Fox in the Penalty Area

"You guys did a great job! Although we fell behind in the first half, we performed very well in the second half. We suppressed our opponents and evened the score in the end...

The translator was translating what Carlisle just said to the players of the Japanese team.

Carlisle was on the side, taking this opportunity to think.

It was good to equalize before the end of the first half, but what next?

It's just an equalizer, not a lead.

How the next game is played is the most important thing.

Is it to slow down and take things slowly?

Or should we take advantage of this momentum and continue our efforts?

This is something Carlisle, the head coach, has to consider.

And he started to think about it after the team equalized the score.

Originally he was leaning towards the former.

Because the team had just equalized the score and the first half was about to end, and the upward momentum was interrupted. If he went out to attack the Chinese team at this time, he was worried that there would be problems with the defense.

Generally speaking, scoring an equalizer near the end of the first half is a double-edged sword - needless to say, one benefit. The disadvantage is that the morale and momentum of the players have been interrupted. After fifteen minutes of halftime, it is difficult for the players to immediately find the feeling they had just after scoring.

If there is still about fifteen minutes of game time after the goal is scored, it will be the perfect state for the Japanese team.

Since the momentum was interrupted, Carlisle naturally decided to be more stable in the second half and deal with the Chinese team for a while, taking advantage of the Japanese team's overall passing and control advantage to find openings and loopholes.

But during the halftime break, he saw the excited Japanese players in the locker room and changed his mind.

The players of the Japanese team, who had just equalized the score, had not recovered from the excitement even after returning to the locker room.

Carlisle felt that at this time, if the players were asked to solidly defend and play steadily after the start of the second half, it would be like pouring cold water on the players' heads.

Although he knew that with the discipline of Japanese players, they would definitely comply with his request.

But they still feel awkward in their hearts.

It's like you're forcing a performance monster to drive at a low speed.

If you don't feel comfortable driving, the car will be prone to problems, such as gearbox overheating, etc...

At this time, the more important thing is to go with the flow.

So Carlisle decided to change his mind.

After the interpreter finished speaking, he continued: "After the start of the second half, we must continue our performance during the period when we equalized the score. Actively attack,

Don't be afraid of the Chinese team's offense, this is our home court after all! In terms of overall strength, we are stronger and there is no reason to be afraid of them at our own home court! "

rice※

"The Japanese team is at home in this game, and they cannot tolerate the 1:1 result. So they will definitely strengthen their offensive in the second half, either at the beginning, or some time after the opening... So if the Japanese team attacks very hard in the second half, Just fight them!"

In the Chinese team's locker room, Yu Jintao translated Dillon's words to the national team players.

While translating, he was filled with emotion in his heart - unknowingly, the old man Dillon really made the Chinese team players believe that they were very strong...

He recalled that when Dillon first coached the Chinese team, he led the team in the first game, the "China Cup" semi-finals against the South African team. Most of Dillon's speech before the game was related to only one thing, and that was to tell the players of the Chinese team that they were really strong.

But now, he doesn't need to emphasize it again and again to encourage the players' fighting spirit.

He simply asked them to attack Japan.

None of the Chinese players present felt surprised, incredulous, or frowned to show embarrassment.

You must know that they are now facing the Japanese team, which is the number one in Asia, and it is still at their home court. But looking at the expressions of the players, it seems as if it is a matter of course to attack the Japanese team. This team is indeed much stronger than before.

Not only the changes brought about by the players in Europe, but also the players who play domestically have also grown and gained.

Especially the young domestic players, they are more ambitious and confident than the older generation.

After Yu Jintao finished translating, Dillon walked to the middle of the locker room and asked all the Chinese team players who were sitting to stand up and come to him.

Then he stretched out his hands and asked everyone to overlap and put their palms on them.

Just like that, he shouted in Mandarin with a slightly awkward accent: "Do you have confidence?!"

All the players on the team answered him loudly: "Yes! Yes! Yes!!"

With the last shout, the arms that were stacked together did not wave away, and all the players also dispersed, and then walked towards the locker room door.

Dilong was at the end, showing his face to his translator Yu Jintao and asking: "How is it, Yu? Is my pronunciation standard?"

Yu Jintao gave him a thumbs up: "In Hu Lai's words: newbee!"

Dillon laughed loudly after receiving the compliment: "I have been practicing for a long time!"

※※※After the players of both sides returned to the court, the second half of the game started with a whistle.

After receiving instructions from the head coach, the Japanese players launched a fierce attack on the Chinese team's goal.

After equalizing the score, their morale is now boosted and they feel that they are in the right state. They must score goals quickly while they are still in this state.

We are all experienced professional players, and we know very well that if they can no longer score goals quickly. If the Chinese team can withstand their offensive, the next game will not be easy to play.

After all, this is their home court. If they cannot beat the Chinese team at their home court, the Japanese team will be under tremendous pressure.

