Chapter 193: Big Brother Leading the Way
The game continued and He Wei continued his commentary.
"Zhongyang TV, Zhongyang TV."
"You are watching the quarter-finals of this season's Coppa Italia. The match is now in the 24th minute and the home team Atalanta is leading 1-0."
"Zappacosta takes the free kick from the left."
"Pass it into the penalty area!"
"He was pushed out by Chen Xiaoliang!"
"Weiletu cleared the ball with a big kick! The ball went out of bounds."
"We saw that Roma had nine players defending in the penalty area, except for the goalkeeper."
"It is indeed difficult for Atlanta to score in such a dense defense."
"Throughout the first half, the most outstanding player has to be Atalanta's left wingback Zappacosta."
"He can do everything, he can run forward, he can pass the ball, he can cut inside."
"It seems that we are not seeing Zappacosta, but Rui Costa."
"It was all thanks to Roma's right wingback Karsdorp who played against him."
"The blind forward run and tackling created a huge defensive vacuum at the back, and the almost unguarded right wing gave Zappacosta unlimited space to move around."
"Now Mourinho has brought on Celik as right wingback after just 23 minutes of the game. It seems he has had enough of Karsdorp's performance."
The situation after Celik came on the pitch also confirmed Mourinho's idea. If there was a normal right back, it would be impossible for the opponent to explode like this.
With the strength of Atalanta's players, they are still far from being able to suppress Roma.
With Celik's focused defense and Matic's supportive defense, Zappacosta failed to find a good attacking opportunity after trying twice, so he had to give up and transfer the ball to the middle and right.
In the 25th minute, Fruller attempted a long shot, but it was too straight and was easily caught by Patricio.
As for Roma, as long as they get players, they will launch a quick counterattack without hesitation.
In the 28th minute, Abraham received a pass from Binya, cut in from the left and took a low shot, but the shot lacked power and was caught by Atalanta goalkeeper Musso.
In the next 10 minutes, neither side could get a single shot on target, and the fighting was all concentrated in Atlanta's midfield and backcourt.
The home team had 65% of the ball possession but only had 3 shots on target. It was not so much that the core of the organization, Pasalic, was frozen by Roma's double defensive midfielders, but rather that he himself had no desire to attack.
Occasionally, if the opportunity is good, try a long shot, but the rest of the time, as long as you feel that the opportunity is unreliable, immediately pass sideways or back to ensure a safe pass and keep the team in possession of the ball.
As for Roma, it seems that their fight against Barcelona is a replica of Mourinho's time as Real Madrid coach.
As long as you can destroy the ball, no matter it is out of bounds or out of the baseline, give priority to destroying the ball.
This would artificially dismember Atlanta's offense, preventing them from playing coherent football and instead causing them to constantly throw in throw-ins and take free kicks.
The purpose of doing this is very simple. Repeated set pieces, especially sideline balls, can allow Roma's formation to press forward more, with less risk of being penetrated by the defense in continuous positional battles.
Roma's defense of Atalanta's sideline ball gave Gasperini a headache.
As many as 4-5 players' point-to-point defense often makes it difficult for Atlanta's sideline players to find someone to throw the ball to.
Although frequent fake dribbling and running by the receiving player can increase the accuracy of throwing the sideline ball, it can also cause the defense to lose its position after the ball is intercepted.
To be honest, when it comes to high-pressure defense and extreme ball control, Mourinho, who has fought against peak Barcelona for many years, can be said to be the most experienced.
Gradually, Roma began to take the initiative on the field, although their ball possession rate was still low.
In the 41st minute, Hartbauer threw the ball out of bounds. Malinovskiy, Pasalic , De Jong and Djimsiti, four teammates in the front, middle and back fields, all went to support, but they were still tightly locked down by Roma's players.
Helplessly, Hartbauer saw that the referee would blow the whistle if he didn't throw the ball, so he had to move forward and throw it in the direction of another forward Boga.
As expected, the ball was headed out by Smalling. After Matic controlled the ball, he immediately passed it to the right side where there were relatively fewer people without waiting for Atlanta to recover.
