Chapter 1000 Huge Gap
David Miller and his "White Rose" partners were standing in the north stand of Flanders Stadium, looking blankly into the stadium.
His eyes were a little unfocused and unfocused.
At the top of the stands diagonally in front of them, there is a large screen that displays some basic information about the game:
Game time, names of both sides, and score.
In the 76th minute of the game, Leeds City 0:3 Catalonia United.
Ninety minutes ago, the same group of people stood here in the north stand of Flanders Stadium, imagining the scene of the game.
How will their Leeds City perform when they meet Catalonia United?
There are optimistic people who say that we can definitely beat Catalonia at home.
The reason is also very simple, because Catalonia will definitely underestimate the enemy, and this is Leeds City's opportunity. As long as we can take the lead and score first within the first fifteen minutes of the game, we will be able to disrupt Catalonia's defensive deployment and throw them into chaos, as they are already strong in offense and weak in defense. Taking advantage of the situation, it may not be impossible to defeat Catalonia United at home!
Some are not so optimistic, but some are still optimistic that Leeds City can at least score a goal at home.
The reason is that the opponent underestimates the enemy. Leeds City are good at attacking. The difference with the group before them is that they weren't that optimistic yet. I feel that Leeds City should be able to score after a while of attacking after the start of the game. But it will also anger the opponent, causing the opponent to change from a state of underestimating the enemy to going all out. Once a team of Catalan United's level is fully fired up, it will be difficult for Leeds City to block their attack.
So regardless of the final result of the game, Leeds City will at least score a goal.
The rationalists believe that regardless of whether Leeds City can score a goal, if they can draw Catalonia United at home, it will be a great victory.
Of course, there are also pessimists, who think that Leeds City will definitely lose this game, so I advise everyone not to be too inflated, lest the greater your hopes, the greater your disappointment - people who hold this view have been suppressed by others, everyone I feel that this statement is simply "to make others' ambitions destroy one's own prestige."
Therefore, when everyone thought about this game before the game, most people were still optimistic.
As a result, when the score of 0:3 was thrown in front of them, it was like cold rain hitting their faces.
No goals, no wins.
Both the score and the scene vividly reflected the gap between the two teams.
The strength gap between the Premier League champions and La Liga runners-up.
The difference in strength between a civilian team and a super wealthy team.
Catalan United's main forward Emond Pettersson scored twice, a header and a long shot, which made Leeds City's defense lose their temper.
Victor Campuzano also scored a goal.
Catalan United scored its first goal in the 29th minute of the first half.
Twenty-nine minutes ago, Leeds City's performance was still tenacious. Facing the powerful Catalan United at home, they still used their own style to compete with the opponent.
Both Hulay and Camara had opportunities to shoot to threaten the Catalan United goal.
It seems to really prove that Leeds City can really defeat their opponents against Catalonia, which is strong in offense and weak in defense.
But after Swedish superstar Pettersson scored, the situation took a turn for the worse.
Pettersson suddenly fired a shot thirty meters away from the goal, and the football flew forward at high speed against the turf. This kind of shot that flies close to the ground is particularly uncomfortable for the goalkeeper. Because the taller goalkeeper will fall to the ground slower than the speed at which they fly out.
By the time Van der Ven fell to the ground and dived out, the football had already flown into the goal behind him.
Catalonia leads Leeds City by one goal.
Just six minutes after this ball, Campuzano performed a "divine performance" in the frontcourt - he first received the pass from Rosas, then turned and led forward, easily passing by when turning around. Leeds City midfielder Salif Seydoux defended him, and then used a change of direction to feint past center back Ben Grist who came up to cover.
At this time, he had already entered the penalty area. Goalkeeper Van der Ven abandoned the goal and attacked the ball at his feet. Campuzano easily lobbed the goal into the empty goal.
When the football flew into the goal, the always noisy Flanders Stadium seemed to be quiet for a few seconds.
Faced with such a goal, all Leeds City fans were speechless.
Spanish TV was cheering: "Oh oh oh! Campuzano! He defeated Leeds City alone!"
Matthew Cox sighed: "This is the difference in personal strength between players. In front of Campuzano, Seydoux and Grist are like two stupid wooden piles, watching each other pass in front of them. Dropped, but can’t do anything about it..."
He was not mocking the two Leeds City defenders, but simply stating the facts - Seydoux and Grist's reactions were indeed too slow in front of the agile Campuzano.
But because the facts are so cruel and ruthless, even stating the facts sounds like he is making a mockery...
This goal greatly damaged the morale of the Leeds City players. After all, even the home team fans in the stands had stopped cheering for a while, not to mention the Leeds City players who were talking directly to their opponents on the field.
They had watched the Catalan United game video before the game, and they had studied it repeatedly under the leadership of the coaching staff, not to mention the Catalan United games they usually watched through TV broadcasts or social networks.
