Chapter 45: The Unwinnable Game (Part I)
"How the is this fighting?!" Wang Shuai scolded in a low voice. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info
It's like playing Pro Evolution Soccer and becoming famous by one goal. You watch your opponent break through your team's back, and then you don't have anything you can do about it. In the attack round, too, he couldn't break through on his own, and his teammates didn't give him the ball, so he could only hand over the ball to the opponent again and again.
Two words, grievance.
Although he already knew that there was almost no chance of winning this game, Wang Shuai still felt aggrieved when it came to this point. This is not like the previous game with Barcelona, after all, the gap between Youzhou Institute of Technology and Barcelona at that time was too big, and there was really no hope for that game. And against Chelsea today, as long as the game can be dragged into a penalty shoot-out, Villa still have a chance. Even with a little luck, it's not impossible for Villa to take the lead in regulation time and then hold on until the end of the game.
Despite the slim chance of winning, there is still a glimmer of hope for Villa. Fortunately, Chelsea have scored, which is tantamount to completely blocking Villa's path to promotion.
But even if it gets to this point, the game still has to go on. Giving up without hope is not Wang Shuai's style, and it is impossible for him to do so. If this game does give up, then Villa's road to promotion to a strong team will also be over, because fighting for victory and never giving up is what a strong team must have.
In fact, Villa is not really at a dead end, and Wang Shuai's set-pieces have always been his effective means of scoring. And no matter how strong the opponent is, set-pieces are a one-size-fits-all tactic that always works. Of course, only Wang Shuai, who integrates all shooting skills together, can maximize the power of set-piece tactics.
It's just that if you want to implement set-piece tactics, you first have to let the opponent foul, and secondly, you have to get a free kick in a favorable position, and these two points are not something that Wang Shuai can control.
Until the end of the first half, the so-called set-piece tactics could not be used, and the score remained at 1:0.
Chelsea, on the other hand, scored again in the first attacking round of the second half with a through ball assist from central midfielder Clarke.
2:0!
However, just when everyone thought Chelsea had the victory in their hands, Aston Villa's chance finally came.
In the 49th minute, Villa won a direct free-kick from ten meters in front of the penalty area, which was arguably the perfect position to take a free-kick.
Wang Shuai didn't waste this opportunity, and after once again using the outside of his foot to shoot back the ball, Aston Villa pulled a point back.
2:1!
……
"But you can't do it again......" Wang Shuai muttered softly after the goal.
Everyone believes that there is still suspense in this game, after all, the two teams are now only one point apart. However, only Wang Shuai knew that after scoring a goal, set-piece tactics were not very useful. Because a world-class goalkeeper will never fall twice in the same place, and Wang Shuai can only take advantage of this opportunity. This also means that Villa's has completely run out of effective offensive means.
In fact, not only the goalkeeper, but the whole Chelsea team was sounded the alarm by Wang Shuai's free-kick. Chelsea's defence was much more cautious after realising that their opponents had excellent set-piece skills, which invisibly reduced Villa's chances of taking free kicks.
At the same time, the Blues also recognised that they were still the leading side, so they really started to defend like 'iron and blood'.
Prior to that, Villa had a few good chances on goal, but they did have chances to get up and shoot. However, after Chelsea strengthened their defence, Villa's midfielders could not even break into the box, and the difference in quality between the two teams was on full display.
……
Within half an hour of Wang's goal, Villa had just four shots on goal, all of which were unthreatening long-range shots, only one of which was on target and was comfortably cleared by the goalkeeper. Fortunately, Chelsea have been determined to strengthen their defense and have not launched any offensive against Villa's defence, and the gap between the two sides is still stuck at one point.
This makes the situation very weird.
It seems that Aston Villa has been pressing Chelsea to attack constantly, but in fact, insiders can see very well that none of Villa's attacks have worked, and they are purely consuming their physical strength in vain. It's like playing a game, and you can't even break defenses, let alone deal effective damage.
However, after all, this is the Villa Park stadium, and the cheers of the fans are still inspiring. They've beaten Liverpool, they've beaten Tottenham, they've beaten Manchester United, why can't they beat Chelsea?!
It's just that these fans also understand the situation at hand, and the team is still on the trailing side in the 80th minute, which has not happened in the whole season, whether at home or away, no matter which team it faces. But all the fans deliberately avoided this fact, preferring to believe that the team would score late to equalize the score.
The gap between the two teams is only one goal, and this kind of hope is in front of your eyes but you can't catch it, not only the fans, but even Wang Shuai is unwilling to accept it. After attacking for 30 minutes and without success, blind cats can run into dead mice, why can't they score?!
"Long shot! Shoot when there's a free space! Meng is going to get one into it! ”
After getting the ball again, Wang Shuai yelled at his teammates, and he didn't believe that the team's luck would be so bad.
……
Wang's words worked, and in the final ten minutes, Aston Villa abruptly increased the number of shots on goal. It's just that the result is still disappointing, and the score is still 2:1.
The Chelsea coach was already on the sidelines and had a bad feeling in his mind after he noticed that Villa's attacking tempo was starting to pick up. This kind of unscrupulous attack is like a random punch that can kill the master, and with a little luck, it is not impossible for Villa to equalize.
Boom!
Another shot on goal sent the Chelsea coach involuntarily clenched his fists, and now Villa's shot made him sweat with every shot. Thankfully, this time the shot was again off the woodwork.
At the same time, the fourth official on the sidelines also held up a sign that read "3".
'Hold on for three more minutes......' muttered the Chelsea coach.
In fact, he also wants to take advantage of Villa's big attack to let the team launch a counter-attack. But he also knows that there is a transition process in the transition of offensive and defensive formations, and this process will inevitably leave holes in the defense. Chelsea's coaches don't dare to take that risk.
……
For three minutes, the whole Chelsea team felt that the time flow had slowed down, while Villa, for their part, felt that the three minutes went by quickly. It's just that after two more attacks, the referee began to look at his watch.
Boom!
Ibrahimovic kicked up again next to the arc of the box and the ball headed towards the far corner.
Wang Shuai ran into the penalty area, ready to find a chance to make up for the shot, while watching the trajectory of the football flight.
"Dead end! I can enter! Wang Shuai shouted excitedly, and at the same time accelerated and rushed into the penalty area.
However, before Wang Shuai could take two steps, a figure jumped high in his sight, the goalkeeper of Chelsea.
Syllable!
Football is lifted out of the bottom line.
The score remained 2:1.