Team Spirit

Chapter 206 The Strongest Bird, Killing Link

With the sound of a whistle, the King of London Championship officially began.

Dartford easily gained possession of the attack.

In the third minute, Maicon's attempt to break through on the right flank failed, and he passed the ball back to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai then passed the ball back to Cannavaro.

The Italian center-back takes a long-range shot.

The quality isn't bad.

But that was clearly not enough to break through Cech's defenses.

boom!
Cech made the save.

Carvalho cleared the ball out of bounds with a long kick.

In the seventh minute, Amorim made a through pass to the left.

Arshavin kept swaying, and although he could easily shake off Lescott each time, seemingly having an opportunity, he dared not go in.

Because once he actually gets there, Lescott will take the opportunity to bump into Arshavin during the contact.

Given his physical strength, Arshavin will likely find it difficult to maintain possession of the ball.

Arshavin dribbled the ball to the left side of the penalty area and had no choice but to pass it back.

At this moment, the Green Gunners' midfielders rushed forward, and Vidic received the ball.

Vidic gently pushed the ball sideways.

It's another long-range shot from Cannavaro.

The quality remains very high.

But Cech still managed to save him.

"An attack of this magnitude is unlikely to break through Cech's defenses."

"Datford are in trouble. Chelsea's defense is almost perfect. The Greens are only getting some opportunities at the center-back level."

"They must find a solution, or the situation will become increasingly passive."

Many people have noticed Green Gun's predicament.

In the eleventh minute, Toure was double-teamed by Lampard and Cole.

He was eventually brought down by Lampard.

Dartford were awarded a free kick in midfield.

Lu Kai looked at Mourinho on the sidelines.

Chelsea are starting to make their move.

Their defense began to become aggressive, which was a sign.

They were forcing Green Gun to attack more aggressively, otherwise they would steal the ball.

If Chelsea commit more players to a more aggressive attack, they will inevitably be unable to defend against Chelsea's potential counter-attacks.

The game is developing into a situation that is about to slip out of control for both sides.

In the twelfth minute, Arshavin passed the ball back to Amorim.

Amorin launched an attack with a cross from a 45-degree angle.

Crouch jumped slightly inside the penalty area.

Terry and Carvalho tried their best to interfere, giving Crouch a chance to fight back.

But Crouch did not shoot.

He headed the ball back and flicked it on, but it didn't matter if his accuracy was off.

Lu Kai, who broke into the penalty area from the right, received the ball and made a shooting motion with his right foot.

Galas immediately blocked the shot with his hands behind his back.

But Lu Kai faked a shot and then stopped the ball slightly to the left, before curling a left-footed shot into the far corner.

Unfortunately, the distance was relatively close, and Lu Kai's left foot was far less accurate and stable than his right foot.

It failed to create a large arc.

The football went wide of the far corner.

Cech's expression hardened; this was an attack that could potentially breach the goal.

Lu Kai is indeed awesome.

Mourinho's lips curled up slightly.

Yes, yes, yes, that's the way to play! Our chance for Chelsea is just around the corner.

In the 15th minute, Maicon received the ball on the wing and cut it back to Toure.

Toure passed the ball across to Amorim.

The latter feinted and broke into the edge of the penalty area, but his through ball into the box was intercepted by Terry.

"It's now!"

Mourinho was very excited.

Chelsea's attacking trio of Gudjohnsen, Drogba, and Joe Cole instantly set off.

Apart from the goalkeeper, all the Green Gunners were in Chelsea's half, so there was no need to worry about offside.

Every pass is a brilliant one...

boom!
Terry's powerful kick struck Amorim's back and bounced towards his own baseline.

Chelsea were awarded a goal kick.

Mourinho was taken aback, thinking to himself, "Fuck!"

Inside the stadium, Amorim fell in the penalty area, clearly badly injured by Terry's shot.

After conceding the ball, he did not retreat, but instead resolutely carried out Lu Kai's instructions, physically blocking Terry's long pass.

To prevent Chelsea from launching counter-attacks.

