Chapter 100 The War Continues
Chapter 100 The War Continues
Facing the five aggressive girls who claimed to be his sister-in-law, Digan was really overwhelmed, and finally found an excuse to escape back to the hotel. The half-day experience was more tiring than playing a game.
The next day, the match between Group C of the World Cup also officially started. Because of Beckham's relationship, Degan also paid special attention to the contest between England and the US team.
England vs. the United States, the history will inevitably be revealed. The two teams have faced each other nine times in the international A-level competition**. Nothing is as shocking as the 0:1 defeat in 1950. After all, it was a World Cup game, and the influence was very different.
This game is the first time the two teams have met in the World Cup after 60 years. The last time the US team had a 1-0 upset, the English people regarded it as a shame and humiliation.
Gerrard scored early in the fourth minute of the game and England got off to a good start, but a low-level error by goalkeeper Green made the victory come to naught.
1:1, from the group qualifying situation, this is an acceptable result for England, but it is somewhat embarrassing in terms of face. The shame of 60 years has not been cleared, and new hatred has been added to the butter hand. I don't know when England will meet the United States next time.
Fabio Capello led the England team's first big game, somewhat nervous, passive in the first half made him fidgety, and he was helpless in the second half when he gained power and failed to score.
Before the game, Capello said that the England team has the ability to reach the final, but judging from the state of the team in the first game, it is really difficult to achieve the goal.
It has almost become a "fixed pattern" for the England team to discount it when it comes to the big game. The media praised it before the game, but when it came time to practice, they found that it was not the case, and the team felt very guilty.
A scene in the 15th minute of the first half was surprising. In order to prevent a tactical corner kick, everyone in England retracted to the vicinity of the penalty kick.
Green may not have made such a low-level mistake in West Ham United for a season, but on the big stage of the World Cup, he just "revealed his stuff", and psychological factors accounted for a large proportion.
Looking at the attackers again, Husky single-handedly shot into Howard's arms, Lampard kicked in front of the goal, and Lennon's crosses were repeatedly in place. This is obviously not their level in the Premier League.
The thing that most highlights the England team's guilty conscience in the competition is the penalty shootout. Lost to Germany in the 1996 European Cup, eliminated by Argentina in the 1998 World Cup, and lost to Portugal in the 2004 European Cup and the 2006 World Cup. I have never won. This is undoubtedly the psychological crux of the Three Lions.
In fact, when Capello took office, he saw England's psychological problems. At that time, the team was blocked from the European Championship by Croatia, and the whole team was shadowed. Fortunately, the two wins against Croatia in the World Cup qualifiers swept away the haze of the past, and the British praised Capello as a "ghostbuster".
But now in the World Cup, England's tight competition seems to be returning to its old ways. The most frustrating thing is the way of losing points. Green's low-level mistakes are a joke to any team. It seems that England will have to change teams in the next game.
The only thing to be gratified about is that the group's strong opponent, the US team, was tied in this game. The next two opponents are relatively weak, and qualifying is not a big problem.
The Americans should be satisfied with this draw. Although they are ranked 14th in the world, the overall popularity of the American team has never reached the level of his high world ranking. The total value of the 23 members of the team is only worth Rooney is alone, but it is such a team that has played at a stable level as before today, attacking, attacking, and defending, enough to keep so many big-name players in England from finding the door.
Wayne Rooney, who is highly expected by fans all over England, was also watched closely in this game, and Degan is no stranger to the person who stared at him. He was a teammate with him in AC Milan for a year. Onyewu, the miserable man who was abandoned by Milan played a very successful terminator role today. He let Rooney taste that even if he is not physically injured, even if he has enough patience, even if he maintains a considerable tacit understanding and inspiration with his teammates , It is still the pain of not being able to find opportunities in the key areas of the US team.
Onyewu played a standard lagging central defender in this game. Except for corner kicks and free kicks, he would never dribble past the midfield. What he had to defend was England's powerful offensive force, especially It's a striker combination of Rooney and Heskey.
