Lin Hai Ting Tao
Chapter 1117 Impatience and Patience
Of course, this placed great demands on the players' physical condition. The team's physical therapists used halftime to massage the players, relaxing their muscles and reducing fatigue.
"...There are forty-five minutes left. Put aside all distractions, don't think about what comes after, just play these forty-five minutes well. As long as the game isn't over, the battle isn't over." Lippi said to the Chinese players as they were about to take the field.
On the other side, Van Gaal was very dissatisfied with the team's performance in the first half. He felt that the team had become too complacent after scoring, and their lack of concentration had allowed China to score.
"It's a disgrace! That goal wasn't because they played well, but because you played poorly!" Van Gaal roared.
Every Dutch player hung his head, ashamed.
"The second half absolutely cannot be like this again! Otherwise, you will become a laughingstock!"
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Before the start of the second half, the Netherlands made a substitution. Van Gaal replaced defender Indi with young winger Memphis Depay. Depay, only twenty years old, was a talented attacking player who had emerged in the Dutch league. Van Gaal clearly hoped to improve the Netherlands' attacking quality with this substitution.
In the second half, the two sides switched sides and resumed the battle. The Netherlands certainly showed their determination to win.
They used the kickoff to launch an attack on the Chinese goal.
Just outside the penalty area, Sneijder made a direct pass, and Van Persie cut diagonally into the penalty area, ready to receive the ball and shoot.
However, Guo Nu beat him to it, getting in front of him. In desperation, Van Persie used his hand to push Guo Nu to the ground, then grabbed the ball.
But at this moment, the referee's whistle sounded. Although Van Persie still completed the shooting action, even if he scored, it would be invalid. Not to mention that Sun Pan didn't give the Netherlands any chance, he blocked Van Persie's shot.
"Van Persie fouled by pushing, the referee made the correct decision..." He Ping said.
Zheng Zhi and Yang Muge went to the referee, hoping that he could show Van Persie a yellow card because Van Persie still touched the ball after the whistle, according to FIFA rules, no player is allowed to touch the ball anymore, touching the ball should result in a card.
However, rules are rigid, and the people who control the rules are flexible, so whether or not a card must be given depends on what the referee thinks at the time. If he thinks it's not necessary, then he can choose not to give a card.
This time, the referee, Al Haymon of Algeria, chose not to give a card.
No matter how Zheng Zhi and Yang Muge tried to persuade him, Al Haymon didn't pull out a card.
However, Van Persie ultimately did not escape the punishment of a yellow card - two minutes later, the Netherlands got a throw-in on the right side. Robben threw the ball towards the baseline, and Van Persie stepped forward to receive the ball. Guo Nu came up again, the two made physical contact, and then Van Persie's arm swung back and hit Guo Nu in the face. Guo Nu immediately covered his face and fell to the ground.
Then the referee Al Haymon's whistle sounded.
"Van Persie fouled again! This time in the fight with Guo Nu... his arm lifted up and hit Guo Nu's face, this is an unnecessary additional action, it's 100% a foul..."
This time, there was no need for the Chinese players to remind him, the referee had already taken the yellow card out of his pocket. Two consecutive fouls in a short period of time, the referee Al Haymon felt it necessary to warn the Dutch captain to control his emotions and not be so irritable all the time.
In addition, Van Persie committed two consecutive fouls against the same person, if he didn't show a card, the Chinese players' emotions would definitely be uncontrollable, and then both sides would get angry, and the scene would be out of control...
"Van Persie was penalized for a foul and also received a yellow card. In this way, he will miss the next game against Chile... this is not good news." The Dutch commentator complained. "Van Persie should control his temper..."
"Van Persie was finally warned with a yellow card for two consecutive fouls. After the start of the second half, the Dutch team's attack was indeed very fierce, but at the same time, it can be seen that their emotions are a little anxious. I think this should be a good thing for the Chinese team..." He Ping said.
