****

10:09 p.m.

The moment the ball was scored, Nicholas didn't restrain himself too much, he clenched his fists and rushed back to the coach's bench a few steps, hugging the excited assistant coach Juan. After that, both Gabi and Pierre ran over to hug him. He encouraged the two boys, patted them on the back and told them to go back, telling them that the game wasn't over yet, and that they were focused.

The rain continued unabated, but it continued to wet Nicholas's shirt, which was attached to his chest and back, and he was already feeling uncomfortable, but he didn't go to the dugout to get his coat. When Juan came over and asked if he wanted a coat, Nicholas glanced over to the sideline.

She's ready to trade two at a time, one of which is Marcelo, which she bought from him last summer.

Nicholas withdrew his gaze and said thank you to his assistant. When Juan let out a surprised cry, Nicolas also saw the QPR central defender walking off the field. She actually chose to replace two defenders at the same time. Then, only Glenn Mitchell is left on the QPR court. She may have Ian in a cameo at centre-back. Nicholas thought.

"Christine is such an incomprehensible person. ”

Nicolas heard Juan say this. He didn't answer, Juan didn't wait for him to answer, Juan returned to the dugout with his suit jacket.

The Real Madrid coach frowned slightly. Under the light, dense rains and countless surging heads shook in front of him. He glanced at the scoreboard, and his team was currently ahead. But he won't think about the Champions League trophy for the time being, it's not time yet.

Tina says he likes to let her guess his intentions, and she doesn't, some things are tacit, but some things are a real headache.

Tina, are you ready to gamble it all? This time? This is not like you? You're not a complete gambler, you are not sure, you are not cornered, you are not going to push all the weight in front of you. And if you do that, you must have a good chance of winning, and there must be a reason.

There must be a reason.

****

10:09 p.m.

There wasn't a single place on Benjamin's body that wasn't wet. Rain mixed with sweat.

Falling behind again.

Benjamin lowered his eyes, and when he looked up, he saw that Pat was looking over him, and Pat was steadfast. Then came the Scotsman's equally unwavering Scottish accent, which came to Benjamin's ears with the sound of rain and to the ears of all the blue and white players.

Motivational speeches never meant much to Benjamin, although they did work sometimes. He tilted his head and saw the two teammates who had been substituted. Henk and Marcelo.

Four days ago, Harrington Training Base. The weather in London was fine that day. The news surrounding the QPR manager, the Real Madrid coach and Patrick Amber that day blew up the media. But there was peace in the QPR team.

"Do you want to practice a new style of play?" Jake sat on Harrington's training ground, muttering as his strength and conditioning coach Julian went to get the equipment. Everyone in the circle was happy, and everyone knew that Jake never got tired, he was just complaining that the coaching staff had gone crazy in the last few days to pour new information into everyone's heads.

Another thing that made everyone laugh was that assistant coach Tim Luis was standing right behind Jake at the time. Phil sat side by side with Jake on the grass, unaware, and added, "Fuck we weren't Oxford or Cambridge graduates, and the smartest cunt on our team was only Imperial College London, and I bet Mr. Hamilton can't remember ......."

Then, the two slaps from the assistant slammed into the back of the heads.

Benjamin, whom Phil calls a cunt, also smiled. From that day on, the team postponed their training sessions in order to accommodate kick-off time for the Champions League final. And that night the team also had a practice and added a new system, which Jake and Phil complained about.

This system is in fact a modified version of the system that started at the beginning of the second half (see Figure 1). In that training session, Benjamin felt that the baby had conveyed the content of the system very clearly and concisely.

If he were to become a coach one day, which Benjamin thought would not happen, he would need the ability to turn some cumbersome theories into something that players could understand. Benjamin knew that his communication skills were good, but only in his circle. Most players in football can only understand, or only want to hear, the simplest and most straightforward things. Benjamin also thinks this is probably why the Labour Party was able to bluff that supporter, but not just because of the annual income.

The lights of Harrington flickered into lights at the Camp Nou.

The rain continued to fall on Benjamin's head and body. The rain in Barcelona is different from the rain in London, he thought. He looked at the scoreboard again, 1:2, and the time was 67 minutes.

