Chapter 544: Again, a fierce battle (everyday transition)

On the sidelines.

Bosque gestured to the players with a few hand signals.

This midfield setup may lose in localized battles of attrition, but its overall suppression is the absolute peak.

Within 45 minutes.

Even if Iniesta, Cazorla, and David Silva are nursing old injuries, they can still subdue Croatia in the first 45 minutes.

They are the perfect wingmen for Li.

Time ticked by second by second.

Spain controlled the match.

When the opponent's attrition tactics began to weaken, the world-class technical midfielders started executing ever-changing triangular passing and running.

The ball traced extremely precise lines across the green pitch.

The spacing of the red jerseys was extremely reasonable.

Cazorla, Li Kang, Iniesta, Busquets, David Silva.

The top-tier possession chain that even clubs could not assemble finally shone brilliantly on the World Cup stage.

"One-touch."

"Still one-touch."

"They completely toyed with the hard-pressing Mandžukić and Perišić."

"Li Kang's movement coverage is terrifying."

"He always appears in the most suitable spot, forming the most stable point of the passing triangle."

"Perfect passing lanes."

"Exquisite ball-release force."

"Reasonable positioning."

"Broad vision!"

"He mastered space and tempo, more Xavi than Xavi himself!"

"Possession isn't dead—or rather, this is called pass-and-move!"

"If they keep playing like this, Croatia's stamina drain will be huge; they've already played two extra-time matches."

Live stream.

Danmaku flew across the screen.

【Li Kang is so handsome, he's the spokesperson for this era's "all-out attack-defense and possession system."】

【Commander of the Invincible Fleet.】

【A foundational cornerstone of historic team-building.】

【Li Kang is the ADC, with Cazorla, Iniesta, Busquets, and David Silva hanging on him like four cats.】

【Mandžukić was toyed with like a dog.】

【Cazorla and David Silva are also in good form.】

【How is Croatia still running wildly? Just park the bus—this way they'll be toyed with, and after sixty minutes they won't be able to play; they'll collapse!】

【Parking the bus is also a slow death! Don't be timid! Fight!】

Spanish players' morale soared.

Each veteran seemed to have returned to the glorious days of 2010 and 2012.

The Bullfighters' Army will return to the pinnacle of the world in their most familiar way.

Outside the camera, De Gea also adjusted his position with the formation's tilt and the defensive line's advance. Of course, during attacking phases, he had nothing to do.

On the other side.

Croatian fans felt despair.

The tireless, frenzied-running Croatian warriors on the green pitch seemed to be advancing under enemy fire.

Subašić made a high save to block.

Mandžukić was toyed with like a puppy, yet still did not ease his pace.

Using stamina and willpower to resist the football philosophy that once dominated world football.

Fans worldwide were stunned.

Attack.

Possession.

Is this perhaps the true essence of football's beauty?

Distant Amsterdam.

Before the TV, Cruyff's face flushed red, and he unconsciously clenched his fists.

The football ideal he had pursued his whole life was nearly realized at this moment.

Masterpiece.

The Bullfighters' commander on the green pitch is the ultimate masterpiece of La Masia's youth system.

The medical staff beside him were terrified.

Indeed.

Next second.

Thud.

Cruyff heavily hammered the wheelchair's armrest.

"How could they lose the ball?"

Shengbidebao Stadium.

The passing and control framework was quietly shattered.

A huge sigh drifted in the air.

Croatia head coach Dalic, with a calm face, finally showed a hint of joy.

That's right.

Facing extreme passing and control, perhaps the best way is low defensive positioning.

But.

The initiative of the match would be completely handed over to the opponent.

Cannot sit and wait for death.

Even if dying, must die standing.

"Iniesta ah"

"I thought of Modric's tendency in my mind, but my body couldn't keep up."

"The ball is lost."

"Croatia did not sit and wait for death."

"Modric, he seized the moment when Spain accelerated!"

"The three Croatian players were not dazed; they kept frantically blocking, using running and stamina to resist what seemed like the strongest passing and control system on this planet."

"Counterattack!"

"The checkered team played the Croatian rhapsody."

It seemed as if a gust of wind pushed the entire Croatian team's transition attack.

In an instant.

Five players had rushed into Spain's half.

Hard to imagine, a group of players in their thirties, still able to possess such terrifying explosive power and coordinated combat ability.

Modric shook off David Silva, who wanted to counter-press.

