After Paris Saint-Germain was removed from the list, I led England to victory!

England will face Belgium in the second round of the group stage.

Shortly after the start of the second half, the fourth official on the sidelines raised the electronic substitution board: number 17 off, number 10 on.

Yan Yuan, the young man wearing the number 17 jersey for England, a rising star who has attracted much attention, ended his first start for the national team in this way.

He kept his head down, sweat soaking the black hair that clung to his forehead, sliding down his cheeks and dripping from his chin.

The running in the first half was not intense, but it carried an indescribable fatigue and depression.

For the first 45 minutes, he felt as if the grass beneath his feet was a swamp, with nowhere to put his footing.

Yan Yuan gave Sterling, who was jogging onto the field, a high-five, and then quickly ran towards the substitutes' bench.

Coach Southgate glanced at him, offering no reprimand, but simply nodding calmly.

Yan Yuan found an empty seat next to the assistant coach, took the sports drink offered to him, and gulped down several large mouthfuls.

Xiao Yan has lost games before.

Playing in the Bundesliga and the Champions League in Hoffenheim, winning and losing were commonplace, and he experienced it all.

But this is the first time I've felt like I barely touched the ball, completely detached from the game, even like an outsider.

He even felt like he had become somewhat "invisible".

"How are you feeling? Yan?" the assistant coach asked in a low voice.

Yan Yuan shook his head, his eyes fixed on the field, reflecting on his own feelings.

"It feels like... we're locked down, it's hard to get the ball to our feet."

Just as Yan Yuan sensed, changing the players did not change the situation.

After Sterling came on as a substitute, his energy and speed seemed equally isolated and helpless against Belgium's impenetrable midfield and defense.

England's attacks were like hitting a thick concrete wall; they were either bounced back directly or easily neutralized and redirected by the opponent, who quickly launched a counterattack.

Every Belgian counterattack was like a precise scalpel, piercing straight into the heart of England's defenses.

Time slipped away second by second amidst feelings of anxiety and helplessness.

In the 67th minute of the second half, that moment arrived.

Another pass from the English midfield was intercepted, and Witsel, near the center circle of Belgium, got to the ball before Alli could reach it.

He didn't even need to think any further; his vision was as if a skylight had opened up.

As he looked up, his right foot delivered a long, low pass with precision!

The ball pierced through the midfield, skimming the grass at high speed, and accurately found Januzaj, who was making a quick run down the right flank.

At this point, England's full-back Trippier and the center-back Stones, who had come back to cover, were in an extremely awkward position, and it was too late for them to start chasing Januzaj.

Januzaj's ball control was precise and elegant.

The football obediently stopped in the ideal position half a step in front of his right foot.

Without the slightest hesitation or adjustment, he didn't even give England goalkeeper Pickford any chance to judge or make a save. He decisively chipped the ball with the outside of his left foot as it bounced slightly after landing!

A powerful inward-spinning arc flew into the net, skimming the corner of the right post!

Pickford made a desperate save, stretching his body in mid-air, his fingertips seemingly touching the scorching air, but ultimately failing to change the trajectory.

Goal!

Belgium 1-0 England!

In the stands, the wave of Belgian fans exploded instantly, the huge roar almost lifting the roof off.

The stands for England fans were deathly silent.

Yan Yuan, sitting on the sidelines, clearly witnessed the entire goal.

From Witsel's interception, his perfectly timed through ball that pierced the entire English midfield, to Januzaj's perfect control and decisive finish, the whole process was lightning fast and seamless.

A strong sense of powerlessness gripped him, not just because of the score deficit, but also because of the suffocating feeling of being completely suppressed tactically.

He couldn't help but glance at his teammates on the field again; their sweat-soaked white shirts seemed to have become heavy.

The final whistle blew, and the score was 0-1.

England lost their second group stage match.

All the players lowered their heads and walked silently toward the players' tunnel.

The atmosphere in the locker room was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

After a quick shower, everyone packed their luggage and prepared to return to the hotel.

Southgate gave a brief summary, acknowledging everyone's efforts and pointing out problems, but clearly this was not the occasion for in-depth analysis.