JT and Gonzalo were the two main defenders who came off the field and were replaced by Marcelo and Genk, two attack-oriented players. Although this is not exactly the same as what was practiced on the previous training ground, the essence is the same.

It looked like an extremely risky change, as there was only one full-fledged defender on the field, and it was still early in the game. It undoubtedly takes a great deal of courage to make such a decision. One would think she gambled with half an hour left in the game.

But it's like investing, if you're confident enough in what you know and predict, then you should be decisive.

Is baby gambling?

Is it?

Around the timing of the baby's two formations, Benjamin immediately figured out something, although he still had a little doubt.

The QPR kicks off again, and the formation follows this improved version of the system. (See Figure 2)

It's still 2332, or 2341. But the biggest difference from the start of the second half was that John no longer moved forward, but regained into the backcourt. The man who rushed forward became Jake. Ian was temporarily withdrawn to the centre-back position, with Marcelo and John on the left and right, flanking Benjamin. Another change is that Pate has changed from a left winger to a right winger. Genk, who had just come on the pitch, played as a left winger.

The QPR formation unfolded in an inverted trapezoidal shape again after being suppressed for a while and conceding the ball.

Benjamin now only wants Phil, Jake, and the others to remember their tactical mission clearly. He glanced to the sideline, and the two managers were no more than ten yards apart, both of whom were slender ...... There is a known condition that they know each other very well.

Benjamin suddenly understood, and the last doubt in his mind was cleared. When he figured it out, he even felt a little too sluggish. Why did you change the formation at the beginning of the second half, and why did you change the formation for the second time now? The answers to these questions are actually obvious, but they hide a huge deception.

So, did Nicolas Flores on the sidelines figure it out as much as he did? and, Pat, do you really understand your Tina?

Benjamin Hamilton's blood rushed. His expression remained calm. The same goes for every touch he makes. The ball was knocked out again and again and then returned to his feet.

He was so enthusiastic and so calm.

In the rain, Benjamin plays a low ball to the right.

****

10:13 p.m. The game lasted 69 minutes.

Smelling danger, Nikolaas on the sidelines yelled "Titan" at the pitch and then gestured to the Greeks to pull back for a while, blocking the space at the back and helping his teammates defend the middle.

Four minutes passed since Real Madrid's second goal and three minutes after QPR's two substitutions. These few minutes were enough for Nicholas to guess his opponent's intentions.

Marcelo – Benjamin Hamilton – John O'Connor

Ian Parker – Glenn Mitchell

He first focused on the QPR, a five-man group in the backcourt.

It's different from when you started the second half. After Jacob was dropped up front, John O'Connor returned to the backcourt. The positions of these two men are almost reversed.

Nicholas understood the logic here. He also quickly discovered the purpose of QPR's two substitutions (Genk and Marcelo for JT and Gonzalo).

Marcelo is a player he knows very well. When the Brazilian came on, he played a similar role to Gonzalo Chika as his previous "full-back", but Marcelo was more spicy and more treacherous at his feet. In addition, during his year at QPR, Marcelo's body seemed to be better than at the end of Real Madrid, with a smoother turn-over, and a comfortable way to smash and dribble in the opposite direction. Tina's coach presumably gave him a special physical training. Also, when a player joins a new team, he always works harder in training and is more likely to generate new enthusiasm when he plays.

The reason why Nicolas finally let go of Marcelo is that there are many left-footed defenders in the Real Madrid team, Zixiang is the main force of the game, Theo Hernandez is Zixiang's substitute, and the central defender Kongolo introduced in the summer can also play left-back. Marcelo, who has a terrible defensive ability, naturally has no place, and in fact, Nicholas had no intention of keeping the 32-year-old veteran (now 33) at that time. It's just that because it was Tina who asked for it, he was quite hesitant at the time.

Tina is a dangerous opponent. Whatever decision she makes, there must be a reason for her.

Marcelo has made a total of 28 appearances in QPR games this season, half of which have been substitutes. And in those 28 games, Marcelo has played in the midfield position in 20 games!

In other words, Tina also distrusts Marcelo's defensive ability. Marcelo has often caused disaster in defence when playing at full-back – but with full protection, she has plenty of confidence in Marcelo's experience and technical control.

That's how it is now.

