Chapter 1121: Strong offense and defense...not weak
Hulay threatened Mexico's goal, and Mexico was not helpless.
After all, the Mexican team also has an outstanding striker - Nuno Alvarez, who plays for the powerful La Liga team Valentia.
Speaking of which, he and Hu Lai still have some "grievances".
In this season's Europa League, the Mexican striker currently ranks first on the scorer list, with a total of seven goals.
Hu Lai ranked third with five goals.
It can be said to be a close second.
Hulay scored five goals in just three Europa League games. After approaching Alvarez on the scorer list, the media specifically mentioned this matter. While praising Hulay, Nuno Alvarez's name will be mentioned anyway.
So it is absolutely impossible to say that Alvarez has no feelings for Hulay.
This China Cup is a good opportunity for Alvarez, an opportunity to compete with Hu Lai with real swords and guns.
As both forwards, the competition is very simple, to see who can score better.
In this China Cup, Lasky temporarily topped the scorer list with two goals with one goal each in the semi-finals and the third-place final.
However, his game is over. Whether he can keep his position as top scorer depends on the performance of Hulay and Alvarez in this final.
Coincidentally, both men scored a goal in the previous semifinals.
Whoever scores a goal in the final will be able to catch up with Lasky, and may even overtake him to monopolize the Golden Boot honor.
Alvarez regards Hulay as an opponent who needs to be taken seriously, but he doesn't care much about the Chinese team's defenders.
In addition to Hu Lai, there is another person in the Chinese team that he knows, and that is Zhang Qinghuan, who plays in Sarria.
By watching the highlights of the last semi-final when the Chinese team defeated South Africa 4:1, you can easily know that what this Chinese team is best at is offense, and they are stronger in offense than defense.
This was also reflected after the final started. The Chinese team's offense put a lot of pressure on the Mexican defenders.
But the Chinese team’s defense...
Alvarez, the top scorer in the Europa League (currently) and the third top scorer in La Liga (currently), really doesn't take the Chinese team's three defenders seriously.
Nuno Alvarez is not tall, only 1.77 meters tall, and his speed is actually not very fast, but his advantage lies in his delicate skills at his feet and his excellent dribbling skills in the midfield and frontcourt. Many of his goals were scored after passing through defensive players.
It can be said that he and Hu Lai are completely two types of forwards.
Hulay needs the support of his teammates, and Alvarez has strong individual combat capabilities.
After he got the ball on the right wing, he suddenly cut inside when facing Chen Xingyi who was returning to defense, and then used his first-mover advantage to get Chen Xingyi stuck behind him, so that he did not dare to make a mistake, and then took the football to the Chinese team's penalty area. Kill.
Chen Xingyi couldn't stay with him all the time, because he had to double as a full-back in defense. At this time, Mexico's right back was covering the side, so Chen Xingyi could only follow back to defend the wing.
The task of midfield defense was given to Gao Ruimin.
Gao Ruimin replaced Jiang Wanqing in the starting lineup in this game. This is also his first start for the national team after being injured in the World Cup - he came on as a substitute in the last ten minutes of the last China Cup semi-final.
Before the injury, Gao Ruimin was the main defensive midfielder of Shi Wuyin's national team. After all, he was the main player from the National Youth Team to the National Olympic Team. He was also the main player in the capital Tenglong. Shi Wuyin was very familiar with him.
His characteristic is balance.
There are no obvious shortcomings in terms of physical fitness, confrontation ability, interception ability, and man-marking ability. Of course, none of these abilities are particularly outstanding.
At 1.85 meters tall, he has height and can head the ball. Although his body is not too strong, his core strength is not bad. At the same time, because his body is not very strong, he is quite agile and not too clumsy. He has good physical fitness and can run.
Fortunately, the injury suffered in the World Cup did not have a big impact on his career, so after patient recovery, Gao Ruimin has now become the main force in the club and returned to the national team.
In fact, balance sometimes means, to put it mildly, mediocre.
