Chapter 637: The English Have No Shame! So, This Is How They Play!
After France's advancement to the finals, the media started to hype up the potential showdown between Spain and France. Major European outlets were rushing to publish reports comparing the strengths and weaknesses of players from both teams. Some analyzed the data from this World Cup to systematically compare both teams' styles, strengths, and weaknesses. Others dug into the history of clashes between the two nations, building up the narrative of a rivalry for the ages.
However, it was only France that had actually secured a spot in the final so far. Spain still had to face England in their semifinal! But to the media, England was as good as dead. Even before the game, England was already being written off as a loser.
This attitude of contempt really irked the English. But, as Europe's "traditional troublemaker" and after the fallout from Brexit, England didn't have the best reputation across the continent. While there are always calls to keep politics out of sports, it's nearly impossible to separate the two. This disdain toward England was clearly intentional.
Since the European media were united in dismissing England, the British media began to rally support for their team, using their influence in the English-speaking world.
The Times published a bold headline: "Spain Is Not Invincible—Their Fatal Weakness Could Be England's Key to Victory."
This dramatic title drew in many readers, but the article itself was not just clickbait. The Times interviewed many retired English football legends, gathering their advice on how to tackle Spain. These experts all agreed on one crucial point: stopping Lin Quan was the key to beating Spain.
Of course, this seemed obvious—it was common knowledge. But the former players offered something more specific:
"Lin Quan is similar to Messi. To limit his effectiveness, you can't wait until he has the ball at his feet—that's already too late. The best way to neutralize him is to cut off his connection with his teammates. Isolate him, and as long as Lin Quan doesn't have the ball, the danger he poses will be greatly reduced."
In fact, the debate on how to deal with Lin Quan had been raging in the football world for years. National teams and top club coaches had been scratching their heads over this issue.
Back in 2012, when Lin Quan played in the Bundesliga, Jupp Heynckes' Bayern Munich tried to contain him by cutting off his link with his teammates. That tactic worked briefly, but as Lin Quan grew stronger, it became ineffective. By the time he joined Manchester City, this approach was useless—it could even backfire.
So, the idea had been shelved—until now.
"The reason it didn't work at Manchester City was because of their overall strength. Lin Quan played as both a creator and a finisher for City. But for Spain, his role is even heavier. In addition to those duties, he acts as the midfield conductor. So, cutting off his supply line means disrupting Spain's entire midfield organization."
After hearing this advice from the veterans, Southgate began working on how to implement this defensive strategy.
Although there weren't many success stories of teams managing to defend Lin Quan effectively, the closest player to him was Messi. And there were a few matches where Messi had been successfully neutralized—most famously, José Mourinho's Inter Milan defeating Barcelona in the 2009-2010 Champions League semifinals.
Back then, Barcelona was a dominant force, with the world's best players in almost every position. Mourinho's Inter Milan, seen as an aging team by many, used outstanding defense and limited Messi to secure victory.
Of course, the volcanic eruption in Iceland that disrupted travel plans that year also helped—just a little.
...
While Southgate was studying how to deal with Spain, Vicente del Bosque was carefully analyzing England.
England was a typical "top-heavy" team with strong attacking players but a weak defense, especially in the positions of defensive midfielders and center-backs. To exploit these weaknesses, Del Bosque devised two different attacking strategies. However, Spain lacked a tall, powerful striker like Croatia or Belgium, so they might not be able to fully capitalize on England's defensive frailties.
But England's wingbacks weren't particularly strong either, giving Spain opportunities to exploit the flanks.
Del Bosque remained cautious. Although he believed Spain had a good chance of reaching the final, it was too soon to start thinking about how to beat France. First, they needed to win the match against England.
If they underestimated England and lost, all the plans for the final would be for nothing, and he'd be blamed for squandering Spain's shot at glory.
...
July 12, Luzhniki Stadium.
The second semifinal of the 2018 Russia World Cup was about to begin.
Before the match, when Del Bosque and Lin Quan saw England's lineup, they both frowned.
Five defenders?
That seemed a bit much.
England was showing Spain a lot of respect by setting up in a 5-4-1 formation right from the start. This lineup screamed of a defensive approach, with so many players packed in the back that breaking through would be a nightmare for any team.
But they couldn't be fooled by the defensive lineup. England's wingbacks were fast, capable of switching from defense to offense quickly, turning into wingers when pushing forward.
"England has gone for a very cautious setup today with five defenders and two defensive midfielders. It looks like they're planning to play on the counterattack!"
"Harry Kane, in top form, is England's lone striker up front, with Sterling as the left wingback, Alli and Lingard in the attacking midfield, and Trippier as the right wingback…"
The commentators went over the lineups. Spain's starting eleven didn't see many changes, but Iniesta was on the bench, resting. It was clear Del Bosque wanted to preserve his energy, keeping him fresh for the final, assuming they progressed. If the match went smoothly, Iniesta might not even need to play. If it didn't, they'd sub him on in the second half to ramp up the attack.
