Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Lin Feng actually wanted to say that there was an element of gambling involved in this game, but he was probably lucky today and won the bet.

What does it feel like to take the lead by a goal in the very first minute?
Just look at Real Madrid manager Mourinho's reaction and you'll know!
The madman clenched his fists and roared, then slid down to his knees in celebration.

No one knows better than Cech, the former Chelsea manager, how strong Chelsea's defense is and how difficult it is to break through their goal.

However, thanks to Lin Feng's incredible free kick, Real Madrid miraculously broke through Chelsea's defense right at the start of the match.

Such a goal not only greatly affects the morale and mentality of both teams' players, but may also disrupt the opposing coach's pre-match tactical arrangements, allowing Real Madrid to take control of the game from the very beginning.

Mourinho immediately took advantage of the players' goal celebration to quickly adjust the team's tactics.

Although he usually doesn't play defensive counter-attacking football at home, because doing so would draw boos from Real Madrid fans.

But in order to advance in the Champions League, he couldn't care less about anything else.

Real Madrid were not originally in a position to play a defensive counter-attacking style in this match, but an unexpected early lead made Mourinho change his mind.

With such a great opportunity right in front of us, it would be a waste not to take advantage of it.

What's more, his team also has the sharpest counter-attacking spear on the planet—Lin Feng!
With the right timing, location, and people, if he doesn't play a defensive counter-attacking style, then he wouldn't be Mourinho.

"How shameless!"

Chelsea manager Grant was already worried that Mourinho might switch to a defensive counter-attacking style after the team conceded a goal.

Seeing that Mourinho had indeed done so, he immediately cursed Mourinho as shameless in his heart.

This is your home ground, and you're leading Real Madrid, a team with two Ballon d'Or winners and a host of top stars. And you're just retreating to play a defensive counter-attacking game?

Where is dignity?
Where is the sense of shame?
And still boasting about being a top-tier football coach, the most special one favored by God.

Is all they can do just play defensive counter-attacking football?
Mourinho remained silent, simply instructing Mascherano and Diarra to press the opposing midfielders with the ball like mad dogs.

Ballack and Lampard both received grueling training from Real Madrid's defensive midfielders, and sometimes Lin Feng would come back to join in and give them a workout.

Chelsea's midfield is indeed very strong, but neither Lampard nor Ballack, not to mention Makelele and Essien, are the kind of playmakers with very delicate footwork.

Their playing style is relatively simple and efficient, and they have a decent passing ability, but if you compare them to playmakers like Zidane, Pirlo, and Xavi, who are skilled and incredibly creative, there's really no way they can compare.

Chelsea's persistent problem, whether under Mourinho or Grant, has always been the lack of a playmaker in midfield.

Mourinho's coaching style is tailored to individual players; since there isn't a suitable playmaker midfielder, he simply doesn't need one.

He made full use of the physical strength, toughness, and endurance of players like Lampard, Ballack, Essien, and Makelele, forming a formidable midfield that relied on its own strength and toughness to engage in a brutal midfield battle with the opponent.

Since I have no organizer, then you are not allowed to have one either!
Faced with this formidable midfield machine, considered the best in Europe, other teams' playmakers faltered, finding no room to maneuver.

This put the game in Chelsea's favorite and most familiar phase, where they could rely on their superior physique and greater experience to defeat their opponents.

Mourinho's first stint at Chelsea was able to set a Premier League record for the fewest goals conceded, not only because of Petr Cech's goalkeeping prowess and a strong defense, but also because of the iron-willed midfield he built.

But today, Chelsea faced a team with the same playing style as themselves.

For Real Madrid, the midfield trio of Mascherano, Diarra, and Lin Feng is in no way inferior to Chelsea's Ballack, Lampard, and Makelele combination in terms of defensive intensity.

Ballack and Lampard's already limited playmaking abilities were rendered ineffective under Real Madrid's high-intensity pressing and interception.

The Chelsea players on the field even had the illusion that they were playing against themselves!

It wasn't just them who felt this way; even the audience and commentators at the scene had similar feelings.

