We agreed to play football together, and you will be the head coach?

Chapter 412: A life-and-death battle with Navas
In the 66th minute, Motta, who had just come on the field, made a long shot from 30 meters away from the goal, which was earth-shattering.

Fortunately, Pickford was good at doing just that. He flew over and blocked the ball with one hand.

Italy's offensive weakness has been improved to a certain extent.

At least when the Italian team is about 30 meters away from the England team's goal, the England team's players have to find a way to press.

Henderson and Gerrard, Liverpool's double defensive midfielders, have even greater responsibilities.

In the 71st minute, Sterling broke through on the left side, dribbled the ball straight to the baseline, and made an inverted triangle pass.

Rooney made a quick shot.

Unfortunately, it was blocked by Barzagli who followed closely behind.

Twenty-nine-year-old Rooney was a little out of breath.

He Tianqi replaced him with Sturridge.

Once upon a time, Rooney was the absolute core of England's frontcourt.

But now, the old is being replaced by the new.

There is every reason to believe that Sturridge, who has had a big outbreak this season, will surpass Rooney's achievements.

Inzaghi also used his last substitution.

Immobile, the striker who just transferred from Turin to Dortmund, replaced Balotelli.

This is a typical homesick striker. His performance in the Bundesliga and La Liga was extremely poor, but as soon as he returned to Serie A, he became a Golden Boot-level scorer and was unrivaled.

In the 74th minute, Sturridge received the ball on the left side and tried to break through. He forced Damian back and then made a diagonal pass to Sterling who cut inside without the ball.

Sterling shot from the far corner on the left side of the penalty area.

Unfortunately, it was saved by Sirigu.

In the 75th minute, Motta once again made a high-quality long shot.

However, young Pickford was extremely excited and saved it again.

Smalling then headed the ball away before Immobile, who pushed and shoved, and was called for an offensive foul by the referee.

In the 76th minute, Candreva made a cross to initiate the attack.

Smalling and Immobile confronted each other, and Maguire easily found an opportunity to clear the ball.

In the 81st minute, De Rossi also made a long shot, but the quality was far inferior to Motta and was directly hugged by Pickford.

This Italian team does not have two sharp wing-backs, its offensive means are single, the forwards and midfielders are out of touch, and its offensive means are very limited.

It’s not that Inzaghi doesn’t understand tactics, but it’s mainly because Italy really can’t find any good winger players in the past two years.

Candreva is already one of the most capable wingers.

But let alone compared with top wingers like Ronaldo, Messi, Bale, Di Maria, and second-tier wingers like Ribery, Robben, Albrighton, even Sterling on the field today is much better than him in breaking through.

In the 85th minute, Gerrard made a straight pass from the right.

After receiving the ball, Sturridge broke through into the penalty area and then passed the ball back in a triangle.

Vardy received the ball outside the penalty area and passed it straight to the left because the Italian team's defensive focus was on the right side.

Sterling rushed into the penalty area and shot the ball without stopping.

This time I finally found the feeling.

The football went straight into the net.

"GOAL! Four to zero!"

"Youngster Sterling scores!"

"The defending World Cup champion suffered another blow!"

"Who would have believed a score like this before the game?"

In the 87th minute, Pirlo's corner kick created chaos in the England penalty area.

Chiellini volleyed the ball, which hit Maguire and bounced into the net.

Pickford was powerless to deal with this changing of the ball.

One to four.

The Italian team finally has a fig leaf.

In the 91st minute, Motta passed Henderson with a fried meatball and advanced in the midfield, but was eventually brought down by Gerrard a few meters outside the top of the arc.

Pirlo took a direct free kick and hit the goal with a high-quality elevator shot.

Pickford couldn't get the ball at all.

when!
The ball hit the crossbar and the goal was missed.

But Motta got a chance to make a follow-up shot and successfully scored.

Two to four!
The Italian team scored two goals in a row.

boom!
He Tianqi kicked the mineral water bottle away on the sidelines with a very ugly expression.

"Are they all watching the show?"

"Everyone, all the players who should have given a defensive response at that time, all write me a self-criticism!"

He Tianqi cursed loudly.

Southgate nodded quickly.

After taking a big lead, the defensive attitude of the England players was hard to agree with.

This will never happen at Villa.

