Football: Starting from the Ronaldinho template

Chapter 258 Champions League Second Leg Rematch Against Barcelona! Kobe's Blessings to Barcelona!

4 month 13 day.

Tomorrow, there are two major events in the sports world: football and basketball.

The second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals is about to begin.

Basketball will be Kobe's last game of his career.

According to Bleacher Report, the average ticket price for Kobe's farewell game was as high as $1766, which is about 11413 yuan.

It's worth noting that in Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals, the Lakers faced off against the Celtics, with Kobe Bryant going up against the Celtics' Big Three. Tickets at that time cost $1092, which is about 7057 RMB.

In comparison, the tickets for Barcelona and Arsenal are much cheaper.

Of course, the two cannot be compared, since the capacity of a football field is several times greater than that of a basketball court.

Moreover, the experience of watching a basketball game from the sidelines is far superior to that of watching a football game.

At this moment, Qin Ming and his teammates were in the hotel. Their match was in the evening, and after finishing their daily warm-up, they gathered together to chat.

Qin Ming actually quite liked watching basketball, so he casually put on a Lakers vs. Jazz game.

"You say Kobe liked Barcelona and AC Milan, but which NBA player likes us?"

he asked casually.

"I don't know about basketball, but racing drivers do. Do you know Hamilton?"

Arteta made a gesture as if he were holding a steering wheel.

"I know, he's last year's F1 world champion, I think he even came to the Emirates Stadium."

Qin Ming had read the media reports.

In fact, F1 even considered collaborating with him and having him act as their spokesperson in order to promote their products and services in China.

"As for basketball players."

Ramsey thought for a moment, "Joel Embiid is one of our fans."

"Oh, oh."

Qin Ming looked at the TV screen. Kobe was not in good form today, going 0 for 5 at the start, and then 3 for 3.

But they quickly found their rhythm.

It's quite similar to Barcelona. By the second minute of the fourth quarter, Kobe had already scored 40 points, breaking his single-game scoring record in the regular season.

However, the Lakers are still behind the Jazz in total points.

Qin Ming also saw Beckham in the shot.

"Beckham is living a really good life. I hope I can enjoy life after I retire."

Qin Ming thought to himself.

A person's life is so rich and colorful; there are so many things he hasn't experienced.

Of course, the same applies to football. He has only won a few championships, which is already very good compared to ordinary players, but his goals are higher.

I will climb to the very top.

He wanted to see what the view from the top was like.
Thinking of this, he looked at Kobe on the screen. Although Kobe had many memes, his hard work, ambition, perseverance, and love for his career were all excellent qualities.

And most importantly: success.

Time may age faces, dissipate disputes, and even diminish favors, but the names of the successful will be etched in stone.

Throughout history, so many power seekers have actually been success seekers.

Because leaving a mark on history is too tempting.

Qin Ming himself is no exception; he wants to be etched in the history of football like Pelé, Maradona, Beckenbauer, and others.

He also wanted to become a part of many people's youth.

In the end, the Lakers defeated the Jazz 101-96 at home. Kobe scored 60 points on 50 shots, breaking multiple records once again. He exhausted his last bit of energy and left no regrets.

In a post-match interview, the reporter mentioned the Champions League.

As a fan of both AC Milan and Barcelona, ​​Kobe Bryant naturally wouldn't cheer for Arsenal.

But he still mentioned Qin Ming.

why?
Because his favorite player is Ronaldinho.

"Ronaldinho once told me that Messi would be the best player in the world. Last year when we watched a game together, he said the same thing to me: Qin would be the player who brings you the most joy in the world."

"So I hope Barcelona can advance and Qin can put on a brilliant performance."

"Haha, that might sound selfish, but without Milan, Barcelona would have been my first choice."

Kobe said this.

Qin Ming clapped his hands and looked at his teammates, "Many people in the world don't have high hopes for us, thinking that Barcelona, ​​with plenty of rest time, can complete a comeback at Camp Nou."

What can I say?

"Of course, we'll beat the reigning Champions League champions and shut them up from their daydreams!"

After watching the Lakers' game, he felt a bit fired up.

"Let's do it!" Giroud shouted in agreement, pumping his fist.

Barcelona is bustling at night, with red and blue hues dominating the streets.

As one of the world's most densely populated cities, this is a port city in Catalonia, a world-renowned tourist destination with stunning Mediterranean scenery, and Spain's most important trade, industrial, and financial center.

People gave it a nickname.

The pearl of the Iberian Peninsula.