"No wonder Dartford dared to stockpile so many players in the attacking third; it seems they were not unaware of Chelsea's tactics."

"They had their own preparations."

"Neither side has revealed any weaknesses yet."

"This match is likely to be very close."

In the nineteenth minute, the turning point appeared.

Lu Kai's shot from a tight angle was blocked by Carvalho and went out of bounds.

Dartford were awarded a corner kick.

Corner kicks are troublesome for both sides.

Because the team's formation will be completely disrupted.

Both sides may expose their weaknesses as a result.

Out of caution, Lu Kai could only give his teammates special hand signals.

This gesture means that your teammates should focus on heading the ball and not try to combine in the penalty area.

Ultimately, Vidic's header went just wide.

The Green Gunners players quickly returned to their positions, not daring to let their guard down.

Green Gun's prolonged attack failed to break through, so he went from a slow and methodical approach to a fierce offensive, and then back to a more moderate pace, completing a full cycle of attacks.

They didn't give Chelsea any openings from start to finish.

Even Mourinho had to admit that this green-skinned squad was truly well-trained.

Few teams across Europe, apart from the top clubs, can do this against Chelsea.

However, Green Gunners are tired, so it's Chelsea's turn to make a move!
In the 24th minute, Chelsea, under Mourinho's direction, attempted to launch an attack.

Lu Kai went up and tried to snatch it.

But Chelsea's backline remained calm and easily evaded the situation with passing the ball around.

Green Gun then retreated to midfield.

Carvalho seized the opportunity, launched an attack with a long pass.

Goodjohnsen, who was pulling to the left, leaped high into the air.

Despite Maicon's interference in the header contest.

But Gudjohnsen, like many others, didn't aim to attack; he headed the ball back to find Joe Cole.

Cole has excellent footwork and is exceptionally agile.

He pulled the ball back, turned, and bypassed Carrick before delivering a preemptive cross, creating a truly deadly threat.

Drogba pushed Vidic aside, but Davies immediately closed in, denying him a real chance to shoot.

Drogba was in a bad position and could only head the ball back.

But Lampard has been in phenomenal form this season, scoring an astonishing nineteen Premier League goals, and the reason is none other than Drogba!

boom!
Lampard takes a shot at the goal.

Shocking!

boom!
Lu Kai, Amorin, and Vidic appeared in the shooting line one after another.

Green Gunners were not unprepared for Lampard's long-range shot.

In the end, Amorim stretched out his leg to block the ball.

The football bounced out of bounds.

Amorim clutched his leg and collapsed to the ground.

"Oh! Amorin had a brilliant performance today, contributing on both offense and defense."

"However, being hit by a soccer ball twice in a row, I wonder if he can handle it?"

"Huh? Amorin is actually crying from the pain!"

Fortunately, Amorim only experienced pain and did not have to withdraw from the competition.

Chelsea's subsequent corner kicks were as cautious as Lescott's, and even though the position was somewhat out of the way, Lescott headed the ball directly at the goal.

I'd rather miss than cooperate.

To prevent Chelsea from launching a quick counter-attack.

Ashley Young and others on the bench all looked at Mourinho, surprised that this self-proclaimed "madman" was actually so timid and cautious.

No wonder Chelsea is so strong and consistent.

In the 28th minute, Chelsea launched another attack.

Joe Cole made a turn on the left and then played a through ball.

Gudjohnsen ran down the edge of the penalty area to catch up with the ball and passed it back in a triangular fashion.

Lampard received the ball with great force, but a pass out cleared Cannavaro, who had misjudged the situation.

Cannavaro didn't expect Lampard to be so brave.

After all, Lampard is not known for his footwork and dribbling skills, so it was unexpected that he would dare to make such a move in the penalty area at such a crucial moment.

However, precisely because Lampard is not good at this, although he got past Cannavaro, he was already close to the byline when he caught up with the ball.

There was no shooting angle.

boom!
Lampard's extreme inverted triangle.

However, due to a lack of control over the route, they were unable to find Drogba who was following behind.

The ball slid across the goal and was caught by Davis on the left.

Davis immediately passed the ball to Amorin, who was coming over.

