One-on-One Duel!
[CCTV, CCTV, dear viewers, we are live broadcasting the 2014 Brazil World Cup European Qualifiers Group Stage match, a focus battle between France and Spain from Group I.]
[I am commentator Shirokendama!]
[And I am Focuzo.]
Since the Chinese national team was eliminated early in the qualifiers and this match is highly anticipated, CCTV chose to broadcast it live.
[First, let me introduce the starting lineups for both teams:
Both teams are using the 4-3-3 formation. Here is Spain's starting lineup: Goalkeeper: Valdés; Defenders: Arbeloa, Piqué, Ramos, Monreal; Midfielders: Busquets, Xabi Alonso, Xavi; Forwards: David Silva, Iniesta, Lin.
For France, the starting lineup is: Goalkeeper: Lloris; Defenders: Jallet, Varane, Koscielny, Evra; Midfielders: Cabaye, Pogba, Matuidi; Forwards: Benzema, Ribery, Valbuena.]
[In this match, France is starting a young player in the midfield, Paul Pogba, a rising star from Juventus.]
[This player is very young, having just turned 20. This is his debut match for the French national team, and starting him shows how much Deschamps values him.]
[Yes, Pogba came from Manchester United's youth academy. He is tall and skilled. After joining Juventus this season, he has performed outstandingly in Serie A. Many believe he could be the next Zidane.]
[Haha, for France, they have been longing for a top midfielder for six years!]
[As fans say, since Zidane retired, French football has not recovered for six years. During this time, they have been missing a top-class midfield commander. We will see if Pogba can shoulder this responsibility and meet the expectations of the coach and fans.]
Standing on the grass of Stade de France, Pogba felt his heart racing.
Many fans filled the vast stadium, most of them supporting France. They were waving flags and shouting the names of French players, cheering for the team.
Vaguely, Pogba seemed to hear his name, which gave him a bit of excitement:
If I play well in this match, I, Pogba, will become famous!
...
Compared to Pogba's excitement, Lin, having experienced the terrifying atmosphere of Westfalenstadion, appeared very calm regarding the noise and interference created by French fans.
He couldn't understand French, so he didn't know what the fans were shouting.
But judging by their fierce expressions and the few recognizable names of him and his teammates, they were probably swearing.
Someone once said, a player who isn't cursed by the opponent's fans is not successful.
Opposing fans don't insult players who aren't threats.
At precisely 20:00, with the referee's whistle, the match officially began.
Spain had possession of the ball. Lin kicked the ball to Iniesta and then ran towards the opponent's half.
France started aggressively, pressing high. When Iniesta got the ball, he faced pressure from two French players.
He had no choice but to pass the ball to Busquets. With the ball at his feet, the French formation pressed up to continue pressing the Spanish players.
On the sideline, Del Bosque frowned:
Is France going for a high press?
France's aggressive pressing quickly paid off.
In the 2nd minute, they capitalized on a passing mistake by Spain. Matuidi intercepted the ball and passed it to a teammate.
Pogba received the ball, saw a gap in Spain's defense, and immediately sent a through ball to the center.
The ball precisely reached Valbuena's feet, but his overhead kick went high.
Pogba's pass caught the attention of Deschamps and the spectators.
This pass showed Pogba's excellent vision and delicate footwork. Not everyone could see such a fleeting opportunity, but he did.
French fans were excited. Six years!
Do you know how we've endured these six years?
Since Zidane retired, they had put up with the clumsy midfielders for six years.
After watching Zidane's masterful passes, they couldn't bear to see the passes from their current midfielders.
But now, Pogba's appearance gave them hope.
Finally, there was a player who wasn't just about strength but also skill.
This shot seemed to inspire the French team, and they pressed more aggressively in the front.
In the 5th minute, France intercepted the ball again in the front. Matuidi's left-footed shot went over the crossbar.
Within just five minutes, they had taken two shots, seemingly controlling the game.
This made the French fans even more excited. They cheered louder and louder, trying to motivate the players on the field.
Facing France's pressing, Spain quickly adjusted.
Their formation changed to 4-6-0, with all three forwards retreating to their own half, joining the midfield battle.
Spain's no-striker formation was famous because their front players could all play in the midfield.
Iniesta, David Silva, and Lin were not traditional forwards.
Joining the midfield battle gave Spain a numerical advantage.
The Spanish players, initially pressured and hurried, now had more passing options and reduced the risk of errors significantly.
Gradually, the fans noticed that although France was still trying to press the Spanish players, their pressing efficiency dropped sharply. Since the 5th-minute shot, they hadn't touched the ball much.
As a result, France's pressing no longer looked like pressing but more like Spain playing keep-away.
On the sideline, seeing his midfield stabilize, Del Bosque sighed in relief.
He relaxed in his seat, feeling so happy that he almost wanted to hum a tune.
With such a luxurious midfield, is there any fear of your pressing?
If you can't win the ball, this pressing strategy can't continue.
French players will lose confidence and enthusiasm after repeated pressing failures.
Moreover, with their formation pressing so high, it's a great opportunity for Spain to counterattack.
