Costa Rica were able to emerge from the Group of Death and also top the group, conceding only one goal in three group games, with Mexico and Belgium conceding one of the fewest goals in the group stage of this World Cup, and the defense is certainly outstanding.

Sure enough!

In the fourth 1/8 final at the Pernambuco State Arena, the Chinese team's attack was stubbornly resisted by Costa Rica, and even Costa Rica used the familiar fast counterattack rhythm to concede a goal first.

Fortunately, Tang Zheng and Yan Junling played well and tried their best to keep the goal safe.

Especially Tang Zheng, who did not hesitate to run physically to make up for the huge gap caused by the lack of movement of his own defenders.

"The Chinese team must be more patient in attack, otherwise once a bigger problem is exposed, no matter how good Tang's ability is, it will be powerless. ”

British Sky Commentator Andy Grey frowned and said solemnly.

"Definitely. Commentator Martin Taylor tapped his head: "Don's reading game ability is superb, but where he is recognized by the whole world is attack, shouldn't Marcelo Lippi take a risk to take Don's position a little bit more and give him more offensive opportunities." ”

Andy Gray turned his head to look at Martin Taylor, and said meaningfully: "My old man, the Chinese team is still drawing 0:0 with Costa Rica, Marcelo Lippi's football philosophy is to first stabilize the defense, and then wait for opportunities to counterattack, and then use the control of the midfield to find the defensive gaps in the two ribs of Costa Rica's defense when the counterattack is fruitless, but ...... Judging by the results of the competition, it didn't work. ”

"That's natural, but there is no Tang to organize the attack in the front, the Chinese team's attack lacks creativity, Artemisia plays more positions in Schalke 04 is the right midfielder, the front waist is not suitable for him, Gao at the front has too poor grasp ability, and Tang has no way to form a long-distance connection, I think if the Chinese team has a strong center, the score has changed now......"

The public said that the public was reasonable, and the mother-in-law said that the mother-in-law was reasonable, Andy Gray did not dwell on this issue with his old partner Martin Taylor anymore, but changed the topic.

At the same time, the frenetic atmosphere at the Pernambuco Arena became more and more frenetic as the game progressed.

Costa Rica, who have strong defensive ability, not only performed eye-catching on the defensive end, but also showed the absolute strength of the group of death on the offensive end, and the combination of captain No. 10 Ruiz and Joel Campbell frequently threatened the Chinese team's goal.

However, with the passage of time, the defensive players led by Tang Zheng gradually adapted to the Costa Rican positional attack and counterattack routines, and gradually became handy in defense, no longer as flustered as at the beginning of the game.

The less the defensive pressure became, the less Tang Zheng could choose to press forward when the Chinese team was attacking.

Of course, Tang Zheng's forward pressure is limited.

Costa Rica captain Ruiz has a lot of experience in the game, Campbell is fast, and the two work together tacitly, and once they press up, their teammates make mistakes in the front court, and the defensive problems will be exposed.

Tang Zheng's ability to read the game is good, but it takes time for him to chase back.

If the forward press is limited, even if a teammate in the front court makes a mistake in passing, he can make up for it in time.

This is also the fundamental reason why Tang Zheng entered the 30-meter offensive area of Costa Rica in the first 20 minutes, except for corner kicks and set-piece opportunities.

Despite this, Tang Zheng also got two chances to shoot from distance.

The first long-range shot caused a huge exclamation from the Costa Rican fans in the stands, and if it weren't for goalkeeper Navas's quick reaction, Tang Zheng's ultra-long-range long-range shot about 35 meters from the goal would have likely resulted in a goal.

The second long-range shot went just wide of the post, but it also shocked the Costa Rican fans in a cold sweat.

As a result, Costa Rican coach Pinto took advantage of a dead ball opportunity to explain to the two central midfielders Borges and Boraquino not to accept the queen mother, and the two should have a depth of defensive space to prevent Tang Zheng from getting another chance to shoot from a distance.

After Costa Rica's parallel position of the two central midfielders became a deep position, even though Tang Zheng's long-range shooting space was limited, Tang Zheng liked to use his brain when he played football, and he realized that Borges and Borakino had a deep position and decisively chose to pass.

Hao Junmin did not play well in the forward position, but it does not mean that he is not capable.

The reason why Lippi put Artemisia Junmin in the forward position is not that he needs to pass many penetrating straight stoppers, Lippi only needs to use Artemisia Junmin to use his good running position and wide vision to reasonably divide the ball to the side.