"Although Grant made some adjustments to Chelsea's attacking tactics, he basically followed the style of play from the Mourinho era and did not carry out any major reforms."

After being coached by Mourinho for most of the season, Real Madrid has become more and more like Chelsea.

This match was less about Mourinho fighting Grant and more about him fighting against his past self!

Grass clippings flew everywhere on the field, fouls were frequent, and both sides engaged in fierce battles and tackles in midfield, with players frequently falling to the ground during the confrontations.

As Real Madrid's most crucial player, Lin Feng unsurprisingly received special attention from Chelsea.

In less than half an hour, Lin Feng's white jersey was covered in mud and grass clippings, but every time his opponent knocked him down, he immediately got up, neither complaining nor lying on the grass, but immediately getting up and throwing himself back into the battle.

His professionalism and tenacious fighting spirit are so admirable that even Chelsea players can't help but give him a thumbs up.

Barak thought to himself, "This kid is really an unkillable cockroach!"

In the past, most of the midfield maestros of other teams would not be able to withstand such a beating from these three brothers. They would either become timid and hesitant or underperform and be unable to complete their normal organizational work.

However, Lin Feng was still able to complete the task of connecting the ball under their high-intensity pressing and interception, often making key passes in counterattacks.

Barak had barely finished his exclamation when Lin Feng launched him into the air.

Chelsea targeted Lin Feng, while Real Madrid relentlessly tormented Ballack.

Lampard likes to push forward into the penalty area, leaving Ballack as the only player capable of organizing play in midfield for Chelsea.

So Barak was in trouble!
Chelsea seemed to have the upper hand during this period, with possession exceeding 60% at one point, but in terms of the number of dangerous attacks, Real Madrid, with possession of less than 40%, actually had more.

The main reason for this is that Lin Feng is in the opposing team's lineup.

Chelsea's midfield is full of rough guys, but Real Madrid's is not!

Mascherano and Diarra can't embroider on their feet, but Lin Feng can!
In Real Madrid's tactical system, Lin Feng can play as a defensive midfielder when he drops back into the backfield, or as an attacking midfielder when he moves forward. In any position, he can fulfill the role of an organizing midfielder.

The work that used to require three people was now taken on by Lin Feng.

This meant Chelsea couldn't use their extensive experience in close combat to beat their opponents, because while the opposition continued to relentlessly grind them down, they also had an additional role that Chelsea didn't have.

Although Real Madrid did not extend their lead in the first half, this kind of attrition was clearly in Real Madrid's favor.

Chelsea's midfield trio consists of Ballack (32), Lampard (30), and Makelele (35), all veterans over 30. In contrast, Real Madrid's Mascherano is 24, Diarra 23, and Lin Feng is under 20.

As the saying goes, youth has the upper hand in boxing. Compared to young people, veterans have significantly less physical reserves and slower recovery.

If this continues, Chelsea's veterans might not be able to hold on in the second half.

Then Real Madrid's young players will really rip off their money!

Grant was well aware of Mourinho's intentions, but he simply couldn't do anything about it.

It was already the best they could do in the first half, managing to hold onto the goal and avoid conceding a second goal. We can't ask the players to do any better.

But what about the second half?
"Claude, can you keep going in the second half? If not, I'll bring on Essien and let you rest."

During halftime, Grant looked worriedly at Makelele, the oldest player on the team. He noticed that Makelele had been breathing heavily since the 40th minute, and sometimes he would even rest his hands on his knees when the ball was dead.

This is a sign that you're physically exhausted!
"I still have a little energy left. Let Essien replace me in 65 minutes!"

Makelele didn't try to be brave; in a normal match, he would have had no problem playing the full game.

But the intensity of this match was a bit too high. The battle between the two sides in the midfield was too fierce, and the opponents were a group of energetic young people. His old bones really couldn't withstand the strain.

Perhaps it's time for me to leave.

The match against Real Madrid made Makelele realize that he was no longer young and could no longer adapt to high-intensity games.

Staying at Chelsea would likely only be a burden to the team.

