Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Mourinho's gesture sounded the horn for Real Madrid's counterattack.

In the 20th minute, Lin Feng quickly passed the ball from the middle to the wing, where Ramos, who had come up to assist, delivered a cross from the right.

Van Nistelrooy got to the ball, but his header lacked power and was easily caught by Reina.

Two minutes later, Real Madrid launched another attack. Lin Feng broke free of the defense in the middle and played a through ball that pierced Liverpool's back line. Unfortunately, Raul's goal was ruled offside. Slow-motion replays showed that he did start a little too early.

The moment Lin Feng got the ball, Raul guessed that the opponent would pass it to the space in front of him, so he started moving early. However, he did not expect that his early start would waste the opportunity.

It seems that sometimes having too much tacit understanding isn't all a good thing.

In the past, this ball might have been passed to him, because back then Raul didn't think Lin Feng would pass the ball to him.

Although Raul's goal was disallowed, the threat Real Madrid posed on this counter-attack still made Benitez somewhat uneasy.

What worries him even more is that, under the immense attacking pressure from Real Madrid, Liverpool players on the field are making more and more mistakes.

In the 28th minute, Liverpool defender Arbeloa made a passing error in his own half under pressure from Real Madrid.

Lin Feng made a quick interception and, before the opposing player could foul him, sent a through ball back into the opponent's penalty area.

Facing the goalkeeper's rush and the defender's interference, Van Nistelrooy, known as the king of the penalty area, unleashed his unique skill inside the box, controlling the ball and firing a powerful shot that pierced Liverpool's goal.

The score became 1-0, with Real Madrid breaking the deadlock.

Anfield Stadium, usually bustling with activity, became considerably quieter after Van Nistelrooy's goal.

Many Liverpool fans stared wide-eyed in disbelief, as their opponents scored faster than them, capitalizing on their mistakes.

In fact, after Real Madrid increased their pace, Liverpool players on the field could clearly feel the increased pressure from Real Madrid, especially in the attacking third.

Arbeloa's mistake just now was because Real Madrid's defenders cut off his forward passing lanes, and with Lin Feng and Raul pressing him, he couldn't hold onto the ball and was forced to pass it back.

However, since there was only one passing lane left, Lin Feng had anticipated it, leading to the successful interception and subsequent goal.
The players who have had a tough time lately aren't just Liverpool's defenders; the one who's had it the most is their defensive midfielder, Xabi Alonso.

Mascherano's departure has significantly increased the burden on him as an organizing midfielder.

Now, he not only needs to organize the offense, but also take on the responsibility of defense.

As a defensive midfielder who focuses on organizing the attack, Alonso's defense is indeed decent. He has toughness, a good attitude, and a good physique, making him much better than a pure playmaker like Pirlo.

But Long Ge is not a dedicated defensive midfielder, and he also has to take on the team's organizational and offensive responsibilities, which makes his burden very heavy.

In addition, he was facing a formidable opponent like Lin Feng in this match, which kept Alonso on edge at all times.

Less than 30 minutes into the game, Alonso already felt a bit out of breath.

When he was on offense, he was targeted by his opponents; when he was on defense, he was also targeted by his opponents.

Moreover, his opponents were playing a series of matches, while he had to play the entire match. How could he possibly withstand such intense competition?
Mourinho is very clear about Liverpool's Achilles' heel. Don't be fooled by Gerrard's impressive attacking play in the front, it's all thanks to the support and passing from the back.

If they can contain Liverpool's midfield, especially shutting down Alonso, then Gerrard and his...

As the game progressed, Liverpool found it increasingly difficult to create good scoring opportunities.

This forced Gerrard to drop back and participate in defense and playmaking to relieve the pressure on Alonso.

However, with him out of the attacking third, Real Madrid's defensive pressure was greatly reduced, allowing them to commit more players to attack.

In the 38th minute, Raul received a lobbed pass from Lin Feng, controlled the ball with his chest, and broke into the penalty area. Carragher slid in from the side and behind, and the two fell to the ground at the same time.

Liverpool fans were on tenterhooks, fearing the referee would award a penalty.

However, the referee, Proutz, did not call a foul but instead signaled for the game to continue.

This action provoked strong dissatisfaction from Real Madrid players. Raul got up and angrily tried to demand an explanation from the referee, but instead received a yellow card.

Real Madrid's manager, Mourinho, was so angry he almost laughed. The referee's whistle was so off-target that he began to suspect that the opposing team had been bribed or had received instructions from above.

