As Gerrard started scolding, Sturridge didn't dare to continue to dribble too much on the flank, and it became much more reasonable.

Every time you get the ball, you immediately look up and look for a way to match your teammates.

And Ling Feng came to answer, and he didn't stick to the ball, and directly cooperated with him hitting the wall.

Then, after a one-two tear through the flanks, Sturridge will take advantage of the situation and cross in.

Or a high ball, or a horizon ball.

This allowed Rooney in the middle to get more support.

It's just that Costa Rica was able to connect Uruguay and Italy with a united defense!

Five defenders, four midfielders, plus goalkeeper Keylor Navas

All 10 players were crammed into the 30-yard area of their own half, and there was simply not much space for England to play the pass.

Moreover, Costa Rican coach Pinto also specially arranged for two central defenders to stick to Rooney and prevent him from easily taking the ball or shooting.

And was focused on Rooney, either forcibly turned around and hit the goal, or leaned on the defender with a strong body, made the ball back, and let Ling Feng shoot from a distance.

In just fifteen minutes, Ling Feng got three chances to put a long shot outside the big penalty area!

It's a pity that the push shot that lacked some power did not pass the ten fingers of Navas.

After a few attempts, Ling Feng began to reduce the frequency of his long-range shots, and from time to time he passed some penetrating short-distance straight stoppers to Rooney in the middle.

It's just that there are too many defenders in front of the big penalty area, and several passes can't pass through the defenders' legs and reach Rooney's feet.

However, even so, England's offensive still pressed Costa Rica to continue to bombard, making Costa Rica's backline rumorful.

If you really want to compare, among the four teams in Group D, the team with the most balanced and diverse offensive means in the front court is England!

Uruguay's twin stars in the front line, who have more individual ability, but lack creativity in the midfield to deliver shells to the front duo;

Italy, on the other hand, relied heavily on Andrea Pirlo's pass and Balotelli's flash of inspiration;

Costa Rica still has a certain amount of speed in defending and counter-attacking, and relies heavily on teamwork.

Only England's front-court line-up is more balanced, each with its own role:

Ling Feng is responsible for organizing and combing and passing the ball;

Rooney has superb shooting skills and plays the role of a fulcrum in the front court;

Raheem Sterling and Sturridge have the ability to break through and tear through the flanks to create space for their team-mates;

And Gerrard plugs in from time to time with a long-range shot.

Long before the start of the World Cup, Hodgson shouted the slogan "offensive football" in an interview with the media.

This is also the reason why he abandoned the 442 formation that the Three Lions had used for more than ten years and chose the 4231 formation with a more three-dimensional offensive method!

Originally, Hodgson chose Rooney as the playmaking core of the frontcourt.

However, judging from the first two games, Rooney was not able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of connecting the front, nor did he play the role of attacking the city.

On the contrary, it was Ling Feng's performance on the bench that made him see the feasibility of passing and controlling play.

This is also one of the reasons why he boldly won Welbeck and let Ling Feng start!

Ling Feng's unique creativity and ability to pass the ball make this tactical formation finally have a real "organizational core"

And judging from the team's overall performance in the first half, Hodgson is very glad that he made this bold decision!

Sitting in the dugout, Hodgson is already thinking about the opponents he will face after qualifying from the group.

A win over Costa Rica would see England finish second in the group.

The opponent in the round of 16 will be the South American powerhouse that has already locked the top spot in Group C - Colombia!

Colombia is not easy to fight.

The group stage has been played so far, and most of the matches have been played.

Among all the players in the group stage, there are three young players who have performed very well!

One is the super demon of the host "Samba Army", Neymar, who was hailed by the Brazilian media as "the future leader of a new generation of Brazil";

The other is Colombia's new No. 10 and the heart of the front court, James Rodriguez!

In the first two rounds of the group stage, Ronaldo helped the team win two consecutive victories with two goals and one assist, and qualified for the top of the group.

However, compared to Ronaldo, who was pinned on by Colombia, the Three Lions also have their own future stars!

That is Ling Feng, who came off the bench in two group stage games, contributed one goal and two assists, and helped the team get two valuable draws!

Looking at Ling Feng's galloping figure on the field, Hodgson didn't know why, but he was very down-to-earth

。。。

As England pressed Costa Rica into the half-pitch onslaught, the clock kept ticking.

One offense and one defense, both sides showed great focus and hard work.

Finally, the referee blew the whistle for the end of the first half!