Although Onyewu was somewhat responsible for the loss of the first goal. In the face of England's technical ground penetration, Onyewu, who had not yet entered the game state, played a stunned spectator, but it can be said that this goal Inspired his passion for the game, and since then, Onyewu has become an absolute defense Optimus Prime just like Delas in Greece in the 2004 European Championships.
England's offense, the pseudo-fans who are familiar with the routine can tell a thing or two, the offense from the wing, the front of the two forwards, of course, the double-virtue combination must keep up in time, anyway, everyone is physically strong, at least they can return to defense To abide by it, if the U.S. team fought based on their fame, they would have been washed away long ago.
In today's game, the American defense line headed by Onyewu has maintained a considerable ability to unite and cooperate, and Onyewu himself, after conceding the ball, showed his state, which also made people believe that the title of American Footballer of the Year in 2007 was not worn for nothing Yes, he made several early strikes, stopped Rooney from getting the ball, and Rooney managed to get the chance to dribble the ball towards the goal. Extraordinary.
Onyewu did a lot of work on Rooney, Xiaopang also spared no effort in this game, and did not fight hard with his opponent, so when he faced Onyewu, he basically did not take advantage of it. Facing the tall and strong Austrian Neu, even if Rooney has ideas, he can't be hit. It can be said that under the defense of Onyewu, Rooney's game today is somewhat awkward.
The confrontation between Onyewu and Rooney is a microcosm of this game. The England team thought they were higher than the sky, but they were beaten into the south wall by a combination of punches by the Americans, and their lives were as thin as paper.
Of course Degan would not lament the Englishman's draw. What dissatisfied him most throughout the game was that Beckham sat on the bench for 90 minutes without getting a single minute of playing.
In another match in Group C, Slovenia, who returned to the World Cup eight years later, won their first victory in the World Cup finals thanks to a low-level mistake by the Algerian goalkeeper. For a small country, this is definitely a grand event that deserves to be celebrated with great fanfare. I believe that the feeling of joy at this moment will not be inferior to that of Croatia's third place in the World Cup in 1998.
After experiencing a long trough, the football career in the former Yugoslavia has slowly recovered its original spirit. Many countries separated from Yugoslavia have proved with practical actions that each country has too much football genius.
Needless to say, Slovenia and Serbia have entered the South African final stage. Croatia, which has hated the qualifiers, is still recognized as a strong European team. It is currently ranked tenth in the world and the highest among the countries separated from the former Yugoslavia.
Bosnia and Herzegovina played exceptionally well in the preliminaries, and they were only one step away from entering the World Cup in South Africa. Macedonia and Montenegro also broke away from the bottom of the European football power at the fastest speed. Of course, we cannot expect all six teams to enter the World Cup, but they are rich in football. The talented Balkan Peninsula has enough motivation to continuously surprise fans all over the world.
The next day, the competition in Group D was also in full swing. Another team from the former Yugoslavia, Serbia, made its debut. At the same time, with the start of the match between Serbia and Ghana, Serbia captain Stankovic created an alternative team. World Cup record one by one representing three different national teams in the World Cup.
In 1998, Stankovic, who was only 20 years old at the time, was selected for the Yugoslavia World Cup team. Although the Balkan Peninsula was full of wars at that time, football could bring rare happiness to the children in this fast land.
The Yugoslavian national team had superstars like Savicevic, and the 20-year-old Stankovic also found his own opportunity. Yugoslavia was grouped with Iran, Germany, and the United States and successfully qualified. In the 1/8 finals, Yugoslavia lost 1:2 to the Netherlands.
In 2006, the name "Yugoslavia" has already become history, and even "Serbia and Montenegro" will soon become history. The 2006 World Cup was the last time Serbia and Montenegro participated in an international competition in the name of this country.
Although the Serbia and Montenegro team performed well in the European qualifiers, becoming the best defensive team in the European qualifiers, and together with Belgium, they jointly defeated Spain, but Stankovic and his teammates suffered. Waterloo lost all three games against Argentina, the Netherlands and Côte d'Ivoire.
