[Football] Bad Boy Batty

On July 7, with England defeating Colombia on penalties, the eight knockout matches of the 3 World Cup came to an end and the top eight teams were officially produced.

Brazil defeated Germany to regain its glory, Belgium defeated Japan with a thrilling buzzer beater, France and Argentina scored more goals than the Gallic roosters, Sweden narrowly defeated Switzerland, Russia and Croatia defeated Spain and Denmark on penalties, Cavani exploded and Uruguay eliminated Portugal, and the Three Lions finally broke the curse of not winning on penalties, defeating Colombia 4-3 and successfully advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals.

Overnight, two of today's football superstars, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi, both bid farewell to this World Cup.

All major media outlets have focused on this.

[No one will judge them based on their performance in the World Cup alone. They are still the greatest players of this era. The regrets left on this quadrennial stage will eventually be made up by their outstanding performance every week. The World Cup is not everything, nor is it the end. Thank them. ] - The Washington Post

However, although Ronaldo and Messi are gone, Batistuta and Mbappe are still here. In addition to the sadness, many media have focused their cameras on these two "new duo" produced by this World Cup.

According to the divisions of the World Cup, it is very likely that France and Brazil will meet in the final, and the final winner will get the key to open a new era.

Some people pointed out that the era of Ronaldo and Messi is coming to an end, and the future is destined to belong to Batistuta and Mbappe, and the battle between Messi and Ronaldo in football will continue with them.

Ronaldo and Messi, a European player and a South American player, the same applies to Mbappe and Batistuta. In the eyes of most people, Mbappe corresponds to Ronaldo, while Batistuta corresponds to Messi.

Otherwise, given Batty's personality, he would never be equated with the humble and low-key little flea.

After all, after the 8-1 victory over Germany, Batistuta posted on his Twitter: Feliz 20 (German flag) (Brazilian flag), and followed it with @Toni Kroos.

The Real Madrid midfielder is a master of quarrels on certain occasions, but in this matter, he chose to remain silent. Only his brother quarreled with him several times under Batistuta's Twitter.

On the other hand, after it was revealed that he had been a fan of Ronaldo since he was a child, Mbappe behaved naturally and generously in the media interviews, answering all questions with ease, looking like he had high emotional intelligence. Except for the "instant change of face" incident when taking photos with fans, he completely fits people's idea of ​​a low-key superstar.

I don’t know what Mbappe thinks, but Batistuta seems to be dismissive of it.

"I still have my opinion of that guy." This is how Batty responded when faced with media inquiries.

As for what he thought of Mbappe, no matter how much the reporter asked, Batistuta did not give a definite answer, only leaving one sentence: Go ask Aguero.

Then the elf boy turned around and walked back to the hotel. (Original words from the media)

At least his name wasn't tied to Augustus, Batty thought, and that was the only thing to be happy about.

By the way, he still hated being associated with the football elf, but at least he wouldn't say it to his face now. Ronaldinho was indeed a good football player, so he could only take it as a compliment.

Of course this is not forgiveness.

Forgive Ronaldinho?

Impossible, absolutely impossible! Maybe in the next life!

The debate over who is the third best player in the world after Messi and Ronaldo is still going on online, but the support for Neymar is growing.

Anyway——

For Brazil and Batistuta, preparing for the match against Belgium is the top priority right now.

According to the data, Brazil has reached the quarterfinals in seven consecutive World Cups, and was eliminated only in 7 and 8.

The Samba Army has lost to European teams in the past six World Cups, and the last time they defeated a European team in a World Cup knockout match was in the final of 6. Belgium had previously been unbeaten in 2002 consecutive games. If they can beat Brazil, they will win five consecutive World Cups for the first time.

两队在世界杯历史上只有过1次交锋记录，在2002年韩日世界杯的1/8决赛上，拥有豪华锋线的巴西最终2-0战胜比利时。

However, things are different now. The winner of the two teams will have to wait until the court to be decided.

……

俄罗斯当地时间7月6日晚上21点，2018世界杯1/4决赛首场较量在喀山举行。

Neither side's starting lineups were unexpected.

Brazil still used a 433 formation. Miranda was suspended due to a yellow card on the defensive line and Felipe replaced him. Considering the height factor, Tite still chose Firmino to start in the center position.

On the Belgian side, head coach Martinez still arranged a 343 formation, with Courtois as goalkeeper; the three defenders were Wilder, Kompany, and Vertonghen; in the midfield, Fellaini started, partnered with Witsel as double defensive midfielder, Meunier and Sharitz were on the left and right; Lukaku was in the middle on the front line, Hazard was on the left, and De Bruyne was on the right.

Batistuta recalled the tactical arrangements made by the head coach in the morning and walked out of the locker room. Not long after he entered the player tunnel, he saw De Bruyne, who was wearing a red jersey, standing there with his hands on his hips. He raised the corners of his mouth and walked forward to greet him jokingly: "Hey Kevin, are you waiting for someone?"