"The slow-motion replay shows that this should have been a penalty!"

On CCTV's commentary panel, the two guest commentators also expressed their regret for Raul and Real Madrid.

If the call hadn't been wrong, Real Madrid's lead could have easily extended to two goals.

If Liverpool loses to Real Madrid by this score at home, it will basically mean they are out of the competition.

Fortunately, the referee gave them an extra second.

Taking advantage of the Real Madrid players' mental state being affected by the previous ruling, Liverpool launched an attack.

In the 41st minute, Gerrard chipped a pass from the edge of the penalty area, and Babel broke the offside trap to create a one-on-one opportunity.

But his shot from the left side of the penalty area was blocked by Casillas' leg.

Liverpool missed a golden opportunity to score!

If we include the previous one, Liverpool have already missed two excellent scoring opportunities in the first half.

Both of these opportunities were saved by Real Madrid's goalkeeper.

The years between 08 and 12 were the peak of Casillas' career.

During this period, he was undoubtedly one of the best goalkeepers in football.

His positioning, anticipation, attacking speed, reaction speed, and save techniques were among the best of his generation of goalkeepers.

Even among goalkeepers in the world today, his ability to save one-on-one chances is probably unmatched.

Aside from his height being a slight disadvantage, which results in him not covering as much area as tall goalkeepers like Buffon and Cech, he has almost no weaknesses.

Therefore, if you were to test Casillas with a long-range shot, the story might be quite different.

"Well done, Iker!"

Ramos excitedly ran over to give Casillas a high-five and a hug. From his angle just now, the ball was almost a sure goal, but unexpectedly it was saved by his own goalkeeper. It was simply divine.

"Heh, just lucky, nothing more!"

Casillas himself was quite modest.

"No need to be modest. Including the previous match, you've already saved two one-on-one chances. Once could be attributed to luck, but twice can't be explained by luck!"

Cannavaro's words piqued Ramos's interest, and he asked curiously:
"So Fabio, do you think Buffon is better, or Casillas is more skilled?"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding players pricked up their ears with curiosity, and even the Liverpool players became intrigued.

"Well, they each have their own strengths and are both very good. In my opinion, they are the top goalkeepers in the world today!"

Buffon was Cannavaro's teammate at Juventus and on the national team, while Casillas is his current club teammate. It wouldn't be good to favor either of them, so Cannavaro chose this answer that would offend neither side.

"I can't compare to Buffon. After all, he set a record for goalkeeper transfer fees and led his team to a World Cup victory. There's still a big gap between us!" Casillas noticed Cannavaro's predicament and stepped in to smooth things over.

In fact, he already had a good idea of ​​what was going on. Cannavaro was unwilling to say that he was better in front of him, which proved that in the other party's mind, Buffon was definitely better.

Casillas wasn't that jealous, and the competition for the goalkeeper position wasn't as fierce as for the forwards and midfielders.

There's no need for him to keep comparing himself to Buffon.

In the final moments of the match, Liverpool, desperate to catch up, launched their fiercest attack.

In the 44th minute, Kuyt passed the ball back to Gerrard, whose long-range shot went wide of the left post.

In the 45th minute, Liverpool won a corner kick. After the corner was taken, Casillas misjudged the height of the ball, resulting in a mistake in his attempt to intercept it. Fortunately, Lin Feng cleared the ball at the far post.

Liverpool fans in the stands sighed in unison, wondering why this guy was so persistent.
He's there on offense, he's there on defense, it feels like he's everywhere!

In fact, although Lin Feng would usually drop back to participate in defense, he rarely dropped back into his own penalty area.

The reason he was here was simply because, with the first half nearing its end, he didn't want Liverpool to score at this crucial juncture, so he focused more on defense.

One minute later, the first half ended with the referee's whistle.

Liverpool, playing at home, are currently trailing the away team by one goal.

Although the deficit wasn't significant, for Liverpool, who were hoping to win at home, this result had put them in a difficult position.

During halftime, both teams adjusted their tactics.

"We played well in the first half, and we'll keep it up in the second half. Liverpool are about to give out. Once they start to falter, that's when we'll unleash our fury!"

Mourinho, unusually, did not use his usual tactics of manipulating players or deliberately create a tragic atmosphere as if the whole world was targeting them.

Instead, he displayed absolute confidence in front of the players!
Just kidding, his reputation as a Liverpool nemesis isn't for nothing.