"Yes, the Dutch team is indeed a little anxious in the second half. We just need to be patient now. Don't worry, a draw is completely acceptable..." Gong Lei also said. He is now worried that after Zhou Yi is not on the field, the Chinese players will make mistakes in some offensive and defensive rhythms, not speeding up when they should speed up, and not slowing down when they should slow down, and then let the other side seize the opportunity.
Lippi, as the coach of the Chinese team, also ran to the sidelines, using gestures to remind his players that at this time, they must remain calm and not be frightened by the Dutch team's offensive at the beginning of the second half.
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Next, when the Chinese team got the ball in the backcourt, the Dutch team launched a pressing attack in the frontcourt, which required the Chinese players to handle the ball cleanly and decisively. In this regard, the Chinese players performed well.
Especially Yang Muge and Zheng Zhi.
With Zhou Yi not on the field, the two of them were equal to each filling in part of Zhou Yi's work.
How they handle the ball also determines the rhythm of the Chinese team.
They can not only defend, but also organize the attack.
Zheng Zhi has always been the organizational core in Guangzhou Hengyuan, and when Yang Muge played in the National Olympic team, when Zhou Yi had not yet joined the National Olympic team, he shouldered the important task of organizing the National Olympic team's attack.
In the fiftieth minute, Yang Muge sent a diagonal long pass, and He Ying received the ball on the left side, twenty-five meters away from the fans, and then shot hard.
The ball was saved by Dutch goalkeeper Cillessen.
Although this attack did not score a goal, it told the Netherlands not to think that the Chinese team is a soft persimmon that can be squeezed at will. They still have a chance to threaten your goal when defending.
This makes the Netherlands have to weigh it when attacking again, thinking about whether the space behind them will be used by the Chinese team after they go all out to attack.
The score is now 1:1. For the Chinese team, this is a completely acceptable score. They can play the next game with a relatively relaxed attitude.
But the Netherlands can't. They want to win, they want two consecutive victories, and then advance to the group stage ahead of schedule. How could they accept a draw with the Chinese team?
They can only continue to put pressure on the Chinese goal.
In the fifty-eighth minute, they really got a great opportunity!
At that time, Depay launched an attack with the ball on the left side. Facing Zhang Linpeng's defense, he changed direction and wanted to cut inside. Wu Lei, who was returning to defense, rushed over and poked the ball away. But Depay didn't give up, and immediately counter-attacked on the spot, colliding with Wu Lei. The ball rolled to the side and was taken away by Sneijder.
Next, Sneijder controlled it slightly and passed the ball to Depay, and he moved forward along the side.
Depay did not pass the ball to Sneijder, who was moving forward, but passed it to Van Persie in the penalty area!
Van Persie received the ball behind the center backs Feng Xiaoting and Guo Nu!
"Is this ball... not offside?!" He Ping asked, not hearing the referee's whistle.
At that time, many people thought Van Persie was offside.
Feng Xiaoting even stood still and raised his arm, signaling that Van Persie was offside.
But Sun Pan decisively abandoned the goal and attacked, ignoring whether Van Persie was offside at all.
Van Persie just received the ball and turned around, and then shot!
The ball he shot hit Sun Pan's crotch and bounced off the baseline!
"Sun Pan!! He made a key save!! He saved the Chinese team's goal!" He Ping exclaimed.
The referee whistled and pointed to the corner flag area, signaling the Netherlands to take a corner kick.
At this time, through television replays, everyone saw that at the moment Depay passed the ball, the Chinese team's left back Rong Hao was lagging behind, so Van Persie was not offside...
"It's really close..." Gong Lei felt scared. "It is easy to have such problems if the thoughts of creating offside are not unified. Fortunately, Sun Pan reacted quickly and calmly!"
Sun Pan, who had completed a key save, jumped up from the ground and clapped his hands hard and shouted to his teammates: "Concentrate! Concentrate!"
He didn't blame Rong Hao for causing the offside failure, nor did he blame Feng Xiaoting for being busy raising his hand and not returning to defense.
He even forgot to use this key save to show off.
For a goalkeeper who is grumpy and likes to show off, it is really... not easy.