Blond hair fluttering.

Body swaying.

Kicked a long pass.

The football was like a bayonet, piercing through the midfield line.

In the transition attack phase, Mandzukic did not continue as another kind of wide support point, but transformed into the most primitive "bridgehead" form.

Leaning sideways, strongly blocking Busquets.

Received the ball.

Passed the ball.

Done in one go.

Perisic also returned to the essence of the "wing blade" form.

His nickname is "Geggege", meaning little chick.

His family ran a chicken farm.

Unfortunately, poorly managed, once faced closure, entirely relying on Perisic's teenage wages to sustain.

His dream is: beach volleyball.

"Perisic dribbles the ball to the flank."

"His passes are mostly ordinary most of the time, but he has a special skill in flank crosses!"

"Cross!"

"Rakitic appears at the arc top, in position for the overlap!"

"Shot!"

The shooting posture of the Barcelona midfielder is flawless, with no fault to be found.

Rakitic, no longer needing to be an engineer, is about to show the world his long-range shooting ability again!

Thud!

A smooth thigh with distinct muscle lines and shaved black hair blocked in front of him.

"Ramos' ground-stomping leap block!"

"No wonder he's Real Madrid's main center-back."

"The ball bounced to Pique's feet."

"Don't space out, Strinic is coming over!"

Pique did not clear the ball with a big kick himself.

Instead, he passed it to the returning Casola, that guy's ball distribution position is better.

The Croatians did not waste time regretting and blaming each other due to this attack's failure; they quickly withdrew, striving for every bit of landing time.

Casola has not had a long-pass connection with Morata in official matches for a long time.

Clap!

The characteristic of balanced feet lies not only in dribbling and shooting, but also in center of gravity control and instant long-pass ability.

Almost didn't see clearly Casola's ball distribution action.

The football had already leapt into the sky.

Falling toward the midfield circle.

Exactly the area in front of Li Kang.

"Master connects with master."

"Spain's counterattack!"

"Modrić, trailing behind Croatia's formation, also appeared near the landing point."

"Modrić seemed to have precognition."

"During the team's transition attack, he had already anticipated how to defend the landing position."

"The football fell."

"Li Kang and Modrić clashed again."

"Both pushed off the ground almost simultaneously."

"The two collided in midair."

"The football lost control."

"David Silva's support timing was perfect, appearing exactly in the landing zone after the ball changed direction."

"Shengbidebao Stadium."

"Cheers rang out incessantly."

"The gaze of over eighty thousand spectators remained fixed on Spain's number 6 and Croatia's number 10."

"No problem at all."

"Li Kang won this aerial duel."

"He and Modrić almost simultaneously got to their feet and continued sprinting."

"What a terrifying statistic: Modrić, standing only 1.74 meters tall, has aerial duel ability ranking among the top three in this World Cup!"

"Croatia is in danger!"

"David Silva, the king of ribcage space, squeezed the ball out amidst the double-team by Lovren and Vrsaljko!"

"To Morata on the right side of the penalty area!"

"Charging into the penalty area, adjusting"

"Great opportunity!"

"Can shoot now!"

"Oh no, Modrić transformed into a defender, sticking to Morata in time! He's everywhere!"

"Li Kang created space—can the ball be passed to his feet?"

"Morata was annoyed."

"The chance to shoot with his foot flashed by in an instant."

"He felt Modrić was harder to deal with than a Premier League center-back."

"He perfectly lost the shooting angle."

"Moreover, the opponent's defensive positioning blocked his connection with Li Kang."

"What the hell is this hexagonal midfielder?"

"No prolonged entanglement."

"Morata tapped the ball backward with his heel."

"Pa."

"David Silva reappeared in the perfect support position."

"Manchester City's magician touched the ball once, delivering a lofted pass."

"The football lifted off the ground, lightly looping over the head of Croatia's defender Vida."

"Left side of the penalty area."

"Li Kang took three steps, adjusting his posture."

"His right foot lifted high."

"Peng!"

"The falling football, as if at this moment endowed with immense force!"

"The next moment."

"Goalkeeper Subašić only saw a black flash."

"Powerless."

"Croatia's net was lifted high."

"1:0!!!"

"Shengbidebao Stadium instantly erupted."

"Beautiful!"

"Goal!"

"Li Kang's zone, flying volley! Breaking the deadlock!"

"Flawless shooting motion."

"Perfect!"

