Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

"That was a textbook example of a defensive counter-attack! It was incredibly fast!"

"Deng Kai's pass, Ronaldo's run! And that final dribble past the goalkeeper truly showcased this player's composure under pressure!"

"What's wrong with the German team today? Their defense seemed so fragile, like it would collapse at the slightest touch?"

"Portugal were at a disadvantage throughout the entire match. They only tested Germany twice, and Germany failed to withstand either test!"

"Before the match, many people said that Ronaldo wouldn't be able to adapt to the center forward position, but so far, it seems he has absolutely no problem! His attacking prowess is almost unmatched in this tournament!"

"He might not be good enough as a target man, but what kind of target man center does a counter-attacking team need?"

The target man, in essence, was developed to compensate for the lack of creativity, game-breaking ability, and resilience in midfielders.

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Teams that don't rely on counter-attacking tactics in midfield, and teams with top-class midfielders, don't need a target man.

They need the Terminator more than anything!

Portugal falls into both categories.

Fourteenth minute.

It's clear that the German team is somewhat confused; they don't yet know where the problem lies.

They contained Quaresma very well.

Portugal's right flank was virtually devoid of any threat.

However, Deng Kai and Meireles made a series of passes on the left flank, bringing the ball across the midfield.

With left-back Ribeiro making a run forward, Portugal had an opportunity to cross from the byline.

However, Lahm closely marked Ribeiro, who couldn't find an opportunity in a one-on-one situation and could only pass the ball back to Meireles, who then passed it back to Duncan on the left flank.

boom!

Deng Kai fired from the left flank.

Cristiano Ronaldo attempts to make a run inside the penalty area.

Everyone was focused on Deng Kai.

Because of this cross, he definitely needs to find the center forward, right?

Swish!

The football didn't fly very high, but Deng Kai exerted a lot of force, making the ball very fast and with a significant arc.

This kind of pass is not conducive to the center forward's header.

But...

"Back post! Quaresma suddenly surges forward, unmarked at the far post!"

"Quares, without stopping the ball, unleashed a perfect outside-of-the-foot chip shot! The German defenders had barely finished turning their heads at that moment!"

"No one can stop Quaresma, his outside-of-the-foot shot is so accurate, what a perfect angle for a goal!"

"Three to zero! Is Portugal really that strong?"

"Three goals in nine minutes! They've turned their semi-final opponent, Germany, into a team that can't even get out of the group stage like Poland!"

"It didn't feel this easy for Portugal when they played the Netherlands in the last round, did it?"

"Oh! Unbelievable! Deng Kai has completed a hat trick of assists without anyone even noticing!"

"This feels like a fantasy! So far, although he has appeared on camera quite a few times, he hasn't done many things that are truly eye-catching."

"If it weren't for the data, I wouldn't even be able to tell which one is Deng Kai, which one is Amorin, or which one is Veloso. Aren't they all just doing ordinary receiving and passing the ball?"

"Can Germany really beat this Portuguese team?"

"Why was the pre-match prediction so one-sided? This kind of strong team shouldn't be underestimated at all!"

Many commentators were confused.

Germany's crushing defeat was hard to accept.

But fans can break down, players can't.

With the help of the head coach and players like Lahm, the German team stabilized the situation on the field by tightening their formation.

They no longer employ wide-ranging, aggressive pressing tactics.

They no longer wanted to crush the Portuguese team with a barrage of attacks.

They just wanted some peace and quiet.

They handed the ball to the Portuguese and retreated into their shell.

"Klinger, go and keep an eye on that Deng Kai, whatever he does!" The German coach was probably the first to see the situation clearly; he saw the key to Portugal's formation.

Sure enough, Portugal never produced another game-winning pass.

Although the German team lost possession of the ball, their situation was actually much better than before.

When they have fully recovered and adapted, that's when they will fight with all their might.

From this perspective, the German U16 team is at least a well-trained team; they execute the head coach's tactics very well and follow orders without question.

In the 21st minute, Merez and Robben scored through penetration on the left flank.

Robben and Ribery crossed the ball.

Cristiano Ronaldo's header went wide.

With so many tall players on the German team, even if Ronaldo manages to win a header, he'll have a hard time generating any power.

In the 28th minute, Mereles made a feint on the left wing and passed the ball diagonally to Amorin, who then unleashed a long-range shot, joining the ranks of Genghis Khan, only knowing how to bend the bow and shoot.

During this period, Portugal's attacks were mainly concentrated on the left flank, carried out by Meireles.

Deng Kai, who was marked by a dedicated German player, touched the ball very few times, seemingly frozen out, much like the workhorse Veloso.

Veloso: I advise you to watch your words. I'm a defensive midfielder, so it's understandable that I don't touch the ball often. But it's a bit unreasonable for some players, who are key players, to not even get to touch the ball.

Deng Kai: ? ? ?

In the 36th minute, Quaresma broke through on the right wing and eventually won a free kick.

During the ensuing corner kick, Fonte fouled Görlitz, who was defending him, while challenging for the ball.

During this period, the Portuguese team was constantly besieging the German team.

The German coach held a thick stack of statistics and analysis sheets, waiting to give his players instructions during halftime.

Trailing by three goals, seemingly in dire straits, but the Germans never fight a battle they are sure of winning!

There are plenty of opportunities!

Forty-second minute.

Cristiano Ronaldo, struggling to survive inside the penalty area, withdrew from the penalty area.

Centers actually have a tough time.

They often don't even appear on camera.

However, the opposing center-back will not be unable to see you.

They will follow you most of the time and have some physical contact with you.

They'll give you a push when you're running, and give you a nudge when you meet.

Endless petty actions and minor conflicts.

I'm not usually thick-skinned, so Luo really can't handle it.

As soon as Ronaldo came out, Deng Kai immediately made a forward run, using Ronaldo's movement to temporarily shake off Klinger, who was marking him. Ronaldo could succeed even if he played basketball, because he executed a good pick-and-roll.

Quaresma successfully dribbled past his opponent on the wing and spotted Deng Kai's run, then delivered a cross.

Knowing that Deng Kai wasn't tall, he delivered a low cross.

This kind of ball is difficult to handle, and Deng Kai is no exception.

But before Deng Kai could even think about how to handle the situation, he was brought down by German center-back Fink.

Fink couldn't keep up with Deng Kai and was worried that Deng Kai would receive the cross, so he used both his hands and feet to push Deng Kai down.

The referee immediately blew his whistle.

Penalty!

And Fink was given a yellow card!

The German fans were even considering leaving the stadium.

Trailing by three goals, and then conceding a penalty?

Is this match even playable?

The German players immediately surrounded him, saying it was normal physical contact and that Deng Kai was faking it.

But the referee ignored all of them.

The hot-tempered Hitzlsperger received a yellow card warning for his overly aggressive words.

He was furious!

During the UEFA Youth League, at least they weren't that far behind Sporting Lisbon.

Everyone's gone into extra time.

How come Deng Kai and Cristiano Ronaldo can already dominate the German U16 team in just two or three months?

Quaresma then took the penalty kick.

boom!

"Oh! It didn't go in! The ball hit the post and bounced out!"

"Quaresma! This shouldn't be happening!"

I like playing football on the ground: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him.