The Godfather of Greenery

Chapter 165 The Contest Between Nations
"De Jong succeeded in stealing the ball and handed it to Sneijder."

"Sneijder faced Cocu and passed back to Arteta."

"The Spaniard stopped the ball and suddenly threw a long ball."

"Ibrahimovic, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, leaning against De Boer with your body..."

"Beautiful, the Swede has a very beautiful kick and at the same time a very imaginative dribble."

"Goalkeeper Bonanno strikes..."

"Oops, wrong attack, Ibrahimovic shot!"

"The ball went in!!!!!!"

"In the 31st minute, with Ajax trailing by 15 minutes, with a long pass from the newly joined Arteta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was very imaginative and very good at the same time. Beautiful pick, throwing away Barcelona's central defender De Boer, forming a one-handed one."

"Dutch goalkeeper Bonanno made a misjudgment, he wanted to attack, but halfway through the attack, he found himself unable to catch up with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and suddenly retreated, and the Swede did not miss this gift. Good opportunity, shoot directly with the foot, the ball hits the net, 1:1!"

"A very beautiful goal. Arteta's long pass was very comfortable. In the one-on-one contest with De Boer, Ibrahimovic relied on his height and strength to fight. Overwhelmed the Dutch defender, and that kick full of imagination and delicate technique is impressive."

The moment Ibrahimovic scored a goal in the Arena, there was overwhelming cheers, which could not be subsided for a long time. All Ajax fans were cheering for Ibrahimovic. Congrats on the goal.

The Swede is also very excited. After two seasons of training and improvement, he feels that his strength has improved by leaps and bounds. Now even if he is dealing with a top player like De Boer, he feels that he can handle it with ease. Behind him, there is a group of excellent teammates who continue to deliver shells for him, which makes him more confident.

Just 3 minutes later, Robben sped up his high speed on the left, and suddenly stopped and changed direction, making the right center back Puyol unable to stop his momentum, slipped and fell on the grass, and watched Robben leaning forward. Passed to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the middle.

The Swede seemed full of confidence, and when he was 30 meters away from the goal, he suddenly shot a thunderous long shot.

Bonano made a flying save, but in the end there was no way to prevent the ball from entering the net, 2:1!

Scored two very wonderful shots in a row, Ibrahimovic showed his scorching scoring state, and Ajax also began to make full use of their wide advantage to suppress Barcelona.

Van Gaal's attitude is actually to use offense to suppress opponents, but Ye Qiu has now made it clear that I let you attack, but when I counterattack, I will play wide. You don't need to defend, but my personal strength of the wide players can definitely be destroyed Your entire defense.

In the 42nd minute, it was Robben's pass from the left again. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and De Boer competed for the top. The ball fell to the back point. Hanging on the left side of the goal, 3:1!

The offense and defense in football matches are like the two ends of the balance. If you want to strengthen the defense, you have to sacrifice some offense, and if you want to strengthen the offense, you must sacrifice some defense. While achieving a balance with defense, it also maximizes the team's offensive and defensive strengths.

But all great teams strike a balance between offense and defense, and they all play the strongest offense and the most unbreakable defense.

Van Gaal's tactics seem unexpected, but in fact it is difficult to conceal the idealism behind it.

Because judging from the current lineup strength of Barcelona's entire team, if the offense can be used to firmly suppress the opponent, Van Gaal's tactics can indeed play a very beautiful offense and score a lot of goals, but the question is, who? Can you guarantee that you can suppress your opponent for 90 minutes in every game?
Once Barcelona can't suppress their opponents with offense, the subsequent defensive problems will be exposed very clearly.

The three defenders lack height, and the three-back defense system has a natural defect in protecting the side. Even if Van Gaal uses double midfielders to fill this defect, the effect is not good. This is why there are more and more players. People think that the main reason why the three defenders gradually withdraw from European football.

Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2000, and they actually played three backs. However, it should be noted that Roberto Carlos and Salgado are actually in the same position as the midfielder Redondo. Therefore, in all From the human point of view, it is not so much a three-back, but a five-back.

The same style of play also includes Capello's three-back system in Rome, which also relies on the characteristics of Cafu and Candela in the offensive full-back position, who can attack when advancing and defend when retreating.

But now Van Gaal directly puts Sedu? Keita and Mendieta in the position of full-back, and let Riquelme and Saviola pull to the side to respond. This in itself is more like a desperate attack. , Don't pay attention to defense at all.

After the game, when Saviola was interviewed by the media, he publicly stated that he did not understand Van Gaal's tactics, "He asked me very strangely. When the opponent had the ball, he asked me to go back. Withdrawing, but also involved in the ball, which keeps me away from the opponent's penalty area, looks more like a midfielder."

The team's main midfielder Cocu also said after the game that the main reason why Ajax scored 4 goals and won a 4:1 victory was that the team did not do enough on the wing.