Indeed, as a national player, Gao Ruimin's ability in the midfielder position is not particularly outstanding. Compared with his teammates in the midfield and frontcourt, he is not outstanding.
But in today's Chinese football world, aside from Jiang Wanqing, who is getting older, Gao Ruimin is an important candidate for this position and cannot be avoided.
After all, he is a purely defensive midfielder, and his defensive ability is still guaranteed.
Dillon's 352 has high requirements for midfield defense, so he arranged for two different midfielders to start in these two games, just to see who is more suitable for the national team at this stage.
Jiang Wanqing's rich experience is his biggest advantage, and his age is his biggest disadvantage. At the age of thirty-four, his physical functions have completely deteriorated. Sometimes defense can only rely on experience, not body.
Gao Ruimin is better because he is young.
But whether it is Jiang Wanqing or Gao Ruimin, they are still somewhat powerless when facing an opponent of Alvarez's level...
Gao Ruimin retreated from the midfield to the penalty area. When he saw Alvarez dribbling the ball, he stepped forward to meet him.
Facing Alvarez, he lowered his center of gravity and prepared for the attack.
However, Alvarez's faster pace and foot rhythm still made him lose his center of gravity...
"Alvarez...feint! Danger!"
After Gao Ruimin was passed, the commentary box and the stands simultaneously exclaimed.
"Fuck!" Gao Ruimin, who was passed over, cursed and caught up again.
Alvarez is already facing the Chinese team's back line, lacking midfield protection, and center back Mao Jun is directly facing the opponent's forward... Gao Ruimin knows that this is basically the "most dangerous time."
He must reattach to interfere with the opponent and cooperate with Mao Junzheng to complete the defense.
Alvarez ignored Gao Ruimin's pursuit. Facing the Chinese defender who came to defend him, he also used the change of rhythm at his feet to cause Mao Junzheng to pause. He calculated mentally but not accidentally, and suddenly dunked the football to the left, then slashed into the penalty area!
At this moment, Mao Jun wanted to start kicking the ground to chase, but it was already too late. The distance between him and Alvarez was instantly opened to a certain position...
"Careful!"
After Alvarez broke into the penalty area, he began to adjust his steps. It seemed that he planned to catch up with the football and shoot directly!
Goalkeeper Hao De chased him to block the angle of his shot.
When he saw Alvarez raising his leg high and hitting the football field, he fell to the ground and threw himself sideways!
But Alvarez was just a fake move. His foot that landed on the ground did not hit the football, but just shot behind the ball!
Hao De has been knocked to the ground...
Only then did Alvarez take another shot!
Just as he was shooting, someone rushed over from the side and made a sliding tackle!
The football shot by Alvarez was blocked by his foot, deflected and flew out of the baseline!
"Whew!" Only then did the Chinese fans in the stands let out a sigh of relief and let go of their nervousness.
"Wang Guangwei has made a meritorious service!" He Feng shouted excitedly. "He made the most critical defense at the most critical time!"
Alvarez did not expect that his series of wonderful performances would fall short. He turned to look at Wang Guangwei who got up from the ground with wide eyes.
The slow motion of this attack and defense was also replayed in the game broadcast. Through the replay, everyone can see that when Alvarez broke through Mao Junzheng, Wang Guangwei had already come over from the other side. He actually moved laterally following Alvarez's running route.
But he didn't make any pause, even when he saw Alvarez challenging Mao Junzheng, he didn't stop, but ran straight towards the back.
It was as if he knew Alvarez would definitely break through in that direction.
So in the end he really caught up...
If he had hesitated for a moment during the whole process, he might not have been able to block Alvarez's shot!
Hao De stood up from the ground and patted Wang Guangwei on the shoulder vigorously, thanking him for his "life-saving grace."
"Since his outstanding performance as a substitute for the injured main defender Altobelli, Wang Guangwei has now established a firm foothold in Eldrea's main lineup. Although he had not had the opportunity to play in Eldrea before. Many, but his training attitude is impeccable and his progress is remarkable. Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared, and Wang Guangwei is such a person! This defense fully demonstrated his composure and determination!”
