Six Hundred and Three Penalty Kicks
There was a strange smell in the stands of Mestalla.
The fans of the Bat Corps couldn't be happy when they saw the 1:0 score on the scoreboard. From their expressions to their hearts, they were all worried.
Judging from the situation in the first half, it will be a matter of time before Valencia loses the ball.
Millwall didn't score a goal, it didn't equalize the score, but the oppressive force brought by the top European teams is lingering. Think about the countless dangers in front of the goal in the first half, and there are 45 minutes left in the second half. Can Rencia really hold on?
The confidence accumulated over the years has made Wild Lions fans calmer.
They firmly believe that the team can score goals in the second half, and even reverse the score. In the first half, Valencia had no offensive achievements except for that one counterattack, while Millwall's offense was booming and booming. Indiscriminate eyeball effect is very exciting, only a goal away.
It doesn't matter, the goals will come naturally.
The players and the head coach of both sides walked out of the player tunnel. Cooper lowered his head and was full of thoughts. There was no way to contain the decline in the first half.
Perhaps a wide-open play style like the Premier League team can relieve the defensive pressure, but this is not the style of La Liga teams. It is contrary to their technical style of play that emphasizes midfield pass control. Even if they make frequent clearances to keep the ball away from the danger zone It can relieve immediate defensive pressure, but it is tantamount to returning the ball to the opponent. Millwall's ability to launch fast breaks in a fast pace is extremely terrifying. Maybe his defense line will be tense and relaxed, but it will cause disaster and be destroyed by the opponent. A wave away.
In fact, Valencia can't make a threat in the counterattack. The key point is Aimar.
After Aimar joined, Cooper has already begun to brew a new style of play. 4312 is their most commonly used recently. Aimar is the core of the organization. Not only can it instigate a quick counterattack on the two wings, but it can also deliver shells to the front line.
But in the first half of today's game, Aimar disappeared and did nothing in Gattuso's fight. Because of the fast pace of the Premier League, the ability of defensive players to stick people is more characteristic. In the case of abundant physical fitness, the defensive area is large . It is a common situation to stick to the opponent like a dog's skin plaster in the defense zone to press.
Although Aimar is a talented boy, he is still a little immature. When he came to the stage of the quarter-finals of the Champions League, facing Millwall, he himself was unable to perform at his best due to tension and pressure. The opponent who is also extremely aggressive falls into a disadvantage in the confrontation and scramble again and again. As time goes by, the confidence is also disappearing bit by bit.
The start of the second half. Valencia launched a fast break from the side, and Aimar did not dare to stick the ball too much in front of Gattuso. And Mendieta played an exquisite consecutive two-one,
Then he shifted suddenly in front of the penalty area and passed the ball to Gonzalez on the left, who made a cross from the bottom, which was well placed, just in front of the center of the goal.
Carew took off to compete for the top, and Materazzi also jumped to compete for the top. When the ball fell, a pair of big hands steadily picked it up from the sky and held it in their arms.
Carew and Materazzi collided in the air, coupled with the impact of Pagliuca, the Valencia center and Millwall center back lost their center of gravity and fell to the ground.
The two fell to the ground almost in a figure-of-eight shape. Pagliuca stood firmly in the middle, hugged the ball and straightened up, looking around the penalty area, looking for a point of exit and planning to launch an attack quickly.
There were boos from the stands at Mestalla, and the referee stopped the game. Aimar and Mendieta rushed to the referee and pointed at the Millwall penalty area, signaling a foul!
"The referee ignored the complaints of Aimar and Mendieta. He just stopped the game and walked over to ask Carew and Materazzi. Two tall players collided and fell to the ground. It is difficult to say who fouled the ball. Everyone was going towards the ball and neither of them touched the ball, it was Pagliuca who took it off, and if the referee called Millwall for a foul on the ball, it would be unreasonable."
Although Materazzi and Carew had physical contact after the jump, they were actually knocked over by Pagliuca!
Pagliuca took the initiative to take off and exert strength, and the goalkeeper himself raised his knees to protect himself. Materazzi was hit by Pagliuca's elbow on the shoulder, and Carew was pushed hard on the side.
The scene was very weird. The two tall and burly men fell to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time. Pagliuca lowered his head and asked about the situation of the two when he saw the referee calling the game to stop.
After a short time, both returned to the court to continue the game.
Aldridge screamed it was a pity on the sidelines.
Valencia's fast break is only in a pair state. As long as there is no one-on-one error, Millwall will not give the opponent a good chance to score. On the contrary, if the opponent attacks, the counterattack opportunity is better than the positional battle.
Fighting and fighting, Millwall once again suppressed the border, and Valencia's gate was once again jittery.
"Ronaldinho posted a long-range shot from outside the penalty area! Canizares blocked the ball from the bottom line with one hand!"
Ronaldinho frowned. The long-range shot just now hit the dead corner of the lower left corner of the goal, but he still failed to score.
Aldridge gestured to the offensive players on the sidelines, allowing them to speed up the flexible switching of offensive methods.
Pirlo and Nedved took another threatening long-range shot one after another, and then Valencia's defense moved out a little, with the intention of reducing the space for Millwall's long-range shot.
The transition process of the opponent was right in his arms. In the 57th minute, Millwall played an exquisite cooperation. Larson took the ball from the right and gave it to Pirlo. The ball was kicked to Nedved, who made a through pass. The ball passed between Baraja's legs and landed at the feet of Henry, who was running diagonally against offside.
