The perfect midfield: It starts with never passing the ball to Ronaldo.

"Dear viewers, you are now watching the fourth round of the 2014 World Cup European Qualifiers Group F match, with Portugal facing Northern Ireland at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto."

"Tonight will be a night to remember as Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his 100th appearance for the national team."

"During the brief pre-match ceremony, Figo personally presented the commemorative medal to his junior, and when the two embraced, we witnessed the passing of the torch from Portugal's golden generation."

"But football is never just about sentiment; Ronaldo needs a victory to crown this milestone."

「两队在历史上交战过11场，葡萄牙队3胜6平2负稍占上风。在世界盃预选赛的历史中，双方各自取得2胜4平2负的战绩，与对手平分秋色。」

"Although Portugal has remained unbeaten at home against Northern Ireland, there are no weak teams in Europe, and the away team has a history of causing upsets."

"In the 1982 World Cup group stage, Northern Ireland defeated Spain 1-0."

"2006 World Cup European Qualifiers, Group F: Northern Ireland 1-0 England."

"The current Northern Ireland team also has no shortage of good players, including 10 from the Premier League, 3 from League One, 2 from the Scottish Premiership, and 1 from the Greek Super League."

"The biggest star is Manchester United's Evans. Although their overall star power isn't as high as Portugal's, their strength should not be underestimated!"

"For the home team, Bento is still using a 4-3-3 formation."

Goalkeeper: Patricio

Defenders: Pereira, Bruno Alves, Pepe, Miguel Lopez

Midfielders: Moutinho, Mario, Veloso

Forwards: Nani, Postiga, Cristiano Ronaldo

"On the Northern Ireland side, O'Neill deployed a 4-5-1 formation."

Goalkeeper: Roy Carroll

Guards: Aaron Hughes, Jonny Evans, Craig Casscart, McGinn

Midfielders: Norwood, Neil McGinn, Corey Evans, Steven Davis, Baird

Forward: Kyle Lafferty

Wow, there are quite a few people with the same name in Ireland! I remember the Evans brothers were both from Manchester United's youth academy, right?

- [Cristiano, let's make it big in our 100th game!]

- [Messi easily scored twice in the World Cup qualifiers, Ronaldo still fell short!!]

[I'm betting on Northern Ireland to pull off an upset, anyone want to bet on them?]

- [Mario is starting as expected! This guy's career is getting off to a really smooth start!!]

- [Bro, do you mean the kind where they get fired from the Portuguese sports system?]

With superstar players leading the way, Portugal's match is generating a lot of buzz!

The live chat was buzzing with comments, and the venue was packed.

At Dragon Stadium, in the northeast corner of the stands, Northern Irish fans gathered together; though few in number, their voices were loud.

They sang the traditional war song "Sweet Caroline".

"Good times never seemed so good…"

On the other side, in the south grandstand, a deep red artificial ocean was churning.

"Cristiano!"

"Cristiano!"

Tens of thousands of Portuguese fans chanted rhythmically as a giant banner announcing the milestone of 100 matches was slowly raised.

Bento was very satisfied with the atmosphere; this time, both timing and location were on Portugal's side!

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill squinted on the bench.

Considering the players' abilities, and to avoid having his assigned player marking Ronaldo sent off within the first 15 minutes, he did not adopt a man-to-man marking strategy.

Instead, they increase the number of players in the midfield and defense, compress space, emphasize zonal coordination and protection, rely on overall defense, and avoid individual confrontations and the risk of getting cards.

As for the attack, he only prepared two signature moves: one is to use set pieces to attack the opponent, and the other is to try a quick counter-attack after intercepting the ball in the attacking third.

In short, to sum it up in one sentence, not losing is winning!

If Portugal develops a fear of losing and a desire to win when Ronaldo makes his 100th game, they might just be able to create a miracle!

With the referee's whistle, the World Cup qualifier between Portugal and Northern Ireland officially kicked off.

In October, the pitch at the Estádio do Dragão in Porto was perfectly baked by the afternoon sun.

After nightfall, the perceived temperature of around 17 degrees Celsius is very comfortable.

A gentle breeze from the Atlantic Ocean timely carried away the heat generated by running.

In this environment, both sides quickly got into the game after taking their positions.

Just one minute into the game, Portugal's first attack after kickoff went straight to the point.

Cristiano Ronaldo dropped back to midfield to receive the ball, and Moutinho passed it directly to his captain.

The Real Madrid star turned around and, facing Northern Ireland's first line of defense, did not choose to play a one-two with Mario, but instead accelerated directly in an attempt to break through.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is very proactive!"

"Trying to create a threat right from the start!"

"Northern Ireland has amassed a large number of players in their own half!"

"A clearance from a former teammate! With the help of Aaron Hughes, Evans successfully cleared the ball out of bounds!"

