Chapter 1198 Just Wait and Celebrate!
The reason why a dark horse is a dark horse is that it is not favored before the game, and it does not mean that it has no strength.
Although luck often plays a role, strength always speaks for itself on the football field.
Just like the Kaiserslautern led by Rehhagel back then, the reason why they were able to create the miracle of being promoted to win the championship was also because of their outstanding strength, Bremer, Koch, Wagner, Sforza, Marshall, Rischer... …Those were very quality players at the time.
You know, in the year when Kaiserslautern created a miracle, the 22-year-old Ballack was still unable to play the main role in this team and could only serve as a substitute. The overall strength of the team that came out is not weak.
There is also Greece, which can win the European Cup. The overall strength of the Greek team is also quite good. Yang Yang used to be teammates with two Greek center internationals, so he knows that these two players are very distinctive, and They are all very good players.
Regardless of whether it is in Kaiserslautern or in Greece, Rehhagel integrates a group of players who do not seem to be well-known but have good strength through overall tactics to form a team that is very competitive on the court. team.
Before the World Cup semi-finals, many media have regarded China as the biggest dark horse of this World Cup, thinking that they may become the "Greece" of the World Cup, and go all the way to the end, but this kind of view is not mainstream.
Greece itself is located in Europe, the league is very strong, and the players are also very capable. Although there were not many international players in the four major European leagues in the Greek national team at that time, they basically played in their own leagues, and many of them were regulars in the Champions League.
But China is different. With the wave of Chinese players studying abroad in recent years, more and more international players have landed in European leagues. But behind this trend, there are very few players who can really gain a foothold in European leagues and become the main force .
Feng Xiaoting, Gao Lin, and Chen Tao, these are the only three main players in the national team in the four major leagues except Yang Yang. Among them, Chen Tao was transformed by Klopp after he was injured in Dortmund because of Gundogan. The central midfielder played the main force at this point, and his position was not firm.
Wu Lei is the main force of Ajax, Zhou Haibin is the main force in the Portuguese Super League, Hao Junmin and Zhang Linpeng are the team's rotation players...
It can be said that the overall strength of the Chinese team is not strong, and even this group of Chinese players does not have much influence in European football. The only competitive player is Yang Yang.
The number one player in world football, the scoring machine that scored 60 goals in La Liga in a single season, and has won the FIFA Ballon d'Or for many years... These bright auras make Yang Yang dazzling, but they still cannot cover up the Chinese team. The problem of insufficient overall strength.
From the group stage to the knockout stage, from Costa Rica to the Netherlands, the Chinese team relied on tenacious defense and Yang Yang's personal ability to solve the game all the way.
But football is never a one-person battle!
...
Within the Argentine national team, they are not convinced by the performance of the Chinese team.
Mascherano and Di Maria are Yang Yang's friends, but this does not prevent them from thinking that the Chinese team can get to where it is today, relying on three things, Yang Yang, defense and luck.
Therefore, in the preparations before the Argentine game, the head coach Savilla clearly reminded the players that they must pay attention to Yang Yang and freeze him no matter what. within the meter area.
The defense freezes Yang Yang, and the offense depends on Messi.
Due to Di Maria's injury, Argentina replaced him with Enzo Perez in this game. The latter played for Benfica in the Portuguese Super League and was Zhou Haibin's teammate. He was used to playing in the middle, but was arranged by Savilla. On the right.
The position of the double midfielder has not changed, it is still the combination of Biglia and Mascherano.
The biggest change in the defense is that Rojo returned after the suspension. He will continue to serve as the team's left back. This left back for Sporting Lisbon is one of the best players in the Argentine team this season. Less attention and favor from the four major league teams.
It can be said that today's Argentina is strong and strong, and all the players are gearing up to get rid of the Chinese team and advance to the final.
Although the atmosphere in the locker room before the game was a bit dignified, the players were generally high-spirited and full of confidence.
Whether in the past or now, the Chinese team has never been a role that makes the Argentine team feel intimidated. Even after the World Youth Championship in 2005, they are still more unconvinced.
...
"Don't worry, Leo. From the group stage to the knockout stage, they have been struggling every game, and their energy consumption is too high. I guess this game may not be able to perform as well as before. We will definitely make it to the final."
Seeing the serious face of his teammate Messi, Aguero smiled and patted Messi on the shoulder, comforting him.