The time came to 2010. Stankovic participated in the World Cup as the captain of the Serbian national team. Now this Serbian national team is in a group with the French team in the qualifiers.
On one side is the Serbian team with the highest average height among the top 32, which has big-name players such as Vidic, Ivanovic, Stankovic, and Zikic. On one side is the Ghanaian team with the youngest average age among the top 32, lacking the three big stars Essien, Muntari, and Appiah.
Before the start of the game, I believe that the vast majority of fans will bet on Serbia, but this team full of "odd" men finally lost 0:1 in front of the Ghana team composed of a group of young boys. This result once again proves an iron law in the green field-fame and strength are often not equal.
Interestingly, Ghana coach Lajevac is a Serb. Facing his home country team, he fulfilled his promise before the game and showed no mercy, letting his compatriot Antti, who is much more famous than himself, Odd pales in comparison.
You know, Antić, who is in charge of the Serbian coach, is the only coach in world football who has coached Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid respectively, while Lajevac is unknown.
During the game, Serbia's star players seemed to be a bit fragmented on the court. Stankovic was originally expected to play the role of the team's core playmaker. However, as the captain, his performance was mediocre throughout the game, and he only got the frontcourt position of the team. People will only find his "long-lost" figure when playing the ball.
Without Stankovic's go-betweens, the Serbs were in a state of disarray on the field. Vidic made many serious missed mistakes in Manchester United's majestic center gate. Pantridge, who was once famous in the Bundesliga, is always in a state of sleepwalking.
The young Ghana carried forward the spirit of a newborn calf not afraid of tigers, and maintained a strong fighting spirit from beginning to end. Facing the youthful and invincible Ghana, Serbia still had the power to parry in the first 75 minutes.
However, as Lukovic was expelled due to accumulating two yellow cards, Serbia began to fall into a disadvantage. In the 83rd minute, Kuzmanovic, who came off the bench, made a meaningless handball foul in the penalty area and gave Garner a penalty kick. The 24-year-old Gyan scored the winning goal for the team overnight.
The striker is back on top for his side after scoring Ghana's first-ever World Cup goal in Germany four years ago.
When the game ended, probably all the Serbian fans couldn't believe their eyes, their team lost, to a baby team.
As the saying goes, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. This is Serbia's first World Cup game, and the result is a failure. Although not as star-studded as Yugoslavia back then, Serbia still has many stars who can change the game on their own. In the qualifiers, they overwhelmed France and won the first place in the group. The fans hoped that the surprise would continue in South Africa. , but the result is pain and regret.
From players to coaches, Serbia was completely suppressed by the opponent. On the court, the players have heavy footsteps, slow pace, no ideas and no motivation, it is completely loose.
Throughout the first half, there were only two free kicks that left a slight impression on people. Once Kolarov shot directly over the goal, and once Pantridge actually made the lowest stop error, wasting an exquisite cooperation in vain.
In the second half, Lukovic's two yellow cards were unnecessary, and Kuzmanovic's handball in the penalty area was even more inexplicable. Not to mention the outrageous misjudgment of the ball's placement, he also stupidly came to Dapeng Spread your wings.
The head coach Antić even lost from the pre-match formation to on-the-spot command. He obviously did not expect that the Ghanaian team, which lacked many main players, would rush forward as soon as they came up. Serbia's rhythm was completely disrupted, and they could only be passive. Follow the opponent without hesitation. In the first half, they can't attack or defend, and the situation is controlled by the opponent.
In the second half, Ghana focused on attacking the left guarded by Kolarov, but Antić did not make corresponding adjustments. As a result, the opponent kicked more and more smoothly, and Serbia was completely passive.
To make matters worse, Kuzmanovic, who was replaced, not only failed to play a role in the offense, but instead gave the opponent a fatal penalty.
If the poor performance of Serbia and Montenegro in the last World Cup was due to political factors, then this time, Serbia is completely inferior.
The players are not excited enough physically or mentally, their state is sluggish, and they lack psychological preparation when encountering difficulties. The technical and tactical arrangements of the coaching staff are also full of doubts. Played for 90 minutes. Facing Germany and Australia next, Serbia must make immediate adjustments, otherwise there is little hope of reaching the knockout round.