The ball was thrown in, and Ronaldo quickly chased back to win it back, his movement so exaggerated that it kicked up a cloud of grass.

Northern Ireland's attack was very direct, with a long pass into the attacking third, which Pepe easily collected.

The scene shifts, and Portugal launches another attack, with the 18-year-old boy dribbling the ball forward in the middle.

Noticing Ronaldo and Postiga switch positions, Mario intended to play a through ball, but the Irishman tightly marked the middle.

He flicked his ankle and handed the ball to Moutinho who was following behind, then quickly moved forward.

After a simple one-two pass, Mario took control of the ball.

Having few opportunities for long-range shots, he passed the ball to the left wing, where the Manchester United winger received it and unleashed a powerful run. Breaking his goal drought, he didn't opt ​​for a darker style this time.

After creating space, he decisively crossed the ball!

A brilliant arc.

Cristiano Ronaldo leaped high near the penalty spot, his historic jumping ability making him half a head higher than everyone else.

Not only was his jumping ability amazing, but during this period, Luo Ge's body was also as strong as a muscle man.

With a sudden burst of power from his waist and abdomen, he slammed the ball into the goal!

Unfortunately, the angle was too straight this time, and Northern Ireland goalkeeper Carroll caught it securely!

When Ronaldo landed, he clapped his hands in the air with a slightly annoyed expression before giving Nani a thumbs up.

Undoubtedly, Messi's brace spurred him on, making him even more eager to prove his direct competitors wrong at the milestone of 100 appearances.

On the sidelines, Bento stood with his arms crossed and a slight frown on his face.

He understood Cristiano's eagerness: a hundred games, a home game, and three consecutive World Cup qualifiers, all on top of such a beautiful autumn night.

There's no reason why this shouldn't be a perfect night!

The match continued, and Portugal's attack still revolved around Ronaldo.

By continuously searching the right flank, the Northern Irish team's defensive focus gradually began to shift to one side.

Mario astutely seized upon this and began to craft his story.

The gears of the game have begun to turn subtly.

Upon seeing Portugal's number 22 with the ball, Corey Evans immediately stepped forward.

He felt he had played very well tonight, and hadn't given Mario a single opportunity for a long-range shot so far.

The defensive strategy remained the same: Evans Jr.'s right leg was forward, his left leg was slightly bent, and his center of gravity was lowered.

This posture allows him to move quickly in any direction at any time, and more importantly, it blocks the most direct shooting route.

But this time, Mario lifted his leg with great determination!

Mario didn't watch his teammates' movements on the weak side because that would reveal his intentions.

His left foot, the supporting foot, was planted deeply into the grass, while his right leg swung wildly, the swinging motion as large as if he were about to kick a goal ball.

Corey Evans quickly lowered his center of gravity, trying his best to block the long-range shooting expert.

But the ball did not fly towards the goal.

That was a low, through ball!

The speed, spin, and timing were all brutally precise, slipping through the narrow gap left by the Northern Ireland defense and landing on the right side of the penalty area.

"Beautiful pass!!"

"Nani's chance!!"

"A long shot to the far corner!!"

"Got it!!"

"Go...."

"Unfortunately, the referee raised his flag. The slow-motion replay clearly shows that Nani's start was slightly too quick!"

"Mario's pass was quite ingenious; the young man's passing lanes are full of creativity!"

"The Northern Irish defenders' defensive space was completely cut apart by Mario's pass, as smoothly as a hot knife through butter!!"

[This guy, if he had just shortened his leg swing a bit when passing the ball, he could have kicked it out half a second earlier!]

- [Cristiano Ronaldo's celebratory hand fell back down in frustration; he seemed really anxious today!!]

Mario's fundamentals are solid; with that solid foundation and a burst of brilliant inspiration, he has the potential to help the team break the deadlock!

-【It's because the opposing team's defensive focus is on other players; he's just as suited to be a second option as Moutinho!】

On the sidelines, Northern Ireland manager O'Neill made direct micro-management, yelling and shouting to get Evans to focus!

After three games, with only one point ahead of the weakest team, Luxembourg, O'Neal was under immense psychological pressure.

He can't let the team lose their chance to enter the playoffs!

Therefore, when facing strong opponents, he needs to lead the team to score as many points as possible.

Corey Evans, who had planned his defense in advance, felt a bit flustered, and the offside goal left him somewhat fearful.

He can pass, shoot, and has good footwork; Mario is a problem.

Meanwhile, Portugal's superstar repeatedly dropped back to receive the ball and launched attacks directly from midfield in an attempt to break the deadlock.

Under pressure, Evans became somewhat flustered!

The scene shifts, and Portugal's attack resumes, with Moutinho holding the ball on the left.

Cristiano Ronaldo, like a sharp blade drawn from its sheath, made a vertical sprint straight into the heart of the opponent's territory.