Marcelo was nominally a left-back, but Ian dropped back to centre-back – and contrary to his previous suspicions, a large part of the left was being guarded by the fit-for-fitness Scotsman. In this way, Marcelo came out and became a semi-midfielder like Gonzalo, who had been replaced earlier. She replaced a tired Gonzalo with Marcelo, a continuation of the "solidify midfield" mentality.

The retracement significance of John O'Connor on the right is also huge.

When they visited John at the European Championships five years ago, he knew that the Northern Irishman would be a half-midfielder at the beginning. This kind of player with multi-position adaptability is an absolute treasure. John is now playing at right-back, right wing-back and right centre-back, and his skills are just as good as that of right midfield. This highlights Tina's purpose of "consolidating the midfield". John playing this position clearly provides more control than Jacob Harding.

Glenn Mitchell and Ian Parker need no more to say about their skills at their feet. Therefore, the five QPR players in the backcourt who are very skilled at their feet, have stability and courage to handle the ball, form an unbreakable backcourt possession position. This allowed QPR to take control of the situation as soon as they conceded the goal.

At the center is again Benjamin Hamilton.

Hamilton. Hamilton. He was with Tina in Nyon because of his ridiculous remark "Since Hamilton is so much like me, try not to sleep with him." "There was a big fight. And at the San Siro, after QPR knocked out Milan, he saw Hamilton in the stands with her around her from behind. At the time, he thought, maybe that sentence wasn't so ridiculous. And tonight in the tunnel he spotted Hamilton watching him......

Nicholas looked at the blue and white 10 in the light of the bright light. He watched Hamilton's every swing, every turn, acceleration, deceleration, every pull, pluck, smash. His movements are so fluid, his runs are so light, like what a twenty-one-year-old player should look like.

Many years ago, Atletico Madrid's No.4 was just as dashing. In fact, Nicholas felt that those memories were long gone. When Manny Vazquez stepped down, all the memories were sealed. He really didn't remember the pain. Both physical and spiritual. Anyway, he experienced more pain than that.

Juan was right, Benjamin Hamilton was not so similar to him, not only in character, not only in terms of the difference between the English and the Spaniard, but also in the position. Hamilton is higher up the pitch, which may indicate that the Englishman is more talented.

It's not easy to deny yourself. But Nicholas, who came from a midfielder, gradually figured out something in the long years after he retired from injury. As a midfielder, he does control a lot on the pitch, but most of the time he can't decide what is going on in the opposition box. It belongs to the group of people who are most favored by God.

Nicholas is arrogant, or rather, narcissistic. But he was also smart and rational enough to let this part of his personality get in the way of recognizing some facts. He sometimes even rejoices in the injury. If he continues to play, he may have a wrong football concept because he has been playing in the back for a long time, which will be an obstacle for him to become a coach in the future. Many coaches who come from the back will subconsciously pay less attention to the decisive role of the attacking line in control.

Now, the fact on the field is that while QPR's backcourt five are extremely strong on the ball, she relies on more than just their ability to handle the ball.

Some of the answers are still in the front court.

Genk De Graaf came on and appeared on the left flank. Nicholas knows that the Dutchman's main foot is the right foot, but because the left foot is also skillful, he is very good at playing inside and outside on the left side.

On the right, it's Patrick Amber. "The most favored by God." This kind of person is often the real decider on the field of a football game.

Back in the Championship, she said:

"I don't really like the football trend these days, Pep Guardiola is undoubtedly a great football coach, but Mr. Flores, the so-called passing game, possession game, a lot of people are just imitating and not grasping the essence of it. ”

"How much pressure the attacking line puts on the opposition determines how much you control the ball. It doesn't matter if the pressure is on the wings or up front. That's my opinion, what do you think, Mr. Flores?"

Dear Tina, obviously, that's right. And, you apply these things to your own system. You have always been an amazing learner. I said it was a high rating.

Henk and Patrick on both wings re-formed a huge suppressive force.

Carvajal is probably the most tormented character in this game. In the first half, Phil Beasley was constantly looking for opportunities to suppress him physically, and in the second half, he was attacked from the outside by Patrick, and now he is hit by Henk De Graaf from the inside and outside. It seems that Real Madrid's right-back can no longer hold on, and he is too busy to protect himself, and he simply cannot afford to attack again.