Whether it is Lu Liang on the left or Wu Sanshi on the right, they all have fast speed, especially Lu Liang on the left, his combination of speed and technique is quite perfect, and the kick at the door is comparable to the striker Gao Lin and the right Wu Sanshi.

In the 23rd minute, Hao Junmin received Tang Zheng's ball with his back to the goal and directly transitioned to Lu Liang, who opened up the breakthrough space on the left side.

Suddenly, two defenders, Dias and Tejeda, appeared in front of Lu Liang.

Everyone thought that Lu Liang would use his outstanding foot skills to choose a breakthrough, so Dias held Lu Liang's breakthrough route to the bottom line, and Tejeda stood on the route that Lu Liang could cut into.

At this moment, Lu Liang's right foot, which frequently touches the ball, suddenly bounced the ball back with the outside instep, and the football rolled to his own side to attack the left rib about 30 meters away from the bottom line.

The on-site director gave another long shot for the first time, and a Chinese player wearing a red No. 10 jersey appeared in the lower right corner of the broadcast screen.

"Tang Zheng—"

He Wei, the central 5 commentator, subconsciously shouted.

Borges moved with Tang Zheng, but taking into account the key advice of head coach Pinto before the game, the attention of full-back Tejeda, who was responsible for assisting Lu Liang, was on Tang Zheng.

Tang Zheng originally wanted to pretend to take the ball forward and then concede the ball to his right foot, and then transfer the long pass to the right side of the attack.

However, he had a wide field of vision, and he noticed that Lu Liang cleverly ran diagonally to the open space between Dias and Tejeda, and Duart, one of the three central defenders, was still some distance away from Lu Liang.

This...... It's a nice pass!

Tang Zheng made half of the action, Tejeda and Borges subconsciously closed the inside line, blocking the angle of Tang Zheng's pass to the dangerous area at the top of the arc of the penalty area.

Tejeda and Borges actually did a very good job in defending the right rib defense, if according to the previous offensive rhythm of the Chinese team, Tang Zheng really passed the long pass, but Tang Zheng noticed Lu Liang's running position and chose to change.

I saw Tang Zheng's right foot pull the ball to the left, and then quickly retracted his right foot, the calf swing was very small, the action was quite hidden, and the ball was picked up on the tip of his right foot, and the football flew from Tejeda and Borges to the corner of the left penalty area.

"Whoa—"

The Chinese fans at the Pernambuco Arena subconsciously raised their voices, as if the sound effects were turned on to the loudest sound, and erupted into a deafening roar.

Lu Liang also has a wide field of vision, he noticed that the striker Gao Lin came to the top of the arc of the big penalty area during the run, and was ready to receive the ball, so he did not take the ball forward, but bounced the falling football to Gao Lin with the outside of his right foot.

Maybe Gao Lin's shooting skills in front of the goal are not superb enough, but his ability to play the ball is outstanding even throughout Asia.

He leaned his body and open right arm against Gonzalez, who was trying to get around the defender, and then used the arch of his left foot to cushion the ball behind his right, which is the gap between Gonzalez and Duarte.

Lu Liang, who passed the ball to Gao Lin, ran in that direction!

Duarte has his back to the goal, and Lu Liang is facing the goal, facing the football, so Duarte knows that he can't let Lu Liang pass, so he pulls down Lu Liang on the line of the big penalty area, and Lu Liang falls into the penalty area because of inertia, and the football bounces off the ground in the penalty area, and then goes out of the bottom line.

It's just that no one pays attention to football anymore, but Swedish referee Jonas Eriksen!

Gao Lin and Hao Junmin, who were close to the referee, suddenly ran excitedly, including the captain Zheng Zhi, who ran to the referee to put pressure on him, hoping that the referee could award a penalty.

The Costa Rican players saw that the Chinese players were actively appealing, worried that the referee would be under too much pressure and awarded a penalty to the Chinese team, and they surrounded him.

The referee on duty, Jonas Eriksen, smiled and refused the penalty appeal of the Chinese players, bypassed the players on both sides, ran to the left penalty line of Costa Rica, bent down and sprayed the foam spray in his hand on the line of the big penalty area, indicating that Duarte's foul was outside the penalty area.

Kick.

Immediately, he took out a yellow card from his pocket and gave it to Costa Rican player Duarte.

Because once Lu Liang enters the penalty area and receives a pass from Gao Lin, it will be a 100% goal, and a yellow card is the most basic punishment.

※※※

The live director gave a slow-motion replay, I have to say that Duarte's foul was very timely, if he took a step back to pull down Lu Liang, it would be a 100% penalty!

Yang 5 commentator He Wei said with great regret: "If Costa Rica central defender Duart can take one more step back, it would be great!"

