Chapter 627: Volume 5, Red: The Destined Result

On November 21st, the day of the game, all England fans were waiting at home or in bars to watch the upcoming game.

According to the news revealed before the game, David Beckham was indeed placed in the starting list by McLaren. It seems that facing such an important game, he finally intends to trust the experience of a veteran.

Twain was also waiting in front of the TV to watch the game. He didn't want to cheer for England and McLaren, he was purely to examine Beckham's state and performance.

In the Croatian team, the striker Eduardo da Silva currently playing for Arsenal is the most concerned. Before the game, the English media spent a lot of time praising his ability, reviewing his half season at Arsenal, saying it was "flawless". In fact, it is not "perfect", but it is "successful". He has scored five goals in less than half a season, which is not bad considering this is his first season. He will be the most dangerous player for England in this game.

There was another change in the list announced before the game. Robinson, who had been the main goalkeeper of the England team, was abandoned in this game, and Carson, who performed well in the warm-up match against Austria, served as the starter. It seems that McLaren also doesn't trust Robinson very much, otherwise it would be a risky move to replace the main goalkeeper he has been using in such an important game.

Due to the injuries of Owen and Rooney, the starting striker for this game is Crouch alone, which is exactly the same as Wenger's previous analysis-Wenger believes that McLaren will play 451, because England is short of strikers now.

The five midfielders are Lampard, Gerrard, Beckham, Joe Cole and Barry. Due to the suspension of Rio Ferdinand and Terry's injury, he could not play in the defense. Richards from Manchester City was the right back, Campbell and Lescott were the center backs, and Wayne Brown was the left back. Rich.

Before the game, the English media praised Croatia vigorously. The subtext was that they hoped that Croatia would give England a break because they had qualified ahead of schedule. There was no need to fight us hard...

The Croatian head coach did not express any opinion on this issue, and he was cleverly bypassed when asked by reporters. No one knows whether he intends to let the team go all out, or if he is really just putting on a show, and then waits for England to release the water...

Don't think that European football will be much cleaner than Chinese football. Match-fixing, betting, tacit understanding, leaking, black whistle...these dark sides of football are also a lot in Europe. It's just that what they do is better than China's, and ordinary people can't see it unless they look carefully, and even if they see it, there is no evidence.

For example, the English certainly hope that Croatia will release water. Although this will harm the interests of Russia and violate the spirit of fair competition, it will harm the interests of Russia and England. Which one will England choose? No fool would choose to satisfy Russia. Because not everyone is a saint who does not eat fireworks and has no emotions. Fanaticism prevails in such matters of nationhood.

But the English are smart, they didn’t say it directly, they just gave Croatia a reason to release water that seemed particularly high-sounding-"Qualify early, don’t need to work hard for a game that doesn’t matter to them. , or cause the main players to receive a red card and be suspended, then the loss outweighs the gain.”

The reason is very good, reasonable, and justified. If Croatia really sent a substitute lineup and did not work hard to let the English win the ball, the Russians were dissatisfied with the appeal. If there is no conclusive evidence, this matter will not be settled.

But, the question is...will the Croats follow the script that the English have written?

※ ※ ※

In the opening eight minutes, a huge rock fell from the mountain that was pressing on the heads of all Englishmen.

This summer, the assist-oriented full-back Serna, who had made Twain hesitate to bring in, broke through and made a cross from the wing. Kranjja followed up with a strong shot from 25 yards from the left. In this game, Robinson was squeezed out by McLaren's high hopes. Carson, the starting goalkeeper, made a major mistake in the face of this shot-he threw the ball and dropped it!

The football rolled slowly from under him like a goal, while Carson was still lying on the ground, somewhat unable to recover.

"Oh God..." narrator John Mortensen moaned in pain. "Is he too nervous, or... what a stupid mistake!"

The Croats were celebrating a goal, but the new Wembley Stadium was dead silent. The goal was conceded in just eight minutes of the game, which no one expected.

Before the game, everyone was generally optimistic that England could take advantage of home court to beat Croatia, so most fans were quite optimistic.

Tang En straightened his back on the sofa. Due to Croatia's active performance, he suddenly felt that he was full of expectations for this game... It seemed that the Croatians did not intend to act according to the script written by the English...

England's nightmare is not over yet, just six minutes after this goal, the fourteenth minute. Eduardo da Silva dribbled the ball to the edge of the box, and he attracted England's two centre-backs, Campbell and Lescott, to follow, before he passed straight to Origi in front.

Campbell raised his hand to indicate that the opponent was offside, and did not chase back. But the lineman didn't say anything, and Campbell found out that Bridge was still behind...

Olic succeeded in anti-offside. He easily passed Carson who was attacking, and then hit an empty goal.

In just six minutes, Croatia scored two goals in a row.

2:0! !