And the Costa Rican players and fans breathed a sigh of relief.

They were overwhelmed by the wave after wave of offensive that pressed England.

Such a suffocating feeling of oppression has never been felt against Italy and Uruguay.

At least they can catch their breath now.

For England, though, this is not enough!

You know, in a football game, a one-goal lead is the most dangerous!

Because the opponent only needs one effective attack to level the score.

Once the score is equalised, the three points in hand become one.

And one point is not enough for England to qualify!

Therefore, at half-time, both coach Hodgson and captain Steven Gerrard stressed that they must not let up on the pitch and that the game is not over yet.

'In the second half, we had to be more aggressive and keep threatening the goal!'

"Go on the offensive! Keep scoring goals! ”

"Play, one more! We'll be sure to qualify! ”

"Come on!"

After a short half-time break, players from both sides returned to the pitch for the second half.

Neither side made any substitutions.

It can be seen that both sides are satisfied with their team's performance in the first half.

Truly.

For Costa Rica, conceding only one goal in the first half was acceptable.

You know, England dominated the first half.

Possession was 60% and the number of shots on goal was as high as 13!

What's more, in this game, they have already rotated the lineup.

More than half of the players are substitutes who have not played in the previous two group games.

Anyway, winning or losing this game will not affect their top spot in the group.

Therefore, there is no need to play the main team at all, give the substitutes in the team some playing time, and also let them feel the atmosphere of the World Cup.

Kill two birds with one stone!

Of course, the Three Lions don't care if you're a regular or a substitute.

Their mission for the second half is only one:

Goal!

As a result, from the first second of the second half, England continued to continue the attacking rhythm of the first half.

The backcourt continues to quickly pass the ball through the midfield, and hands the ball to Ling Feng in the front court for organization, and he decides the direction of attack.

However, in Ling Feng's opinion, the more you want to score a goal, the more you must stabilize your mentality and not be in a hurry.

The attack is fast-paced, although it can frequently pull the opponent's defensive formation, so that the opponent is tired and his physical fitness drops rapidly.

However, if the lineup is too pressed, it will also lead to more space at the back, giving the opponent the possibility of counterattacking.

Moreover, the Three Lions are not Spain, and their ability to penetrate with short passes at their feet is still not good enough.

It wasn't like Tiki-Taka, who sent the ball into the net after a series of short passes.

In many cases, it still relies on the single-point explosion of the two wings, as well as Ling Feng's sudden direct pass behind him in the middle, to have the opportunity to threaten the goal.

Anyway, they have a goal ahead, and even if they don't extend the score, they can qualify.

But if Costa Rica seizes the opportunity to counterattack because they are too eager to score, it will be worth the loss.

You know, Italy and Uruguay were both "stolen" three points by Costa Rica's counterattack in this way!

They can't fall into the same river!

Therefore, when Ling Feng controlled the ball again, he slowed down, pressed down with both hands, and shouted:

"Guys, be steady and play a little more patient!"

"Don't press too hard, watch out for their counterattack!"

Looking at Ling Feng's commanding and shouting teammates on the field, Beckham in the stands couldn't help but have a bright light in his eyes.

This kid, who is twenty years younger than himself, has no stage fright at all on the big stage of the World Cup.

In Ling Feng's body, he vaguely saw the shadow of the former Cantona.

At that time, Cantona, who had just joined Manchester United, was respected by the rest of his team-mates in the dressing room.

In Beckham's view, Ling Feng, like Cantona, has a special temperament that is calm and always reassuring.

Perhaps, that is the natural leadership temperament!

Even under Ling Feng's command, England slowed down the pace of attack to a certain extent and paid more attention to the quality of the attack.

However, it did not make the pressure of the whole attack less, but every attack formed an effective shot.

And Costa Rica's goalkeeper Keylor Navas became the busiest man in the game.

This season's La Liga goalkeeper of the best choice of goalkeeper has kept the Three Lions at bay with high and low blocks in front of goal!

And looking at the lack of points on the field, Hodgson couldn't help but turn his head and say to his assistant:

"Should we make some changes?"

In his opinion, after Ling Feng's debut, the team's offense has obviously improved.

His dispatch and passing up front court was like a lubricant, making the whole machine run very smoothly.

However, it was still a little bit away from scoring.

At the end of the day, it's the striker's ability to take chances that is lacking.

Rooney worked hard and ran aggressively.