Commentator Gong Lei smiled: "It is good that the referee can give us a penalty, but the attack of our sports war is also good, I believe that the Chinese team can organize an attack to break through the Costa Rican defense, and the next game time can also be done!"

"That's right!" Taking advantage of the time when Tang Zheng placed the football, He Wei continued: "From Tang Zheng to Lu Liang, to Lu Liang to Gao Lin, Gao Lin and then to Lu Liang are all one pass, so fast that the Costa Rican defenders have no time to choose a position, which means that we can focus on a kick pass in the core offensive area in the next game time!"

At the same time, after Tang Zheng set up the football, he looked at the Costa Rican players who discharged the six-man wall, and then looked at the goalkeeper Navas through the ball, frowning.

Thirty meters or thirty meters away from the goal is conducive to Tang Zheng's style of set-piece master, but the distance is too close for him to get his feet.

Choosing a definite kick is very demanding on the control of footwork, because there is not enough distance left for the ball to fall after jumping over a wall.

It's okay to use the inside of the instep to arc down, but Navas's goal-line skills are quite good, and unless you have both power and angle, it will be difficult to break the goal.

After thinking about it, Tang Zheng finally chose to make a clever ......

"Beep~"

The referee's whistle sounded, Tang Zheng ran in two steps, picked up his right foot, the center of gravity of his body naturally turned to the left, his left arm was raised, his body was balanced, and his right foot was kicked to the middle of the football with the instep of his right foot.

Tang Zheng is betting on Costa Rica's human wall jumping high!

In fact, most of the Costa Rican players jumped, except for Campbell, the second man on the left.

In fact, Campbell was ready to jump, but the captain Ruiz hit Campbell's left rib with his right elbow when he jumped, so that Campbell stagnated.

No one thought that Campbell, who did not jump, would become the savior of Costa Rica's goal.

Campbell looked at the incoming ball, subconsciously changed the shape of his right foot, and used the arch of his foot to sweep Tang Zheng vigorously to the football in the near corner of the goal and kick it out of the right sideline.

Campbell, who had completed the clearance, reached out and touched his forehead with palpitations, but fortunately captain Ruiz was careless when he jumped, otherwise he ......

Captain Ruiz didn't know that his right elbow had hit Campbell, and when he saw the football go out of the sideline, he turned around excitedly and hugged Campbell, yelling, "Joel, that's great!

Tang Zheng's powerful shot is close to the turf, and the rolling direction is towards the near goal, while goalkeeper Navas is standing near the far corner, which means that goalkeeper Navas is likely to be caught off guard.

Campbell naturally didn't say stupid things like 'actually your elbow to my left rib' to the captain, and he said without blushing and his heart beating, "Actually, I guessed too." ”

Goalkeeper Keylor Navas didn't force a good save, so there wasn't too much attention from the commentators on Tang Zheng's third shot so far in the game, including Yang 5 commentator He Wei.

However, Martin Taylor, a guest commentator on the British Sky, regretted: "Don's choice is very clever, if Joel Campbell can jump with the other five teammates at the same time, I think it will be difficult for Kylor Navas, who has been amazing in this World Cup, to save Don's free-kick." ”

Football didn't run under the wall, the idea couldn't become a reality, and Andy Gray didn't have time to make up for the next possibility, he changed his voice: "Maybe...... The Chinese team's goal luck has not yet come. ”

Since the Chinese team almost broke Costa Rica's solid backline with the attacking left flank, Costa Rica's defensive focus has gradually shifted to the right side.

The head coach of the Chinese team, Lippi, frowned, Costa Rica's ability to enter the round of 16 is not due to luck, but because they have this strength.

The ability to make up for the holes in the defense is too strong!

But Costa Rica has their own plan, and Lippi has his ladder over the wall!

Taking advantage of a deadball opportunity, Lippi made a gesture towards Lu Liang.

Then when the Chinese team switched from defense to offense again, the fans in front of the TV found that Lu Liang and Wu Sanshi had a swap of positions.

Yang 5 commentator He Wei is full of expectations for this transposition: "Lu Liang's impact ability is needless to say, he has proven himself in the Bundesliga and the Champions League! Coupled with Zhang Linpeng's assist ability, I believe that the Chinese team's next threatening attack will be launched on the right side!"

With Zhang Linpeng and Lu Liang cooperating with the crosses again and again on the right side, Costa Rica coach Pinto's heart was lifted again.

If it weren't for Gao Lin's poor grasp ability and Navas's anti-sky save, the Chinese team would have taken a lead by at least one goal!