"They moved the ball faster, we worked hard, but we couldn't catch up with their rhythm and pace, Sneijder and Arteta, both players moved the ball very well, which made them very fast. When counterattacking, we can always maximize the assault capabilities of the two flanks, so that we have no time to defend."

No matter how fast a person runs, they will definitely not be able to catch up with the ball. In addition, there is a large gap in the sidewalk itself, so naturally it will be even more difficult to catch up.

However, Van Gaal said after the game that the team's tactics are still in the process of brewing and adjusting. The lessons learned from the fiasco at the Arena are helpful to him, but they will not change his intention of continuing to adjust and innovate the team's entire tactical system. belief.

In this game, the midfielder Mikel Arteta introduced by Ajax from Barcelona performed very well. Almost every attack of Ajax has his figure and scheduling. If it is in normal times, maybe He will be underestimated, but this game is also the first time he has played against his old club Barcelona after joining Ajax, so it naturally attracts attention.

When many media in Catalonia scored, the highest scorer in the Barcelona team was Sedu Keita, but his evaluation was that he worked hard and worked hard, planned the only goal, and his contribution on the defensive end was obvious. He returned to the penalty area many times to participate in the defense, and Van der Vaart was blocked by him and did not perform well.

Arteta's score is higher than that of Riquelme, and many Catalan media have expressed their wonder why this outstanding Spanish midfielder was easily given to Barcelona as an extra. Ajax?
Ye Qiu is also very satisfied with Arteta's performance. He believes that the Spaniard is quickly integrating into the team. He firmly believes that Ajax's midfield operation will get better and better.

"Mickel is the kind of player whose role you don't really understand, but once you lose him, you will understand his value. His arrival is for me to balance the midfield of the team and improve the control of the team. An important part of our strength, and his partnership with Sneijder will also allow us to play more pleasing football!"

Faced with the praise from head coach Ye Qiu, Arteta said modestly that he has fallen in love with this city and this team.

"When I first came I was a bit resistant because I wanted to play for Barcelona, ​​but now, I am satisfied and I like Ajax because here I have a group of outstanding teammates, they are all very, very good, I don't even doubt that we will surprise the whole of Europe."

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If Ajax beat Van Gaal's Barcelona 4:1 in the first game, which surprised the whole world, then in the second Amsterdam Cup encounter with Manchester United, Ajax defeated again 3:1 The Premier League powerhouse makes people have to admire Ajax's offensive power.

Although occupying the advantage of the home team, although Ferdinand has just joined Manchester United, the cooperation with his teammates in the defense is not tacit enough, and although Manchester United can find many reasons to explain their loss, Ferguson gave Ajak after the game. Very high ratings.

"I think Ferdinand's performance is very normal. He and his teammates have cooperated with the national team before, so he doesn't need to adapt, and he did a good job in this game. Against Ajax, which has always been known for its attack. Team, I think he did a really good job and showed his quality."

"The main reason for the loss of this game is that our midfield is not flexible. Relatively speaking, Ajax's midfield has done a good job. Arteta and Sneijder have a very tacit understanding. , passing the ball back and forth with each other, Veron and Keane were not as good at that."

"Many people think that Ajax, which has lost two core midfielders this season, will suffer a great loss, but from this game, I think this problem does not exist. Ye Qiu has made up for it very well. With Gilberto Silva and Seydoux Keita gone, this is a very good team!"

Ferguson's words revealed some other meanings, that is, the compatibility issue between Keane and Veron.

It can be said that anyone with a discerning eye knows that since Veron joined Manchester United, he has had a very serious ball possession problem between him and Keane in the midfield, but no one has enough courage to win Keane or weaken Keane. Authority in the team.

At this point, even Ferguson, who hopes that the team's overall tactics will gradually move closer to the continental style, has no courage, because to a certain extent, Keane is the pinnacle of Manchester United's midfield.

Therefore, Ferguson has always hoped to adjust the characteristics of the team's tactical style by changing Veron and letting the Argentine adapt to Keane. In this game, he won Scholes and let Veron and Keane. Keane partnered with a central midfielder, but the effect was still very poor.

After all, it's still two words, a choice!
Defeated Barcelona 4:1 and Manchester United 3:1. Ajax performed very well in the Amsterdam Cup. Not to mention two consecutive victories, they also firmly occupied the championship. Lippi's Juventus It won the second place, Ferguson's Manchester United ranked third, Barcelona's points were at the bottom, and their performance was sluggish.

After this game, Ajax played another warm-up match with Lippi's Juventus.

Because De Jong performed well in the Amsterdam Cup, he gradually secured his position as the team's main midfielder. Instead, the newly joined Mascherano became De Jong's substitute.