Arsenal's club bus rolled along and soon came to a stop in front of a magnificent building.

Camp Nou Stadium.

It is the largest stadium in continental Europe, originally capable of holding 98000 spectators, but the capacity was increased to 120000 for the 1982 World Cup in Spain.

It is also the second largest stadium in the world.

Second only to the legendary Maracanã Stadium in Brazil.

"This place should be full today, right?" Qin Ming thought that compared to Spain, the football culture in England was different, and people might prefer to watch the game on TV in pubs or at home.

"I see that the tickets are sold out, and scalpers are charging at least five times the price."

Bellerin has a large family, and there weren't enough player-provided tickets, so he bought a few scalped tickets.

Do you feel pressured?

Pat Rice suddenly turned around and laughed.

"How could I not feel pressured?" Qin Ming's expression showed absolutely no sign of tension.

From both a subjective and objective perspective, he felt there was no need to be afraid of Barcelona.

Yes.

Last season, Barcelona won the Champions League, the league, and other titles, almost replicating their sextuple.

But now?

Messi is in poor form, and Barcelona just lost to Real Sociedad, allowing Atletico Madrid to catch up.

They might end up empty-handed this season.

Just like Bayern Munich before.

"By the way, don't forget one thing: there's a curse in the Champions League. No team has been able to defend their title since the format change."

Qin Ming comforted his teammates, seeing that they seemed to be affected by the noise from the fans outside.

"We have made sufficient preparations, so let's not set unrealistic expectations for ourselves."

The professor added a sentence.

Many people anticipate numerous difficulties before undertaking any task, anticipating potential problems such as this or that.
It's not that being prepared is wrong.

Instead of looking back and forth, we should be brave enough to move forward.

Perhaps after taking a few steps, you'll quietly discover, oh, it's not that difficult after all.

This is something Wenger learned after studying psychology.

At the pre-match press conference.

Enrique expressed his gratitude to Kobe and said they would do their best to come back from behind to advance to the Champions League semi-finals at home and break the defending champion curse.

But is he really confident?
After losing to Real Sociedad, he said the players were making adjustments, which is why they narrowly lost.

That was actually Barcelona's strongest lineup.

They've had a few more days of rest now, but Arsenal is clearly in a more relaxed position.

the other side.

Wenger didn't say much, just a few simple words.

About ten minutes before the start of the match.

Qin Ming stood in the player tunnel, with red and blue walls on both sides.

What does this mean?
It was chosen from the tricolor flag of the French Revolution and contains profound political significance.

During the dark period of Franco's dictatorship, Camp Nou was the only sacred place where Catalans could freely vent their emotions and express their political views.

This history not only embodies the fighting spirit of Catalan nationalism but also shapes Barcelona's unique cultural heritage. Even in today's peaceful times, the club is still surrounded by a fervent political atmosphere: presidential election debates are broadcast live on television, season ticket holders can participate in club governance, and government officials deliver lengthy speeches on club affairs and often sit in honorary seats at Camp Nou.

Some have said that football is a testament to religion and history in the British Isles, while in Italy it has become an arena for money and power.

Spain possesses an additional spiritual charm.

However, Qin Ming didn't really feel it. Perhaps he wasn't a Barcelona fan, or perhaps his role was that of an opponent.

Messi next door pursed his lips, his thoughts unreadable.

Neymar and Suarez were whispering to each other about today's attacking tactics and the importance of controlling the tempo of the game.

Iniesta looked at Qin Ming, but his mind was filled with Ronaldinho.

"Guys, let's go!"

Mertesacker, as the captain, waved to the rear.

That's pretty cool, Qin Ming thought to himself, as he was wearing an armband. He opened the locker room door first and led his teammates out of the player tunnel.

Tsk tsk.

Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity in the future.

The path beneath my feet leads to the familiar green field, only wider than the Emirates Stadium.

107 meters*72 meters.

The standard size is 105 meters by 68 meters.

"I heard that this makes it easier to control the ball."

Qin Ming recalled the rumors circulating online, and he actually thought so too.

Once his view became clear, he could feel the charm of Camp Nou. The spotlights seemed to cast a halo over the stadium, the grass was greener than usual, and the cracked blue marble below the stands had a fragmented beauty.

“Visca Catalunya!”

Long live Catalonia!
Today's match attracted 94990 fans, setting a new record for Barcelona's home attendance this season.

The oncoming sound was like a tsunami.

Qin Ming was momentarily lost in thought, then blinked his phoenix eyes and strode towards the court.