Celik received the ball and dribbled, facing Zappacosta, he passed it to Chen Xiaoliang in the middle, then moved inwards at high speed, with Zappacosta following closely.
However, Chen Xiaoliang, who received the ball, did not perform a one-two pass. Instead, he took the ball to the right side and then advanced along the side.
Now, seeing that Chen Xiaoliang had entered his defense zone, and Fruller, who was marking Chen Xiaoliang, was still in the defensive zone of the midfielder, Zappacosta had to let go of Celik and pounce on Chen Xiaoliang instead.
Just as he turned around and ran a few steps, and when Fruller, who was switching defense, had not yet caught up with Celik, Chen Xiaoliang made a straight pass forward, and Celik had already returned to the wing and received the ball in front of him again.
"pretty!"
"This is a standard two-on-two play on the wing, using position changes and counter-running to mess up the defenders' positions and achieve a breakthrough."
"Celik goes down!"
"Cesco and Abraham in the middle have already surrounded the opponent!"
"Celik chose the inverted triangle pass!"
"Near the penalty spot!"
"Veretout! Shoot!"
"Musso didn't respond!"
"But the ball somehow hit Cesco's buttocks and was cleared out of the sideline by Demiral!"
"Weiletu covered his face with his hands, and he felt extremely regretful!"
"There's such a big goal, why did you shoot it at your teammates?"
While the Roma players were still immersed in regret and the Atalanta players were secretly rejoicing, Chen Xiaoliang had already picked up the ball on the right side.
"Hurry! Zeki!" He shouted loudly to Celik!
Celik reacted immediately!
Chen Xiaoliang threw the ball to Celik.
At this time, Atlanta's other assistant coach, Gritti, shouted continuously, reminding the players to pay attention that Roma was about to send a sideline ball!
Zappacosta, who had just been left out by a small-scale collaboration, immediately pounced on Celik.
After receiving the ball from Chen Xiaoliang, Celik immediately passed it back to Chen Xiaoliang, then turned around and rushed to the baseline!
Zappacosta will not make the mistake of looking at the ball instead of the player this time. He will turn around and continue to suppress Celik to prevent Chen Xiaoliang from passing the ball to him behind him again.
But this is just Zappacosta's idea.
In Rome, everyone knows what Chen Xiaoliang is going to do next.
He stopped the ball lightly one meter in front of him, then stepped forward with his left foot and swung his right foot, with the inner instep rubbing the lower middle part of the ball.
It's a cross!
Zappacosta cursed in his heart, being fooled by this kid again!
Crossing is his specialty!
As a series of things happened as fast as lightning, the shot was deflected and the quick sideline ball was thrown. Except for the three central defenders in Atlanta's penalty area, other players did not have time to take up defensive positions. Veretout, who failed to shoot, was still in the penalty area.
This just created a three-on-three situation in the penalty area.
Moreover, Mourinho and the two center forwards had been waiting for this cross ball for a long time!
This was a new combination they had practiced many times before the game, and it was one of the important reasons for changing to playing with two centers.
It is simple to say, it is to use the height difference to avoid direct confrontation with the opponent's central defender, but to move to the outside of the front or back point to challenge the two wingbacks in the three-center-back system, or the defensive zone of the returning midfielder.
You know, among the three central defenders Gasperini sent out today, the "shortest" Palomino is 188CM tall, and the other two, Demiral and Djimsiti, are both 190CM tall.
The two defensive midfielders are 185CM and 180CM respectively, and the two wingbacks are also 185CM and 180CM respectively.
However, it just happened that Zappacosta and Fruller, both 180cm tall, were on the left side.
According to the arrangement before the game, and the trajectory and speed of the ball, Cesco on the right knew that the ball would be passed to him as soon as Chen Xiaoliang completed the cross.
He has moved to the right side of the penalty area.
Veretout attracted Palomino's attention on the right side of the penalty area, while Zappacosta was still fighting with Celik and had no time to go over to assist Cesco.
Palomino, who is 188cm tall, is not short, but the person standing in front of him is Cesco, who is 195cm tall.
With the help of tacit connection, the cross was fast and accurate, and Cesco jumped high and headed the ball!