Thinking of this, Del Bosque looked at Lin on the field.
The stage is set for your performance. Now, let's see what you can do!
Seeing the pressing strategy failing, Deschamps stood on the sideline, directing his players to run more actively, increasing the success rate of their pressing.
But just as they pressed forward, Spain found an opportunity to counterattack.
In the 12th minute, Spain passed the ball around in their half, drawing three French forwards to press, then Monreal quickly passed to Busquets.
Busquets looked up at the situation in the front and sent a long pass to Lin in the center.
Lin accelerated towards the French half.
Pogba, the closest to Lin, instinctively moved to intercept him.
The spectators saw the two facing off, becoming eager with anticipation.
One was Spain's superstar, the other was France's rising star.
Their direct confrontation was highly anticipated, and everyone wanted to see who would win.
Lin, I won't let you pass easily!
Pogba focused on Lin, filled with determination.
If he could win this duel, he would prove his ability and solidify his place in the national team.
Facing a tall defender, Lin didn't use any fancy tricks.
He lowered his left shoulder, switched the ball to his left foot, and pretended to break through on the left.
Pogba, unfamiliar with Lin's deceptive moves, saw his center of gravity shift and assumed he would break through on the right, so he moved to intercept.
Then...
Lin and the ball vanished from his left side.
Wow!
The crowd erupted in surprise, especially the French fans.
They expected a balanced duel but were shocked to see Pogba, whom they had high hopes for, easily bypassed like a wooden post.
How could this be?
They couldn't understand, and neither could Pogba:
How could that be a fake move?
His center of gravity clearly shifted to the right. How could he break through on the left?
Pogba was bypassed so quickly that the French central defenders had no choice but to confront Lin.
They couldn't give him too much space, as he was dangerous both shooting and breaking through.
They needed to compress his space to limit his passing and dribbling.
The French defenders' judgment was accurate, but the problem was, with two of them marking Lin, what about the other Spanish players?
Faced with the defenders' interception, Lin decisively passed to the right.
The ball arrived, and Iniesta, on the right side of the box, received the pass and calmly shot into the open net.
In the 12th minute of the first half, Spain capitalized on a simple counterattack to break the deadlock.
At the moment Iniesta scored, the 80,000-seat Stade de France fell silent, so quiet that even the sound of a pin dropping could be heard.
French fans were dumbfounded, holding their heads in disbelief.
They had controlled the game, so why did Spain score first?
[Haha, this goal was not surprising. Spain's counterattack was high quality, and France pressed too high, leaving their defense exposed.]
[Playing at home, France naturally hoped for a win, so their pressing wasn't surprising. But using this strategy against Spain with Lin is too risky.]
Focuzo laughed, [Spain now is like an upgraded Barcelona. Letting Barcelona counterattack? What kind of quality is that? Unimaginable!]
[This goal shouldn't be blamed on Pogba. He lacked teammates' support. It's normal to be beaten one-on-one by someone like Lin.]
Seeing Pogba's dejected look on screen, Shirokendama sympathetically said, [Yes, France's overall defensive strategy had issues. They underestimated Spain's counterattack.]
After they finished, both commentators felt strange:
Isn't possession football supposed to dominate possession and create constant shooting opportunities with pressing?
Why does it seem like Spain is playing keep-away in their half, luring opponents to press, then counterattacking?
It feels like a combination of Guardiola and Mourinho's tactics. Is this a coincidence or intentional?
In a box at the stadium, a certain bald coach saw Del Bosque's tactic and his eyes lit up. He took out his notebook and quickly jotted it down.
In Portugal, in a certain home, a certain coach named Mourinho, upon seeing Del Bosque's unconventional tactics, felt an urge to curse.
...
The match resumed, and France, unwilling to fall behind, continued their aggressive attacks.
In the 15th minute, Valbuena passed to the right. Jallet's cross was met by Benzema, but his shot went over.
In the 20th minute, Benzema, surrounded by defenders in the box, forced a shot that was deflected for a corner.
The corner was caught by Valdés.
During this time, France played hastily, creating many shooting chances but with little threat.
As Spain gradually controlled possession, even these difficult shooting opportunities for France decreased.
With Spain dominating midfield, their possession-based tactics began to shine.
In the 22nd minute, after continuous passing, Xavi turned and shot from the edge of the box, missing the post.
A minute later, David Silva's low shot was blocked by Lloris.
From the 20th minute, Spain dominated possession, besieging France's goal.
French forwards couldn't get the ball and had to retreat to help defend.
Even so, they seemed shaky under Spain's siege.
In the 31st minute, Iniesta's lob pass found Lin in the box, who was tripped.
It was an obvious foul, but the referee ignored it and didn't award a penalty.
The Spanish players remembered the controversial refereeing in their previous home match against France.
After that match, Spain protested to FIFA, but it fell on deaf ears.
Spanish players protested to the referee, but he stood firm. Xavi even received a yellow card for his outburst.
Seeing the protests were in vain, the Spanish players were fuming.
And they soon took it out on the French team.