Northern Ireland's defensive line is shifting to the right as Moutinho moves laterally.

"João!"

"here!"

Mario reaches out for the ball!

He saw a weakness in the opponent's left flank defense.

As teammates at the club, although they haven't known each other for long, their understanding is already quite good. Moutinho didn't hesitate to send a low, diagonal pass with the outside of his left foot.

Mario gradually adjusted his pace as he ran, while Ronaldo on the left sprinted like a bull, and Nani on the other side also began to sprint.

The Northern Irish's tight defensive line was instantly stretched open.

As the ball rolled quickly to the 18-year-old boy, Corey Evans swiftly moved into position to cover.

No adjustments needed, Mario's left foot is ready to strike!

No reverse foot!

Evans' first thought was the information given by the coaching staff!

Seeing number 17 moving quickly out of the corner of his eye, Evans didn't dare to be careless and quickly chose to block the passing route!

However, Mario was not prepared to leave the task to his teammates!

He pushed the ball slightly to the right front with his left foot, and that 30-centimeter distance gave him a small but precious space to adjust.

Evans' focus was misled.

The Northern Irishman wants to defy Dr. Newton and achieve a perfect change of direction, but obviously, that will take time!

Mario won't give him that chance!

With a step to adjust his right foot, his left leg was pulled back completely like a bowstring.

Fake fax!

The taut left foot slammed into the lower middle part of the ball with the instep!

boom! ! ! !

A deep, resounding explosion rang out!

The cool air on the field was instantly scorched, and as the grass danced in the air, the ball hurtled along an absolutely straight, slightly upward trajectory.

The Northern Ireland player instinctively stretched his head and turned to try and intercept.

Goalkeeper Carroll has already taken to the air, his arms outstretched to the limit!

But the ball's trajectory was lower, faster, and more deadly than they had anticipated!

A powerful shot can send the ball speed close to 140 kilometers per hour!

One second!

From the golden 14th zone, instantly reaching the goal position!

Swish! !

The net trembled violently, and white spray exploded behind the goal line.

"Super Mario has broken the deadlock!!"

Goal!

"Goooooooooallllll!!!"

"A world-class goal, a beautiful fake pass and shot, fooled Corey Evans!"

"Super Mario, who has no weak foot, unleashed a powerful shot with the instep of his left foot, the ball traveling at nearly 140 kilometers per hour, soaring into the top corner like a cannonball!"

"Even with goalkeeper Carroll's best efforts, he was powerless against the powerful, perfectly angled shot!"

"This is Mario's second goal for the national team, another long-range shot, and another opening goal!"

- [Holy crap! Mario didn't pass to Roc again, he just blasted himself in!!]

- [Haha, no obligation guy confirmed! He either passes the ball to Nani or takes a long-range shot himself. This guy is really stubborn!!]

- [That shot was absolutely awesome, guys! 140 km/h, even the goalkeeper was stunned. Mario is the real star player for the national team!]

- [Fool, the main reason is that he faces less defensive pressure; there are older brothers taking the hits for him!]

- [Once they get the game going, it'll be much easier. Once Northern Ireland gets going, Portugal's counter-attacking style is pretty effective too!!]

- [Portu's midfield is something else; their combination is quite good, with Mario up front and Moutinho dropping deep.]

- [Ronaldo's 100th game milestone, what are you Mario doing singing and dancing like that??]

- [Silly Fu, this goal was created because Nani and Ronaldo's runs drew space, giving Mario the opportunity to shoot from distance. Stop creating conflict here!!!]

- [Mario is a real threat; he can pass, shoot, and has no weak foot!]

Corner area,

Mario unleashes another smooth spinning jump.

A loud "Siu!" echoed throughout the Dragon Stadium!

Although this was Rodríguez's 100th appearance, it was also his first home game for the national team and his first start.

Returning home in wealth and honor is like wearing fine clothes at night!

What's more, this is at the Estádio do Dragão, and as someone who's practically a Porto resident, we have to celebrate properly!

The Portuguese fans in the stands were also very supportive, chanting Super Mario slogans to send their blessings to the young people.

In contrast, the northeast corner, where the Northern Ireland fans were located, was completely silent, the melody of their battle anthem "Sweet Caroline" completely drowned out.

Moutinho, who was closest, was the first to rush up and hug Mario.

Veloso then imitated Mario's shooting motion to start a commotion.

Although Ronaldo appeared eager at the start of the game, he immediately broke into a bright smile after seeing the ball go into the net.

As expected of the promising young star I discovered, he's scored in two consecutive matches!

Although Mario's goal is equivalent to my goal, the satisfaction is still a bit less than if I did it myself!

Luo Ge, who arrived late, patted Mario on the shoulder to encourage him.

"I didn't expect you to score on your very first shot!"

"I haven't received a single threatening pass from you yet!!"