……

Sky Sports: "A good start! England beat Italy 4-2. Only the champion can beat the champion!"

BBC: "The England team leads by four goals at most! They beat Italy and aim for the World Cup!"

Kicker: "Super three lions? I don't think so! Is it England that is stronger, or is it He Tianqi who understands Italy? We have to wait and see in the next two rounds of games!"

Bild: "Group D is full of upsets! England beat the undisputed champion Italy! Costa Rica drew with the double guns Uruguay!"

"Marca": "The goalkeeper Real Madrid needs has appeared! England's Pickford made many great saves, and Costa Rica's Navas kept Cavani and Suarez scoreless!"

Mundo Deportivo: "The Italian team is in a period of transition. The veterans are strong but the middle-aged and new generations are a mess!"

"The Herald": "Grassroots star Vardy scored two goals and made one assist, the best player of the match! Ashley Young made a pass and shot from the left, which was the key to breaking up the Italian team's right wing!"

England managed to win three points.

There are only three rounds in the World Cup group stage, and the outcome of each game is crucial.

Sometimes all it takes is one loss and it’s all over.

In Italy, Inzaghi was severely criticized.

His coaching of the national team was not going well.

Fortunately, He Tianqi also spoke for his apprentice after the game: "The decline of the Italian team is not caused by one person. Inzaghi is an excellent head coach."

"But we have to admit that since Italy lost its title as the world's top league, the league's ability to generate revenue has declined significantly. Most of Italy's talented players have failed to redeem their talents and become what everyone expected them to be."

"I suggest that Italian players, especially those who are really talented, go to the Premier League or La Liga for training."

“Only the most intense league can produce the most brilliant diamonds.”

"Of course, Serie A is still exciting now, and as fans, Serie A is still successful. But when it comes to competitiveness, we have to admit that we are not as good as before."

He Tianqi pointed out the decline of Serie A very bluntly.

There is nothing to be shy about.

Even after ten years, Serie A seems to have recovered, but it is just strong on the outside but weak on the inside.

The large-scale failure in European competitions once made people wonder whether the fierce competition within Serie A was deliberately creating idols, and whether teams with excellent domestic records such as Atalanta were just unlucky or unworthy of their reputation.

On June 19th, the second round of Group D matches kicked off.

Italy VS Costa Rica.

Everyone thought Italy should win easily.

But the result...

Costa Rica once again shut out their opponents!

One to zero!

Costa Rican striker Joel Campbell scored the only goal of the game.

Their goalkeeper Navas made eleven saves and was the only reason for the team's victory.

The Italians were stunned!
Balotelli and Immobile even lost their confidence in shooting in the end.

Navas became a legend in one game. People began to check the player's resume.

Do not check, I don’t know, I’m scared.

The player came from Serie A Palermo and moved to La Liga Alaves last year.

With his outstanding performance this season, he won the best goalkeeper award in La Liga, which has no outstanding goalkeepers.

He made 160 saves in a single season, with a save success rate of 80.1%. He made 37 appearances, conceded only 39 goals, and kept 17 clean sheets.

If it weren't for Courtois, Real Madrid would have signed him this summer.

Even if Real Madrid plans to sign Courtois now, Navas is still their alternative option.

The Italian team suffered two consecutive defeats at the start, and the probability of advancing is close to zero.

This is the first time in twelve years.

Fortunately, on the other side, the battle between Italy and Uruguay was somewhat unexpected.

In this game, He Tianqi used England's number one goalkeeper Joe Hart.

As a result, Suarez and Cavani were in great form and frequently scored world-class goals.

Joe Hart became a background figure again, with two great strikers each scoring a long-range goal.

Even though Walker assisted Rooney, England failed to complete the comeback and lost the game 1-2.

Among them, Sturridge, who had more opportunities in this game, played too independently and wasted a lot of the ball.

At this point, Group D’s points became 4430.

The Italian team went home one round early and lost the chance to advance.

England ranks third, which is not optimistic.

Uruguay has four points and will play Italy in the last round. As long as they don't lose, they will definitely qualify.

Even if we lose, we still have a chance to qualify.

Costa Rica has four points and will play England in the last round. If they don't lose, they will definitely qualify.

There is still a chance even if you lose.

Who could have imagined this scene?

Especially the ancestors of England and Uruguay have won the World Cup.