Before the start of the second half, they were only worried that the Chinese team would be unable to retreat in the face of their fierce attack.

After all, based on common sense analysis, they had just equalized the score, were full of momentum, and were under pressure to win at home, so they would definitely attack fiercely in the second half.

Then the Chinese team's most likely response is to stabilize its defense first, withstand the Japanese team's fierce attack after the opening, and then slowly take advantage of it. Whether it is a counterattack or a 1:1 draw, the result is acceptable to the Chinese team.

If the Chinese team really shrinks its defense and counterattacks, it will really give the Japanese players a headache.

The Chinese team is capable of counterattack...

As a result, after the second half started, they found that the Chinese team did not choose to defend and counterattack, but actively responded to the challenge and attacked them!

This is really the dream situation for the Japanese team!

The Chinese team actually fought against them!

What you want!

superior!

Attack!

Who is afraid of whom? !

※Mi※ Unlike the excited Japanese players, their head coach Carlisle stood on the sidelines with a frown and a worried look.

Because he smelled something unusual from the Chinese team that was playing against the Japanese team.

He didn't think that a head coach of Dillon's level would not guess that the Japanese team would attack after the start of the second half.

If you can guess it, why do you do it?

Is Dillon stupid?

Carlisle was not so naive.

There is actually only one answer - because Dillon believes that his team has the confidence and strength to compete with the Japanese team!

The Chinese team would actually play against the Japanese team at the Japanese team's home court... This may sound unbelievable, but if you think about it carefully, it's not impossible.

Although the Chinese team's bench is not as thick as the Japanese team, each team can only play eleven players at the same time in football matches. Just talking about the strength of the starting lineup,

The Chinese team can really compete with the Japanese team back and forth without falling behind.

Carlisle was wondering whether the Chinese team's confrontation with the Japanese team was his own opportunity or the opponent's opportunity...

He was a little worried, but it was impossible for the team to slow down at this time.

This is equivalent to stepping on the floor oil and then slamming on the brakes. The car can easily lose control.

So even if he was a little worried, Carlisle couldn't change his tactics temporarily.

He just hopes that his players can be more ambitious and score early.

As long as the Japanese team can score another goal, the balance on the field will be automatically broken.

When the time comes, he won't care what conspiracy the Chinese team has.

One goal can really change a lot of things.

It's like a watershed moment.

Sugiyama Tatsuya took a long shot despite Xia Xiaoyu's interference from outside the penalty area!

Lin Zhiyuan chose his position correctly. He didn't even make a volley save, but directly caught the ball in his arms.

The cheers of Japanese fans stopped in summer.

Lin Zhiyuan did not continue to lie on the ground, but quickly stood up and launched an attack by throwing the ball with his hand.

Xia Xiaoyu, who was guarding Tatsuya Sugiyama just outside the penalty area, immediately pulled away and rushed up from Tatsuya Sugiyama, preparing to join the Chinese team's attack.

Sugiyama Tatsuya didn't bother to put his head in his hands and regret that his shot failed to score. He also quickly turned around to catch up.

But Lin Zhiyuan did not throw the ball to Xia Xiaoyu, but to Chen Xingyi on the wing.

Chen Xingyi dribbled the ball forward. When he was approaching the midline, he was intercepted and defended by the Japanese team players, so he passed the football to Zhang Qinghuan who ran to meet him.

Zhang Qinghuan did not catch the ball. He passed the ball between his legs and gave it to Xia Xiaoyu. Then he accelerated and ran forward, taking Junpei Morikawa with him.

As a result, a medium-sized gap appeared in front of Xia Xiaoyu.

Xia Xiaoyu led the ball forward and then passed diagonally forward.

It seems that it is still passed to Zhang Qinghuan.

But Zhang Qinghuan missed the football again.

The football rolled towards Chen Xingyi who was cutting forward at high speed!

Chen Xingyi caught up with the football and made a pass!

Zhou Zijing jumped up and competed with Japan's center back Takehiro Nakaoka for the top, but neither of them hit the ball!

The football crossed the area in front of the penalty area and flew straight to the back.

It was Hu Lai who appeared there!

As he was running, he began to adjust his pace, and finally he lifted his right leg!

Kengo Yamayama, the captain of the Japanese team, flew towards Hu Lai and turned his back to Hu Lai, trying to use his body to block Hu Lai's shot.

He didn't block it!

Bang!

Hu Lai's right foot hit the ball with the outside instep!

Kenwu Shanshan turned around and saw the football spinning at high speed towards the lower corner of the goal!

Although goalkeeper Nobuo Nishiguchi made a save, in the eyes of Kengo Yamayama, there was still a huge distance between Nobuo Nishiguchi’s hands and the football.

——Nobuo Nishiguchi turned around and rushed back from the front one by one. It was almost impossible to save the ball...

Sure enough, before Nobuo Nishiguchi pounced, the football spiraled into the goal close to the inside of the near post!

The "watershed" that determines the trend of the game has appeared!