The road to godhood starting from Ligue 1

Chapter 296 Battle of Tianwang Mountain

We returned to Clairefontaine that evening.

The French players still had smiles on their faces. They were all prepared for a do-or-die battle, but Spain stabbed themselves in the back first.

However, while the players were in a good mood, Deschamps held a brief meeting.

"To make a long story short, I know everyone is tired, but there are some things I still feel I should say."

Deschamps shook his head, then said with a hint of disbelief and sarcasm, "I think you all know by now that Spain was held to a draw at home by Finland, who are bottom of the group. I know you all think this is good for us."

"On the contrary, what does this Spanish game show? Football is unscripted! You think it's a sure win? Boom! They pull off a major upset. Spain is strong, right? They still lost. Don't you think so? Anything can happen on the field!"

He leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming more serious, but still casual: "So, with Spain's example, we can't afford to be foolish. In the next match against Spain, all sorts of media outlets will be optimistic about us before the game, but you need to understand that Spain is definitely holding back their anger, like a wounded lion. If we underestimate them at home and let our guard down, losing the game will hand over the chance to go directly to Brazil as the top team to Spain."

During his speech, Deschamps glanced at key players like Gaio and Ribery, his tone softening but his eyes brightening: "Actually, Spain took a good fall, it was a wake-up call for us. No matter how weak the opponent is, we have to treat them as a formidable foe. First place in the group? Want it? Fine! Fight for it ourselves! Hoping others will falter? No way!"

The players nodded, looking thoughtful.

Deschamps's remarks can be considered a helpful suggestion, since they were very happy after learning the result, thinking that Spain had given France a direct qualification.

but,

Deschamps' words made it very clear that Spain's loss actually makes them more cautious, because if France loses in such a direct confrontation, no one can save them.

Deschamps could tell from the players' expressions that many had taken his words to heart, so he let it go, stood up, and waved his hand. "Alright, everyone get some rest and recharge. Tomorrow at the training ground, watch the Spanish game footage like a movie, study them thoroughly, and on Tuesday night at the Stade de France, we'll teach the Spaniards a lesson. Okay, that's all for now."

Gaio and the others didn't continue talking about Spain, but instead said goodnight to each other and got some rest.

After returning to his dorm, Gaio washed up but didn't go to sleep immediately. Instead, he checked the Spanish news again, since Spain only had one option left: to win the crucial away game next week.

Vicente del Bosque expressed his frustration with the draw in the post-match interview.

"Although the result seems impossible, the score is what it is. We dominated the first half, but we couldn't do anything about Finland's defense in the second half. We could have been more successful in front of goal."

When discussing the qualification situation, Del Bosque said: "There are still four days until the final against France. In my opinion, there is enough time. Spain can still rely on its own ability to beat France away from home."

Just as Gaio was looking at the Spanish news.

He received a phone call from Spain.

Zidane.

After Gaio received the message, Zidane congratulated him on his first victory as captain of the national team, and Zidane also said, "I heard you started a website?"

"Hmm?" Gaio was a little puzzled as to how Zidane knew.

Zidane laughed and said, "When I was in Paris last time and met your father, I happened to run into René and him working on something related to this, so I learned about it and wanted to ask if there was anything I could help with."

Gaio smiled upon hearing this and tentatively asked, "So, will you write about what happened on the day of the 2006 final, and your thought process?"

Zidane was taken aback, not expecting Gaio to be so outspoken. He laughed and said, "Of course not, but I can write about the French team. Your platform is very good, I like it very much. Many times, many players are misled and misunderstood by the media. They don't have their own channels to speak out. Although there is social media, I think your website is more suitable for longer articles."

Gaio hummed in agreement, and then Zidane continued, "It's getting late, we can talk in detail later. I really like your idea, it's a brilliant concept, you really impress me. I wonder if you have any ideas about promotion? If needed, I can help you contact some friends, I think they would be willing, of course, you might have to pay some 'advertising fees' then."

Gaio hadn't expected Zidane to offer his help, but he readily agreed, "Of course, no problem!"

The two chatted briefly before hanging up.

Zidane's phone call forced Gaio to start deciding on his future ahead of schedule.

after all.

If this website wants to become an instant hit, it needs traffic and popularity.

So what is the best amount of buzz he can generate?
It's a transfer, of course!
Lying in bed, Gaio was lost in thought when he drifted off to sleep.

The next day.

The French players all gathered after breakfast.

However, there was no training this morning; Deschamps organized everyone to watch the Spain vs. Finland match together.

Deschamps hopes the players can find some inspiration from this match.

While watching, Deschamps would pause briefly and interject with a few words.

Gaio watched silently.

in fact,

Whether considering the relative strengths of both teams or their performance on the field, Spain's level is clearly far superior to Finland's.

But the final result was 1:1.

Spain had 80% possession, but Deschamps made it clear that "they like ineffective possession. The current Barcelona system has been studied by everyone, and we know how to defend against them, which makes it difficult for them to deliver those deadly passes."

This can be evidenced by the number of shots on goal. Spain led by a huge margin of 29 to 5 in terms of shots, and to only score one goal under such circumstances, there is no doubt that Spain's attack has a major problem.

Of their 29 shots, only 4 were on target, indicating a clear lack of attacking efficiency from Spain.

Of course, this also stems directly from the opponent's highly targeted defensive system.

"Spain has won the championship in the last three major tournaments, so they are bound to be observed under a microscope by every team."

Deschamps also said, "We need to pay more attention to Finland's defense, as it will greatly help our game."

Throughout the entire 90 minutes of the match, the Finnish team maintained a consistent presence of 10 players focused on defense within their own 30-meter zone.

Spain had no way to stop the Finnish bus in front of the gate.

