Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 626 Twisting the Rope: Godrogba
The first half of the game is over.

The Ivorian players could only return to their locker room dejectedly.

In their first World Cup match, they faced what was widely considered to be the weakest team in the group, China. At halftime, they were down by two goals.

When Ivory Coast coach Ramucci entered the locker room, he could see that his players were all in low spirits and lacked morale, and the atmosphere in the locker room was unusually heavy.

Only Drogba, this veteran, is still working hard as the "rope-twisting guy," encouraging everyone.

However, it doesn't seem to have any effect.

Ramucci could see the problem; in other words, anyone with even a basic understanding of football could see that Ivory Coast's problem lay with their number 19, Shan Yongzhuo, the world's number one football star.

They have already put up a tight marking, first Yaya Toure, then the two defensive midfielders, marking him closely.

For most people, given the Chinese team's consistent use of the bus and the Ivory Coast's tight marking, it would be extremely difficult for them to make any significant impact.

However, the opponent managed to score two goals by relying on two opportunities that were not exactly chances.

"How to do?"

Ramucci was also very troubled.

Any coach will struggle with the opposing team's star players. Although football is a team sport, in reality, the performance of star players can sometimes determine the outcome of a match.

Moreover, Shan Yongzhuo is a star player who is on a completely different level from Qiu He, a star player.

But Ramucci had no other choice but to make a substitution.

They substituted one defensive midfielder with Drogba.

With the team down by two goals, now is not the time to focus on defense.

We must intensify our offensive.

Veteran Didier Drogba has to play.

the other side.

In the Chinese team's locker room, everyone was excitedly talking about the game, and every player was very excited. Although they had been defending throughout the first half, the team was leading by two goals.

If they can hold on in the second half, they will be able to secure China's first victory in the World Cup.

This is a historic victory, a match that will go down in history, and everyone is incredibly excited.

While head coach Gao Hongbo was also excited, he was not blinded by the favorable situation.

He used his authority to finally quiet the locker room down.

"The game is only halfway through!"

A two-goal lead is not a victory!

"We've experienced too many reversals."

"Everyone, cheer up and make sure you hold on until the very last minute."

"That's when we'll celebrate!"

Gao Hongbo's cold response did not dampen the players' morale; they all stepped onto the pitch with absolute confidence.

That's how Shan Yongzhuo is.

Zheng Zhi is like that.

Gao Lin is like that.

Chen Tao was the same way.

However, after the start of the second half, they found that the team's defensive pressure had increased dramatically.

Drogba's introduction significantly improved the quality of Ivory Coast's attack.

Drogba did not appear as a center forward in his most familiar position, but instead positioned himself slightly deeper, working alongside Yaya Toure as the core of the attack to organize and orchestrate the offense, coordinating with his teammates to launch attacks.

At 36 years old, Drogba's physical condition and competitive form have declined significantly.

But experience is his most valuable asset. At this point, he was no longer the rough and tumble guy who used to charge recklessly in the penalty area. Years of honing his skills had greatly improved his technique.

Now, he can not only attack in the penalty area, but also cooperate with his teammates like a midfielder to organize the attack.

Drogba's appearance also put the Ivorian players, who had been playing individually in the final moments of the first half, in check.

Even if they were very self-reliant, under Drogba's intimidation, they dared not act as recklessly as they did at the end of the first half.

They started to use more short passes, and each player no longer held onto the ball as much as they had in the first half.

After all, as the leading figure in Ivory Coast's rise and a player with extraordinary personal charisma, Drogba's prestige in Ivory Coast far surpasses that of Yaya Toure.

With Drogba's intimidating presence and activity, coupled with Yaya Toure's performance, the team was able to make a strong showing.

Ivory Coast's attacking quality has improved significantly.

Soon, the Chinese team's defense fell into a mess.

Once Ivory Coast's attack became more organized, their strengths came into play.

In terms of physical confrontation, they are much stronger than the Chinese national team.

Speed ​​and individual technique are also areas where Ivorian players have a comprehensive advantage.

In the 53rd minute, Yaya Touré shook off Huang Bowen in the middle and passed the ball to Kalou on the right side of the penalty area. Kalou accelerated past Sun Xiang and lobbed the ball into the penalty area. Bony headed the ball past Li Weifeng, but Zeng Cheng made a close save.

In the 57th minute, Gervinho cut inside and made a diagonal pass, causing chaos in the penalty area. Drogba's shot hit the post.

In the 60th minute, Yaya Toure unleashed a sudden shot from outside the penalty area, which was blocked by Du Wei, who was standing on the goal line.

Suddenly, the national football team's goal became a scene of great tension.

"During this period, the Chinese national football team has been playing very passively."

Commentator Zhu Guanghu also said: "We can see that after the midfield adjustment, Ivory Coast's attacking efficiency is higher. They keep using passing and cutting combinations to attack, making the Chinese national team's defense a bit messy."

Not only Zhu Guanghu noticed it, but even the Chinese national football fans in the stands noticed it.

As Ivory Coast's attacking combinations have become more frequent, the quality of their attacks has improved significantly, and their threat level has increased exponentially.

The fact that the Chinese national football team is still keeping a clean sheet means they've been quite lucky.

Shan Yongzhuo, standing at the very front, was also very anxious.

The Chinese national team's counter-attacks are now finding it difficult to get past the midfield, and they basically have no chance to receive the ball in front of the goal.

However, their defense was quite disorganized.

The individual skills of the Chinese national football team players are very weak; at least among the 32 teams, they can be considered the worst.

Relying on numerical superiority to solidify the defense is a last resort.

However, in football, parking the bus doesn't always guarantee a successful defense against the opponent's goal.

After all, a numerical advantage is just a numerical advantage.

Sometimes, when the opponent's offensive efficiency improves, a numerical advantage can even cause chaos in one's own defense.

The Chinese team is now facing the same problem.

As pressure increased, the Chinese national football team's poor mental fortitude became apparent.

The numerical advantage did not prove effective; instead, it led to some disarray in the defensive formation.

The lack of coordination among the defensive players has led to defensive lapses.

Then, the ball was conceded very quickly.

In the 68th minute, Aurier crossed the ball from the wing, and Gervinho, despite being double-teamed by Du Wei and Zheng Zhi, won the header at the near post and headed the ball directly into the top corner of the goal.

1:2.

Ivory Coast pulls back a goal.

(End of this chapter)