And on the right wing of the QPR...... Real Madrid left-back Yu Zixiang is facing a combination of Patrick Amber and Jacob Harding at the moment.

Patrick is certainly the main player on the ball, but Jacob's continued insertion on the ribs or outside the wing is also a distraction. There was chaos at Zixiang's feet. It was Vi/Nisius who assisted on this side, but the young Brazilian winger lacked the experience to deal with such a situation.

Patrick is now one-on-one with Zixiang. Nicholas knew about their private relationship and how familiar they were with each other. Zixiang certainly couldn't stop Patrick from advancing inside.

The ball is turned to the left.

Genk De Graf got on the ball and the Dutchman went straight to Carvajal in the roughest way possible. Real Madrid's formation was forced to retreat again, and at this time, Genk did not rush into the box, but detoured the ball to Benjamin.

This is how QPR controls the situation, much more clever than many coaches who have simply copied Pep Guardiola. QPR has a strong pressing force on both wings, a top winger in the middle, and Jacob Harding's constant impact up front.

On the basis of the suppressive force in the front, they combined five skilled midfield players in the back, which produced maximum control.

If the extreme control played by QPR in the first seven minutes of the second half relied on the physical output of some players, now it is done in a more balanced way: the pressure in the front court is further increased by Genk's play, and the control in the back court is further improved by John's retreat and Marcelo's play.

In this case, the control becomes more stable, even if there is only one centre-back.

Nicholas knew he had to rethink the issue of anti-repression immediately.

The game is pointing to 70 minutes, and it will be 71 minutes. One of QPR's attacks ended with Jacob's header going high.

Nicholas shouted out to the field again, still directing the Titan to press forward again to help the team regain the situation. The Real Madrid coach looked at the Greek giant running forward, and some panic suddenly rose in his heart.

Nicolas Flores doesn't often panic, but at this moment the alarm in his head is ringing like a fire alarm.

The Titans managed to get the ball from Diaz, but no QPR player went up to face him.

The Greek chose to turn and dribble the ball himself, and was cut off by Marcelo in two steps!

This is not the case. It's really not quite right.

****

10:15 p.m. The game lasted 71 minutes.

Lu Ling looked at the field, and the rain seemed to be a little lighter.

What is control? She never thinks that a game will go exactly the way she envisions it. Football is the most complex sport, and a tiny element has the potential to trigger a huge butterfly effect. The coach who stands outside the touchline can only steer the situation in the direction he wants as much as possible.

Yes, she used to think that with adequate preparation, she should be able to deal with all situations. Now she's still ready for the game, but it's for the change.

At this point, even though the situation was back in QPR's hands, she knew very well that the score was still 1:2.

These few minutes of competition are her hard work. Even if every detail of the game is out of her control, in terms of the big picture, it's very close to what she expected.

Five people control the field, five people suppress.

This style of play would not have been possible without the suppression of Genk and Pat on both flanks.

Genk, who came on for 66 minutes, was extremely energetic and his fighting spirit was adjusted to the highest level, and he had already defeated Carvajal in one fell swoop.

Pat was really placed in the opposite position to Zixiang, and this was the most suitable person to suppress Zixiang's momentum back. Pat first in the middle, then left and then right, no matter where he is placed, he can fully deter the opponent, even if it is an opponent like Zixiang.

Now, she needed an exciting moment, and anyone on the team could be the maker of that moment, but she didn't know who it would be. She thought of this and moved a few steps down, showing a little smile, she was not God, of course she didn't know. At this moment, like the QPR fans in the stands, she is waiting with great anticipation.

Ben's feeling in these few minutes was very different, Lu Ling thought. He looked extraordinarily active and full of energy. That's what she wants.

Before the substitutions, she had elements in her play: putting Gonzalo, Jake, John, Phil, and even Leon and Pat into the physical output. Among these six people, Jake, Phil and Pat are all physical maniacs, Gonzalo has been replaced by her, the Spanish kid is tired enough, and he is still panting when he hugs her, John and Leon should be a little tired...... But Ben didn't need to run too hard before, and he still has plenty of fitness.