"Well, I'm waiting for my teammates to get ready." Seeing Batistuta coming over, De Bruyne pulled him into his arms and gave him a warm hug without saying anything: "I'm going to suck all the luck out of you. Sorry, your goal count won't increase in this game."

"I don't care, as long as we beat you, 1-0 is fine." Batistuta said, resting his chin on De Bruyne's shoulder, and then reached out to pat him on the back, "But - how do you know that this hug won't be me sucking your luck away, Kevin dear?"

"No, leave me some luck, Belgium still has the final to play." De Bruyne continued joking.

"Ha! It seems that you didn't listen to me carefully from beginning to end. You can't win this game." Batistuta accepted his joke, "Why, do you think Belgium is much stronger than Germany? They are all red, black and yellow (the colors of the national flag). If you turn Germany around, you will get Belgium. Let me think - I'll just let you score 6 goals!"

De Bruyne stopped talking. The two looked at each other for a few seconds and laughed at the same time.

"Good luck in the game," De Bruyne said.

"You too," Batty said.

The next second—

"Let's get a room! You two!" Alves separated the two men with a look of disgust on his face and forced his way through them. "We're about to play a game, and we're opponents! How can we be so close to our opponents before the game?"

After a pause, the Paris defender glared at Batistuta and poked him in the chest with his index finger: "Kid, I'm warning you, don't do what you did in the qualifiers today. If you raise your foot and pass the ball to your opponent again, you will be the sinner of the whole Brazil!"

Batistuta looked at Alves in disbelief: "You didn't participate in the World Cup or something, don't you remember who carried the attack on the right? And that was a mistake! How many times do you have to tell me before you let me go!"

"I don't know, until I find something more interesting." Alves gave Batistuta a malicious smile, then he glanced at De Bruyne and slapped his hand off Batistuta's back.

"Just look at it, don't touch it." Alves continued, "This is our Brazilian treasure. If you break it, the whole team will fight you to the death. Do you understand, kid?"

What is this word?

Batistuta raised his eyebrows and looked over. Just as he was about to say something to argue with Alves, Neymar appeared in the player tunnel. After seeing the situation of Batistuta, De Bruyne, and Alves, he was stunned at first, then walked forward and naturally signaled them to return to the team and stand in line.

"We'll have plenty of time to chat after the game," Neymar said.

Batistuta rolled his eyes and said nothing in the end. He patted De Bruyne's arm and pulled Alves back to the Brazilian team's side.

Neymar and De Bruyne were left standing in the middle of the aisle. Although there was no physical or eye contact, there seemed to be the sound of lightning in the air.

After a few seconds, they both returned to their respective teams.

The members of the judging panel came to the front of the team. It was now 20:55.

The war is about to start.

……

[Good evening, audience friends. The 2018 World Cup quarter-finals between Brazil and Belgium has begun. Will the Samba Army be able to continue their hot form, or will the European Red Devils be able to seize the pain point and kill the opponent with blood? Let us wait and see! ]

Right from the start of the game, both teams started fighting for the ball on the wing, tacitly avoiding the step of testing each other. However, compared to Belgium, Brazil had a much harder time because Martinez used a new trick in personnel deployment today.

Although Belgium's formation before the game was 343, from the position after the opening, they were more inclined to 4 defenders, with Meunier marking Neymar on the right and Vertonghen confronting Batistuta on the left. The most surprising thing was that the center forward of the Belgian team was not Lukaku, but De Bruyne.

Kevin De Bruyne, one of the two core players in Manchester City's midfield and one of the top midfielders in today's football world, was actually placed in the center position? The dark and tough center forward known as Mr. Lu actually pulled to the side and played crosses.

This completely caught the Brazilian team off guard.

So much so that De Bruyne got a good shooting opportunity at the beginning of the game.

After the match against Japan, Belgium head coach Martinez realized their defensive problems and made bold changes to the formation, freeing up De Bruyne's ability to move forward while using Fellaini to strengthen midfield interception.

With only one and a half minutes left, Brazil organized an attack. Alves got the ball from the right backcourt, and Paulinho acted as a receiving point on the side. Facing three Belgian defenders, he tried to pass the ball over the top to Batistuta.

"No! Don't—"

Vertonghen jumped high to intercept the ball, then passed it to the midfield after three passes. Fellaini and his hair completely blocked Batistuta's view. By the time Batistuta staggered and steady himself, De Bruyne had already shot.

Belgium's aerial advantage was evident from the very beginning.

This is also what Alves is worried about.

De Bruyne blocked Casemiro's long shot and turned around. Fortunately, Casemiro quickly pulled him back, which did not give him much space to shoot.

The ball hit the post and went out of bounds.

[Within 2 minutes of the game, Belgium made a sudden attack from the frontcourt! Brazil should be on guard! ]

"Damn it! When did this guy get here!" Batty waved his hands and complained, "What's up with that damn hair? It's almost as big as two of my heads. It should be banned from the court!"