However, this game was strictly guarded by the opponent and did not get too many shooting opportunities;

And Sturridge did not carry the hot form of the Premier League into the World Cup;

As for Raheem Sterling on the right, not to mention.

Do you still have to count on Ling Feng?!

Although Ling Feng scored in the last game.

But you can't put all the hope and pressure on this 19-year-old.

And for many managers, once there is a situation on the field that is scoreless, it must be changed!

Both tactically and personnelally.

Otherwise, if you don't score your opponent's goal, your opponent will score your goal!

Hearing this, assistant coach Levington touched his chin and answered:

"Why don't we replace Jamie?"

The officer's suggestion made Hodgson's eyes light up.

"That's it!"

In his opinion, Vardy and Ling Feng are club teammates, and they can understand Ling Feng's passing intentions better than others, so as to play a more tacit cooperation.

Moreover, Vardy's impact and confrontation are not bad, and he is also able to blast in local areas.

In particular, his defensive aggressiveness is much better than that of Sturridge.

So, in the 60th minute of the game, England took the lead in making substitutions.

Replace Sturridge on the left and bring on Ling Feng's club teammate Vardy!

With Vardy's arrival, the Three Lions' crossings and receiving up front have become more fluid.

Because, compared to Sturridge, Vardy has a very huge difference:

The former is an off-the-ball striker who doesn't need much possession and likes to run open to catch the ball and then finish the shot.

The latter is a ball-handling striker who needs a certain amount of ball possession, off-the-steam attack, and creates a threat!

Although with Sturridge on the field, the team has an extra point of possession on the flank.

However, it is not only him, Raheem Sterling and Ling Feng need the ball.

Fortunately, if he doesn't have the ball at his feet, he can still create opportunities for his teammates by running off the ball and kicking the ball with one foot.

But Sterling can't.

He has to dribble with the ball at his feet to be able to play his explosive ability on the wing.

So, considering the distribution of the ball, it is enough to keep one Sterling on the field!

Moreover, compared to Sturridge, who is of average passing quality, Vardy is more comfortable with the crosses after breaking down the flanks.

And this substitution adjustment quickly received the most direct results!

In the seventy-second minute of the game, Ling Feng took the ball at the front of the big penalty area, and then passed the ball with a small pick

The ball bounced right between the two centre-backs and landed on the left side of the box.

And a white figure that started in advance flashed in!

None other than Jamie Vardy!

Whether it was the timing of Ling Feng's pass or the timing of Vardy's forward insertion, it was so just right.

"Pretty pick!"

'Vardy is in the box!'

The two Costa Rican centre-backs turned abruptly and looked surprised at the sight of Vardy, who was one step ahead of them.

They knew very well in their hearts that if Vardy got the ball, they could face Navas single-handedly.

Such a close distance is equivalent to giving away the goal!

In a flash of lightning, Costa Rica's substitute central defender Umania, who made his debut for the first time, was so hot that he subconsciously reached out to pull Vardy's shirt.

Vardy, who was resisted by the sprint, stagnated for a moment, then screamed and fell backwards.

Vardy's fall immediately startled Umania.

He hurriedly raised his hands to show that he had not committed a foul.

However, the referee, who was not far away, saw the whole process clearly.

He blew the whistle decisively and reached for the penalty spot.

Penalty kick!

This penalty immediately caused a burst of enthusiastic cheers from the English fans at the scene.

Of course, the cheers were mixed with the boos of the Costa Rican fans.

And the Costa Rican players also surrounded the referee, as if they wanted to justify.

The referee resolutely stretched out his hands and signaled the Costa Rican players to stay away from him.

The penalty has been made and cannot be changed.

Seeing that Vardy had succeeded in making a point, Ling Feng on the side stepped forward for the first time and stretched out his hands to the second brother on the ground:

"Jamie, well done!"

The latter just grabbed Ling Feng's hands and stood up with the help of strength, and then showed a smile:

"It's like in Leicester, isn't it?"

"Of course!"

The rest of his team-mates also came to Vardy's side and patted him on the shoulder and head.

"Man, well done!"

"Excellent positioning!"

As the Three Lions' number one and central attacker, Wayne Rooney is the team's first penalty taker.

I saw him holding the ball, coming to the penalty spot with a calm face, and putting the ball away.

Then, after taking a few steps back, he looked up at Navas standing on the goal line and let out a breath.

Inside the stadium, the boos of Costa Rican fans rang out.