Croatia did not mean to release water at all. Their active performance was like a basin of cold water falling from the sky, extinguishing the hope of England fans.

Wembley Stadium was silent, and so was commentator Mortensen. The camera showed McLaren standing on the sidelines directing the game. The poor man looked at the field in a daze, as if he still couldn't figure out what happened. He still has a bottle of water in his hand, and since Croatia scored the first goal, he has been drinking water on the sidelines. Anyway, as long as the TV camera caught him after a while, he must be drinking water. His face was rosy and full of sweat. It wasn't because he was in good spirits, but because he was tortured by nervousness.

After a long time, Mortensen's voice finally reappeared: "It was less than 20 minutes into the game, and we even conceded two goals...Is Campbell old? Lescott is too young? This is not a reason. Our midfielder Where is the defense? What is the most important barrier in front of the back line? Gareth Barry works very hard, he is a versatile midfielder, Gerrard, Lampard are also versatile midfielders...but what we need is a Dedicated defensive midfielder! Barry alone can't stop Croatia's ubiquitous attack, they have too many attack points!"

Mortensen was veiled to remind the TV audience that someone who would be very helpful to the situation was sitting in front of the TV at home watching the game.

Tang En didn't see it that way. While watching the game, he explained to Shania next to him and acted as a guest commentator, which brought back the skills he used to be a guest commentator for the BBC World Cup.

"Mortensen was wrong, he said that it can only be used before conceding a goal. Now that England are two goals behind, it doesn't make sense to talk about the midfield barrier. McLaren is in a problem now - regardless of Do you press all the way up and bombard, or strengthen your defense in order not to lose the ball? This is a difficult multiple-choice question, Shania. And this kind of dilemma is the most likely to cause accidents. If he has any answer If he chooses neither...so he has to make a decision as soon as possible."

Tang En said with a smile. He knew exactly how McLaren felt, as his rivals and himself had experienced it. When you desperately need to score a goal but are countered by your opponent, should you solidify your defense to prevent further loss of the ball, or go all out and attack the opponent?

McLaren doesn't seem to have chosen his answer. England seemed a bit "anarchistic" on the field. The players wanted to do it alone when they got the ball. There was no cooperation at all, and even if they cooperated, they seemed very impatient.

The loyal England fans in the stands were still singing, but they couldn't hide their boos to McLaren.

Mortensen shook his head vigorously: "How can we expect a miracle with such an offensive quality?"

Gerrard and Lampard's positions and roles on the field completely overlap, and they fight independently. Beckham is confined to the right, but lacks enough support. Except for the top pass, once he is stuck, he basically cannot play. Come on. Where's Joe Cole on the left? The technology is very good, but the lack of speed advantage makes his breakthrough completely ostentatious. When the Croatian surrounds him, the ball has to be lost. Where's Barry? He was placed behind Shuangde, saying that he was defensive and then offensive. In fact, his positioning was very embarrassing.

His best performance in the national team was against Israel, when Lampard and Hargreaves were absent due to injury, Carrick was dropped by McLaren, and Gerrard could only hold his teeth shut. Keep playing. Under such circumstances, Barry played the same state as he did in Aston Villa. As it turned out, it wasn't because he was super-performing, but because the team's midfield staffing at the time was just right for him to play.

One of the double virtues was missing, and Gerrard was injured and in poor condition. After Barry moved to the center, he could be the core. His pass created five offensive opportunities for England and exchanged for one ball. In that game, he was completely used as a midfield playmaker, which can also give full play to the characteristics of his all-round player.

But now, Gerrard and Lampard are not injured or sick. McLaren let them be the core, and Barry can only be a foil. Such a position and role are very embarrassing for Barry. Accurate own positioning, naturally don't know how to play the best.

The entire lineup is like a freak, stuffed with a lot of powerful stars, but they can't play their due role when combined. One plus one plus one plus one plus one is not equal to five or greater than five, but less than five five.

The first half was over between Croatian counter-attacks and England's blind errors.

Tang En said to Shania next to him: "If I were McLaren, I would ask all players to attack at halftime, don't think about defense, and try to score a goal within ten minutes of the opening, so that there is hope for the second half Win. Otherwise... wait to die."

Shania curled her lips: "What you just said here is straightforward, why don't you coach the England team?"

Tang En smiled: "I'm not going. Just because I wrote an article in a newspaper column scolding the head coach of the national team and criticizing his tactics, it doesn't mean that I have to sit on it and be scolded. That position is not made by people. "

※ ※ ※

After the start of the second half, as Dunn said, England stepped up their offensive. And it didn't increase gradually, but the offensive was like a tide all at once, pressing aggressively towards the hinterland of the Croatian team. It's as if you don't want to defend at all. McLaren replaced Barry, who was mediocre in the first half, with striker Defoe, strengthened the striker's strength and increased the support for Crouch.