Alves, who was closest to him, blew his lips in annoyance. "That's enough! This is just the beginning!" He pushed Batty back to the front court. "Do your job well. I don't want to listen to your complaints the whole game!"

As the captain of the Brazilian team in this game, Marcelo quickly noticed the situation here. "Stop making noise!" He gestured to Batistuta and Alves to calm down. "The game is the most important!"

And Neymar, Neymar is now busy with his own affairs.

Meunier, who was responsible for marking him, was his teammate in Paris Saint-Germain and was very familiar with his way of playing. Judging from the first few minutes of the game, Neymar did not gain any advantage.

Batistuta is not a willful person, he just complained a few words, and Alves had no intention of arguing. They looked at each other and the topic ended there.

Soon Alisson kicked the ball out and the two of them got involved in the game.

"Don't panic! Stay calm! Just do it as we practiced!" Tite put his hands to his mouth and ordered on the sidelines, "Bati, hit him from behind!"

……

On the Belgian side, Lukaku and Meunier on the right side, although it cannot be said that they completely locked down Brazil's attack on the left, but under such physical suppression, it was enough to give Neymar a headache for a while.

But Neymar was not in very good shape today.

At least he has not reached his peak. Even with Batistuta to comfort him, the endless transfer news and constant ridicule (whether well-intentioned or malicious) in recent days still have a certain impact on him.

Fortunately, although the attack on the left was blocked, Brazil still had the right side.

Under Tite's arrangement, Casemiro is the core of the organization. In addition to organization, he also has to do a good job of backcourt defense, while the role of midfielder Paulinho is more to return to defense and assist Casemiro in completing the defensive task.

Then the organization of the frontcourt was handed over to Coutinho. However, De Bruyne often retreated as a pseudo center forward today, and with the blocking of Vitzer and Fellaini, Coutinho obviously did not have the ability to complete the organizational task well.

As a result, Batistuta lacks support on the right. Even if he advances with the ball or even breaks into the penalty area, the threat he can cause to Belgium is really...

No, the threats are still many.

This is how individual ability manifests itself in a team.

Some teams have strong overall cohesion and their combined strength far exceeds that of their individuals, while other teams need their stars to step up and change the game in difficult moments.

Just like now.

In the 8th minute, Brazil, which was suppressed by Belgium's change of formation at the beginning, finally seized a good opportunity. Neymar dribbled the ball on the left and made a two-pass combination with Marcelo. Marcelo made a cross from the bottom line. Under Kompany's strict defense, Batistuta had to try his best to pass the ball to the outside. Shariz made a mistake and Firmino dribbled into the penalty area!

There were as many as five defensive players in the Belgian penalty area, and Firmi failed to break through. However, the ball was not controlled by any Belgian player after it left his feet. At this time, Batistuta had his back to the goal, and his old captain Kompany was less than 5 meters away from him. It was at this moment that a wonderful idea flashed through his mind.

It takes time to turn around, adjust and then shoot, so wouldn't it be possible for him to avoid all that trouble by just shooting without turning around or adjusting?

In that case, the defensive players have no chance to clear the ball.

Batty thought so.

To be honest, it's a bit naive.

But he did just that.

Before Kompany could react, Batistuta raised his foot and stepped on the ball as if he was going to pop a balloon!
Of course, it was only his heel that ended up touching the ball.

The ball was rubbed up, not high, but at an extremely fast speed!

Courtois reacted and wanted to save the ball, but it was too late. The angle of the ball was extremely tricky. Courtois fell to the ground and the ball passed right between his legs and into the net.

A stroke of genius.

1-0!

[The ball went in! Batistuta's genius move! Belgium's change of formation worked wonders, but it still couldn't stop the genius's flash of inspiration! The sixth goal! This is Batistuta's sixth personal goal in this World Cup, tying Neymar for the top spot in the scorer list, and this is his first World Cup! ]

After scoring the goal, Batistuta pulled Neymar and Firmino to dance the celebration dance he had practiced in advance. The goal was scored 8 minutes into the game, and was scored against the wind when being suppressed by the opponent. It was certainly worth celebrating!
"It's beautiful, Batistuta, God is on our side, believe me, we will win." Neymar hooked Batistuta's neck and kissed him on the chin, "Deus o aben?oe (bless you)."

Batistuta didn't answer, but just reached out and hugged Neymar back.

Before the game started, Neymar had his hair done again. The light blond spaghetti style is now a thing of the past, and now his hair has turned into small black curls.

Bad touch, Batty thought.

Just as he expressed his disgust for Neymar's hair, he suddenly met De Bruyne's eyes from a distance of about 20 meters.

Batistuta paused for half a second, then raised his right hand in the same position as Neymar, put his index and middle fingers together to make a non-standard two-finger salute, and then waved it in front of his forehead in a chic manner.

"See, what did I say?"

……

However, Brazil's tactical arrangement still had problems. Batistuta's goal could not make up for their mistakes in this regard. In the 14th minute of the first half, Brazil lost the ball.

The goal for Belgium was scored by Kevin De Bruyne.

(End of this chapter)