Back at the hotel, it was already late at night.

Most of the teammates chose to go back to their rooms to rest, or relieve their frustration about losing the game in their own ways.

Yan Yuan did nothing else.

As he always does, he plans to review the game he lost.

He walked to the temporary office where the team analyst was located and knocked on the door.

"Please come in," came the analyst's voice from inside.

Yan Yuan pushed open the door and went in, and saw the analyst still busy in front of the computer, with the video of the game that had just ended on the screen.

"Sir," Yan Yuan said politely, "I would like to make a copy of today's match video and the related statistical report, is that alright?"

The analyst looked up in surprise, saw it was Yan Yuan, and then showed an expression of understanding and knowing.

He had seen many young players become depressed after losing a game, but it was rare to see one like Yan Yuan who took the initiative to ask for video analysis right away.

"Of course, Yan." The analyst nodded and quickly got to work. "Losing is unpleasant, but it's good that you're thinking about reviewing the game. What kind of data do you need? Passing accuracy? Running hotspots? Or contact statistics?"

"I want it all, sir." Yan Yuan's tone was firm. "Especially the passing routes in the midfield area, the locations where possession is lost, and the data comparison of attack and defense transition speeds... the more detailed the better."

The analyst quickly handed him a USB drive containing match footage and detailed data: "It's all in there. If you need any help with analysis, just let me know."

"Thank you, sir." Yan Yuan took the USB drive, thanked him, and left the office.

Back in his room, Yan Yuan didn't turn on the main light, but only the desk lamp.

He drew the curtains, shutting out the night outside, and inserted the USB drive into his laptop.

An aerial view of the stadium soon appeared on the screen.

Instead of immediately checking his own performance, he switched the camera to an overhead view, focusing on the dynamics of the midfield.

He clicked on the segment marked "key pass error" by the analyst.

Replay: In the 28th minute, Henderson intercepted Hazard's ball in the backfield, which was a successful defensive play.

But after looking up, Henderson tried to make a through pass to Kane, who was making a run forward.

The ball wasn't fast, and its trajectory was too obvious, allowing Witsel to easily intercept it while he was tracking back.

After intercepting the ball, Witsel did not hesitate and passed it directly to Mertens on the right wing. Mertens dribbled forward at high speed and instantly launched a counterattack.

Upon seeing this, Yan Yuan pressed the pause button and quickly jotted down notes in his notebook: [Henderson's through ball was clearly intended, the route was predictable, but it was intercepted; this is the starting point for a Belgian counter-attack.]

He then clicked on another clip: In the 37th minute, Dier received the ball near the center circle, and Belgium's Fellaini immediately pressed forward.

Dell tried to turn around and get away, but Fellaini was extremely strong and held his position firmly.

Left with no other option, Dier had to pass the ball back to full-back Walker.

After Walker received the ball, the Belgian wingers and midfielders immediately surrounded him, forcing Walker to clear the ball with a long kick, and possession was easily returned to Belgium.

Yan Yuan's notes: [Dyer's ability to break free from possession is insufficient; under pressure, he cannot effectively pass the ball forward and is forced to pass it back, affecting the speed of offensive and defensive transitions.]

He continued fast-forwarding and found the replay of the attack in which Belgium scored.

The incident originated from a failed set-piece attack by England, after which Belgian goalkeeper Courtois launched a counter-attack with a quick throw.

After two simple passes between De Bruyne and Witsel, the ball reached Januzaj's feet in the attacking third.

Januzaj cut inside, created space, and unleashed a stunning long-range shot to score.

The entire process, from Courtois's throw to Januzaj's shot, took less than ten seconds!

England's players hadn't even fully recovered from the set-piece attack.

Yan Yuan took a deep breath and wrote heavily in his notebook: [Team-wide offensive and defensive transition speed: Belgium < 10 seconds, England > 15 seconds, huge efficiency gap...]

He pulled up the passing data chart for the entire game.

England's midfield passing accuracy was significantly lower than Belgium's, especially in dangerous areas of the opponent's half.

Henderson, Dier, and Alli all had far fewer forward passes and a lower success rate than De Bruyne and Witsel.

