The Ball at Your Feet

The meaning of sacrifice in section 449

Updated: 2013-06-16

"To attack Alonso, he is Liverpool's weakness."

What Mourinho said to Robben was actually such a simple sentence.

The more the competition, the more calm, it is the basic quality of a champion coach. Mourinho is also getting more and more calm at this time. After falling behind, he is also considering how to get more opportunities.

Liverpool's Alonso is the most likely breakthrough point. Thinking of the Liverpool game videos he had watched in his mind, Mourinho quickly came to a somewhat bold idea and conclusion.

Liverpool's midfielder has always been a position they are proud of. As the main players Gerrard and Alonso's strengths are first-class in Europe, and the substitute Haman and this season because the main players have been injured and received a lot of opportunities to play this season also played well. When playing against Liverpool, many people always have a big common-sense question about how to play, that is, not to challenge Liverpool's strong defense with double midfielders. After all, Liverpool has always been top-notch in this position.

But why not?

There were thoughts in Mourinho's mind. Indeed, Alonso and Gerrard are both very good midfielders, but either of them is admired not because of his strong defensive ability, but because of their fast offensive and defensive conversion speed and ability to quickly initiate the first. Attack for a time. Gerrard’s forward and Alonso’s long pass play a great role in the fast-paced Premier League. They can move the team from defensive to offensive as quickly as possible. This is the most important thing they are respected by everyone. One reason.

As for the defensive ability, although neither of them's defensive weaknesses, but they are not as good as Makelele's midfielder. They have the basic qualities of a defensive midfielder, but defending with confidence like Makelele is not their strong point. Of course, no coach will use them like that.

Sometimes, because of a player's outstanding strength, people will always beautify all his abilities. For example, Makelele, in the media brags, he is almost the world's number one midfielder, and he even wants to say that his ball protection is world-class, his passing is world-class, and his overall level is world-class. But his problem has never been solved. If it really has the ability to pass the ball, Chelsea might have an extra attack method. And if he has enough forward ability, now Chelsea will not be suppressed by Liverpool.

The same goes for Alonso and Gerrard. Many of their abilities have also been touted as too powerful. Compared with Benitez himself, he knows this very well, so he always puts out a double midfielder, or even a triple midfielder formation to meet the enemy, just to complement each other, he is not a fool, and there is no reason to do so. of.

Alonso's ability to pass the ball the first time after receiving the ball is the only one in the world, and no one can compare it. Moreover, his one-on-one defensive ability is very strong, coupled with his active running and not hesitating physical strength, and although he is a Spaniard, his ethnicity is Basque, with a strong character in his bones, and a strong body, not afraid The Premier League-level confrontation, these characteristics, make this Spanish midfielder, played extremely well in the Premier League, but also very popular with fans.

But he is not without any shortcomings.

Offensively speaking, although Alonso's ability to pass the ball the first time after receiving the ball is unique, and he also has a very good long shot, which can be said to be extremely comprehensive. But his ability to get rid of the ball in place is really not very strong. Benitez placed someone else in the midfield to meet him, also to cover up this shortcoming of him.

Although he has many advantages in defense, but in these aspects, he still has a big problem that cannot be compensated: his speed is too slow and the range of motion is too small. This is his biggest problem.

This is the biggest difference between him and Gerrard in defense. Although Gerrard is tall, his speed is not slow at all. Even in the Premier League, a league with a lot of fast assaulters, his absolute speed is among the top ten in the Premier League. His speed guarantees his range of activities. If Biscayne wipes his **** for his defense, he can guarantee a mopping up. But such a raid, Alonso couldn't do it. His defense relies more on position and anticipation, rather than running ability. Large area coverage is not what he is good at. One-to-one breakthrough and speed are exactly what Robben is good at. It is possible for Robben to make a breakthrough in his body.

Most importantly, Mourinho still remembers a very important thing: Alonso still has yellow cards accumulated. Because he missed three consecutive knockout games in the Champions League, his number of yellow cards has been accumulated to the present. If he gets another yellow card, he will be suspended for the next game. So, at this time, will Alonso hesitate a little defensively because of his yellow card problem? This is what Mourinho is looking forward to.

On the field, when Robben got the ball again, he made an inward cut and rushed to the middle before halftime.

"Roben chose to break through in the middle!" Such a play made Martin Taylor exclaimed, "What is he thinking."

It’s even harder to break through in the middle. This is something everyone knows. Whether Robben can perform well in the middle is still unknown. Liverpool's double defensive midfielder is not for dry food.

But after Robben cut, facing Alonso, he changed his direction and broke through. Although Alonso immediately turned to chase after him, he could not catch up.

