Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 654 Skilled and Dense Defense

An unexpected own goal changed the course of the game.

1:0.

The Chinese team took the lead over the Brazilian team, who had been relentlessly attacking.

Being able to score the first goal in a match is definitely good news.

The Chinese players felt very relaxed. They were well aware of Shan Yongzhuo's lucky charm status, so they were not surprised that he was the culprit who caused David Luiz to score an own goal.

Of course, the celebration was very brief.

They felt that since their enthusiastic friend David Luiz from Brazil had already been so generous, further celebrations would be a slap in the face to their foreign friend.

That's not so good.

When the players from both teams returned to their positions, the referee blew the whistle to restart the game.

Brazil continued their offensive.

The goal they conceded earlier left the entire team feeling frustrated, but it didn't dampen their fighting spirit. Even though the Chinese team scored first, they still had plenty of time to catch up.

Brazil's attack was indeed fierce; they used their control of the midfield to constantly send the ball into the Chinese team's penalty area.

The midfielders, consisting of two holding midfielders and three forwards, including Neymar, Oscar, and even Paulinho, Fernandinho, and David Luiz who was trying to redeem himself, constantly rushed into the Chinese penalty area looking for opportunities, and they kept threatening the Chinese goal.

The Chinese team used their most familiar 8-1-1 formation, adopting a defensive posture.

This is a tactical arrangement.

To defeat the formidable Brazil, the Chinese team must focus on solid defense and rely on Shan Yongzhuo's individual ability to score goals.

The goal just now didn't have a big impact on the Brazilian team, but it boosted the morale of the Chinese team.

No team can win solely through defense. Even Italy, which has always adhered to the idea of ​​a refined 1-0 victory, did not rely entirely on defense.

However, since the Chinese team has already scored a goal, they can defend their goal more recklessly. The significance of this goal is that as long as they can hold on, they have a chance to defeat Brazil.

Now, the Chinese team's focus is entirely on defense. Everyone is very determined, and they have found the feeling they had in the last match against Uruguay, and even the match before that against Colombia.

Defense.

Defense.

Defend again.

As for the defense making the game very ugly and unsightly, the Chinese team didn't seem to care at all.

Only the top teams and the most reckless teams consider the entertainment value of football. What the Chinese team needs most is victory. In competitive football, victory is everything.

China's tenacious defense frustrated the Brazilian team.

Breaking down a tight defense is a headache for any team, even those teams that are best at it. In reality, it's not an easy task.

Their technical advantages cannot be utilized against a dense defense, and short passing combinations are also prone to errors under a dense defense.

Even Neymar's most lethal weapon, his dribbling, only managed to shine occasionally under such a dense defense, and it was difficult for him to pose a sustained threat.

So, the problem remains the same.

The best way to break through a dense defense is to utilize a strong center forward in the penalty area, employing tactics such as high balls, crosses from the wings, or set pieces.

And that's when Brazil's problems became apparent.

They lack a strong center forward and a top-class set-piece specialist.

Despite his 185cm height, Fred is hardly a powerful center forward, and in his duel with Feng Xiaoting, he didn't gain any advantage whatsoever. Brazil does have several set-piece specialists, with Neymar and Marcelo both possessing impressive set-piece abilities, but the problem now is...

Brazil's form was also affected, and they became impatient.

Perhaps influenced by the fans, or perhaps affected by conceding the first goal, the Brazilian players are now under a lot of psychological pressure. They are becoming increasingly impatient on the field, and their mistakes are starting to increase.

Fortunately, their midfield was strong enough, and the Chinese team almost abandoned the midfield, which allowed them to control the ball for a long time.

frontcourt.

Dan Yongzhuo remained standing still, and his unwavering stance was giving Thiago Silva a real headache.

Thiago Silva didn't really want to talk to Shan Yongzhuo.

When Shan Yongzhuo was at Roma, Thial Silva played against him while playing for AC Milan, and they were matched up against each other.

Back then, Thiago Silva would be affected whenever he spoke to Shan Yongzhuo, and Shan would then find an opportunity to break through his defenses.

Thiago Silva is now the captain of Brazil, no longer the greenhorn he was back in AC Milan who was overshadowed by players like Nesta.

I didn't speak to Shan Yongzhuo; I focused all my attention on defending him.

Thiago Silva himself saw this as the most direct manifestation of his growing maturity.

then.

The 20th minute of the game.

The Chinese team suddenly made a steal.

Zheng Zhi glanced at the field in front and immediately launched a long ball that crossed the entire half of the field, dropping towards the center of the attacking third.

Dan Yongzhuo rushed over at lightning speed.

Zheng Zhi didn't try to get past Hao Junmin for this play; instead, he went straight for Shan Yongzhuo.

Thiago Silva was momentarily distracted and was quickly overtaken by Shan Yongzhuo.

"Why is he so fast?"

Thiago Silva could hardly believe it; he had been outpaced by Shan Yongzhuo, but thankfully not by much, only by two body lengths.

Dan Yongzhuo turned his head to judge the landing point, and his movements were naturally a little slower, which allowed Thiago Silva to catch up.

Dan Yongzhuo made the first judgment and immediately slowed down slightly, but he had already taken the lead in blocking the position, and Thiago Silva could only follow up and squeeze into the position.

He realized he couldn't make the first move to touch the ball, hesitated for a moment, and finally refrained from doing so.

The referee was right next to them.

If someone reaches out and pulls on the jersey, or commits any other foul, the referee might issue a yellow card.

If Thiago Silva receives another yellow card, he will be suspended for the next match due to accumulated yellow cards, even if the team defeats China.

Therefore, he chose to be cautious.

However, he immediately regretted it and paid the price for his overly cautious approach.

The instant the ball landed, Shan Yongzhuo unleashed a whirlwind ground kick. With a single touch, the ball stealthily passed between Thiago Silva's legs, and Shan Yongzhuo circled around it, leaving the still-unresponsive Thiago Silva far behind once again.

Having shaken off Thiago Silva, Shan Yongzhuo continued forward, charging all the way to the edge of the penalty area.

Facing the onrushing Cesar and the covering Marcelo, he took a shot directly.

(End of this chapter)