This was necessary. Spain's midfield was aging and thinning out. While it looked like they had plenty of options, there was no real replacement for Iniesta. David Silva was the closest, but even he wasn't quite enough.
The match kicked off, and as expected, Spain quickly took control, pressing toward England's goal. England fell back rapidly, parking the bus, and playing very conservatively. Spain tried several attacks through the middle, but their short passes couldn't break through England's packed defense.
The English midfield and defense were so crowded that their passing lanes were easily intercepted.
However, England had put so many players into defense that their transitions to attack were clumsy and ineffective. Spain's relentless pressing quickly won the ball back each time England tried to counter.
The match fell into a predictable rhythm: Spain attacking, England defending.
Ten minutes in, Spain had already taken three shots, but none of them were on target. Meanwhile, England hadn't even managed a single shot, and they'd barely entered Spain's defensive third.
Yet, England didn't seem worried. They appeared comfortable with the pace of the game.
On the sidelines, Southgate breathed a sigh of relief as his team survived the first ten minutes. His biggest concern had been that the players might lose focus or fail to handle Spain's early pressure. If they conceded an early goal, his strategy would fall apart.
In the stands, the mood of the fans couldn't have been more different. English fans were ecstatic that their team had weathered Spain's opening attacks, as if they'd already won the game.
Spanish fans, on the other hand, were frowning, clearly worried about the state of play.
While defensive football is often the tactic of weaker teams against stronger opponents, some strong teams also resort to it. And when a strong team plays defense and counterattack, it's a nightmare for the opposing side.
A strong team's counterattacks are far more dangerous than those of a weaker team. Not only is their defense more solid, but their counterattacks are also much more threatening.
It creates a huge amount of pressure on the attacking side, making the game very uncomfortable to play.
"Lin!" "Lin!" "We need Lin!"
Some fans began chanting Lin Quan's name, hoping he could break the deadlock.
In previous games, when Spain struggled to break through, Lin Quan would often rely on his individual brilliance to cut through the defense, helping his team win. The fans had come to expect it.
On the field, Lin Quan had indeed decided to take matters into his own hands. Long shots and set pieces hadn't worked, so now it was time to see if his dribbling could break through.
In the 13th minute, Lin Quan began to move with the ball toward the flank. Sterling immediately closed in.
Sterling, though not a natural defender, was decent in one-on-one situations. He was fast, agile, and good at sticking close to opponents, which made him suited to this sort of harrying role.
However, as soon as they faced off, Lin Quan left Sterling in the dust, dribbling past him with ease.
Gasps of astonishment echoed around the stadium, and the fans began to clap, appreciating the skill.
The first ten minutes had been dull, and some fans had even started to doubt if they were really watching a World Cup semifinal!
But with Lin Quan's stunning dribble, the match finally came alive.
That's more like it!
Go, Prince! Crush them!
The fans were on the edge of their seats, ready to witness Lin Quan's brilliant moves.
And Lin Quan did not disappoint.
After Sterling was beaten, Alli and Henderson rushed in to help. Both players were tall, nearly 190 cm, and excelled at direct defensive duels. However, they weren't the most agile, with slow turning speeds and less flexibility in tight spaces.
Against players like them, speed was key. Lin Quan didn't even bother with fancy tricks; a quick diagonal push and acceleration were all it took to breeze past them.
Alli fell first, followed closely by Henderson.
In the blink of an eye, Lin Quan had beaten three English players.
The crowd's cheers grew louder, and the applause more enthusiastic.
Wow, Prince!
So, this is what a superstar looks like?
My ticket was totally worth it!
The fans were thrilled, feeling lucky to witness such a spectacular performance live.
But Lin Quan wasn't as happy.
Normally, when he beat three defenders in quick succession, the opposing defense would collapse, giving him a clear shot on goal.
But this time was different. Even after beating Sterling, Alli, and Henderson, there were still a wall of defenders in front of him.
Ashley Young was in his path, with Stones behind him, and Maguire behind Stones.
There were still three defenders between Lin Quan and the goal, and they weren't isolated. They had teammates nearby for support.
In this situation, not only did Lin Quan have no chance to shoot, but there wasn't even any space left for him to dribble further. The deeper he went, the less space he had, and the more tightly packed the defense became.
To make matters worse, Ashley Young was like a dogged shadow, constantly harassing him, making sure he never had a moment's peace.
If Lin Quan forced his way through, he'd likely lose the ball, and his team wouldn't have time to press and regain possession. The English could launch a quick counterattack with a long ball to Kane, and Kane might get a one-on-one chance against the goalkeeper.
Weighing the risks, Lin Quan decided to abandon the attack. He slowed down, controlled the ball, and waited for his teammates to come and support him.
As he waited, he glanced at the English defense and couldn't help but think:
What a wall of despair!
End of chapter.