Wembley’s Last Dance

After England took the lead, their confidence grew, and their game became more fluid. Both their attack and defense were well-coordinated, with a smooth flow from one phase to the next. In contrast, Brazil began to sink into deeper trouble, unable to regain their earlier momentum.

It was clear that the match showcased two completely different styles of football: Europe vs. South America.

Ronaldinho was visibly frustrated today. He and Rivaldo seemed to be on different wavelengths, unable to connect effectively. When faced with England's tight, zonal marking and man-to-man defense, he could dribble past one defender, but when it came to beating two, it was almost always a lost cause. The only way for him to make something happen was if he could go on a solo run, breaking through five or six players, but that was no easy feat. As a result, he sought more connection with Rivaldo, who sometimes looked for Ronaldinho as well. There was an awareness of each other, but they lacked the crucial understanding in their passing runs.

Ronaldinho felt an odd sense of discomfort when he glanced over at the sideline. There was Aldrich, sitting with the opposition. It felt all wrong—Aldrich had always been on his team's bench, and seeing him there, on the other side, threw him off completely.

In the second half, England's defense improved steadily. Having had a chance to study their opponents in the first half, they were now more adept in defending. Their attacks flowed smoothly from defense to offense, with their passing becoming seamless. Under Aldrich's patient guidance in the midfield, the team had a clearer approach to their game, making smarter decisions when handling the ball, not rigidly chasing passes. When a player was unmarked, they kept the ball moving forward without the need to pass unless forced into defensive pressure. This made it easier for teammates to find open spaces ahead.

England's offensive play in the second half was methodical, almost every attack progressing smoothly toward Brazil's penalty box, yet the final shot always seemed to falter.

In the 60th minute, Aldrich made a substitution, bringing on Owen for Alan Smith. There was no displeasure in Aldrich's expression; he knew Smith's abilities had limitations. As a coach, he couldn't expect players to do things beyond their capacity.

With Owen on the field, England's offensive power immediately surged. Soon after, they scored their second goal.

In the 71st minute, England launched a quick counterattack from the back.

Ashley Cole, Lampard, Beckham, and Neville connected in a seamless passing sequence. After crossing midfield, Neville passed back to Lampard, who moved forward. Scholes, who had been central, pushed ahead, drawing Brazil's defensive attention away and creating space for Lampard.

Lampard quickly sent the ball to Owen, who held it up and passed it back to the oncoming McManaman. McManaman then played a clever pass to Scholes, who threaded a brilliant through ball into the path of Owen. Owen made a diagonal run, met the ball, and finished with a clinical strike past Brazil's defense.

"What an incredible goal! A dream team play! England's counterattack was a textbook example. This goal will surely be dissected by pundits after the game. It bears the hallmark of Aldrich's coaching style, a testament to his skills! 2-0, England leads Brazil by two goals. With this England team, the future looks bright!"

Aldrich stood frozen for a moment after the goal, then walked to the sidelines, clapping his hands excitedly. He gave the players a thumbs-up in appreciation.

When comparing European and South American players, whether in terms of overall team skill or individual brilliance, Europe didn't hold the advantage in terms of technical ability. But there was a distinct advantage in their game reading and tactical execution—non-ball skills that came into play.

Aldrich had to give credit where it was due: Scholes was a world-class player.

The ginger-headed midfielder's football intelligence on the field was impressive.

In the tactical system of Manchester United, Aldrich didn't rush to praise the player's football IQ. After all, Scholes had been a product of United's youth system and had played over five years in the first team. If a player couldn't excel in United's tactical setup, it could only mean one of two things—either the player wasn't up to par or the system didn't suit him.

But after just two months of coaching England, Aldrich was witnessing a level of tactical brilliance from Scholes that was impressive. In some ways, it was happening faster than it did when Aldrich took over at Millwall, where Nedvěd adjusted to the midfield role with much less speed. Of course, it wasn't a fair comparison—they were in very different situations.

If Ashley Cole had made the overlapping run, Scholes would have definitely stayed in the middle to receive the ball, acting as a support point. Meanwhile, Beckham, being England's biggest star, would have been closely marked, and advancing would have resulted in significant resistance.

However, with Lampard making the run, it was a completely different scenario. While Beckham was moving down the right wing, Lampard took the central route. Scholes used his forward run to create more space in midfield for Lampard. This caused brief confusion in Brazil's midfield defense. They hesitated for a moment with Scholes, then suddenly abandoned the attempt to intercept Lampard, giving him an opportunity to pass.

Scholes' contribution in this attack was unforgettable. Not only did he provide support for Lampard's run, but he also quickly lost his marker and made the assist.