At that moment, all the fans, players and coaches in Atlanta were asking:
Is he going to shoot or pass?
Abraham started instantly and moved towards the middle from the left. Jimsiti couldn't follow him in time, and the only one who could block the Englishman was Palomino.
Veretout had already stepped back, with his hands spread out, ready to receive the ball and shoot at any time.
For Palomino, should he defend Abraham or block Veretout?
For goalkeeper Musso, should he go to the near corner to block a possible shot from Lesco? Or should he attack to block a possible shot from Abraham?
Or stand there and wait to save Veretout's shot?
In such a split second, there is no time for them to think!
It was precisely because of these hesitations that these people were unable to make the most timely judgment in the first place!
However, the offensive tactics that Roma practiced before the game were very clear: they would open up to the flanks and attack directly when there was an opportunity, and pass the ball to teammates in open positions when there was no opportunity!
If it was Abraham or Zaniolo, they might have headed the ball directly into the goal from a small angle.
But Cesco is not like this, he is a center forward with a sense of the overall situation, he can break through, grab points, and act as a fulcrum. This is the important reason why he was able to squeeze Abraham, who was bought for 40 million euros, from the main center forward to the wing and become a wingman in a short period of time!
Which head coach doesn't like a striker who can shoot, pass, score goals and assist? !
Cesco shook his head and the ball bounced over his head and flew towards Veretout!
The French, who were still sighing about missed opportunities half a minute ago, have been having good things happen to them recently!
He will turn 29 next month. Because of his offensive and defensive performance and active running in Rome, he was recruited into the French national team for the second time by Deschamps!
If they were recruited during the UEFA Nations League at the end of last year, it might be to observe more players in preparation for the World Cup.
Recruiting again at this time is basically to prepare for the trip to Qatar at the end of the year!
The World Cup is the highest dream of all players!
Especially the French team, which has the ability to win the championship, is very likely to reach the highest podium in the end!
Although he has been wandering around the world and achieved success late in life, Weletu still wants to prove himself!
After all, in four years, I will be 33 years old. Given the reserve and growth rate of the new generation of the French team, it will be difficult for me, who has never won an important championship, to compete with the young people by then.
He must seize this opportunity!
Inhale, aim, kick!
It seemed as if Weletu was trying to concentrate all his strength in his feet and prepare for a powerful shot!
When his foot was about to touch the ball, his ankles tightened and he pushed the ball out with the arch of his foot!
Just like a precise putt on the golf green, Musso, who was fooled by the fake move, had no reaction and could only watch the ball roll into the goal along the left post!
"pretty!"
"pretty!"
"In the 42nd minute, Chen Xiaoliang made a cross from the wing, Cesco headed the ball back, and Veretout pushed the ball into the goal, helping Roma equalize the score away from home!"
"Both sides are back to the same starting line!"
“Weletu did not make the same mistake as he did with the shot half a minute ago. It felt like he put all his attention on the ball this time!”
"The ball rolled into the goal along the lower right corner of the goal, sticking to the post!"
"Atlanta paid the price for their distraction."
"They thought they had escaped one disaster, but they didn't expect that one disaster would come after another!"
"From Chen Xiaoliang's quick free kick to the final goal, the whole process took only 5 seconds!"
"But that's enough for Mourinho's team!"
"Speak of the devil, the devil appears. The on-site director also turned the camera to Mourinho."
"Like the Roma players celebrating on the field, the Portuguese, who had been livid since the start of the game, finally smiled."
"The mental state of his players after the goal deserves his praise with a smile, but probably not the player who has returned to the locker room."
"And Gasperini couldn't smile anymore. A distraction led to the loss of the ball, which only shows that the team's adaptability and concentration are not enough."
"But according to the law of conservation of energy, his smile did not disappear, but moved to Mourinho's face."
Neither side had any more shots in the remaining three minutes of the first half.
However, after returning to the locker room, Roma was hit by a storm.
"Who allowed you to go back to the locker room first?!"
Mourinho returned to the locker room first before the referee blew the half-time whistle and loudly questioned Karsdorp.
Karsdorp had a gloomy face. It was unclear whether he was troubled and didn't know how to start the conversation, or he didn't want to confront the arrogant and furious head coach head-on.