Before Amorim could even receive the ball, he was brought down by Mendes.

beep!

The referee blew the whistle.

After getting up, Amorim wanted to take a free kick quickly, but was stopped by the cautious Mendes.

Like Green Gunner, Chelsea's players are also well-trained.

Mendes then received a yellow card!
"Up to that point, both sides have attempted full-fledged attacks, but neither has created any truly good opportunities."

"I don't know if it's just my imagination, but it's like two walls are playing football, and they're defending too well."

"These kinds of matches are either very difficult to score in, but once a goal is scored, it can easily turn into a goal-fest."

"After all, even the best team can't maintain a high-intensity, high-precision defense all the time."

"In comparison, attacking is actually easier."

In the thirty-third minute, the situation indeed changed.

Maicon passes back from the right wing.

Lu Kai continued to pass the ball back.

Toure crossed the ball directly into the box.

Amorin headed the ball into the net and scored.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

But then the referee blew his whistle.

The linesman raises his flag.

Amorim was offside; the goal was disallowed.

Carvalho and Terry's positioning at crucial moments was both tacit and precise.

Amorin was so angry he didn't know what to say.

But Lu Kai, standing to the side, still maintained his smile.

The first goal has been scored; will the others be far behind?

Mourinho looked serious on the sidelines.

He could sense that the defensive ceiling of the "steel-like" team he had built was about to be broken by Green Gun.

If Robben and Madeira are both at their peak and start, Mourinho can use a more aggressive attack to alleviate the pressure on the team's defense, thus helping the team defend for longer.

But today, it seems we'll ultimately have to fight for goals against Green Gunners.

In the 35th minute, Lu Kai dropped back to the right flank, trying to get the ball.

Arshavin passed the ball back to Carrick on the left, who then laid it off to Toure.

Toure glanced at Maicon, who was making a run to the right, seemingly about to launch a long pass to complete the transition. Lampard immediately moved over to interfere with Toure.

However, Toure feinted a pass, then delicately flicked the ball past Lampard's legs.

Sudden!

Lampard was caught off guard and was pinned down by Toure.

He tried to rush over, but Toure reached out and blocked him from behind.

No matter how Lampard attacked, Toure remained steadfast, dribbling forward with unwavering composure.

This is no easy feat, as Lampard's physical strength is exceptional among Premier League midfielders.

Chelsea lost possession in the middle in an instant.

Makelele immediately moved to a different position.

Carvalho also added to the list.

The next moment, Lu Kai seized the opportunity and ran behind Carvalho.

Touré and Lu Kai had a tacit understanding, and Lu Kai didn't even need to say anything. With a lob pass, a through ball over the top pierced Carvalho.

Lu Kai caught up with the ball inside the penalty area.

boom!
The football bounced up from the ground, and Lu Kai swept it across the air.

Crouch was contained by Terry and kept some distance from the ball.

Cech positioned himself further forward to defend against Lu Kai's long-range shot, but Lu Kai unexpectedly chose to sweep the ball across the field, leaving Cech unable to stop him in time.

The ball was moving at extremely high speed, gliding past the goal.

Arshavin arrived at the far post and flew into the goal with the ball.

The Green Penguin Stadium exploded instantly!
“GOAL!!!”

"One to zero! Goal!"

"'Kill' connection successful!"

"The Russians have broken through the Russian owner's team!"

"Yaya Touré orchestrated this attack and played a crucial role."

The camera immediately focused on Abu.

His expression was complex; he was happy for Arshavin's outstanding performance but also frustrated that his team was behind.

The Green Gunners celebrated together.

Mourinho looked at Yaya Toure with an indescribable jealousy.

Touré, Carrick, Amorim, and Barton are all midfielders who can both attack and defend.

The first two have near-perfect body templates, while the latter two have better flexibility.

Moreover, upon closer examination, each of these two pairs of midfielders has a stronger offensive presence and a stronger defensive presence.

Green Gunners chose to field two more aggressive players today, so even without Lu Kai in midfield, they can still organize and launch attacks effectively.