They tried to use this off-the-court trick to disturb Rooney's state of mind.

However, Rooney, who has been famous for a long time, has not been shaken in the slightest, and is as firm as a rock.

With a whistle of "beep", Rooney did not hesitate to take a step and rush towards the ball!

With a "bang", the inside of the right foot came into close contact with the ball.

In the next second, the ball shot out!

At the same time, Navas also made the choice to fly to the right.

However, he guessed in the wrong direction.

The ball went into the net from his left side!

Finally, Rooney, the second highest scorer in the history of the Three Lions, scored his first goal since his 11th World Cup match!

This goal, for Rooney, was a great release.

So, with a relieved smile on his face, he raced all the way to the corner flag and then made his trademark celebration:

I saw him turn into a boxer, wave a few times at the corner flag, and then open his arms to receive the cheers of the English fans in the stadium!

And other teammates also came to his side and hugged each other.

At the same time, on the England bench on the sidelines, both the coaching staff and the substitute players cheered and jumped in unison.

They knew very well that with Wayne Rooney scoring the penalty, the suspense of the game was almost over.

Taking advantage of this goal, Hodgson also took advantage of the situation to use up the remaining two substitutions, replacing Rooney and Gerrard with Lambert and Lampard.

Now that qualifying is in sight, he also has to prepare for the next knockout round

。。。

Even in the 81st minute, the news of Uruguay's goal came from another stadium.

However, for England, who already have a two-goal lead, the result of the other stadium is irrelevant.

In the following time, under Ling Feng's control, England significantly slowed down the momentum of the attack.

Costa Rica, on the other hand, did not have the luxury of equalizing the score, nor did they press too highly, allowing their opponents to keep falling in the midfield and consuming the little game time left.

As time wore on, it became clear that the situation on the field had become very harmonious and friendly.

And the tens of thousands of England fans in the Minellon stadium were already singing cheerful songs.

With the referee blowing the whistle for the end of the match, the final game of Group D ended.

England won 2-0 against Costa Rica to take the crucial three points and the two teams join hands to qualify!

In the other game in Group D, Uruguay defeated Italy 1-0 and both went out of the group.

In the next second of the whistle, the players on the England bench rushed into the field, hugged their teammates, and celebrated wildly for the group qualification.

And the nearby Leicester City duo also immediately hugged each other.

"Ling, we're out!"

"Yes!"

Looking at Ling Feng with a smile on his face, Vardy was a little puzzled:

"Man, why don't you look excited?"

"Because I knew we were going to qualify!"

Hearing Ling Feng's answer, Vardy couldn't help but be stunned, and then he was also relieved.

After knowing Ling Feng for half a year, he gradually gained a certain understanding of this young man's character.

This young man has maturity and steadiness that does not fit his age.

I can only say that it is worthy of you!

In Ling Feng's view, with his own help, even if the Three Lions can't win the championship, they can still qualify from the group.

If he can't help the Three Lions qualify from the group, then he is too vegetable!

It is worth mentioning that Ling Feng, a butterfly from the future, once again set off ripples!

This time, it is not just the fate of one person that has been changed, but the fate of the entire Three Lions!

You must know that in the original history, the Three Lions bid farewell to Brazil in this World Cup with the worst record in history with two losses and one draw.

However, with Ling Feng's help, the Three Lions won two draws and one win, breaking out of the group of death!

Of course, this is not the first time he has changed history, nor will it be the last time he will do so.

As he gets stronger and stronger, the things he influences and changes will become wider and more numerous

Just as Ling Feng sighed in his heart, Costa Rica's midfielder Tejeda suddenly came to him and said to Ling Feng in a somewhat broken English:

"Swap, OK?"

With that, he didn't forget to reach out and point to his jersey.

Obviously, Ling Feng's excellent performance in this game has won the recognition and respect of his opponent.

Faced with this request, Ling Feng readily agreed:

"Of course!"

After the game, in the best selection of the game, the pass success rate reached 93%, passed two threatening balls, and contributed one assist, Ling Feng, deservedly became the best player of the game!

And this is the first time he has won the World Cup Player of the Match award.

【Ding Dong!】 】

[Achieved the achievement of "Best of the World Cup"]

[Achievement Evaluation: B]

[Achievement Reward: One Free Attribute Points]

There are 2,000 words left, and I'll make up tomorrow!

Thank you for the reward from "Xie Superstar", Mo Da!

(End of chapter)