The map showing the locations where possession was lost clearly indicates that the England midfield trio lost possession unusually frequently near the center circle, which was precisely the best starting point for Belgium to launch a quick counter-attack.

Yan Yuan's gaze darted back and forth between the screen and the data, his brain working at lightning speed.

He gradually pieced together the whole picture:

The Belgian midfield trio of De Bruyne, Witsel, and Fellaini is a classic combination of technique and physicality.

De Bruyne was responsible for creation and orchestration, while Witsel and Fellaini were responsible for sweeping and connecting, a clear division of labor that complemented each other.

England's midfielders Henderson, Dier, and Alli appear to have relatively singular and overlapping functions.

Henderson excels at defensive interception but lacks passing creativity and accuracy; Dell has good positioning but is weak in ball-handling and dribbling; Alli is good at scoring from behind, but contributes little in playmaking and ball-handling penetration.

The trio lacked a true "metronome" and "ball release point".

Furthermore, De Bruyne's passing is like a scalpel, always finding openings, especially those through balls or long passes that pierce through the defense.

England's midfielders, especially Henderson and Dier, tend to play safe passes. Their forward passes are either too conservative and easily anticipated, or lack precision, leading to errors.

Then, Yan Yuan summarized the efficiency of the offensive and defensive transitions.

This is the most fatal difference!

After the Belgian midfielder intercepts the ball, De Bruyne or Witsel can often immediately find the fast forward with a precise long pass or through ball, instantly completing the transition from defense to attack.

When England's midfield intercepted the ball, they had to pass it around several times to advance it into the attacking third, resulting in a slow pace that gave the opponent ample time to set up their defense.

The difference between fast and slow is like night and day.

Yan Yuan did not shift all the blame onto his teammates.

He also reviewed his running, receiving, and confrontation.

He also watched his own key moments.

He was indeed heavily marked by Vertonghen in the first half, with frequent physical contact.

Yan Yuan reflected on whether his running routes were too fixed, whether he should seek short passing combinations with the midfield more frequently, and even try to move inside to the flanks to relieve pressure on Kane or create space to receive the ball.

Perhaps more flexible and wider-ranging incursions could break through the opponent's defenses.

Continuing to watch the video, it becomes clear that Yan Yuan is often forced into a double-team situation during his limited successful catches.

In such intense competition, is it better to pass the ball earlier instead of trying to shield it, turn around, and then get double-teamed and dispossessed?

This requires more accurate judgment and faster decision-making.

Yan Yuan didn't touch the ball much in the first half, which was an extremely unpleasant experience for someone used to having a lot of possession at Hoffenheim.

He admitted that he did experience a brief period of impatience in the latter part of the game, and this emotion, under high pressure, may have affected his judgment and running efficiency in the last few minutes.

After reviewing the entire match, it was already 2 a.m.

Yan Yuan closed his notebook, leaned back in his chair, let out a long breath, and began to speak like Xianglin's wife.

"Sigh... I'm so stupid... really..."

This defeat was like a bucket of cold water, waking him up.

For the first time, he realized so profoundly how crucial a strong, balanced, and efficient midfield is in the high-level competition of modern football.

This was not the first time Yan Yuan had faced failure.

He knew that if England wanted to go further, the midfield predicament exposed by this defeat was a key issue that Southgate's coaching staff and he himself had to face and work hard to find solutions to.

Yan Yuan has lost games before, but he is not afraid of losing.

What he fears is losing without understanding why, and not being able to find out where the problem lies.

Now, he has meticulously analyzed the core of the problem.

The pressure exerted by Belgium in this match was like a heavy and profound lesson for him on a tactical level.

Yan Yuan closed his notebook, stood up, walked to the window, and opened it a crack.

He took a deep breath of the Russian night air.

There wasn't much sense of frustration, only a calm after the judgment was validated and an unprecedented desire to improve myself.

Losing a game is certainly disappointing, but clearly seeing the gap and the direction to take is also a valuable gain.

This was only his second match in the World Cup campaign, and his first real test.

Tomorrow, he plans to talk to the coach.