Spain's only goal came from a corner kick; in positional play, Spain was unable to break through the opponent's defense.

Breaking through dense defenses is a global challenge.

Even Barcelona—the core of the Spanish squad—can only rely on Messi to break through the defense when facing a dense defense, but Spain doesn't have Messi.

Even though Messi often scores first, Barcelona is still frequently criticized by the media for not having a Plan B and relying on the same tactical system from start to finish.

Spain's lack of world-class strikers has been a long-standing problem for Vicente del Bosque.

Villa made his first start for Spain in a year and a half, but without enough space, he was unable to function as a battering ram.

Even so, Villa is still an excellent Spanish striker, which is what makes Spain so formidable.

Villa's advancing age is an unavoidable disadvantage, but Bosque has yet to find a successor for him.

"I think Del Bosque would be envious of me." Deschamps said this while looking at Gaio, his intention was self-evident: if Spain's midfield had a top striker like Gaio, their dynasty might continue.

The French team is currently lacking in midfield. They can only rely on Gaião and Ribery in the front to forcefully break through the opponent's defense. This approach works, but it doesn't offer enough attacking options and puts a lot of strain on the forwards.

Gaio simply responded with a smile.

Besides personnel and tactics, another major problem for Spain lies in the players' mentality.

Throughout the first half, Spain pinned Finland back in their penalty area and relentlessly beat them, setting the pace of the game extremely fast.

But after Ramos scored, Spain deliberately slowed down their attacking pace.

Spain's goal wasn't to extend their lead, but to maintain the 1-0 score until the final whistle.

One of the main reasons Guardiola left Barcelona was that the Dream Team players were unable to maintain an extreme hunger for victory in every game.

The Spanish team, which won three major championships in a row, is now in the same predicament.

Deschamps concluded, "Therefore, in the match against Spain, we need to take advantage of their weaknesses. Of course, we ourselves must also perform well, and efficient counter-attacks are essential!"

When he said this,

He couldn't help but look at Gaio.

What he was actually trying to say was that Gaio is exactly the player Spain needs most, the answer to Spain's attacking line.

And Gaião will also be a tactical core for the French national team.

A team with a dominant winger on the wing has a wide range of tactical options and can greatly limit the opponent's options.

That's why world-class wingers are so rare and highly sought after; the requirements are just too high.

There are very few players who can single-handedly control the entire flank of the opposing team.

Those who manage to do so invariably achieve great fame.

Just like Gaio.

If Gaio were a defender or a midfielder, no matter how talented or good he was, he wouldn't have risen to such a rapid level!

Because football is very simple; it's all about who scores the most goals.

Forwards have a natural advantage in this regard.

After all, you can see from the Ballon d'Or selection process that most winners are forwards.

This also reflects how remarkable it was that in 1963, Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin was able to win the Ballon d'Or as a goalkeeper.

The French team is studying Spain.

Spain is also studying the French team.

Before the match, Vicente del Bosque focused on France's wing attacks, specifically on the left and right flanks: Ribery and Gaião, both of whom have been thriving at their respective clubs this season, one competing for the Champions League title with Bayern Munich and the other for the Europa League title with Bastia.

Both of them are key players in the club!
This gave Bosque quite a headache.

Why doesn't Spain have a player like that?
Spain has never lacked top midfield maestros, but it lacks top strikers. Whether it's Real Madrid or Barcelona, ​​the greatest strikers in their respective club histories are basically not Spanish.

Real Madrid's greatest "Golden Arrow" Alfredo Di Stéfano was also Argentine. He played for three national teams, scoring six goals in six appearances for Argentina. He also played four friendly matches for Colombia, though these were not officially recognized by FIFA and were classified as "unofficial" matches. He scored 23 goals in 31 appearances for Spain, but never participated in the World Cup finals.

In recent years, the only players who have performed slightly better are Villa and Torres.

But they've always been just a little bit short of being at the top.

As they grew older, Bosque suddenly realized that he couldn't find a reliable shooter.

So he was both troubled and envious of Gaio and Ribery.

If any one of them had played for Spain, he wouldn't be in such a difficult situation now.

The experience from the last match is no longer reliable, and Del Bosque can clearly sense that the current French team has changed.

Deschamps made significant changes to the lineup.

More importantly, as mentioned earlier, Gaio and Ribery both had a breakout performance.

Therefore, what he needs to do is target the French team's attacks down the flanks.

"It's difficult."

Bosque couldn't help but sigh.

Spain's strength lies in the creativity of its entire midfield, but these midfield maestros are inevitably passing their peak.

It's perfectly fair to say that there's a generational gap between generations.

After this group of players retires, it's uncertain how many years it will take for a new batch of talented players to take their place.

Whether it's France or Spain, the outside world knows nothing about what's happening inside.

but,

The media has already hyped up this "battle for supremacy".

Some media outlets have even dubbed it a "preview of the World Cup final." The youthful storm of the French team this season is highly anticipated, while the defending champions, Spain, still possess extremely strong dominance. It remains to be seen who will ultimately qualify directly for the Brazil World Cup.

What's most interesting about this match is naturally the starkly different playing styles of the French and Spanish teams.

Le Parisien ran a headline, "Gaio charges forward vs. Xavi controls the game! The crucial battle unfolds as spear and shield clash!" introducing both sides.

France's strength lies in its forward line, especially on the flanks, while Spain's strength lies in its midfield control.

Fans are well aware of this, which is why they are even more excited.

Of course, some French fans also said, "Let's not have any more blind referees stealing the show!"

They were also worried that the controversy at the end of the last match between the two teams would recur.

The controversy surrounding their appearance on the field undoubtedly made them look bad to French fans!

Amidst all the commotion and chaos.

The match day quietly arrived.

(End of this chapter)