Chapter 307: A 7-1 Thrashing of Brazil Shocks the World!

Chapter 307: A 7-1 Thrashing of Brazil Shocks the World!

While Messi was intensifying his training, Lin Huang was doing the same. The difference was that Lin Huang was being used as a practice target. Because his playing style is so similar to Messi's, to better simulate Argentina's offensive strategies—especially how to defend against Messi—the Spanish coach, Bosque, had Lin Huang play the role of Messi to train the Spanish defenders.

Lin Huang was indifferent to this role, taking it as an opportunity for breakthrough training. The Spanish defenders, however, were far from indifferent. They had watched Lin Huang dominate opposing defenders on the field and secretly wished they could celebrate his skills up close. But now, facing him directly, they experienced the same frustration that their counterparts had felt on the field. They were utterly outclassed.

Seeing Lin Huang now, they would rather take a detour. They were truly intimidated.

"Looks like the simulation is quite effective, isn't it?" Bosque remarked casually to the defensive coach, Puyol, as they chatted on the sidelines.

Puyol's mouth twitched in response, his look saying, "Effective? Are you kidding?" Their defense was practically being shredded by Lin Huang; how could that be considered effective?

"Hehe, I think Lin is stronger than Messi. If they can't handle Lin, they might stand a chance against Messi," Bosque continued optimistically. "Besides, the match hasn't started yet. We still have time to improve our defensive skills."

Puyol instinctively wanted to disagree with Bosque's first statement. As the captain of Barcelona, he had watched Messi grow into a superstar. No one knew Messi's capabilities better than he did. A few years ago, when Ronaldo and Messi were both hailed as the best of their era, Puyol was dismissive of such comparisons. Having faced Ronaldo many times, Puyol acknowledged his skills but always felt that Messi was in a different league. Ronaldo was among the best, the pinnacle for mortals, while Messi's genius was simply inimitable.

However, recalling Lin Huang's progress over the past two years and his performance in matches made Puyol reconsider his urge to object. Without a doubt, Lin was also a genius, a Messi-type prodigy. It's no wonder that when Lin first emerged, he was dubbed "the second Messi." This label only changed as Lin's performances in leagues, the Champions League, and internationally began to match and even surpass those of Messi.

Now, Lin might actually be better than Messi. After all, the numbers don't lie. Messi's stats in league, Champions League, and this World Cup have all been eclipsed by Lin, and Messi's explosive power and breakthrough ability have declined since his injury last year. So, in terms of dribbling past opponents, Messi might indeed fall short of Lin now.

From this perspective, Bosque wasn't entirely wrong.

"Their styles of play are still quite different; it's not really possible to perfectly simulate Messi," Puyol noted. Having played with both, he understood their habits and individual characteristics well. For ordinary defenders, stopping players like Lin and Messi with one-on-one marking was nearly impossible. Defensive tactics involving multiple players compressing space and pressing aggressively were necessary.

During his time at Barcelona, Messi frequently faced targeted defenses in league and Champions League games, with double or even triple teams common. Although these tactics sometimes failed, contributing to classic moments of Messi taking on four or five players, if such multi-man defenses consistently failed, then Messi's highlight reels wouldn't be so legendary.

Such tactics are definitely effective; Messi can't always break through multiple defenders. How many players to commit to pressing him and when is something that needs more consideration. If too many players are drawn to one opponent, it leaves gaps elsewhere. If the opposition quickly exploits these gaps to launch a threatening attack, the strategy backfires.

Especially given the quality of Argentina's attacking lineup, focusing only on Messi isn't enough. Though their strikers have been underperforming at this World Cup, what if they regain their form during the semi-finals? Players like Higuain, Aguero, and Di Maria have proven their mettle in league and Champions League play; they're not just big names without substance.

While designing tactics to contain Messi, Bosque couldn't afford to overlook these players. Although Argentina had struggled in their matches, far from Spain's smooth sailing, Bosque and the Spanish team took them very seriously as a traditional South American powerhouse. Argentina had been favorites to win the World Cup before it started, and their ability to reach the finals despite poor form spoke volumes about their quality.

Spain saw Argentina as a formidable adversary, and Argentina viewed Spain as a major obstacle. Argentina's coach, Saviola, had agonized over footage of Spain's recent matches until his hair began to gray. "How can we play against such a strong Spain? If we're eliminated by Spain, will the fans forgive me?" As Argentina's coach, the pressure on Saviola was immense.

In the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, Argentina had strong squads. In particular, the previous tournament could have been theirs if not for Maradona's amateurish coaching. The 2010 squad included stars from the then Champions League-winning Inter Milan—Samuel, Zanetti, Cambiasso, Diego Milito—and prime Messi and Higuain. This lineup included the top scorers from La Liga and Serie A, yet they were blanked by Germany...