The Italian team has won two titles in a row in the past two years.

As a result, only Costa Rica was about to advance.

The key is that they scored a goal in two rounds.

England scored five goals in two rounds, and Costa Rica ended up with more points.

Navas' popularity has reached a new level.

Paris Saint-Germain, who are preparing to look for another goalkeeper, have also started to pay attention to him and do not rule out the possibility of introducing him to replace the injury-ridden Schmeichel.

……

On June 20th, the last round of the World Cup Group D group stage kicked off.

Costa Rica VS England.

There are not many changes in Costa Rica's lineup, still with a single striker Joel Campbell, five defenders + goalkeeper Navas.

Focus on defense to win the championship!
The England team has not changed much, still 442:

Vardy, Rooney

Sterling, Lampard, Gerrard, Albrighton
Ashley Young, Smalling, Maguire, Walker

Pickford
-

When choosing goalkeeper, He Tianqi still used Pickford again.

Joe Hart and Ben Foster are known for their buttery hands, and as soon as the opponents see them, they try their luck with long shots.

The more long-range shots these two goalkeepers face, the more likely they are to make mistakes. It's simply a vicious cycle.

Therefore, Pickford, who has similar abilities but whose shortcomings and shot-saving habits have not yet been exposed, is a better choice.

From the start of the game, England was undoubtedly the main attacker.

But Costa Rica's counterattack was also sharp.

In the ninth minute, Costa Rica got a set-piece opportunity on the right side of the frontcourt through a counterattack.

After the free kick was taken, Smalling cleared the ball at the front point and the ball flew to the back point.

Campbell blocked Walker and made a miraculous shot with a half-turn.

Suddenness and quality.

However, Pickford made an incredible save and was not affected by Walker's position at all, and saved the ball.

Southgate was surprised and delighted: "Good boy! After this World Cup, his value will increase by at least 10 million euros!"

He Tianqi nodded.

It's pretty much the same.

In the 17th minute, Costa Rica once again launched a beautiful counterattack.

Campbell cut in from the left and made a cross, and the Costa Rican midfielder followed up and shot into the far corner with his left foot.

This was another sure goal because the angle was so tricky.

However, Pickford almost flashed and flew over to block the football with one hand.

The football then hit the post and bounced out.

"Oh! Pickford is amazing!"

"He should be influenced by the ground goalkeeper Navas."

"Although there is an eight-year age difference between the two, they are undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching goalkeepers in the Brazil World Cup so far."

"Coincidentally, they are both only 1.85 meters tall."

"This is totally a showdown between two yellow flashes!"

In the 23rd minute, England finally showed a threat.

Walker hit the wall against Gerrard and advanced across half court before passing the ball to Albrighton.

Albrighton made a direct cross to lock the ball.

Vardy cleverly outflanked and came to Rooney's area.

Rooney retreated slightly and gave way.

This was almost impossible before.

But there is no way, because Vardy is in the limelight.

boom!
Vardy shot from the right side of the small penalty area.

Navas flew to save the ball, but the speed of the ball was too fast.

The football went straight into the net.

"GOAL! One to zero!"

"Vardy broke Navas's unbeatable streak! This is the first goal Navas and Costa Rica have conceded in this World Cup!"

"Albrighton's crosses are of such high quality that as long as a player touches the ball, it can be a powerful shot without any effort."

"This speed of the ball doesn't give the goalkeeper any time to react."

"Vardy's outflanking was also perfect, and the tacit understanding between him and Albrighton is enviable! They are one of the best wing-center combinations in Europe!"

"The match between England and Costa Rica will directly determine one qualifying spot. Whoever wins will advance!"

"England is currently in the lead!"

In the 29th minute, England continued to attack.

Stella broke through on the left side, and although he failed to get past the opponent, he created a corner kick.

Ashley Young was responsible for the kick-off on this side, after he kicked the ball out.

Navas was about to attack, but found that his way was blocked.

damn it!
It's Walker!
boom!
Maguire jumped high. Although he has not gained weight, he now has height, bounce and flexibility!
With a lion's head shake, he overwhelmed the Costa Rican defense line whose physical conditions were slightly inferior.

Navas tried to save the ball, but the ball was headed too high and went into the goal over him.

(End of this chapter)