Chapter 1 The Beginning

The sidelines.
Del Bosque gestured to his players.
This midfield configuration might not win in localized skirmishes, but its overall suppression was top-tier.
For 45 minutes.
Even with Iniesta, Cazorla, and David Silva nursing old injuries, they could pin down Croatia for the first 45 minutes of the first half.
They were Li's best super wingmen.
Time ticked by.
Spain controlled the match.
As the opponent's skirmishes began to weaken, the super-class technical midfielders began to enact ever-changing triangular passes.
The soccer ball traced extremely precise lines on the green field.
The red jerseys maintained perfect spacing.
Cazorla, Li Kang, Iniesta, Busquets, David Silva.
Even clubs couldn't assemble such a top-tier passing chain; now, it finally shone on the World Cup stage.
"One-touch."
"Still one-touch."
"Completely toying with the desperately pressing Mandžukić and Perišić."
"Li Kang's running coverage is terrifying."
"He always appears in the best spot, forming the most stable point of the passing triangle."
"Perfect passing routes."
"Exquisite passing power."
"Reasonable positioning."
"Open vision!"
"He controls space and rhythm, more Xavi than Xavi!"
"Tiki-taka isn't dead... or rather, this is called pass-and-move!"
"If they keep playing like this, Croatia's stamina will drain quickly; they've already played two extra time matches."
The livestream.
The screen filled with comments.
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[Li Kang is so handsome; he's the face of 'Total Football and Tiki-Taka' of this era.]
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[Commander of the Invincible Armada.]
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[Historical-level cornerstone for team building.]
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[Li Kang is the AdC, with four cats hanging on him: Cazorla, Iniesta, Busquets, David Silva.]
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[Mandžukić is being led around like a dog.]
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[Cazorla and David Silva are in good shape too.]
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[Why is Croatia still running around like crazy? Park the bus; if they keep getting led around like this, they won't be able to play after sixty minutes; they'll collapse!]
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[Parking the bus is also a slow death! Can't be a coward! Go for it!]
The Spanish players were in high spirits.
Each veteran seemed to return to the glory days of 2010 and 2012.
The Matador Corps would return to the top of the world in their most familiar way.
Off-camera, De Gea also moved and adjusted his position as the formation shifted and the defensive line advanced. Of course, he had nothing to do during the autonomous attacking phase.
On the other side.
Croatian fans felt despair.
Those tireless, frantically running Croatian warriors on the green field seemed to be attacking under enemy fire.
Subašić made high saves to block.
Mandžukić, led around like a puppy, still didn't slow down.
Using stamina and will to fight against the soccer philosophy that once dominated the world.
Fans all over the world were stunned.
Attack.
Pass-and-move.
Was that the most essential beauty of soccer?
Distant Amsterdam.
Johan Cruyff's face flushed red, and he clenched his fists unconsciously….
His lifelong pursuit of the soccer ideal was almost realized at this moment.
A masterpiece.
The Matador commander on the green field was the highest masterpiece of the La Masia youth training system.
The caregivers next to him were alarmed.
Sure enough.
The next second.
Thump.
Cruyff heavily slammed the armrest of the wheelchair.
"How could they lose the ball?"
Saint Petersburg Stadium.
The tiki-taka framework was quietly shattered.
A huge sigh floated in the air.
Croatian coach Zlatko Dalić's calm face finally revealed a hint of joy.
That's right.
Facing extreme tiki-taka, the best way might be low-block defense.
But.
The initiative of the match would be completely handed over to the opponent.
They couldn't sit still and wait for death.
Even if they died, they would die standing.
"Iniesta."
"He thought of Modrić's tendency, but his body couldn't keep up."
"The ball is lost."
"Croatia didn't sit still and wait for death."
"Modrić seized the moment when Spain sped up!"
"The three Croatians weren't stunned; they kept frantically blocking, using running and stamina to resist the seemingly strongest tiki-taka system on the planet."
"Counterattack!"
"The Blazers sounded the Croatian Rhapsody."
It felt as if a gust of wind was propelling the entire Croatian team's transition attack.
In an instant.
Five players rushed into the Spanish half.
It was hard to imagine that a group of thirty-something veterans could still possess such terrifying explosiveness and coordinated combat ability.
Modrić shook off David Silva, who wanted to counter-press.
Blonde hair flying.
Body swaying.
Long pass.