The next duel between German chariots and Australian kangaroos finally went through 90 minutes of fierce fighting. Germany beat Australia 4-0. a ball.
Without the core Ballack, the German team played smoothly and won a big victory. At the same time, through this game, the leader of the new generation of the German team also took the opportunity to rise. This person is Ozil.
Ballack's injury gave Ozil the best chance. The team can change the offensive tactics around Ballack, and the biggest beneficiary of this change is Ozil.
After Ballack was injured, in Löw's German team, Ozil was the unshakable core of the midfield attack. Löw once said: "No one plays like him, he is almost perfect."
In Loew's 4231 formation for the German team, Ozil is the core figure in charge of the team's offensive organization, and Ozil has perfectly taken over this task in this game.
Only six minutes into the game, Ozil sent a single-handed goal, but it was a pity that Klose's shot after a breakthrough was saved by Schwarzer, and then Müller crossed from the right, Ozil outflanked the center and volleyed The bottom line was blocked by the Australian defender, but this was only the beginning of Ozil's performance.
Two minutes later, Özil took the ball from the right, knocked down the Australian defender with a fake move, and finally put his left foot straight into the penalty area to send a comfortable ball behind Muller. After taking the ball, Muller crossed the penalty area from the bottom line After the point, Podolski volleyed and scored to help Germany break the deadlock.
In the 70th minute of the game, Ozil also contributed an assist. He made a cross from the left side of the penalty area, and the unguarded Cacao easily pushed and scored.
As Germany has been at a trough for nearly 10 years before, as Ballack is getting old, the Germans have been looking forward to a new "savior" in the midfield, and now the appearance of Ozil has made the Germans see hope.
Ozil, the representative of the young people, gave a near-perfect performance, and the veteran Klose is also defending his position in the national team.
Facing the goalkeeper's attacking direction, he bravely rushed to the top. When Klose flew up, everyone who knew him knew that the ball was there. This is the most adrenaline-inducing way to score goals. Weixin Exclusive to Klose, a generation of German bombers.
In the 2002 World Cup, Germany swept Saudi Arabia 8-0. Klose responded to Ballack's cross from the left and scored a goal with a header in this fearless way. Now eight years have passed and Klose, who has passed his thirties, Facing the first-line goalkeeper Schwarzer of the Premier League, he was like an assault squad flying upwards. He headed the goal 0.5 seconds before the opponent's iron fist was swung. The blood, courage and infinite pride of German football are all in this blow!
In 2002, Klose was just a young man. Facing the top goalkeeper in Asia, he used three perfect headers to score the goal. Klose, with five headers, gave a perfect interpretation of what is called an air bully, and he also won the silver boot award in the World Cup at that time.
Four years later in the World Cup in Germany, although Klose scored only one header, his five ever-changing goals were enough to make him a name in the history of German football.
With 49 goals in 96 games, Klose sits firmly at the second place in the scoring list of the German national team. The closest active international to him is Ballack, who is injured and absent, but only 42 goals, but Ballack is a midfielder Player, and he is older than Klose, it will be a miracle to catch up. Podolski ranks third among the active international players with 39 goals. His future is still relatively bright. What Klose wants to chase now is Muller, who scored 68 goals, objectively speaking, it is really difficult to catch up with the legend, but at this point, who can say that Klose is not worthy of the same name?
Before the start of the World Cup, Klose, who could not play the main force at Bayern and scored too few goals, was recruited into the national team. Whether it will become a bad move by Loew has become everyone's common guess.
But Klose fought back people's suspicious eyes with his header. Klose may be the person who made history specially arranged by God for the German national team, so what the fans have to do is to smile and stay calm Watching the performances of the German team one after another, watching Klose's devastation again and again, if you are lucky, you may be able to see Klose in South Africa in 2010, and play again. Do his signature somersault.
In the ensuing Group E contest, although it was the first time that the Netherlands and Denmark played against each other in the World Cup, they had a relationship. The grievances in the European Cup 18 years ago were unforgettable for the Oranje.