When it came to the match against Juventus, Ye Qiu gave Mascherano a chance, hoping to better investigate this Argentine midfielder, but unexpectedly, in the 71st minute, the team had already 1-0. With a [-] lead, Mascherano injured his leg in a fight with Davis and left the field early.

Although Ajax and Juventus followed closely behind, Ajax defeated Juventus 2:1, but Mascherano was detected by the team doctor after the game as a leg muscle strain , At least one month needs to be absent.

Ye Qiu is very concerned about Mascherano's injury. He is very clear that the Argentine teenager is undergoing a transition from Argentina to the Netherlands, not only in the football environment, but also in the living environment. Therefore, the team needs to Give more care.

However, the outside world did not pay the slightest attention to Mascherano's absence. Almost the whole of the Netherlands paid attention to the upcoming Cruyff Cup. A direct dialogue between Ajax, especially when Ajax has shown a very good competitive state recently.

When Hiddink was interviewed, on the one hand, he said that he did not attach importance to the Cruyff Cup, thinking that it was just a warm-up match, which would not affect the team's pre-season preparations, but on the other hand, But he also said that the team is very confident in defeating the opponent at the Arenal Stadium.

Although Ajax performed brilliantly in the warm-up match, especially in the Amsterdam Cup against top teams such as Barcelona, ​​Manchester United and Juventus, and showed excellent form, PSV Eindhoven did not win the warm-up match. The performance in the middle is not inferior at all, maintaining an unbeaten record in the warm-up match.

Moreover, Hiddink is currently taking advantage of the upsurge brought about by the World Cup, coupled with his own status in PSV Eindhoven and Dutch football, making many media believe that this game will be PSV's counterattack against Ajax. starting point.

Interestingly, before this cup match, South Korean President Kim Dae-jung visited Europe and the Netherlands, and in his entire itinerary, he went to Amsterdam to meet Hiddink and PSV players, and in the Arrangements for watching this game live at the Arena Stadium.

When Kim Dae-jung was interviewed by the media, he expressed his confidence in Hiddink.

"He is our hero, and the person I respect and love the most. I have learned a lot from him. He is the kind of person who can always create miracles for you. Everyone should learn from him. I firmly believe that he can Continue to be successful and keep being successful."

In Amsterdam, when some media asked about Ajax coached by a Chinese, Kim Dae-jung made a joke, thinking that this was a contest between Ye Qiu representing China and Guus Hiddink representing South Korea.

Although it was just a joke, it caused considerable repercussions. After all, Hiddink's status in South Korea is now in full swing, and he is regarded as the pride of Korean fans, while Ye Qiu is also regarded as a hero in his own country, and is regarded by countless fans. worshiped.

Furthermore, in the Korea-Japan World Cup, although South Korea has been controversial, reaching the semi-finals has created a new peak for Asian teams, and the strength they have shown is also shocking. On the other hand, the performance of the national football team is disappointing. Under such circumstances, Korean fans naturally look down on Chinese fans, even a little contempt.

In China, under the turbulent public opinion, there is indeed a need for a vent. Therefore, this Cruyff Cup match in the Netherlands in Europe seems to be just a warm-up match, but no one thought that, It actually caused a huge fan response in East Asia, especially after Kim Dae-jung's joke, it was directly promoted to the level of country-to-country competition.

Before the game, countless media and reporters from East Asia gathered in Amsterdam, some of them were from China, some from South Korea, and some even from Japan, just to be able to watch this game.

After all, the Cruyff Cup is only a match of the Dutch Super Cup, with limited influence, and the live broadcast is limited to the Netherlands. Therefore, if many reporters and media want to know the situation in the first place, they must come to the Netherlands, or even watch the game live.

Perhaps sensing the appeal of the domestic fans, CCTV also specially arranged a group of people to come to Amsterdam, led by Ye Qiu's old friend Chen Jun, and they will broadcast the domestic text live at the scene of the Cruyff Cup match.

Regarding the emotions and reactions from domestic fans conveyed by Chen Jun, Ye Qiu smiled wryly, because this time he was facing Guus Hiddink, but before the game, when interviewed by Chen Jun, Ye Qiu was still confident. Full performance, full of confidence in winning this game.

"This is the most important game before the season for the team. All of us will do our best to win the game, and I have no doubt that it will be us Ajax who will have the last laugh at the Arenaa. !"

But when Hiddink was interviewed by South Korean media, he also expressed his confidence.

"I can't disclose what kind of lineup and tactics will be adopted for the time being, but I can be sure that although this game is difficult, it will be Eindhoven who will win in the end, not just this game, but the whole game. At the end of the season, it will only be our PSV Eindhoven who win the championship."

Obviously, at such a critical juncture, no one is willing to say discouraged words, and everyone has to show stronger confidence than their opponents, so as to lead their players and defeat their opponents on the court.

(End of this chapter)