This change makes people feel that they understand Mourinho's ideas.

Do you want to use Alonso as a weakness and use his slow speed to form a breakthrough?

At this time, what should be done is to withdraw Gerrard from the frontcourt. If it were Gerrard, Robben would not have been able to break through the environment so easily.

But the problem is that once Gerrard withdraws, Liverpool's backcourt defense will become stronger, but it will actually cause a tactical disconnect. Without Gerrard attacking the defense in the frontcourt, Zhao Yaning would have to withdraw and pick it up. In this way, the attack would stop. And the loss of Makelele, who was suppressed by Gerrard, can advance the position, giving Robben a better playing environment.

Move the whole body by pulling a hair. Such words are appropriate to describe the confrontation between the two sides.

In Benitez's view, at this time, it is better to lose the ball than to score a goal. This is an away game, and one more away goal will give Liverpool a greater advantage. Continue to attack, even in the worst case, the opponent scored a 1-1 tie, but as long as there is an away goal, Liverpool can be said to have the advantage. If a goal is scored, it will be 2-0. Two away goals are scored. After arriving at home, it is basically difficult for Chelsea to comeback. And if Liverpool are now shrinking their defense, even if they hold, they will still score 1-0. The advantage is not big. If they can’t hold, they will be chased to 1-1. Although they still have an advantage, they are not outstanding. .

At this time, weighing the pros and cons is naturally based on attacks.

And he insisted not to make adjustments, and the trouble became Alonso's.

One-on-one defense, he can't defend Robben. And not to mention, the new Luo who is on the field is strong and active, which has caused great difficulties for Alonso's defense.

But looking at the coaches who didn't mean any adjustments, Alonso also thought of Benitez's ideas wisely.

Even at the expense of Alonso, they have to trade for Liverpool's greater advantage. Alonso can understand this approach, but this kind of being abrupt by life has become a possible failure factor for the team, but he is unwilling to accept it.

I'm not a player to knead with you. You can bully others, but don't want to bully me. Maybe my ability is not good, but it doesn't mean that I will be bullied.

How to defend Robben? Alonso was thinking about what to do at this time. Since being on the same team with Zhao Yaning, he has usually watched Zhao Yaning's breakthrough. Sometimes he will also think in his heart: How to defend Zhao Yaning's breakthrough?

With his usual thinking, coupled with the current situation, he immediately thought of an excellent idea: If I can force the opponent to avoid me every time he attacks, then his change of direction will have to be increased. Great, this has a great impact on his continuous passing, in this way, Liverpool's defense can successfully defend.

But how can Robben avoid him? Alonso had already thought of a method at this time, but he was still a little hesitant about this idea.

If I miss the next game, then maybe, this season’s Champions League game is over. Only played two Champions League knockout matches in a season, which is too few...

However, we now have a greater advantage and should be considered. More is not how to get yourself into the game, but more consideration, how to help the team advance. Even if this game is sacrificed, as long as Liverpool can advance, he will still be able to enter the Champions League final. At this time, trust in teammates is the most important thing.

Alonso has never been a mother-in-law, although in many people’s eyes, a handsome Latin player with excellent skills should be associated with the style of the game~www.ltnovel.com~ but Alonso has never been None of that kind of people. In his bones, he is a Basque character, and strong is his character. When it comes to competition, he will never escape.

When Robben rushed over with the ball again, Alonso immediately defended him across from him. Robben didn't hesitate, and he was about to change his direction. At this time, his attack was to tear the opponent's defensive line.

But in this confrontation, Alonso's approach has changed. He didn't go to the defensive position, but shoveled in the first time.

The timing of this tackle was not good... Robben kicked the ball out, trying to get out of the tackle. But Alonso didn't have the slightest idea of ​​retreating, and slammed into Luo himself.

Robben was knocked to the ground by him and rolled on the spot. Alonso stood up and waited calmly for the referee's decision as if nothing happened.

Yellow card. This is a penalty without any dispute.

"Alonso was shown a yellow card. In the next game, he will not be able to play. Liverpool's advantage is even smaller..."

At this time, Alonso had already pulled Robben up.

"Don't think I'm easy to deal with. I really don't like to scream or yell with people, but when I pass by, I have to be prepared to leave a price."

Alonso finished the threatening words with a smile, watching Robben gradually become a little fearful in his eyes, he also sighed in his heart: This game, Liverpool is already determined to win. Our hopes of promotion have greatly increased.

But I can't play the next game at Anfield. It's up to you. Believe you, you will definitely be able to take me to Istanbul. Never let my sacrifice be meaningless.