Mourinho pressed again: "Tell me! Speak!"
"I think you shouldn't replace me so early. It's a humiliation to me."
Karsdorp's reply was very calm, but his eyes and expression could not hide his dissatisfaction.
Mourinho suddenly laughed and looked at the Dutch full-back he had been with for half a year: "Don't you know how your wing was played?! Losing the ball in the first 10 seconds has nothing to do with you?!"
At this time, the player walking in front had already arrived at the door of the locker room. When he heard Mourinho yelling, he immediately walked to his position carefully and tiptoed, wiped the sweat off his face and drank water.
Karsdorp's eyes flickered, and he was obviously looking at which players had returned and which ones hadn't. "That goal was scored by their African center forward. It was the poor defense in the penalty area that allowed him to complete the shot. Am I responsible for this?"
Mourinho was stunned for a moment. He frowned and looked at Karsdorp with a slightly astonished expression.
After more than ten seconds, he suddenly shouted: "Forti!"
At this moment, Forti was outside the locker room door, winking at the players who were about to enter the room, asking them to shut up and stop talking and laughing.
At the same time, he didn't want to go into the house at this time to avoid being affected.
However, when he heard his immediate superior calling him loudly, he had no choice but to go in: "Jose, I'm here."
Mourinho looked around at the players who sat quietly and said nothing, then said to Forti: "He said he didn't know what the goal 10 seconds later had to do with him.
We still have 45 minutes to play and I don't want to waste these precious minutes discussing one of the stupidest questions I have ever heard in my coaching career.
Forty, you tell him why it's about him when we get back to the court."
"Okay." Forty nodded.
"That's not what I meant!" Karsdorp couldn't help but retort.
As No. 2, the two people on his left and right are No. 1 Patricio and No. 3 Ibanez.
Upon hearing this, Patricio immediately stood up and sat next to Dalbo opposite him.
It was as if Karsdorp was carrying a stupidity virus, and if you sat next to him you would be infected.
Ibanez gave Karsdorp a friendly nudge, signaling him to stop talking.
At this time, bystanders all know that if they continue to argue with the head coach, they will be the only ones who suffer.
However, Karsdorp was indeed suffering from the virus and was quite ill. He raised his left hand and knocked Ibanez's hand away.
He looks like he wants you to mind your own business and be a good person.
Now even Ibanez was angry and stood up to explode.
Suddenly, someone grabbed his hand from behind.
Ibanez looked back with an angry face and immediately became scared.
Chen Xiaoliang said calmly: "You go sit with me and prepare well for the second half of the game."
Ibanez looked back at Karsdorp, picked up his towel and drink, and walked away without saying a word.
Chen Xiaoliang sat down but didn't say anything, and didn't even turn his head to look at Karsdorp.
At this point, Mourinho, who was about to lose the ball at the beginning, and several other players who were dissatisfied with the opening goal stopped paying attention to this matter and started to arrange targeted tactics for the second half.
However, the person who was most touched by this scene, apart from Karsdorp himself, was Pellegrini, the team's "nominal" captain who was a substitute in this game.
When Chen Xiaoliang sat there, all the players in the locker room stopped saying anything. Everyone knew that someone was in charge of the matter.
Chen Xiaoliang sat down without saying anything and ignored Karsdorp, which made his meaning even clearer. Although this guy was a good-for-nothing, there was still half a game left and it was not the time to waste time on this matter.
Karsdorp also immediately understood from Chen Xiaoliang's behavior that the entire locker room was against him. No matter how he defended himself or tried to shift the blame, it was just wishful thinking.
Pellegrini was convinced.
He thought Chen Xiaoliang would be like Mourinho, pointing at Karsdorp's nose and scolding him, but he didn't expect that Ibanez just changed his position and calmed down the powder keg that was about to ignite.
The 45 minutes in the second half were enough for Karsdorp to sit alone in the locker room and feel the pressure from the entire locker room.
This kind of pressure can touch the soul far more than any criticism or blame.
He had to admit that the leader of the team's locker room was the 17-year-old Red Country midfielder in front of him.
And as long as he is on this team, this will never change.