The soccer ball was like a bayonet, thrusting through the center circle.
In the transition attack phase, Mandžukić didn't continue to be an alternative wing pivot but transformed into the most primitive "bridgehead" form.
Leaning to the side, strongly blocking Busquets.
Receiving the ball.
Passing the ball.
Done in one go.
Perišić also returned to the essence of the 'edge knife' form.
His nickname was "Kokoš," meaning chicken.
His family ran a chicken farm.
Unfortunately, it was poorly managed and once faced bankruptcy, relying entirely on Perišić's wages from his youth to maintain it.
His dream was: beach volleyball.
"Perišić is dribbling towards the wing."
"His passing is mostly average, but he has a special skill in crossing from the wing!"
"Cross!"
"Rakitić appears at the arc, arriving in time!"
"Shot!"
The Barcelona midfielder's shooting posture was impeccable.
Rakitić, no longer having to be a workhorse, was about to show the world his long-range shooting skills again!
Thump!
A muscular leg with clear lines, shaved smooth and black, stood in front of him.
"Ramos's flying block!"
"Worthy of being Real Madrid's main center-back."
"The soccer ball bounced to Piqué's feet."
"Don't be distracted; Strinić is pressing up."
Piqué didn't clear the ball with a big foot.
Instead, he passed it to Cazorla, who had returned to defend, whose passing position was better….
The Croatians didn't waste time regretting and blaming each other for the failure of this attack; they quickly retreated, fighting for every bit of positioning time.
It had been a long time since Cazorla had a long pass connection with Morata in a formal match.
Pa!
The characteristic of balanced feet lies not only in dribbling and shooting but also in the control of the center of gravity and instantaneous long-passing ability.
Almost without clearly seeing Cazorla's passing action.
The soccer ball had already leaped into the sky.
Falling towards the center circle.
Precisely in the area in front of Li Kang.
"Master connects with master."
"Spain's counterattack!"
"Modrić, trailing behind the Croatian formation, also appeared near the landing area."
Modrić seemed to have precognitive abilities.
In the process of the team launching a transition attack, he had already thought about how to play defense in advance.
The soccer ball fell.
Li Kang and Modrić clashed again.
Almost simultaneously pushing off the ground.
The two collided in the air.
The soccer ball lost control.
David Silva's support timing was perfect, appearing exactly in the landing area after the soccer ball changed direction.
Saint Petersburg Stadium.
Cheers rang out.
The eyes of more than 80,000 spectators at the scene were still fixed on Spain's number 6 and Croatia's number 10.
"No problem."
"Li Kang won this aerial duel."
"He and Modrić almost simultaneously got up and continued running."
"There's a very terrifying statistic; Modrić, who is only 1.74 meters tall, ranks in the top three in aerial combat ability in this World Cup!"
"Croatia is in danger!"
"The King of the Rib Space, David Silva, squeezed the ball out in the pincer attack of Lovren and Vrsaljko!"
"To Morata on the right side of the penalty area!"
"Into the penalty area, adjust."
"A good opportunity!"
"He can shoot!"
"Alas, Modrić turned into a defender, sticking to Morata in time! He's everywhere!"
"Li Kang opened up space; can the ball be passed to his feet?"
Morata was annoyed.
The chance to shoot was fleeting.
He felt that Modrić was more difficult to deal with than a Premier League center-back.
He perfectly lost the angle to shoot.
And the opponent's defensive positioning also blocked his connection with Li Kang.
What the hell kind of hexagonal midfielder was this?
Without entanglement for too long.
Morata tapped the ball back with his heel.
Pa.
David Silva once again appeared in the most perfect support position.
The Manchester City magician touched the ball with one foot and lofted a pass.
The soccer ball rose from the ground, lightly bypassing the head of Croatian defender Vida.
Left side of the penalty area.
Li Kang took three steps, adjusting his posture.
His right foot swung high.
Thump!
The falling soccer ball seemed to be endowed with immense power at this moment!
The next moment.
Goalkeeper Subašić only saw a black shadow. Powerless.
Croatia's net was thrown high.
1:0!!!
Saint Petersburg Stadium immediately boiled.
"Beautiful!"
"Goal!"
"Li Kang Zone, volley! Breaking the deadlock!"
"An impeccable shooting action."….
"Perfect!"
"Too perfect!"
"A perfect shot combining power and arc, making Subašić unable to react at all!"