Since he took charge of Chelsea, Chelsea has won more matches than they have lost in competitive games against Liverpool. At one point, Liverpool fans developed a fear of Chelsea, as they had no way to deal with the tough and tenacious Chelsea team.

Because of the numerous encounters and his high win rate, Mourinho has a significant psychological advantage over Liverpool.

The head coach's strong confidence naturally influences the players on the team.

Seeing Mourinho's confidence, they also felt full of confidence.

On the other hand, Benitez seemed somewhat indecisive on Liverpool's side.

He wanted to intensify his attack, but he was also worried that Mourinho would seize the opportunity to launch a counter-attack.

"We must attack in the second half. If we lose at home, it will be the same as being eliminated early. We can't pin our hopes on creating a miracle on the road. A miracle is called a miracle because it is almost impossible!"

At the crucial moment, it was Gerrard, the team's captain and spiritual leader, who stepped forward and dispelled Benitez's doubts with a few words.

In fact, Benitez is not an indecisive person. It's just that meeting Mourinho stirred up some unpleasant memories in his heart, which made him become anxious and insecure.

He desperately wanted to beat Mourinho!

……

After the start of the second half, Liverpool's attack intensified.

In the 46th minute, Skrtel successfully dispossessed Van Nistelrooy, and Liverpool immediately launched a counter-attack.

Seeing the situation was not good, Diarra decisively fouled Alonso, who had the ball, and used a yellow card to stop the opponent's fast counterattack.

After getting up from the ground, Xabi Alonso opted to take a quick free kick.

The ball quickly reached Liverpool's right winger, Kuyt, who then delivered a cross from the right, but it was cleared by a Real Madrid defender.

The ball returned to Gerrard, and just as he was about to shoot, Pepe intercepted it from behind just outside the penalty area.

"Brother Lin, here you go!"

Pepe, who had gotten the ball, called out Lin Feng's name as if to take credit, as if he was afraid that others wouldn't know that he had passed the ball to Lin Feng.

Great steal!
Lin Feng secretly praised himself, dodging Xabi Alonso's tackle, and then sprinted with the ball towards the opponent's half.

"Stop him quickly!"

"Don't let him pass!"

"Foul! Foul it now!"

When the Liverpool fans in the stands saw Lin Feng charging towards them aggressively, their faces changed drastically, and they shouted in fright.

But the noise on the field was too loud for the players to hear clearly, and even if they could hear it, it would be too late!

Karag, who was closest to Lin Feng, saw that his opponent was getting closer and closer and that he couldn't outrun him at all. So he gritted his teeth and turned around to fight Lin Feng.

However, Lin Feng simply flicked the ball to the outside, using his speed to easily get past him.

When running at full speed, speed is Lin Feng's best weapon!

Even when facing the goal, the opposing defenders couldn't run as fast as him. He didn't need to think about how to get past them; he just needed to keep running at this speed, and everyone would be left behind.

Seeing Carragher get past him, Skrtel, filled with a sense of tragic heroism, gritted his teeth and charged forward.

He learned from Carragher's lesson and did not choose to turn around and confront Lin Feng head-on. Instead, he continued to maintain the same direction, using his positional advantage to try to block Lin Feng and force him to slow down or move to the side.

Skrtel believed that his height and weight gave him an advantage in physical confrontation, but he completely underestimated Lin Feng's physical strength.

The moment their bodies made contact, Skrtel felt as if he had bumped into a wall.

The enormous reaction force nearly caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.

On the other hand, Lin Feng's opponent only swayed slightly, his footwork remained steady, and he still firmly controlled possession of the ball.

The penalty area is right in front of us; we can't let him advance any further!
Skrtel steeled himself and prepared to foul outside the penalty area.

At this moment, Liverpool's goalkeeper Reina also chose to come out, wanting to cooperate with his teammates to block all of Lin Feng's shooting angles.

However, this was the moment Lin Feng had been waiting for. He suddenly changed direction, flicked the ball to the right, and shook off Skrtel, while also increasing the distance between himself and the goalkeeper.

Then, under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of fans in the stadium and countless fans in front of their televisions, Lin Feng drew his bow and arrow, assuming a shooting stance.

With a muffled thud, the ball flew away from Lin Feng's feet.

Reina, who had just made his move halfway out, quickly lowered his center of gravity in an attempt to make a save.

However, it was all too late! (End of Chapter)