In the 1992 European Cup, Denmark staged a fairy tale of winning the championship. The semi-finals defeated the Netherlands. At that time, the Oranje team was in a good state. Before the final, no one was optimistic that Denmark could pass the test, but the final result was surprising.
Larsson scored twice and Denmark took the lead twice, but Bergkamp and Rijkaard equalized successively, especially the second goal of "Black Swan" was scored before the end of the game, and the Dutchman came from behind. trend. However, in the penalty shootout, Schmeichel saved Basten's penalty kick, and the Dutchman left a deep regret.
This time they clash again, the situation of the two teams is very different. The Netherlands has a group of new-generation talents, while Denmark can only continue to rely on outdated veterans such as Rommedal and Glenshall.
In the end, the new generation of the Netherlands defeated the old Denmark 2:0. Although the win was not very beautiful, this victory gave people the hope of changing the fate of the Dutch team.
Since the 1974 World Cup, the Dutch team has always played well in all major competitions, but they missed the championship. The only exception is the most mature era of the Three Musketeers. The Dutch team won the 1988 European Cup.
But in the World Cup, the Dutchman was always touted as the favorite to win the championship before the game, but he left the World Cup stage early. Many football experts and media reporters have delved into this strange phenomenon, and people found that it has something to do with the personality of the Dutch.
The Dutch are very egotistical and arrogant. The team should maintain self-confidence, but self-confidence and arrogance are often on the line. Because of ego, the Dutch team's dressing room is torn apart. Naturally, it is difficult for the 11 players on the field to form a whole. A form of "integrated football", but in the spirit, the Dutch team has never formed a whole, but starting from this World Cup, Malvik will cure the chronic illness of the Dutch team.
In the game against the Danish team, Van Persie on the front line formed a "chemical reaction" with the Dirk, who was once looked down upon by him. under great pressure.
After Van Persie was substituted, Dirk Dirk moved to the center forward. The hard-working Liverpool striker seized the opportunity. Killed to catch up and shoot the empty goal into the net. All the members of the Dutch team came to hug Dirk, and the Dutch team showed harmony to the outside world.
The head coach Malvik is not considered a big name, and his tactical ability cannot be said to be the world's top, but Malvik's strength is "heart attack". Malvik clearly understands the true inner thoughts of his 23 players, and finally puts When the ideas of the players are united, the strength of the Dutch team is terrifying.
This World Cup trip, at least so far, the Dutch team is very harmonious. When the Orange Legion continues to maintain this harmony, they will go further.
The Netherlands took down Denmark to usher in their first World Cup victory. The group qualifying situation is very good. The remaining two opponents in the same group, Japan and Cameroon, are difficult to pose a threat to the Oranje. Van Marwijk can even premeditate the road to the knockout round.
However, the Dutchman's victory was not "perfect", and even a little disappointing. Denmark's collapse in the second half was all due to the score being behind. In a balanced situation, the Netherlands did not show much advantage, but once fell into the opponent's trap. among.
In front of Paulson's own goal, the Netherlands had almost no way to counterattack against Denmark's steady defense, but the opportunities in front of the goal created by the Vikings were even better. Bendtner and Romedal both threatened to shoot in front of the goal. The offense was dull, and the defense against quick counterattacks was not effective.
Dutch football has always been known for its flamboyance, and their smooth and beautiful offense is their label, but compared with Belgium and Germany who played before, the Dutch in this game are obviously pale in comparison.
Although Denmark has a large number of veterans, they have rich experience, and their dense defensive strategy is very decent. Except for Bendtner, the rest of the Danes are almost piled up in the middle of the penalty area, which makes the Netherlands, which has less side attack, helpless.
The Dutch team also has some disadvantages. In a normal game, the Dutch players seem unable to run, and they are not active in interspersed. It is different from Belgium and Germany, where one person holds the ball and many people around him support. Too few, there are not many receiving points for passing the ball, and naturally they cannot cooperate.