Croatia actually expected England to counterattack in the second half, and they quickly made their own defensive countermeasures against this situation.

Their defense against England's offense is very simple. They shrink the center and let you pass from the wing. When you come in, you will be cleared. In the dense penalty area, it is not easy to compete for the top shot. Even a big man over two meters like Crouch rarely has a chance to face the pincer attack of two defenders.

What changes the direction of the game is often not some unexpected personnel adjustment or clever tactical arrangement, but a pure accident...

Joe Cole picked a pass from the penalty area, and Defoe fell in the penalty area. The referee thought it was a foul by Simunić, a Croatian player, and awarded a penalty kick. Although the Croatian players protested, the referee did not intend to change the penalty. The penalty reinvigorated the atmosphere, with Wembley fans chanting and cheering the players on.

Poor McLaren, when the broadcast gave him another shot, the water bottle in his hand was finally thrown away. Tang En thought viciously, did he spend more time in the bathroom during the intermission, or did he spend more time explaining tactics to the players in the locker room...

Lampard stepped up to take the penalty, his low shot tricked the goalkeeper, and the ball flew into the bottom left corner of the goal. England come back with a goal! It was fifty-six minutes at this time, just one minute past the ten minutes since the start of the second half that Tang En said.

England, who pulled back a goal, boosted their morale, while Croatia seemed a little listless. Things are developing as the English hoped - the Croatian scored two goals and blocked the Russians' mouth, and then saw England's counterattack forcefully, and then offered favors. In the end, England and Croatia scored 2:2. Everyone shook hands and made peace. Hand in hand to qualify.

However, Bridge, who made an offside error in the first half, made a clearance and hit the crossbar, which almost caused an own goal, which made all the hearts of the English people raise their throats. Then Serna made a direct pass, and Bridge made another mistake to help the opponent stop the ball. Fortunately, Origi was not psychologically prepared for this opponent who frequently gave gifts. His hasty shot from the edge of the penalty area was saved by Carson.

Tang En shook his head and snorted, "Leighton Barnes is better than Bridger, but it's a pity that you don't like McLaren, you don't like it."

In the 65th minute, David Beckham, who was expected to perform a miracle before the game, finally shone. He sent the football to Crouch with a precise cross from the wing, Gao Lao chest stopped the ball, and then volleyed directly, equalizing the score for England!

Wembley Stadium erupted with enormous energy at this instant, and the cheers from the fans were deafening even to Twain who was sitting in front of the TV.

"Crouch! Beckham! David Beckham, he has saved England again! The cross is so accurate, Crouch only needs to jump up to stop the ball, he doesn't need to go Get rid of the defenders, because David's pass makes it impossible for the opponent's defenders to grab!" Mortensen shouted excitedly. "A tie! The situation is in our favor!"

On the other side, the news of Russia and Andorra's game has not been scored yet, so Mortensen said so. If Russia ends up in an upset draw with Andorra, England will have no pressure at all-even if they lose, they will qualify.

Beckham, who assisted his teammate to score the goal, was more excited than Crouch who scored the goal. After hugging and celebrating with his teammates, he backed out, clenched his fists and beat the Three Lions logo on his chest. It was the Football Association of England. badge.

Now that he is in the England national team again, the number behind him is no longer the glorious No. 7. No. 7 belongs to Barry, and he can only wear No. 17. Even in Nottingham Forest, he couldn't wear No. 7 and No. 23. For a while, everyone thought that he had completely sunk, and it was impossible to return to the past. But every time people think that way, Beckham proves how wrong they are with his own actions.

In the 1998 World Cup, Simeone was sent off in retaliation and became a "public enemy" crusaded by the whole of England. Everyone thought his career was over. But in the first game of the 98-99 season, Beckham announced his return with a goal. That season he helped Manchester United win the great Triple Crown; Knocked out, he was in the same sluggish state as England, but in the 2001 World Cup qualifiers, he called a free kick against Greece, which turned him from a man into a god in an instant; in the 2004 European Championships, he missed a penalty kick , causing the team to be eliminated by Portugal, and countless people laughed at him for a while, and this sound continued until the World Cup in Germany. In the eyes of those people, Lampard, Gerrard and Wayne Rooney are the pinnacle of England today, but in Germany, who almost single-handedly brought England to the top 16 and helped the team break through with his own free kicks? Into the quarterfinals? It's David Beckham. Who wore the captain's armband and ran tirelessly under the scorching sun at the age of thirty until he vomited? It was David Beckham; after the World Cup, he was left out of the national team and had a hard time at Real Madrid, not even being on the bench. Everyone thought that he should be completely finished this time, and he could only go to the United States to pan for gold, right? No, Beckham impressed Capello with his amazing professional performance and stable state, as well as his fighting spirit of never giving up. He returned to the main lineup of Real Madrid and helped the team win their first league title in four years. Announcing his return to the Premier League and joining the new European champion Nottingham Forest, he is bound to make a comeback.