On the field, it was Frank van der Berg who stepped up to defend him in front of Ben. Because Ben is more up front, Vanderberg sometimes pushes out to interfere. This is not an easy opponent. Although Ben's height has reached almost six feet and one inch (184), Lu Ling knows that his confrontation strength is not as good as Pat's, and it is impossible to squeeze directly like Pat.

Ben pulls the ball back with his right foot, then with his left foot.

Lu Ling has seen this action on Pat, and he has also seen it on Pierre Rongkai. Ben didn't do this as fast as the other two, but he maintained a high degree of control in both movements, and his excellent coordination made him look calm.

Vanderberg did not hesitate and wanted to strike first. The Dutch midfielder's explosiveness was so good that he stepped into range in one step and could have kicked the ball away from Ben's feet with another step.

Gabriel Jesus has moved behind Ben and if Van der Bergh pokes the ball out, the Brazilian is likely to get his hands on it right away.

Ben suddenly put his left foot in the middle of the Dutchman and the ball.

Vanderberg could barely hold his feet.

Van der Bergh had a yellow card for a foul on Leon in the first half.

But a bit risky. Van der Bergh's snatch was so quick that if he did kick it, the damage could have hurt Ben......

Ben didn't retract his left foot.

With Lu Ling's distance, it was impossible to see the specific situation clearly. It seemed that the Real Madrid midfielder's spikes had scratched Ben's socks, and in the last minute, Van der Berg did his best to avoid a foul that would have earned him a second yellow card.

Then, the initiative fell to Ben's side. His left foot must have been scratched hard, but it was still firmly on the turf. Gabriel Jesus had already pounced, but there was still some distance left, and Ben flicked the ball to the right with his right foot to avoid the two.

Pierre wanted to make up for it, but this time Ben didn't dwell on him, but made a one-two with John on the right side of the wall, and in this way broke through the French boy's defense, and then went all the way forward.

On the right, Pat was rushing diagonally towards the middle at a blistering pace, and at the same time, Jake put all his strength on the outside of the right, and the QPR's attacking rhythm was completely brought up. On the left, Genk stretched far to the touchline and pressed Carvajal to the point where he couldn't come up at all.

Due to Van der Bergh's forward pressure, Real Madrid's two central defenders, Rojas and Varane, who were guarding the middle, suddenly looked lonely. At this moment, the Greeks ran back from the other side with heavy steps. He wanted to squeeze Ben with his muscular body. This collision, if it can't break the ball, is at least a foul. QPR could pick up a free-kick from a higher position at the cost of an open attack being interrupted.

This is clearly not what was intended.

At that moment, everyone saw that the Titan was pressing over Benjamin's side in a veiling way. And from Lu Ling's point of view, Ben's body was almost blocked by the broad body of the Greek.

So she didn't see Ben's kick clearly at that moment.

The ball flew out, and the passer fell to the ground along with the grabber.

Lu Ling guessed from the trajectory of the ball through the air that it was an overhead cross with a strong spin cut out of the outside of the right foot.

The ball was aimed at the space between Varane and Rojas, who clearly hesitated and conceded, and Rojas made an immediate decision, and he stepped forward to intercept and fly into the air as wide as he could. But Rojas couldn't stop the ball.

Varane's start was a little slower, or Leon's start was too fast. Lu Ling was surprised that the Uruguayan could still start so explosively at this time, because in her tactics, Leon had to make some tactical sacrifices, and this sacrifice was physical fitness. Leon Ferreira's early part of the second half had the most runs since Lu Ling took charge of him.

The hair of a South American lion flutters in the air. Just like when he first joined the team in the winter of 2017, he was like the Uruguayan kid who first set foot on Loftus Road and didn't speak English but was full of the most primitive passion for football.

He chased the outside instep pass earlier than Raphael Varane. The ball fell to the ground, splashed with muddy water, and then bounced.

That's when Leon slammed the instep into the goal.

Matteo Diaz couldn't block the last save of the lion's hunt.

Lu Ling raised his arms high on the sidelines, and his hands were clenched into fists. The numbers on the scoreboard change accordingly. In the 72nd minute, León Ferreira's goal equalized the score.

But before Lu Ling could turn around and celebrate with her assistants, she saw her No. 9 fall in the Real Madrid penalty area.