How did such a perfect midfield combination end up in the hands of Green Gunner?
Mourinho was a little jealous.

In contrast, only Lampard can meet Chelsea's requirements.

Makelele has absolutely no attacking ability.

Mendes, on the other hand, was somewhat weaker.

"Toughness! Press hard! Win back the midfield!" Mourinho shouted from the sidelines, issuing the latest instructions to his players.

Chelsea are about to change their tactics.

In the 39th minute, the two sides engaged in a fierce battle in Green Gun's half.

Green Guns' defense is layered; they can get past half-court, but they can't organize effectively on our turf.

Therefore, Green Gun's midfield and forward lines will press the opponent from three to five meters behind their halfway line.

But Mourinho wants to fight.

Chelsea are also very good at midfield brute force.

Possession of the ball changed hands repeatedly.

Finally, Lescott suddenly surged forward and broke through on the right side.

You know what, his dribbling skills are quite surprising.

Mourinho never expected Lescott to have this trick up his sleeve.

Ashley Young, on the bench, covered his forehead: "Damn, this kid really learned my style of play!"

Modric rolled his eyes: "When have you ever played right-back?"

However, it must be admitted that Lescott's forward movement awareness did indeed come from the tactical training he received at Green Gun.

boom!
Lescott crosses from the right wing.

The quality is rather average.

But Drogba's ability is undeniable.

Vidic can withstand Drogba's static strength.

But once he gets going, Drogba's speed, strength, and positioning become unstoppable.

boom!
Drogba's header is devastating.

Foster struggled wildly, and actually managed to block the ball.

But the next moment, Gudjohnsen headed the ball into the goal.

Foster was almost driven mad with anger.

He would accept it if Drogba actually scored against him.

Now, his door has been breached by such an unknown nobody. Doesn't Foster have any pride?

Goodjohnsen: ? ? ?

This really goes against the natural order.

Because when Greenstreets first faced Chelsea, they were just a semi-professional team.

At that time, Gudjohnsen was already Chelsea's rising star.

Chelsea has had a string of star strikers in recent years, and although Gudjohnsen has never been a regular starter, he has benefited greatly from it.

I wouldn't call him a star player, but he's definitely a Premier League legend.

If we really want to be fair, what is Foster?
For a moment, Goodjohnson and Foster were trash to each other, their eyes practically spitting fire as they looked at each other.

"GOAL! One to one!"

"Drogba is unstoppable, and Gudjohnsen is adapting to the situation!"

"Chelsea never disappoint when it comes to their forte: counter-attacking!"

"Of course, the biggest contributor to this goal is undoubtedly Lescott!"

"This defender, who came through the Green Gunners, has suffered frequent injuries at Chelsea this season, which has greatly affected his form. Many Chelsea fans have even called him a flop and demanded that the Green Gunners return him."

"But now, I believe no one questions whether Leicester is a high-end product!"

"Luxemburgo previously believed the rumors that former Celtics players wouldn't perform well against their old team, so he gave up on Essien and Duff, only to be upset by the Celtics in a major comeback!"

"All I can say is, stop questioning the quality of the Celtics' players. They were definitely the best group of players to perform against their former team!"

In fact, some organizations have actually compiled statistics on players' performance when facing their former teams.

In comparison, the Celtics players really are the "number one traitor".

Playing against his former team was a real experience, with real assists and goals!

After Chelsea scored, Mourinho immediately called a stop.

Let the players return to their previous playing style.

He will only make adjustments to the team's tactics during halftime.

"José is truly cautious!" Guardiola remarked with great admiration.

Modric: "What do you mean?"

Guardiola: "When two teams are playing against each other, sometimes you will find that a certain move is particularly useful, but this move is very different from your original tactics and team style."

"Most coaches will just let it go and not think too much about it, taking advantage of the situation first."

"They didn't know why, so they just went with the flow. They treated it as some kind of inexplicable chemistry on the field."

"But sometimes, this might be a trap set by the other side!"

"Or even if it's not a trap, if you play like that, the opponent will have an advantage over time."

