wei gets the ball, he will be closely marked.

but
"Was that pass too long?" Rafael asked, somewhat puzzled.

Musar wouldn't make that kind of mistake!
and many more!

Raphael was startled.

There's a saying in football: "When Mussar's pass doesn't feel right to you, you should know that the ball isn't meant for you!"

Wei Lai suddenly stopped, letting the ball pass him by, and looked up to shout:
"Charge! Danny!"

The ball was passed to the sideline, and Dennis Chilburn dribbled it, breaking through the midfield defense.

Wei Lai's face was full of smiles.