After Henry reversed offside, Canizares abandoned the goal and went out. On the line of the small penalty area, Henry made a gesture to hit the goal. He tricked Canizares into smashing the ball and went around the center of the goal with a fake move, almost facing an empty goal!
At this time, the hearts of all Bat Corps fans were in their throats.
Henry decisively took a shot, but the moment he shot, someone stretched out his foot diagonally behind the right side, blocking the ball he shot, and the flying ball was refracted, rubbing against the outside of the post and rolling out of the baseline.
Henry couldn't believe it, and turned his head to see that Ayala was hugged excitedly by Pellegrino. Canizares got up from the ground. He also yelled at Ayala with a ferocious face. The two clapped hands hard.
"Unbelievable! Millwall made an exquisite coordination with successive touches and passes. After Henry succeeded in countering offside, even Canizares had already passed, but the final shot was destroyed by Ayala. What can you say? Millwall If I'm lucky, maybe even if Aya stretches his foot and changes the trajectory of the football, maybe he will still score. I don't want to say it, but I have to say it again, Valencia escaped!"
There was warm applause from the stands. Valencia fans are very satisfied with the team's performance. Millwall's strength is obvious to all, and there are various offensive methods. Yes, the finishing touch is to be turned away by Valencia's persistent defensive ideas.
luck?
Valencia fans don't think so. Football is not only about skills, teamwork, but also spirit and other aspects.
Although the team did not concede a goal. Cooper still made a substitution adjustment in the 60th minute.
Aimar and Carew went off, replaced by Djukic and Juan Sanchez.
The substitution caused an uproar in the stands. Discussions arose one after another.
The Valencia fans felt aggrieved, but they had no choice but to accept their fate.
Wild Lions fans asked each other.
"Sanchez is a striker. The matchup replaced Carew, and the striker replaced the forward. Djukic seems to be a defender, right? The defender is replaced by an offensive midfielder. Is Valencia trying to block the goal?"
Aldridge's mind was spinning.
Valencia's substitution seems to be to remove an offensive player and add a defender, which seems to weaken the offense and strengthen the defense.
It is definitely right to strengthen the defense, but it is definitely impossible to say that Valencia gave up the offense when they were satisfied with 1:0.
After observing the game on the sidelines for 5 minutes, Aldridge understood Cooper's intention to make a substitution.
Djukic played more like a scavenger, strengthened the defense in the penalty area, and at the same time relieved Albelda and Baraja from the task of retreating deep into the penalty area to defend. And let Mendieta and Gonzalez invest more in the wing attack.
Valencia completely stopped attacking from the center and frontcourt, and just attacked from the side.
Aldridge did not make any adjustments, the opponent Aimar was off the field, and Gattuso was also released to help defend the wing. Depending on the situation, his physical fitness is sufficient to cover the lateral sides.
Seeing that halfway through the second half, Millwall still failed to score, and the team's offense became more and more fierce.
In the 72nd minute, Nedved dribbled the ball and forcibly squeezed Albelda away, and made a long-range shot with a heavy foot, which bounced off the crossbar and flew into the stands.
Seeing that the goal was missed by a hair, Nedved closed his eyes and looked up to the sky and sighed.
Today is really evil.
No matter how you shoot, the ball just doesn't fly into the goal.
The ball that could fly into the goal was blocked by Canizares or Valencia players.
Aldridge also bowed his head and cursed on the sidelines.
This situation is too demoralizing. If the team is not strong enough, I am afraid that they will collapse if they fail to score goals after repeated opportunities. The psychology of the Millwall team is not so fragile, and they have been insisting on attacking, attacking, and attacking continuously.
In the 77th minute, Ronaldinho took the ball from the left to the center and couldn't find a passing space. He dribbled the ball horizontally all the way away from Albelda and Baraja. In front of Gonzalez, he went straight to the ribs of the penalty area. , Larson got the ball diagonally, he couldn't get the right foot to shoot, and at the same time he couldn't find the passing route. Pellegrino was in front and Carboni was double-teaming in the back.
In front of Pellegrino, Larsson smashed the ball out trying to create some space to pass or shoot, but Pellegrino blocked him a step slower and stepped on Larsson's foot. On, Larson fell in the penalty area.
With a whistle, the referee pointed to a penalty and awarded a penalty for a foul in Valencia's penalty area!
"Larson was fouled in the penalty area and Millwall won a penalty! This penalty is undisputed, and the slow-motion replay shows that Pellegrino did steal slowly and stepped on Larson's foot."
The Valencia fans at Mestalla quit, booing in the stands to protest the referee's decision.
The referee ignored the protests from the Valencia players, and the protagonist Pellegrino did not go up to defend himself. He knew whether the action just now was a foul, and he actually stepped on Larson's foot.
The Millwall players seemed to be relieved and almost attacked the whole field. Now, they finally saw the light.
Larson, the first penalty shooter in the team, walked to the penalty spot, and he faced Canizares, who played bravely in this game.
The boos from the stands continued, with the Valencia fans making as much noise as possible to distract Larsson.
However, Larson was very calm and opened the run-up distance to take the penalty kick.
If this goal can be scored, Valencia's efforts will be in vain. They cannot win at home and give Millwall an away goal. They will be a guest in London in the next round. It is a near-death situation. (to be continued...) ()