"For example, many of Green Gun's early tactics, including wall-breaking and attrition tactics, were of this style. The opposing team could see the problems after reviewing the game, but during the game, there was too little time to think, and the coach and players simply couldn't detect any problems."

"Mourinho was clearly wary of this situation, so even when he had the upper hand, he didn't try to gain an advantage and kept the team in the same tactical position."

Southgate nodded: "Both of us are teams that are very good at tackling. We suffered because of Lescott's unexpected surge in the last round."

"But if we keep fighting, we'll probably be the biggest beneficiaries."

"After all, we are better at chaotic battles, both in terms of equipment and habits. Besides, our speed is far superior to theirs."

In the 43rd minute, Lu Kai made a crossover dribble on the right wing, dribbling past Gallas one-on-one and charging towards the penalty area from the right.

A half-high cross.

The ball went over Carvalho, but it also left Toure, who was in position, unable to react and forced to watch helplessly as the ball passed by.

Amorim unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the left side of the penalty area.

However, it was not sudden.

Terry anticipated his route and slid down to block him.

The ball bounced out of the penalty area, landed, and then rose high into the air, leaving Carrick unable to react immediately.

Lampard overtook Carrick and pounced on the ball.

But Cannavaro immediately intervened, closing the door on Carrick and knocking Lampard to the ground.

The referee blew the whistle.

Green Gun fouled.

Cannavaro gets a yellow card!

Soon, the first half entered stoppage time.

Two minutes of added time is not short.

In the first minute of stoppage time, Amorin, playing in the middle, dribbled past Cole who was pressing him and launched an attack.

Mendes came up to double-team.

Amorim sends a through ball.

After catching up with the ball, Arshavin made a decisive cut inside.

And it kept making feints.

This left Lescott unable to find his rhythm and prevented him from getting into the swing of things.

Of course, this also meant that Lescott was always able to keep up with Arshavin and stay in the defensive position.

Without being out of position, there was no need to risk a foul by colliding with Arshavin.

Crouch suddenly darted to the left, and Terry quickly followed.

Arshavin played a through ball.

Crouch caught up with the ball deep on the left side of the penalty area and delivered a spectacular cutback pass.

The ball was instantly passed from behind Terry.

That twisted footwork is not something a two-meter-tall man could do.

Valbuena, who is 1.6 meters tall, is more like it.

Carvalho rushes toward the ball.

But Lu Kai got there first, because the ball was heading towards Lu Kai.

Lu Kai raised his foot and immediately launched a feint shot.

Carvalho had no choice but to extend his leg to block.

Lu Kai moved his position from the right side of the penalty area to the center, giving him a better shooting angle.

boom!
Lu Kai kicked.

On the left, Terry rushed over and stretched out his leg to block.

But Lu Kai was shooting from the right side.

Because Carvalho on the right side was shaken off, he didn't have time to extend his leg to block the angle.

Cech made a diving save.

If that shot had been just a little off angle, he could have saved it.

Because his save ability is really strong.

however……

when!
The football hit the right post and bounced into the net.

There's nothing left to fight!

“GOAL!!!”

"2-1! Crouch assists Lu Kai to score!"

"What a beautiful goal!"

"Arshavin, Crouch, and Lukay each outmaneuvered a Chelsea defender. These small advantages accumulated until the very end, culminating in a goal!"

"Green Gun has successfully unraveled the mystery!"

"In this way, they have temporarily taken the lead."

On the sidelines, Mourinho angrily clenched his fist.

damn it!
It's not that we can't come back from that goal.

This mainly means that he will need to rearrange the tactics during halftime.

Therefore, a detailed analysis of both sides' attacking run that led to Chelsea's goal cannot continue.

Who knows if the analysis based on that goal will become the key to Chelsea's victory over Green Gunners?
However, circumstances are beyond his control. With only fifteen minutes of halftime, Mourinho couldn't afford to ignore the current situation and instead analyze other possible scenarios.

But just as Mourinho had to adjust his plans, he felt empty inside, and an indescribable feeling welled up inside him.

He had never experienced this feeling before.

(End of this chapter)