"Too perfect!"

"The perfect shot combining power and arc left Subašić unable to react in the slightest!"

"David Silva's lofted pass assist."

"Perfect connection!"

"Morata's role as a focal point in this attack was also very obvious."

"Modrić did his best."

Li Kang and David Silva fist-bumped and embraced.

He casually patted the other's bald head.

To be honest, the hairstyle of the Blue Moon midfielders looks just like Guardiola's.

Teammates ran over one after another to join the celebration.

Morata kept gesturing toward the stands, signaling for the fans' cheers to get even louder.

The hard-earned goal boosted the morale of the Bullfighters Legion.

On the other side.

Modrić lay on the turf for a few seconds, then got back up, showing no trace of pessimism or negativity on his face.

In the livestream room.

【Ninth goal of the World Cup!】

【David Silva could have shot himself, but the angle wasn't good enough, so he still passed to Li Kang, who was in a better position.】

【Top-tier assist awareness.】

【Ramos's block was crucial, Piqué's pass was reasonable, Casola's counter-attack long pass was precise, and luckily Li Kang won the aerial duel against Modrić.】

【If this group of technical midfield wingmen were seven or eight years younger, I couldn't imagine how many years they could dominate football.】

【Is Iniesta cramping? The team doctor has come on.】

【Casola and David Silva's skill bars are also empty; Croatia has been forcing them to speed up, and their bodies can't take it.】

On the sidelines.

The Spanish substitutes huddled together.

Miñano was unusually delighted.

Bosque's smile, however, carried a hint of gloom.

He seemed to realize that it would be hard to use the snowball advantage to knock down this Croatian side ahead.

On the other side.

Croatia's head coach, Dalic, remained calm and composed.

As if his own team weren't behind.

"The Spanish midfield is showing signs of fatigue; we still have many opportunities."

Far away in Munich.

Beckenbauer and a group of legends sat on the sofa, applauding and cheering for Li Kang's goal.

"Modrić's performance was also outstanding."

"His movement coverage, attacking progression, linking play, and defensive interceptions are too perfect."

"Well, he's very like Cruyff back in the day."

"The first perfect ambassador of the all-attack-all-defense system under this system—one man is a whole central axis."

"This kid grew up without guidance from any famous coach, nor was he born into any great school system, but after enduring different leagues and tactical styles, he stumbled and struggled to find the ultimate answer of all-attack-all-defense."

Does he also look like Cruyff in defensive shape?

Isn't that a stretch?

Cruyff doesn't have Modrić's stamina.

The young German legends don't quite get it.

"Golden Retriever" Fogtz hesitated, then added: "It's somewhat similar—young Cruyff had strong interception ability, even smarter than today's Busquets."

Beckenbauer smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

Shengbidebao Stadium.

Beep! Beep-beep~

"The referee blew the whistle for halftime."

"The temporary score is 1:0."

"The intense 45 minutes have ended; let's take a short break and see you again in fifteen minutes!"

"Now we enter an advertisement segment: safety sports protection brand Durex reminds you"

The Durex ad copy for the 2018 Russia World Cup also went viral.

Always able to put out posters at the first moment of the match:

Go in, or just keep it clean and simple. (Opening goal.)

With light technique, welcome the 227th climax (Neymar scored Brazil's 227th World Cup goal).

No matter how many times, break into your penalty area and still want to go in again. (Kane scored twice.)

Choose the hard one. (Two players in physical confrontation.)

Sprint hard, break through obstacles. (Solo breakaway goal)

Spanish locker room.

Iniesta and Casola's conditions are not optimistic.

One has only 60 minutes of stamina; just after halftime ended, he was pushed by Croatia into cramping.

One has an old injury risk and can't withstand several ground duels.

Bosque didn't feel relieved despite the lead; the halftime tactical purpose wasn't fully executed, Croatia was tougher than imagined, and he had to make two substitutions at halftime—if dragged into extra time, the consequences would be unthinkable.

He moved the magnetic flags on the tactics board and said:

"Croatians' independent attacks are very simple."

"They repeatedly exploit mismatches to shift, diagonal lobs and layoffs, trying to pierce our defense through gaps."

"In the closing stages of the first half, they gradually shifted resources to both flanks, wanting to bypass our midfield and execute simpler return-and-run plays."

We can't keep clinging to possession play!

We must seize on Croatia's midfield and backfield disconnection and create threats more directly!