It can be said that the Netherlands, which was once known for its transposition, full attack and full defense, is now the core of its tactical system. No such traits were exhibited.
However, for this Dutch team, there is still room to improve their combat effectiveness. The physical fitness and running of the players will be better as the competition progresses than in the first match. Robben's comeback and the emergence of young player Elia are all beneficial. Due to the factors of the team, compared with the situation in previous years where they always showed all their possessions at the beginning, but ended up falling into the sand, the Netherlands, which has room for improvement this year, may be able to go further.
In another match in Group E that followed, the confrontation between Cameroon and Japan became the dullest match of this World Cup. I am afraid that not many people would have thought before the match that the confrontation between Cameroon and Japan would be the dullest match since the start of the match However, after 90 minutes of the game, I am afraid that not many people will deny that this game is the most dull, even the ugliest and boring game since the start of this World Cup.
Although there was a goal in the game, and it was a goal in a sports game, it could not conceal the dullness of the game. The Japanese team that won the game only scored once in the game, but scored.
Before the game, most people believed that this Japanese team lacked sharp forwards and had very limited offensive power, making it difficult to score goals.
The Japanese team's opponent Cameroon team has a luxurious lineup. Inter Milan's killer Samuel Eto'o has won the African Footballer of the Year several times. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is an iconic figure in African football. The midfielder Alexander Song is already Arsenal The pillars of Nana, left back Hector and central defender Basson are both playing for Tottenham. Goalkeeper Kameni has been famous for a long time and is an excellent goalkeeper in La Liga. The midfielder Emana is amazingly talented. Indispensable general, Rigobert Song is a legendary star of African lions. In addition, former Chelsea general Gremi, La Liga famous killer Webber, Ligue 1 new champion Marseille's Wan Jinyou Mbia, are also all players. famous people.
It can be said that Cameroon has reached a very high level in the lineup, but in the game against Japan, what we saw was the super strange selection method of the coach Le Guin. Warm-up lineup to play the World Cup.
The first surprise came from the goalkeeper. Kameni, the absolute main force, did not show up. Suleimano, a player who played for the Turkish Super League, was on the scene. The goalkeeper's performance was not a defeat today. The doubt expressed here is what's wrong with Kameni up?
Next, Le Guon's choice is the most fatal move. First, the choice of defender. The right back is Mbia, a standard Ligue 1 strongman, but the problem is that Mbia plays the central defender and midfielder. The right back is obviously It is not suitable for him. This position is also a very strange choice for Cameroon. Is there a right back in this team? If it is Mbia, why doesn't he always play on the right?
In the choice of central defenders, Basson and Nkolo are on Le Guon. The former played well in Tottenham last season, while the latter performed well in Monaco. It seems that this combination can be done. But the problem is also obvious. There are two central defenders, one is 20 years old and the other is 23 years old. In the World Cup, with such a young configuration to play central defenders, Le Guin doesn't take the Japanese team seriously, does he mean that Cameroon has no central defenders? The 33-year-old Rigobert Song is the choice. Don't think he is out of temper, but because of his 133 national team appearance experience, in such a complicated situation as the World Cup, it should be no problem to use a veteran, but Le Guin turned a blind eye .
The biggest problem for the French coach is the midfielder. He looks down on Lao Song and has his own reasons for insisting, but what about Xiao Song?
This defensive midfielder who has become the absolute main force at Arsenal actually watched the full 90 minutes today, and Emana, who plays for Real Betis, only came off the bench.
Le Guan used Marcoun and Aina, one for Lyon and one for Ajax, which is barely acceptable, but how to explain the other choice in the midfield?
Le Guin actually sent 18-year-old Matip. Although he felt good in the warm-up match, the World Cup is obviously a different kind of contest. Matip, who is 18 years old and has only played for the national team four times, is an 18-year-old kid. There is no need for Arsenal's absolute main force, Alexander Song. If Cameroon does not lose, it will be too much for God.
Let's look back at the few unexpected candidates that Le Guin excluded the mainstream view and chose. How did they play?