He Feng was full of praise for Wang Guangwei.
Compared with the offense, the Chinese team's defense is indeed not outstanding. It can even be said that it has always been the target of criticism, especially in the Asian Cup.
Now he is happy to see that Wang Guangwei is growing up rapidly.
I believe that after Lin Zhiyuan fully recovers from injury, the Chinese team’s defense will no longer be as embarrassed as before...
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“Team Wang is awesome!!”
"The eternal god of the King's team!"
"Sure enough, we still have to rely on our team at the critical moment!"
Wu Yue and his teammates from the Jiaxiang High School football team jumped up from their seats and cheered.
Then someone asked Wu Yue: "Military team, did those people from Dongchuan Middle School really bring our banners in?"
Wu Yue nodded: "Bring it in, I specially ran to wait outside the provincial body and handed the things to them... Don't worry, everyone should pay attention, maybe you can see our banner on the camera in the stands soon." ”
When he said this, the other members of the former Jiaxiang High School football team stared closely at the TV screen, fearing that they would miss the critical moment of seeing their banner.
At this moment, Mexico took a corner kick, but it did not threaten the Chinese team's goal.
Because Wang Guangwei jumped up and pushed the football out in front of everyone!
"It's Wang Guangwei again! Beautiful header to clear the siege!"
The football he pushed out fell outside the penalty area, and Hulay and Mexican midfielder Jonathan Hernandez jumped up to compete for the top.
Although he did not hit the ball, he effectively interfered with Hernandez's header, causing the latter's header to hit the Chinese team's penalty area, but it was weak and was removed by Zhang Qinghuan with his chest and then moved to the wing. , to Chen Xingyi who was running out of the penalty area!
“The Chinese team’s counterattack!”
There were loud cheers in the stands.
Chen Xingyi took the ball and rushed forward!
Mexico's players hurriedly returned to defense.
Hu Lai turned around and ran forward after the header. At that time, Zhang Qinghuan had not even received the ball...
Chen Xingyi was quickly intercepted by Mexican full-back Sosa Nascimento who stayed behind.
So he slowed down, kicked the football towards the middle, and passed it to Hu Lai, who was running in the middle.
At this time, because the Chinese team's counterattack was so fast, Hu Lai was actually the Chinese team player at the front, and he had no teammates around him who could cooperate with him!
The Mexican players who were returning to defense were overjoyed when they saw this - the Chinese team's offense was slowing down, which just gave them time to return to defense!
Another Mexican full-back, Rolando Perez, who was originally staying behind, fought and retreated. He was not in a hurry to come up and steal the ball from Hulay's feet. His main task now is to entangle Hulay and help his teammates return. To gain time.
Anyway, Hu Lai is not good at dribbling the ball to break through. Even if you give him space, he will not be able to perform.
Hulay, who was dribbling the ball forward, noticed Perez's response strategy, and I have to say... it was indeed a reasonable response. Hu Lai even dared to bet that as long as he did not enter the penalty area, Perez would probably be able to drag him on like this.
But who says I won’t be a threat if I don’t enter the penalty area?
Feeling the threat of chasing back from Hernandez behind him, Hulay gently moved the football forward, which looked no different from the previous dribbling.
But then, he raised his right leg and hit the football!
About thirty meters away from the goal...long shot!
"Hu Lai shot directly...eh?"
When He Feng was still surprised by Hu Lai's sudden long-range shot, he saw the football pass straight through the 30-meter field, and then... plunged into the Mexico goal.
Although Mexican goalkeeper Manriquez soared into the air, at only 1.79 meters tall, he did not touch the ball no matter how much he stretched in the air!
Because he didn't expect Hu Lai to shoot directly from such a distance!
"Beautiful——!!! Beautiful!! Hu Lai! Beautiful!!!"
Yan Kang beside He Feng roared at the top of his lungs, as if he wanted to compete with the cheers above the Provincial Sports Center!
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PS, it’s the last day of September, please vote for me~~! (End of chapter)