No way.

The two big stars who excel at possession play are both going off.

Croatia's locker room.

Very quiet.

No sign of any despondent emotion can be detected.

Theoretically, with a 23-man squad, there should be some emotionally unstable guys.

But such guys have already been kicked out of the team by head coach Dalic, and it happened during the knockout stage.

The coaching staff is quickly analyzing the problems exposed by Spain in the first half.

No chicken soup.

Instead, we want players to have unified thinking in attack and defense.

We need to win the game with the most pragmatic and objective attitude.

Finally.

Modric and his teammates bump fists one by one.

Their eyes are full of confidence.

The fifteen-minute break ends quickly.

Players from both sides return to the pitch.

Shengbidebao erupts in noise again.

"Good evening, viewers, welcome back."

"We are now live broadcasting the 2018 Russia World Cup semifinal."

"Spain versus Croatia's second half."

"Bosque has made the first substitution adjustment!"

"He's subbing off two players at once?"

"Koke comes on for Iniesta."

"Saúl comes on for Cazorla."

"The arrival of the Atletico Madrid twin stars might let the team play in another style."

"This could also see Spain's formation shift to 4-4-1-1."

Accompanied by the referee's whistle.

The second half begins.

Spain in possession.

Morata kicks off and passes back to Piqué.

Piqué didn't zone out this time and promptly passed to Carvajal, who had pushed forward on the flank.

"The buildup of attack"

"Without buildup, Carvajal passed it back."

"We're leading by one goal, no need to rush."

"The trailing Croatia are pressing harder and harder."

"Koke's turn and shake-off just now was exquisite; he was very slim in his youth and was called Iniesta's successor."

Time flows slowly.

Facing the blood-eyed Croatia, Spain struggles to maintain possession stability.

Possession is a defensive shape.

After taking the lead, controlling possession conserves energy.

Unfortunately, in tight spaces, Croatia seems to have an extra man.

Croatia uses pragmatic movement to cover and holds its ground against the diminished possession system.

Modric tirelessly shuttles back and forth.

Even though he repeatedly loses to Li Kang in one-on-one situations, he still keeps switching roles based on the game's flow to help teammates create local advantages.

One hand directing.

One hand personally charging into battle.

Giving it his all to change the course of the match.

68th minute of the game.

Croatia seized on a passing error by the opponent, won back possession, and launched a counterattack!

Modric did not immediately pass the ball.

He advanced alone again.

After drawing defenders to help teammates, he then reallocated resources.

"Wow!"

"A little flick with the outside of the right foot!"

"Letting the ball escape its own center of gravity."

"Also making it hard for Koke and Busquets to tackle!"

"He again used this simple and elegant style to help the team gain an advantage."

The red-and-white checkered stands of Shengbidebao rang with loud singing.

When the sunlight kissed his fertile soil.

When the wild wind blew through his oak trees.

When heaven called away his beloved, his heart still kept the beat for Croatia.

As if blessed by the song, the Croatian players exploded with energy.

The right side of Spain's penalty area.

Fursaliko and Rebic completed a brilliant flank combination.

Aspilicueta reacted quickly, turning and swiftly cutting inward.

In an instant.

Croatia opened up the width of the fan, forming multiple attacking points that encircled.

Even the defender Lovren surged into the opponent's penalty area.

This Liverpool player's World Cup journey was gloomy; he unintentionally drank a bottle of "Red Bull" during the match, but the official energy drink sponsor of the World Cup was Poerade, causing FIFA to fine him 470,000 RMB.

"Fursaliko's inverted triangle."

"Mandzukic's return pass."

"Counter-run again."

"Modric's through ball, the anticipation perfectly timed!"

"Mandzukic broke through the opponent's defense!"

"This shot is going in!"

"Oh no!"

"Under interference, Croatia's godlike striker failed to generate power on the shot."

The singing in Shengbidebao came to an abrupt halt.

De Gea firmly caught the ball, then rose to his feet, signaling the formation to move forward.

He noticed his teammates were exhausted.

In this half, they had been worn down by Croatia to the point of extreme fatigue.

Football is a team sport; even if Li Kang's individual ability is strong, without sufficient movement, pulling, passing, and coordination in the midfield and front line, it is difficult to form a threat.

The Manchester United goalkeeper did not quite understand:

Why do these Croatian veterans look not at all tired?

They should be more tired.

What exactly is sustaining their fighting spirit?