He was somewhat unwilling to be relegated to the bench, so the best outcome was for him to part ways with Chelsea amicably.

Chelsea are looking for a new midfielder, while he can still play and find a wealthy club to earn more for his retirement.

Despite his considerable fame in the football world, Makelele hasn't actually made much money.

When he was at Real Madrid, the club offered him an annual salary of only 120 million euros, which was far less than the five or six million euros annual salary of several superstars in the team.

Makelele asked Real Madrid for a pay rise, but Florentino Pérez refused.

Feeling disrespected by the club, he angrily left the team and joined Chelsea.

At Chelsea, Makelele's annual salary rose to 350 million euros, three times that of his time at Real Madrid.

But he was already thirty when he came to Chelsea, missing the best opportunity to make big money.

The Premier League is currently experiencing its biggest pay rise in history, with Chelsea captain John Terry's annual salary increasing to £13, while Frank Lampard and Essien have both seen their salaries rise to £9...

But all of that is irrelevant to him now. At 35, he is not Chelsea's future and is unlikely to get a big contract.

Grant had no idea what Makelele was thinking. He patted Makelele on the shoulder and walked toward the next player.

"Frank, I need you to be more decisive when we're attacking, especially when we're crossing from the wing. You need to be in that position!"

Grant drew a circle on the tactics board to represent the location of Real Madrid's penalty area.

Lampard glanced at it and nodded emphatically.

He was actually quite frustrated in this match. Not only was he targeted by the opponent, but his teammates also failed to create many opportunities. His repeated forward runs were all in vain.

But since the coach specifically gave these instructions, there must be a deeper meaning behind them, and Genie decided to trust the coach one more time.

Grant's last words of advice were directed at Ballack, who had been targeted the most in the first half and had the most mud on him in the entire locker room.

Therefore, Ballack had to change into a new jersey, listening to Grant's instructions while changing:

"In the second half, we need to try to attack down the flanks more often. When the ball is crossed from the wings, you need to be on the outside to provide cover and support, and be ready to counter the opponent's quick counter-attacks. If there is a suitable shooting opportunity, don't hesitate..."

Although Ballack tried his best, the first half showed that Real Madrid's midfield defense was very solid, and continuing to attack through the middle was not a wise choice. Therefore, Chelsea will focus on attacking down the flanks in the second half.

This requires Ballack to make some sacrifices for the team. After all, with Lampard making forward runs to participate in the attack, someone needs to cover for him from behind.

Given Lin Feng's strong individual attacking ability, Grant is not at ease leaving only one defensive midfielder, so he needs Ballack to devote more energy to defense.

Meanwhile, inside Real Madrid's locker room.

Mourinho has almost finished explaining the tactics for the second half.

"The opponent will most likely choose to strengthen their attack on the flanks in the second half, especially on the left flank where Ashley Cole is located. When the opponent launches an attack from the flanks, the defensive midfielder needs to assist the full-back in intercepting the opponent's wingers and prevent them from passing the ball out easily."

We must also be wary of their tactic of using attacks down the flanks to disrupt our formation before passing the ball to our midfielders!

Although Mourinho said he didn't value Grant, he had secretly studied Grant's tactics at Chelsea thoroughly.

After a 15-minute halftime break, both teams returned to the field.

With a lead in the score and the advantage of continuing to drag the game out, the Real Madrid players maintained good morale.

Chelsea, however, generally looked worried, even though losing to Real Madrid away from home was not unacceptable.

But with such a difficult first half, they worried that their opponents would take advantage of their fatigue in the second half to launch a fierce attack and widen the score gap in no time.

They can accept losing to Real Madrid by one goal away from home, but losing by two goals or more would be unacceptable for Chelsea.

Judging from the defensive intensity Real Madrid displayed in this match, even back at Stamford Bridge, it won't be easy for them to break through the opponent's goal.

Therefore, they desperately need to score a goal away from home. They would accept it even if Real Madrid scored another goal.

Just as Chelsea's players were pondering how to exploit the flanks to break down their opponent's defense, Real Madrid unexpectedly launched a major offensive. (End of Chapter)