If Maradona had simply mimicked Mourinho's tactics at Inter, focusing on defense and exploiting Messi's speed and dribbling, they wouldn't have been so thoroughly defeated by Germany. However, Maradona's puzzling strategy, which kept Messi away from threatening the goal and used him instead as a playmaker in midfield, led to a chaotic and aimless quarter-final for Argentina.

As Maradona's successor, Saviola faced no less pressure. This World Cup's Argentine squad was still potent, even more star-studded than four years ago. Yet Saviola felt like he was walking on thin ice. His coaching experience was limited; he hadn't managed top clubs, which is crucial for a national team coach because ordinary teams rarely possess star players.

With Argentina's galaxy of top-tier talent from the big five European leagues, managing how to use them effectively and maintain a good atmosphere in the dressing room was new to him. Essentially, Saviola had only driven economy cars but was suddenly handed the keys to a multimillion-dollar luxury sports car—a machine he simply couldn't handle.

This was why Argentina, despite their all-star roster, struggled so much. Saviola didn't know how to use his front line effectively or maximize their potential. And clearly, this wasn't an issue that could be resolved quickly.

Hence, Saviola hesitated, unsure whether to adopt a conservative approach and use counterattacking tactics against Spain. Although playing defensively might sound unappealing for Argentina, such tactics were incredibly effective. Especially for a rookie coach, securing the defense was essential before considering offense...

On July 9, 2014, the World Cup semifinals kicked off with Brazil facing Germany. After a four-day break, the reignited World Cup fervor captivated billions of fans worldwide. In some regions, fans even gathered friends and stayed up late just to catch this exciting and intense match live! For instance, in a major Eastern country, fans stayed up until 4 AM local time to watch the game, despite the national team's absence from the tournament. Had their national team made it to the World Cup, the enthusiasm would likely have been unimaginable.

At 19:00 sharp, the match officially began. Brazil, missing two key players, was perceived to be at a disadvantage. Yet, overly confident Brazilian fans made puzzling pre-game claims. Statements like "A Neymar-less Brazil is the true Brazil," and "The invincible Hulk will use his brute strength to destroy the German war machine," were common. They also boasted about Paulinho and Fernandinho being impenetrable barriers that would ensure even standing by the end of the game would be a victory for the German midfield.

However, from the start, Brazil seemed unaffected by the absence of Neymar and Thiago Silva. In the first ten minutes, energized by over 60,000 fans at the Mineirão Stadium, Brazil aggressively attacked the German goal. In the 3rd minute, Marcelo's long shot from outside the box just missed, drawing sighs from Brazilian fans and gasps from the Germans. Despite their missing stars, Brazil still appeared formidable.

But the mood among German fans changed just a few minutes later. In the 11th minute, Germany won a corner. Kroos, after assessing his teammates' positions, sent the ball to the far post. Brazil's defense made a critical error, concentrating too heavily on the near post and neglecting Thomas Müller at the far post. Unmarked, Müller volleyed from about 8 meters out, sending the ball into the net. Germany led 1-0!

This was Müller's fifth goal of the tournament, moving him ahead of Messi to third place in the top scorers' list, trailing only Lin Huang and the already-eliminated James Rodríguez. German fans were ecstatic, sensing an increased chance of victory against a strong Brazilian side.

While the tens of thousands of Brazilian fans in the stadium were disheartened by the goal, they did not lose faith. They believed in Brazil's ability to equalize given their strong team.

Little did they know, Müller's goal was just the beginning of a catastrophe. In the 23rd minute, Kroos sent a through ball to Müller, who cleverly moved the ball before discreetly passing it to Klose. Klose's shot from 9 meters was initially saved by Cesar, but Klose followed up with a rebound that went over the fallen goalkeeper and into the net, making it 2-0. This goal broke the World Cup scoring record, previously held by Klose and Brazilian legend Ronaldo, who was present in the stadium. The camera panned to a serious-looking Ronaldo, uncertain if he was more upset about his record being broken or the dire situation for Brazil.

As the first half progressed, Germany's relentless attack led to goals from Kroos and Sami Khedira, putting Germany up by a stunning 5-0 at halftime. Commentators around the world used phrases like "incredible," "unbelievable," and "baffling" to describe the match and Germany's frightening offensive display.

Despite the lead, German coach Joachim Löw warned his players at halftime not to use the five-goal lead to humiliate Brazil further, stressing the importance of playing respectfully without slacking off. The Germans heeded his words and continued to play solidly without easing off too much, thwarting Brazilian attempts at a comeback with Neuer making spectacular saves.

In the 69th minute, substitute Schürrle scored Germany's sixth goal, and ten minutes later, he added another, bringing the score to a shocking 7-0. Löw was visibly shaken by the unfolding scoreline, concerned about both the unprecedented result and the potential backlash.

As the final whistle blew, the score stood at 7-1, a historic and devastating loss for Brazil. This match, a stunning display of German efficiency and prowess, would be remembered as one of the most shocking in World Cup history.

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