"An assist from David Silva's lofted pass."
"A perfect connection!"
"Morata's pivot role in this attack is also very obvious."
"Modrić... tried his best."
Li Kang and David Silva gave each other a high five and hugged.
He patted the other's bald head.
It had to be said that the Blue Moon midfielder's hairstyle was very similar to Guardiola's.
Teammates ran up one after another to join the celebration.
Morata kept waving to the stands, signaling the fans to cheer even more enthusiastically.
The hard-won goal boosted the morale of the Matador Corps.
On the other side.
Modrić lay on the grass for a few seconds, got up again, and couldn't see any pessimism or negativity on his face.
Livestream.
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[Ninth goal of this World Cup!]
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[David Silva could have shot himself, but the angle wasn't good enough, so he passed it to Li Kang, who was in a better position.]
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[Top-level support awareness.]
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[Ramos's block was key, Piqué's pass was reasonable, Cazorla's counterattack long pass was accurate, and fortunately, Li Kang won the aerial duel with Modrić.]
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[If this group of technical midfielders were seven or eight years younger, it's unimaginable how many years they could dominate the soccer world.]
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[Is Iniesta cramping? The team doctor is on the field.]
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[Cazorla and David Silva's skill bars are also empty; Croatia has been forcing them to speed up, and their bodies can't handle it.]
The sidelines.
The Spanish bench huddled together.
Minyano was overjoyed.
But in Del Bosque's smile, there was a hint of gloom.
He seemed to have realized that it would be difficult to use the snowball advantage to defeat this Croatia in front of him.
On the other side.
Croatian coach Dalić still had an impassive expression.
As if his team wasn't behind.
"The Spanish midfield has shown fatigue; we still have many opportunities."
Distant Munich.
Beckenbauer and a group of celebrities sat on the sofa, applauding and cheering for Li Kang's goal.
"Modrić's performance is also excellent."
"His running coverage, attacking advances, organizational coordination, defensive interception... too perfect."
"Yeah, very much like the Cruyff of those years."
"The first most perfect spokesperson under the total football system, one person is a central axis."
"This kid didn't receive guidance from any famous coach during his growth process, and he wasn't born in a great school system, but after being baptized by different leagues and different tactical styles, he stumbled upon the ultimate answer to total football."
Defense like Cruyff?
Wasn't this a stretch?
Where did Cruyff get Modrić's stamina?
The younger generation of German legends didn't understand.
"Golden Terrier" Vogts hesitated for a moment and added, "It's a bit like that; young Cruyff's interception ability was very strong, smarter than the current Busquets."
Beckenbauer smiled and nodded contentedly.
Saint Petersburg Stadium….
Beep! Beep beep~
"The referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half."
"The temporary score is 1:0."
"The fierce 45 minutes have come to an end; let's take a short break and see you in fifteen minutes!"
"The following is a commercial break: Safe sports protection brand Durex reminds you."
The advertising copy of Durex at the 2018 Russia World Cup also became popular.
They were always able to release posters at the first moment of the match:
When you go in, it's best to be straightforward. (Opening goal.)
Use skillful techniques to meet the 227th climax (Neymar scored Brazil's 227th World Cup goal).
No matter how many times, break through your penalty area, still want to go in again. (Kane scored twice.)
Choose the hard one. (Two players physically confront each other.)
Sprint hard and break through obstacles. (Single-handed goal)
Spanish locker room.
Iniesta and Cazorla's conditions weren't optimistic.
One had only 60 minutes of stamina, and he cramped after just half a game due to being forced by Croatia.
One had hidden old injuries and couldn't stand several physical confrontations.
Del Bosque wasn't fortunate because of the lead; the tactical objectives of the first half weren't fully achieved. Croatia was more resilient than imagined, and he would have to replace two people during halftime. If they were dragged into extra time, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Moving the magnetic flags on the tactical board, he said:
"The Croatians' autonomous attack is very simple."
"Multiple times they use mismatch transfers, oblique crosses, trying to break through the gaps in our defense."
"At the end of the first half, they gradually shifted resources to both wings, wanting to bypass our midfield and make simpler passes back and run."
"We can't continue to stick to tiki-taka!"
"We must seize the problem of Croatia's midfield and backcourt disconnection and create threats more simply!"
There was no way.
Two generals who were good at tiki-taka were about to be replaced.
Croatian locker room.
Very quiet.
There was no sign of any frustration.
