I AM the Football Star

Chapter 112: Chapter 45: Smashed to Pieces, Making Italian Football Doubt Itself!

That goal completely shattered Team A’s mentality.

They had five S-level players, yet they were trailing?

When behind, someone has to be blamed for the sake of emotional ventilation.

So, blame who?

Everyone looked at Aguirre.

Similarly, Team A’s defensive strategy was also disrupted, but lacking the leadership of their Head Coach, they couldn’t find a way to respond at the moment.

Especially with Lu Yang’s repeated forward runs, how do you break that?

Track him?

Can you keep up?

Their stamina is running low.

Not track him?

The consequence has already been shown, a conceded goal.

It’s like when four players are defending against four attackers, and suddenly, the defense has to consider an extra player, which is not just an extra player but a series of combinations to consider.

This affects the defense in various ways, such as blocking passing routes, blocking breakthrough routes, etc.

Soon, in the sixty-fifth minute of the game.

Just five minutes after the last goal, the score changed again.

Lu Yang made another forward run, with Team A’s midfield and center-backs on high alert.

Sogel moved to the flank, while Lam stayed in place, allowing the right center-back to follow Sogel.

Morici’s pass came again, Lu Yang received the ball, and the threat increased dramatically.

This time, Lam was tightly marking Lu Yang, ready to tackle as soon as Lu Yang got the ball.

He was confident.

However, the killer move unfolded in that instant.

Lu Yang didn’t stop the ball; he half-turned and leaned against Lam, then flicked it with his heel, changing the direction of the rolling ball from towards the penalty area to rolling laterally around the box.

Lam was stunned.

Is there someone there?

Boom!

Versachi unleashed a powerful shot, and no one anticipated this scene.

The ball went straight into the net, with the goalkeeper’s view blocked by Lam and Lu Yang, leaving no time to react.

”It’s open, Team B has completely opened up!” Carrel spread his hands, feeling that the outcome was decided.

”Is this the evolved change of Lu Yang’s forward run tactic?” Ancelotti said, ”Normally, after Lu Yang’s forward run, Versachi should retreated to cover, and B team indeed used to play like this. But this time Versachi didn’t, instead he made a feigned retreat, then surged forward, forming a dual midfielder forward run attack with Lu Yang.”

Taji said, ”Versachi was like a fish in water, his position was perfect, and this shot demonstrated his versatility. Of course, Lu Yang’s backheel pass was also spot on, just slightly slower and Versachi wouldn’t be in an open space.”

Perrotta nodded, ”And Lu Yang was cunning, he fully utilized his confrontation with Lam. After the backheel pass, he bumped Lam. Otherwise, with Lam’s speed and ability, he could have interfered with Versachi’s long shot.”

Maniero nodded and said, ”So now, it’s even harder for Team A to defend!”

Indeed, after restarting the game, Team A’s defensive challenge increased once again.

While trying to closely mark Lu Yang, they also had to keep an eye on Versachi.

Moreover, if Versachi on the left can push forward, why can’t Morici, the defensive midfielder on the right, do the same?

Though this would leave Team B’s defense relatively open and looking dangerous, the premise is that Team A has to withstand Team B’s current attack before even considering a counter-attack.

And the 3-4-3 formation is not known for its defensive prowess.

This is a passing control formation, but with insufficient coherence and reluctance to share possession, how can they execute passing control?

In the seventy-third minute, Lu Yang intercepted the ball once again, passing it to Morici before starting his forward run.

Facing pressure, Morici chose to pass back to the team’s full-back.

At this time, Versachi began to retreat, central forward Sogel moved to the left flank again, and Lu Yang started to push forward.

The identical three-man positional exchange attacking pattern.

Team A’s center-backs opted to stay in the middle of the penalty area, as even Lam alone couldn’t defend against both Lu Yang and Versachi.

The ratio of players in a small area is always key to both offense and defense.

Be it in football or war.

However...

Boom!

Team B’s full-back received the ball and quickly passed it back to Morici.

Morici didn’t stop the ball either, he turned halfway and made a quick pass down the left line.

Unmarked, Sogel easily received on the flank.

Canyes stepped up for the defense, but he was too far from Sogel.

Sogel adjusted perfectly and delivered a cross as Lu Yang and the team’s attacking midfielder both charged into the penalty area.

Lu Yang and Lam jumped up simultaneously.

With the interference of the attacking midfielder, Lam managed to head the ball, but it ricocheted off Lu Yang’s head and then flew to the far post outside the box.

There, Bai Zhami swept it in with a volley, and the ball deflected off Team A’s defender’s foot into the net!

Four to one!

Team B was on fire!

Bai Zhami joyfully rushed towards Lu Yang.

This shot counted as a goal because it was on frame, not as an own goal, marking Bai Zhami’s goal.

Likewise, Lu Yang snuck in an assist through it.

This was a goal full of serendipity.

But... from a tactical standpoint, it was a goal bound to happen sooner or later.

Sogel’s crossing from the unattended side was quite good; as long as he completed the cross, this attack could be deemed a perfect tactical success.

Whether the ball went in depends on luck and the individual skills of the players.

The utmost extremity a tactic can achieve is to significantly increase the probability of a goal occurring.

Team B mastered this aspect perfectly.