So what if there are a lot of people?
He wasn't raised to be easily frightened.

Soon, the stadium's loudspeakers began announcing the players' names, and whenever a Barcelona player was called, the crowd would cheer.

When it was Arsenal's turn, a cacophony of boos erupted, even drowning out the Champions League melody.

"Qin Ming!"

A series of ear-piercing hisses rang out.

Qin Ming was still wondering when he had offended Barcelona fans when Giroud, who was standing next to him, promptly answered his question.

"Didn't you say a few words in the post-match interview after the last game?"

"Oh, Barcelona fans are being petty. All they said was that we would advance?"

Qin Ming has rarely been booed lately, and listening to the boos from more than 90,000 people actually felt a sense of comfort.

I feel like my condition has improved a lot.

Barcelona fans, seeing Qin Ming's smile on the top screen, felt inexplicably provoked.

Then they erupted in even more frenzied boos.

"Is this the kind of treatment Cristiano gets?"

Qin Ming's smile widened.

Are Barcelona fans too arrogant, thinking that they won the championship last season, have a glorious history, and have defeated Arsenal many times?

Do you think they should just accept defeat and be reversed?

soon.

The players from both sides took their positions, and the referee blew his whistle.

Beep!
"The match has begun!"

Both teams have chosen the same starting lineups as in the first leg!

“Is it confidence?”

"I think so. For Arsenal, winning one game proves it was effective!"

Camp Nou erupted in chaos at the sound of the whistle, with Barcelona's more than 90,000 fans paying no heed to the Arsenal players who had traveled with the team.

There are too few people.

Playing at home, Barcelona did not attempt to slowly find their rhythm by controlling possession.

fast!
They want to catch Arsenal off guard.

The ball was passed to Neymar, and the Samba superstar learned his lesson and stopped playing alone.

Like Di Maria, he always manages to unleash his best form when facing adversity.

He caught the ball, turned, and spun around in one fluid motion, leaving Bellerin with nothing to do.

Then he passed the ball to Suarez.

The Uruguayan gritted his teeth, perhaps grinding them, as he turned his back to Mertesacker.

Snapped!
The first person he looked for after turning his back was Iniesta.

Barcelona fans didn't realize what was happening, but Qin Ming guessed the truth.

Because Coquelin was sticking to Messi, Barcelona had difficulty passing the ball out, so they had to pause for a moment.

"Look behind you!"

Qin Ming loudly reminded Kirkland.

Sure enough, Messi took advantage of their unpreparedness and ran laterally to the middle.

This is the space created by Suarez's forward run and pressure on Arsenal's defense.

On December 9, 2012, Messi broke history by setting a new goal record.

He scored a staggering 91 goals in 69 games.

At this point, his archery skills were already considered perfect.

Cech lowered his center of gravity slightly, staring at Messi's left foot and body posture.

coming!

In this safe situation, Messi did not rush forward, but instead took a shot.

Bang! A near-perfect trajectory appeared at Camp Nou.

Barcelona fans stared intently as the wildly spinning football grazed the goalposts and flew towards the stands.

Just a little bit.

Messi angrily pounded his thigh.

The other Barcelona players also sighed, feeling that the shot was indeed a pity.

"Barcelona created a threatening attack right from the start!"

Paul Dutton was terrified.

"I've noticed that when we play away, it's very difficult for us to control the ball and replicate the rhythm of the first leg!"

"Then we need to intensify our pressing in the midfield and attacking third!"

"We can't let Barcelona advance easily and get those shooting opportunities!"

In fact, that was Arsenal's arrangement before the match.

But there are always unexpected things.

"Get in the fight! Get in the fight! And bring the ball over here, don't get pinned down in the backcourt!"

Qin Ming shouted.

The 4-2-3-1 formation is balanced in both offense and defense, and it's like a spring.

If it gets flattened.
That would make a counterattack difficult.

They cannot be confined to their own half; they must maintain their pressing style of play.

"understood!"

Kirkland wiped the sweat from his forehead to prevent it from getting into his eyes.

The game continues.

Qin Ming, as always, used his individual skills to lead Arsenal's left-wing attack.

They should try short passing combinations to see if they can penetrate Barcelona's defense and create opportunities for a quick attack.

But today Barcelona's defense was positioned quite deep.

Then let's try to break through.

Qin Ming quickly changed his playing style, and when he got past Rakitic, he found that the opponent was having a hard time.

"Could it be that Messi's playing style is putting too much strain on him?"

(End of this chapter)