In this World Cup, Aguero's state is not good, and it is difficult to get the main position in the team. Even in this game, after Di Maria was absent due to injury, the head coach Savilla would rather use Enzo Perez, also reluctant to let Aguero on.
But unable to play, Aguero's mentality is still relatively positive.
"Yeah, after ninety minutes, you just wait to celebrate!" Lavitch also said with a smile.
He will be the starting left winger for this game.
"The Chinese team is at the end of their strength. To be honest, I admire them. It's surprising that they can break into the semi-finals, but that's it." Higuain said very confidently.
The current captain of the Argentine national team is Messi, and Mascherano is the other captain of the team.
When he saw his teammates so confident, he felt happy in his heart, but he had to remind him.
"We still can't be careless. The Dutchman attacked for 120 minutes and failed to score. Instead, Yang Yang's counterattack broke the goal. We need to be vigilant, especially pay attention to Yang Yang's running position."
He has been teammates with Yang Yang in Liverpool and Real Madrid for seven or eight years. He knows Yang Yang's threat better than anyone else. In many cases, Yang Yang is able to create miracles when others do not expect it.
This point, he had a deep understanding when he was in Real Madrid.
But within the Argentine national team, there is no way to get everyone's approval, because there is also a supreme player in the Argentine national team, and that is Messi.
For this situation, Mascherano has no way to say too much.
He has experienced many major competitions. This is already the third World Cup he has participated in. He knows in his own mind that this year's World Cup for the Argentine National Team is the worst in the last three, or even the last four. .
Needless to say the 2002 World Cup, both the 2006 and 2010 World Cups were very strong, with excellent offense and defense, but the biggest problem was the head coach, especially in 2010, Maradona His coaching has been a disaster, bringing Argentina, which has been the strongest in recent years, into a ditch.
Before this World Cup, Argentina was not favored by others, and neither was Savilla. Even qualifying for the group stage was bumpy, but since the knockout stage, Argentina has become stable.
A very important reason is that Biglia appeared in the starting lineup and became Mascherano's partner.
It can be said that the presence of double defensive midfielders covered up Argentina's defensive loopholes to the greatest extent, and at the same time supported the team's frontcourt offense, allowing the frontcourt stars to gallop freely without worrying about the rear.
But this still hasn't solved a problem, and that is the team's offense.
Messi scored four goals in three group matches, but until now, the team has played five games, including two knockout matches, and his goals are still four goals. Both Aguero and Higuain are weak in the big game. Dima Leah was at her best but was sidelined by injury.
Can such Argentina really completely ignore the threat of the Chinese team, especially Yang Yang?
Just the day before China played against Argentina, Brazil, the favorite to win the championship, lost 1-7 to the German team at their home court under the eyes of fans all over the country, and conceded seven goals in a row until the game In the final stage, Oscar managed to pull back a goal and save face.
Who knows, is that the face that the Germans deliberately gave to Brazil?
South America produces geniuses, and the World Cup held in South America is also full of surprises.
Just like before the game, no one would believe that the Chinese team could reach the semi-finals, no one would believe that Brazil would lose 1-7 at home to Germany, no one would believe that the favorite Spain would win the first game Five lost to the Netherlands...
Of course, few people will believe that Argentina can enter the semi-finals, although they seem to be really strong.
After Argentina defeated Belgium, what did the outside media say?
A slacker team beats another slacker team.
If you look at the cards, Argentina's performance along the way is not satisfactory. It is the defense that supports the team to this day, but if you want to beat the Chinese team, you need the team to come up with a better offense. It can no longer be as loose as before.
In the locker room before the game, seeing his teammates full of confidence, Mascherano felt a little worried instead.
He knows Yang Yang too well!
The two have been working together for so many years. The first goal of Mascherano's career was an assist from Yang Yang. He knows this friend too well. Anyone who underestimates or is careless will eventually encounter To Yang Yang's ruthless lesson.
But now, he is not the captain of the Argentine national team. Although he still holds this title, the captain's armband is always worn on Messi's arm. team leader".
In this case, he can't say anything that hurts the morale of the team, or is detrimental to the team, otherwise, he will become a public enemy in this locker room.
Thinking of this, Mascherano raised his head and looked at Messi who had been silent all the time. He suddenly felt that the dressing room of Real Madrid led by Yang Yang was really much more comfortable than that of Argentina.