Cameroon's three midfielders basically didn't operate very effectively. In the first half, they couldn't give a threatening pass at all, so they were wasted with the Japanese players in the midfield. In the second half, there were several misses, which is enough to show the weakness of the defense. Only when Gremi came on the field, he and Mbia's strong attack from the right, coupled with Emmana's central push, each received some effect. .
Just imagine, if Le Guen is quite satisfactory in the starting lineup, with the expected strong lineup, he dare not say that he will win against Japan, at least he will not lose so ugly.
The next day, the first round of the first round of the World Cup Group F was held at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town. In the end, the defending champion Italy drew 1:1 with Paraguay. The Italians should not feel sorry. In fact, a draw is lucky for them .
Before the game, Paraguay coach Martino once sharply pointed out that this Italian team has no creativity. Martino said: "Everyone knows that Italy's most effective weapon is their defense. There are sappers on the field, executing tactics meticulously, and we may be stronger physically and more aggressive tactically."
In the eyes of Paraguayans, Italy is not always a strong team. It can even be said that in Martino's mind, Paraguayan players are more creative than Italian players.
Throughout the game, Italy did behave as lacking in creativity as Martino said. Italy did not create a substantial threat throughout the game, and the only goal was a gift from a mistake by the Paraguayan goalkeeper.
And because of Pirlo's injury, the Italian double midfielder can only send a combination of Montolivo and De Rossi. De Rossi has always been an assistant to Pirlo in the Italian national team. And Montolivo, who played very well in Florence, did not bring any hope to the national team.
Judging from this game, Lippi hopes that Montolivo can become Pirlo's substitute and take charge of Italy's offensive organization. In fact, Montolivo really wants to do this in the game, but it is a pity that his ability and Pirlo are not there. On one level, this player who has been reduced to Hamsik's substitute in Florence, except for a weak shot in the first half, never gave the Italian team any effective help. What is even more sad is that Monto Livo and De Rossi are already the most technically capable players among the starting 11 today.
Look at the Italian midfielder on the bench, Gattuso is a pure engineer, Palombo is not much better than an engineer, Camoranesi's belly fat is even more creative than him, the only technology The first-rate player is Di Natale, and he is not a playmaker, but a striker with good skills.
Look at Lippi's 23-man roster. Except for Pirlo, no one can be linked with the word elegance. Now Italy can only rely on intensive defense and look for some opportunities to counterattack. The three words of creativity have already been compared with this Italian team. Team insulation.
Thinking back to the 1990 World Cup, Baggio scored several goals in a row against Czechoslovakia, which became a classic goal in the history of the World Cup.
In 1994, Baggio took the ball and ran for nearly 30 meters, swayed past Zubizarreta, and then pushed the ball into the empty goal from a small angle. For the current Italian team, these goals are like a world away.
If it is said that what Italy once brought to football and fans was an elegant style of play and a little sadness, then what Italy has left to the world now is only simple and rough cooperation, high-altitude bombing with low crosses.
In this game, Italy did not even have more than five consecutive passes. The once elegant Azzurri has now become a blue-collar team.
Degan, who went to the scene to watch the game in person, was caught by reporters after the game and only said one sentence: "How we lost to them four years ago is really strange!"
Degan's words may be a little emotional, but it also reflects from one aspect that the Italian army has completely declined.
Compared with the rising Netherlands and Germany, the Italians have obviously fallen behind in the field of football!
In another match in Group F, the New Zealand team drew with Slovakia led by Digan's teammate Hamsik with a goal in stoppage time, and won the "first point" in the World Cup. This result is neither surprising nor unexpected.
The accident is because, judging from the technical statistics of the audience, the New Zealand team is basically at a disadvantage in all statistics, and the battle situation is basically controlled by the Slovak team. It's not surprising, because the New Zealand team also has the capital to "challenge" Slovakia. The first is the body, and the second is the long pass style of play.
With these two axes, the New Zealanders created a miracle on the stage of the World Cup. Although Digan's teammate Hamsik scored the first goal in the World Cup in Slovakia, he could only accept a helpless defeat in the end. draw.