Leon clutched his right thigh, which was the back of the leg of the shot.

Oh, shit. Lu Ling cursed in his heart.

****

10:16 p.m.

Patrick knew Leon couldn't hold on. In the second half, Leon and Phil did countless runs, turnbacks, and sprints, all of which had basically exhausted Leon's physical strength. And just now, with Ben's extreme pass, Leon exploded all his energy to chase the ball, and finally blasted the ball into the net with unimaginable firmness and determination to help the team equalize.

Such an all-out shot overstretched the muscles (hamstring) in the back of Leon's right leg.

Patrick walked over to Alice and Leon and crouched down while grabbing a bottle of water from the Medic's box.

In the stands opposite, rhythmic shouts such as "Leon, Leon, Leon-Ferreira" rang out in Patrick's ears, and it was the fans singing praises to the QPR forwards. Twenty thousand, perhaps more than 20,000, applause and cheers surrounded the stadium. QPR fans didn't have to wait too long, with just seven minutes passing from Gabriel Jesus' goal to León's equaliser.

Patrick also felt his body tired, but he knew he could still hold on, far from reaching his limit. He also felt that the intensity of this game was no less than the intensity of the World Cup knockout rounds he had experienced. He saw that his team-mates were tired, even Phil, and he knew that León was not used to this way of playing, but the Uruguayan did it anyway.

Just a year ago, Leon was very keen to leave QPR. Leon didn't go, though, because Patrick was back. Leon stayed for glory and dreams. They finally got here together, in the 72nd minute of the Champions League final.

Patrick dropped the water bottle and stood up, he reached out his right hand, pulled Leon up, and patted him on the back. He also saw Tina staring at Alice with her eyes and gestures, and the team doctor made a substitution gesture, Tina nodded, turned around and shouted at the bench.

The rain fell on Leon's curls and flowed from his headband to his neck. Leon tugged at the corners of his mouth, "Damn it, Pat, I think I'd better not eat that much this summer." ”

Patrick's left hand clasped tightly with Leon's, and he smiled, "Go down and get some rest, we'll take care of ......the rest," he said, pausing and glancing at a few of his teammates, "Trust us." ”

Leon nodded, and his teammates around him patted him on the shoulder, praising his goal or comforting him. Even Phil said "trust us" in a matter.

Over the shoulders of Glenn and Ian, Leon saw Benjamin, the assister. Benjamin Hamilton, who was spotless most of the time, is now covered in mud all over his body, but fortunately the collision with the Titans did not cause injuries. Patrick also looked at Ben, and he thought back to what a magical assist, whether it was a series of previous handling of the ball or the final pass, it was a masterpiece. Patrick dodged, he knew what Leon was going to do.

Leon and Ben clasp hands together, they bump shoulders, they slap each other's backs, and Patrick hears Ben say "trust us" to Leon as well.

Then, with Alice's support, Leon Ferreira limped off the field.

All the QPR fans and some neutral fans at Camp Nou got up and gave the most enthusiastic applause with their hands above their heads, just as JT and Gonzalo did when they were substituted.

With Leon off the field, QPR was replaced by David Luiz.

Patrick glanced at his new teammates and headed towards the center circle, but then he heard a familiar singing. The song has also resounded in the Premier League's stadiums this season. He remembered that at the beginning of the season, he and Ben were both on the bench, and Ben said:

"I wonder what songs they'll make up for me. ”

"I don't like it. There's no logic to what they sing, 'He's from Kensington, but he can play'. ”

Patrick then turned back, and behind him, Benjamin Hamilton suddenly half-turned and raised an arm towards the QPR fan stands. And the fans singing in the stands responded with waving their fists.

That song might have been a good fit for Ben, though it still didn't make any sense. Patrick thought.

Hamilton-ton-ton

He＇s the Rangers’Number Ten

Hamilton-ton-ton

He＇s our midfield magician

To the left， to the right

He＇s as handsome as a knight

His family fucked up the house prices

BUT WE -- STILL -- LOVE -- HIS -- EYES!

Hamilton-ton-ton

He is the number 10 of the Rangers

Hamilton-ton-ton

He's our midfield magician

Run on the left, run on the right

He was as handsome as a knight

His family's people messed up the house price

But we still love his eyes!