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

"Have you forgotten?"

"Mario has no obligation to pass you the ball!"

Pepe, rushing over from the backfield, made a surprising remark, causing everyone in the corner area to burst into laughter.

"Hey, don't try to sow discord between me and Cristiano~"

"We are all players who prioritize teamwork and winning!"

"That's right, Mario knows me. As long as the team wins, nothing else matters!"

When Ronaldo raised his arms in a rallying cry, he was surprisingly spirited when the team was in the lead, a stark contrast to the heartbreaking moment when he angrily threw down his captain's armband.

His slicked-back hair remained perfectly still, exuding the aura of a football world CEO.

...

Shortly after the start of the game, the opponent scored a long-range shot, forcing Mike O'Neal, sitting on the coaching bench, to make adjustments.

The previously deep midfield needs to be stretched out to activate the pivotal role of the two holding midfielders in attack, creating counter-attack opportunities on the flanks through quick passes or through balls.

At the same time, full-backs must make a lot of forward runs, even entering the opponent's 30-meter zone to act as temporary wingers and create an attacking situation.

The core advantage of the 4-5-1 formation is its abundant midfield personnel and flexibility in changing formations. As long as the two defensive midfielders do not make mistakes and the three midfielders make accurate runs, they can still fight back even if they concede a goal first!

Northern Ireland, who had rehearsed the game beforehand, made immediate tactical adjustments.

And these subtle changes and relaxations in the defense are huge vulnerabilities for superstars.

In the blink of an eye, Ronaldo seized the opportunity to cut inside and shoot from the left wing, but unfortunately the ball hit a defender's leg and went out of bounds.

The continuous changes of direction and acceleration did not make him feel tired. The Real Madrid number 7 ran and jumped into the penalty area, waiting for an opportunity.

Moutinho took the corner kick, but the ball was cleared by the Northern Irish players immediately.

Veloso controlled the ball on the perimeter and, without hesitation, passed it directly to Mario in front of him.

After a brief encounter in two national team matches, Portugal's number 4 clearly felt that the young player in front of him was a formidable opponent.

Mario took the ball and looked up to observe it.

The distance was about the same as when the goal was scored!

With a simple adjustment, the Northern Irish player in front of Mario reflexively jumped outwards.

Against Russia, Mario changed the game with two long-range shots; against Northern Ireland, he opened the scoring with a world-class goal.

For defenders, Mario's terrifying long-range shots have already planted a seed in their hearts.

No need for a dramatic escape move; simply posing as if shooting is enough to draw the opponent into a diving block.

boom!

The dull thud of the foot hitting the ball arrived as expected, but the black and white figure did not fly towards the goal.

A well-controlled touch of the ball, with precise direction and force, successfully transforms into a delicate lob pass!

He flew past all the leaping white figures and plunged into the left side of the Northern Ireland penalty area.

Aaron Hughes regrets taking that small step inward.

This step gave Real Madrid's superstars an opportunity!

Cut in at an angle, receive the ball, adjust!

They strode forward at an incredibly fast pace!

Evans tried to come over and cover, but he clearly underestimated the difference in explosiveness and speed between himself and Ronaldo!

slow!

too slow!

He could only watch as his old teammate took the shot right in front of him!

The greatest striker in history unleashes his power!

A shot made with the instep of the foot, precise to the millimeter.

Carroll's diving save served as a backdrop, adding a bright white touch to the cheers at the Dragon Stadium!

"Goooooooal!!!!"

Goal!

"On his 100th appearance, Ronaldo used his keen goal-scoring instincts to help Portugal extend their lead!!"

"Who said Mario doesn't pass the ball to Ronaldo?!"

"Porto's young prodigy can not only score goals but also provide deadly assists!"

"A perfect deception!!"

"He used a long-range feint to shake up the entire Irish defense, then delivered this feather-light lob pass!"

"Cristiano unleashed a beautiful shot, changing the score!"

Portugal 2-0 Northern Ireland!!

[Legendary!! Scores in his 100th appearance for the national team!!]

- [Mario's pass was beautiful; if Ronaldo had taken that pass, even my grandma could have scored!]

- [He's got a goal and an assist in two consecutive matches! Mario's about to soar to new heights!!]

- [Dude, have a drink! One match against Russia, another against Northern Ireland, what's the point of playing against second or third-rate European teams?!]

- [Exactly, we can only say they've truly soared to new heights when they face teams like Germany, France, Italy, and England!]

- [Ronaldo has only scored two goals, Mario's efficiency is already ridiculous!!]

- [Tch, it's all because Luo Ge held him back, otherwise where would he have had the space to shoot from a distance!]

- [Don't let the trolls stir up trouble. Our Portuguese national team has only one goal: to qualify for the World Cup finals!]

-【You guys have such low standards, are you trying to accumulate good karma like this?】

- [Fun fact: Portugal only qualified for the World Cup twice before the 21st century, making them a solid second-tier European team!]

Bento's emotional journey was similar to that of the netizens in the live chat.

Seeing his team extend their lead again, he celebrated wildly with his assistant coach while secretly plotting in his mind.

Taking a steady and methodical approach to secure first place in Group F and guarantee direct qualification is undoubtedly the top priority.

And now his ambitions are beginning to swell.

Mario, whom I called up and started, is an important addition. His long-range shots are quite sharp and are a powerful tool for breaking down a tight defense against weaker opponents.

And Cristiano, the team's most crucial striker, remains an unstoppable goal-scoring machine.

More importantly, this group of outstanding players, including Moutinho, Nani, Pepe, and Ronaldo, are all in their prime during the Brazil World Cup.

With proper team cohesion, the Five Shields Legion can definitely reach new heights in the tournament!

Breaking through the semifinals, advancing to the finals, and even...

Bento dared not continue to dream; he quickly instructed his players to play steadily and continue to put enough pressure on the opponent.

Captain Cristiano Ronaldo nodded earnestly to Bento.

Young superstars are still able to listen to the coach's instructions.

I don't know if the forty-something-year-old Shataro ever directed the coach's actions in Riyadh Victory, but the forty-something-year-old James would directly tell the coach to "get lost" and then devise his own tactics.

On the other side, after scoring, Michael O'Neal kicked a water bottle on the sidelines.

The bad news is, he missed the ball just like Guillermo!

The good news is that this way you won't get a card.

Although he escaped with a card, he was still indignant.

First, that damn Porto kid scored a world-class goal, and then Ronaldo delivered a cold and precise shot!

Less than ten minutes later, they were down by two goals!

The meticulously constructed flood control dikes proved as fragile as paper in the face of a brilliant flash of genius and a fatal blow from a superstar.

Counterattack!

We must strike hard when the Portuguese are completely relaxed and indulging in the celebration of their captain's 100th appearance!

Northern Ireland's proactive deployment of their formation gave Portugal the counter-attacking space they craved.

Looking at the opponent's empty backfield, Ronaldo recalled the words he had said in the players' tunnel at the start of the game.

Brothers, this time it's really happening!!