But no matter how many videos of their opponents' games they had watched, they were not as shocked as when they played against Catalonia United on the court.
This is the home ground of Leeds City, but here, they feel the gap with Catalonia United.
The home court advantage is filled by the huge strength gap between the two teams...
After conceding the second goal, the entire Leeds City team was in a panic for a while.
If Pettersson hadn't made several wild shots, they might have led by four goals in the first half.
After adjustments at halftime, Leeds City's performance finally improved and gradually improved.
But at this moment, Pettersson seized the opportunity and scored with a header, ruthlessly interrupting Leeds City's momentum.
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Clark sighed, turned his back, and said to his assistant coach Sam Landill: "We have such bad luck!"
By saying this, he is definitely not shirking responsibility and simply blaming the three-goal deficit on bad luck.
But this is the case.
He spent ten minutes during the halftime break to rebuild the players' shattered confidence. He used the match between Vesuvius and Catalonia in the last round of group matches as an example to encourage the players to learn from Vesuvius.
In that game, Vesuvius fell behind by three goals at halftime. Although they failed to win the game in the end, they still recovered two goals.
So now Leeds City is only two goals behind, why can't they also catch up by two goals?
We were able to play 2:2 against Catalonia United at home. Although we didn't win, it was definitely a satisfactory result.
Vesuvius' performance in the last round of the Champions League group stage played an exemplary role and greatly inspired the confidence and morale of the players.
After the start of the second half, Leeds City's performance was better than before.
Hu Lai even had a shot that broke into the opponent's goal. At that time, the entire Flanders Stadium was cheering so loudly that everyone ignored the referee's whistle.
As a result, the video referee team ruled that Hu Lai's ball was offside and the goal was invalid...
Judging from the video replay, it was indeed offside. At that time, Hulay was completely behind the last Catalan United defender, which can be said to be quite obvious. However, Hulay was still very determined to hit the football into the goal and ran to celebrate the goal regardless of the cost, as if there was no problem with the ball.
Therefore, he tricked his teammates into celebrating excitedly with him, and the fans in the stands cheered even more, ignoring the linesman's flag raised high and the referee's whistle...
Although they failed to score a goal in the end, Leeds City's morale improved.
As a result, at this moment, Pettersson, who had been squandering opportunities since scoring in the first half, scored...
If you don't get in early, you won't get in later, but you get in just when Leeds City is finally gaining momentum!
No wonder Clark felt that way.
In the first half hour, Leeds City actually played well, but losing two goals in five minutes was too demoralizing, especially the second goal conceded was such a beautiful solo breakthrough.
As a result, the confidence and morale that Leeds City had built up in the first half hour plummeted.
I finally adjusted during the halftime break, and gradually improved in the second half. At this time, I conceded another goal...
"There is something wrong with our midfield defense, Tony." Randhir said to him from the side. "Sedu and Adams are no match for Rosas and Campuzano..."
Clark said helplessly: "Of course I know, Sam. But we don't have the right cards to play now."
"We can replace Vieira and let him and Seydu strengthen the defense together."
"Who should we replace? Adams? He is the only one we can organize the offense in the midfield. Kamara and Walsh? Or Lasky and Hu?"
Randyll said: "Replace Lasky. Let Kamara and Hu play forward."
Clark thought for a moment and added: "Replace Lorenzo and replace Lawler to strengthen the offense!"
Randall glanced at Clark and replaced right back Josh Lawler. This is to play three backs...
I proposed to replace Vieira, just to strengthen the defense and avoid conceding the ball again. As a result, your adjustment simply means you still want to continue attacking!
Although Quinn, who has excellent height, plays as a left back, he can also play as a center back.
So replacing Lawler will put Quinn in the middle to play with Ben Grist and Teddy Bradford in a back three.
This is not at all to strengthen defense and prevent continued conceding of goals...
But this is indeed the characteristic of the man in front of me.
So Randhir didn't say anything, nodded, turned around and ran to shake people.
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Soon Leeds City completed the substitutions. The team's high center Lorenzo replaced right back Josh Lawler. Another midfielder Jose Vieira was substituted at the same time. Polish forward Laski lowered his head. , sitting on the bench very depressed.
In this game, he had no performance in front of the defense line composed of Fortune and Jimenez, and failed to provide enough support to Hulay. Hu Lai was surrounded more and more and couldn't even catch the ball a few times.
Naturally, he had nothing to say after being replaced.
I chose Leeds City before because I thought I could play in this team, especially in the Champions League - it has always been Lasky's dream to participate in the Champions League.
Now after playing two games in the Champions League, he discovered that the Champions League of his dreams was not that easy to play...
On this stage where superstars gathered, Leeds City was ruthlessly crushed by Catalonia, and he, a young Polish talent, was nothing more than an inconspicuous sidekick. (End of chapter)