Tang En looked at the familiar hideous distorted face on the TV screen... He was a little gloating that England was going to be eliminated, but now he couldn't be happy.

He was conflicted. Because he neither wants McLaren to stay in the position of head coach, nor wants to see Beckham's national team career end in such a miserable way-if he does not qualify for the European Cup finals, Beckham still has conditions Looking forward to the World Cup three years later?

Without his return in the first half, McLaren's team would not even have the chance to face Croatia and Russia at Wembley for the final place.

But is this even more cruel? Which feels better, falling before the finish line or quitting before the race?

During the next match, Tang En remained silent and did not explain the match to Shania. Shania felt a little strange, so she glanced at Tang En with a serious face, but did not ask any questions.

Beckham is working harder, or the players in England are working harder, because Croatia is counterattacking. It seems that the Croatians do not accept the wishful thinking of the English. They are not willing to shake hands with their opponents here.

Beckham began to retreat frequently and moved to the center to help defend. His offensive threat was weakened. After all, he was old and could not run as well as when he was young. don't go. In the 74th minute, McLaren made a very controversial substitution after the game. He replaced Beckham with Wright Phillips.

When Beckham left the field, the fans stood up and applauded him, thanking him for everything he had done for the team.

It can be seen that McLaren didn't want to just defend until the end of the game. He replaced Wright Phillips, who is more physically strong and has breakthrough dribbling skills, just hoping to continue to put pressure on Croatia and slightly weaken their counterattack momentum. .

His idea was good, but he ignored one point. Sometimes relying on offense to suppress defense may be counter-injured, because this is a double-edged sword...

Wright Phillips may be more active offensively than Beckham, but his defensive contribution is definitely not as good as the more responsible Beckham.

In the 81st minute, when Petric, who came off the bench for Croatia, shot from 25 yards from the left and scored to lead the score again, Wembley Stadium fell into a minute-long silence.

Tang En didn't clenched his fists to cheer for Croatia's goal this time, he just sat on the sofa and sighed.

The fateful result was just too cruel for David.

At the same time, Russia also scored a goal, and the score of the game between Russia and Andorra was displayed at the bottom of the screen-0:1, and Andorra, which was fighting at home, fell behind.

This worsening news made everyone in England can only continue to remain silent.

Just after Croatia scored, McLaren replaced Joe Cole with Darren Bent and continued to strengthen the attack. He used up all three substitutions and wanted to give it a go.

The England team went all out, trying to equalize the score at the end and create a miracle. But what makes them very uncomfortable is that Croatia did not take back all of them just because they took the lead and let England besiege them. Forced England to withdraw its troops and return to defense.

This is very similar to Twain's approach, no matter how many goals he leads, he never gives up the idea and opportunity to counterattack. It is to prevent the opponent from doing their best to attack and create miracles before they have the conditions.

When the referee blew the whistle to end the game, the score was fixed at 2:3.

Beckham, who has not changed his jersey, stands on the field. The TV gave him a long shot of this back view, with a noisy grandstand in the background and the eye-catching and dazzling big screen above his head.

Beckham wearing the No. 17 jersey looked up at the score on the screen:

England 2:3 Croatia.

No one could see the expression on his face, he stood there alone in a daze for a long time. Behind them were dejected teammates and those cheering and celebrating Croatians, and in front of them was an empty stadium and empty goals.

Under this picture, Mortensen sighed: "England is out. In the summer of 2008, it was announced... the end."

Tang En turned off the TV. He didn't want to see Beckham's back, and he didn't want to listen to McLaren's speech at the post-match press conference.

Shania looked at him strangely.

"I'm going to bed." He said, turned and walked upstairs. "Good night, Shania."

"Good night, Uncle Tony." Shania watched his back disappear at the stairs, and then she turned her head to look at the quartz clock on the wall.

It's not even ten o'clock.

She turned back and turned on the TV, just in time for a post-match interview. Beckham stood in front of the camera, his jersey drenched in sweat and stuck to his chest.

He said with a weary look: "Being out of the European Cup qualifiers is not the end of the world. England has so many young and outstanding players. I believe we will have a bright future in the World Cup in South Africa..."

"Being out of the European Cup qualifiers can make you feel at ease to play for Nottingham Forest?" A reporter asked cryptically.

Beckham shook his head: "I will not announce my withdrawal from the England team. As I said before, I am ready to play for the England team at any time, unless the England team no longer needs me."

After saying this, Beckham refused to answer other questions, bowed his head and walked out of the interview area.

Shania saw McLaren appear on the screen, she also turned off the TV, and went upstairs to rest.

This night, I'm really not happy...