Aldrich could only pray now, with one wish: please, for the national team's sake, make sure Ginger Head doesn't get injured during this period—his role is irreplaceable!

If there is one player England cannot afford to lose, it's Scholes in Aldrich's eyes. For other positions, replacing a player might reduce the team's ability, but at least the tactical system could still function. But if Scholes were to be absent, it could bring the entire offensive system crashing down.

After the 2-0 lead, Aldrich gave some other players a chance to play. Scholes was substituted for Joe Cole, and Lampard was replaced by Gerrard. Hargreaves came on for Beckham...

It was a friendly match. With the lead secured, Aldrich wanted to give some of the younger players a chance to develop, especially with the busy Christmas fixture schedule ahead. Giving the national team players more rest would benefit them, especially since they would be expected to play vital roles for their clubs once they returned.

In the following 20 minutes, the game became less pleasant to watch as England found themselves under pressure.

Hargreaves was still young and inexperienced. He lacked the chemistry with Neville and Ferdinand behind him, and his defensive skills and tactical awareness were still a work in progress.

In the 84th minute, Ronaldinho was on his side. He first used a clever feint to throw Hargreaves off balance, then darted into the space between the defenders like a sharp knife. Neville was caught off guard by how easily Hargreaves had been bypassed, and urgently closed in towards the center. But Ronaldinho and Roberto Carlos combined for a simple one-two, easily reaching the byline. As Ferdinand tried to intercept the cross from Ronaldinho, a quick feint fooled him, and Ronaldinho's low ball was sent toward the goal. It was a sudden move, catching Seaman off guard. Rivaldo, at the far post, slotted the ball into the net.

Hargreaves, after being easily beaten, stood there, rubbing his head in frustration as the team conceded a goal.

Neville looked like he wanted to reprimand him, but it was Southgate who stepped in first. He offered a few encouraging words to Hargreaves before focusing on the key defensive points that needed attention.

Just like he did before, where he created too much space by pulling apart from Butt and Neville and tried to intercept Ronaldinho on his own—next time, it could be disastrous. If they were to do it ten more times, at least seven would end with Ronaldinho getting past him. He should learn from Beckham, who would pull back in such situations, sealing off the inside and forcing the opponent wide. Beckham wasn't immune to getting beaten, but it always forced the opponent into Neville's defensive area. Beckham would then drop back to cover the space between Neville and Ferdinand, maintaining a layered defense, not allowing the opponent a second's breath.

Hargreaves listened patiently, nodded after hearing Southgate's advice, and before getting back into position to restart the play, Southgate gave him a light push on the head, encouraging him to keep his focus.

With added stoppage time, in the last 7 minutes, Brazil pressed England hard. England only had three counter-attacks, converting two of them, but each was narrowly off target. Brazil had many great opportunities but wasted them due to unclear player coordination.

On the sidelines, Aldrich could only sigh: "Brazil's squad is really damn good!"

This was still a Brazil team without Ronaldo, still lacking a clear tactical system. Yet, with individual player talent, they often gained an advantage in specific areas, leading to excellent attacking chances. If they could develop better team tactics, their power would be limitless.

"The match is over, with England winning 2-1 against Brazil at home. This is coach Hall's third victory in charge of England. Three games—two friendlies and one World Cup qualifier—England has scored 3, 6, and 2 goals, conceding just one, with an 11-1 goal difference that gives us great confidence in this team. We can't wait to see England in the World Cup qualifiers. With the year's fixtures complete, Wembley will temporarily say goodbye to the fans. After this game, Wembley will close for renovations. We don't know how long the work will take, but the FA has stated that within about five years, we'll welcome the new Wembley Stadium!"

The commentator was overly optimistic, blindly believing the FA's optimistic predictions. The renovation of Wembley was taking much longer than planned. Any construction company involved in the project was losing money, as the rising cost of the project over the coming years had exceeded expectations. In fact, the time needed to renovate Wembley would likely surpass the time it would take to build a new stadium!

As Wembley was about to close, the atmosphere in the stands was electric. Aldrich and the national team players stood on the sideline, clapping and acknowledging the crowd. No matter what, they had witnessed the end of an era for this iconic stadium. When they returned to Wembley next, it would be known as: the New Wembley Stadium.

The fans in the stands first celebrated the team's friendly victory, their applause thunderous, shouts echoing. Then, the fans began to act!

The scene was chaotic, as if a swarm of locusts had descended, tearing apart the stadium seats and eagerly hauling them away as souvenirs.

Seeing the fans' actions, Aldrich was slightly amused. As he entered the player's tunnel, he grabbed a stadium worker and asked if he could help dismantle a couple of seats, so he could take them home and turn them into chairs for Bert and Earl. It would make a unique souvenir.