Logically speaking, there were always guys with unstable emotions on the 23-man roster.
But that kind of guy had already been expelled from the team by coach Dalić, even expelled during the knockout stage.
The coaching staff quickly analyzed the problems exposed by the Spanish team in the first half.
No pep talks.
But to make the players' thinking unified on both the offensive and defensive ends.
To win the match with the most pragmatic and objective attitude.
Finally.
Modrić gave each of his teammates a high five.
His eyes were full of confidence.
The fifteen-minute break ended quickly.
The players from both sides returned to the green field again.
Saint Petersburg resumed its hustle and bustle.
"Good evening, audience friends, welcome back."
"What we are broadcasting to you now is the 2018 Russia World Cup semi-final."
"The second half of the match between Spain and Croatia."
"Del Bosque took the lead in making personnel adjustments!"
"Replaced two people in one go?"
"Koke replaced Iniesta."
"Saúl replaced Cazorla."
"The debut of the Atlético Madrid Gemini might allow the team to play a different style."
"In this way, Spain's formation might also become 4-4-1-1."
Accompanied by the referee's whistle….
The second half of the match began.
Spain had possession.
Morata kicked off and passed back to Piqué.
This time, Piqué wasn't distracted and timely handed it over to Carvajal, who had moved forward on the wing.
"The unfolding of the attack."
"It didn't unfold; Carvajal passed back."
"Leading by one goal, there's no need to rush."
"Croatia, trailing in the score, is pressing more and more fiercely."
"Koke's spin escape is very quintessential; he was very thin in his youth and was known as Xavi's successor."
Time passed slowly.
Facing the bloodthirsty Croatia, it was difficult for Spain to maintain the stability of tiki-taka.
Tiki-taka is a defensive formation.
Controlling possession after taking the lead, saving stamina.
Unfortunately, in localized spaces, Croatia seemed to have an extra player.
The Croatians used pragmatic running coverage to contend with the fragmented version of the tiki-taka system in terms of the situation.
Modrić tirelessly ran back and forth.
Even though he repeatedly failed in his matchup with Li Kang, he still kept switching roles according to the battle situation to help his teammates establish a localized advantage.
While raising his hand to command.
While personally charging into battle.
Trying his best to change the battle situation.
68th minute of the match.
Croatia seized an opponent's passing error, successfully seized possession, and launched a counterattack!
Modrić didn't pass the ball immediately.
He advanced again solo.
Helping his teammates attract defense before allocating resources.
"Wow!"
"A little flick and poke on the outside of his right foot!"
"Letting the soccer ball move away from his own center of gravity."
"Also making it difficult for Koke and Busquets to intercept!"
"He is using this simple and elegant style to successfully help the team gain an advantage."
Saint Petersburg's red and white checkered stands sang loudly.
When the sun kisses his fertile soil.
When the wind blows his oaks.
When heaven calls away his loved ones, his heart still beats to the rhythm of Croatia.
As if blessed by the singing, the Croatian players exploded.
Right side of the Spanish penalty area.
Vrsaljko and Rebić completed a wonderful overlapping coordination.
Azpilicueta reacted quickly, turning around and quickly cutting inside.
In an instant.
Croatia widened the fan surface, forming multiple attacking points to encircle.
Even defender Lovren rushed into the opponent's penalty area.
This Liverpool player's World Cup journey was depressing; he inadvertently drank a bottle of "Red Bull" during the match, but the official energy drink sponsored by the World Cup was Powerade, which led FIFA to issue him a fine of 470,000 RMB.
"Vrsaljko's inverted triangle."
"Mandžukić's pass back."
"Counter-run again."
"Modrić's through pass, a subtle amount of anticipation!"
"Mandžukić passed through the opponent's defense!"
"This ball has it!"
"Alas!"
"The Croatian striker couldn't get the strength on it under the interference."
The singing of Saint Petersburg came to an abrupt end.
De Gea firmly hugged the ball, then got up and signaled the formation to move forward.
He realized that his teammates were very tired.
This second half was dragged down by Croatia, very tired, very tired.
Soccer is a team sport, even if Li Kang's solo ability is strong, without enough running and pulling, passing support in the middle and front courts, it's difficult to form a threat.
The Manchester United goalkeeper didn't understand:
Why didn't this group of Croatian veterans look tired at all?
They should be more tired.
What was supporting their fighting beliefs?