Chapter 311: Hope in the Midst of Adversity
In the first leg of the semi-finals against Monaco, Aldrich's tactical plan was straightforward: attack aggressively. The defensive capabilities of Monaco were certainly not at the level of Juventus. Millwall had the advantage of home ground, and as long as they could secure a lead of two goals or more without conceding, their path to the finals would be clear.
However, Aldrich harbored a personal ambition. The league race was still tight; the gap between them and Manchester United and Arsenal was not wide. If he could get through one of the two Champions League semi-final matches with a breather, he might just manage to juggle both the league and the Champions League, possibly leading to a dramatic last-minute turnaround!
His thoughts were similar to how he tackled Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Super Cup.
Monaco naturally would play a cautious counter-attacking game. Millwall aimed to launch a blitz from the start, applying full pressure to collapse their opponent as quickly as possible.
But perhaps the confidence gained from eliminating Juventus clouded their judgment. The players became reckless in their assault. Aldrich noticed this trend early on, before he could tell the players to ease off a bit and maintain their formation, Monaco delivered a heavy blow to Millwall!
Schneider assisted Shevchenko in a quick one-two, and after reaching the end line, his cross was blocked by the opposing defender. Monaco then switched from defense to attack, launching a long ball down the wing.
At the same time, Schneider's push forward had left a gap behind him. Monaco's winger sprinted into that space, skillfully controlling the ball and cutting inside.
The Lions' fans in Wembley were left astonished.
How could the opposing winger be so fast? Why?!
Cutting inside from the flank, he galloped away, not only outpacing holding midfielder Makélélé but also deftly dribbling past Helguera. As Southgate saw the opponent about to breach the entire back line, he lunged in a desperate tackle, leading to a heavy fall in front of the penalty area, with the ball rolling out of play.
Referee Nelson halted the match and approached Southgate, who was trying to help the fallen Monaco player rise. The young genius from Monaco who had been brought down was none other than Henry!
As Southgate turned around, Nelson's red card was already raised above his head.
"Just two minutes into the match, Millwall captain Southgate receives a red card! This decision is hardly debatable; had Southgate not tackled Henry's leg, this French winger would certainly have been through on goal! Southgate was left in shock, trying to explain to the referee, while Millwall's players were pleading for mercy. However, the referee's decision was final. After a brief discussion with the fourth official, Hall walked towards the substitute bench to summon two players to warm up. It seemed he had to make a change. This unexpected turn of events—who could have predicted such an opening? The heavy favorites to advance to the final, Millwall, were now one man down in what was nominally their home match, causing a complete reversal of the situation. All pre-match predictions were now thrown into chaos!"
This is just insane.
Monaco's counterattack was flawless, leaving everyone speechless. After a successful defensive clearance, the ball flew low and fast, landing perfectly in front of Henry. He accelerated, never giving Makélélé the chance to sweep in. Helguera had no words as he was also outrun by Henry surging forward. A speedster like Henry proved hard to contain for most defenders, but even Southgate, with awareness, couldn't recover in time to intercept once Henry passed by Helguera; he could only go for a desperate challenge at the last moment, knowing that if Henry entered the box, it would surely be a one-on-one situation.
There was an awkward silence at Wembley as Southgate slowly left the pitch. He left the field as slowly as possible, hoping to buy the bench some extra time to warm up. Meanwhile, Larsson was busy chatting with referees from Northern Europe, trying to buy time. When Southgate walked up to Nedved, he took off the captain's armband, put it on Nedved's arm, finally lowered his head and walked slowly off the field.
Aldrich watched the unfolding situation from the sideline. As Southgate brushed past him, Aldrich gently patted his back, saying nothing.
People shouldn't be too greedy or too overconfident.
Eliminating a powerful Juventus had indeed filled Aldrich's heart with pride, and he had begun to dream of balancing both the league and the Champions League.
But the world doesn't bend to one's desires!
Reality came crashing down on him without mercy.
However, to be fair, a red card was given to the home team so early in the game? The referee's performance was indeed harsh.
Football is a closed circle, rife with both overt and covert rivalries, and referees are part of that battleground.
Aldrich believed that if the referee who officiated the first leg against Juventus had swapped with Nelson today, the decisions in both matches would likely have heavily favored Millwall.
Torricelli would have received a red card for his foul on Nedvěd, while Southgate's tackle on Henry might have been merely a yellow.
Of course, every decision by the referee carries a subjective bias and context-based judgment.
Nelson officiated strictly, and nobody could question his authority.
He had UEFA's Johnstone backing him, and though Nordic football isn't particularly strong, having a voice in the officiating world certainly bolsters their position, with figures like Nelson and Frisk gaining a good reputation.
With Millwall down to ten men, Aldrich sent Matérazzi and Gattuso to warm up.
He knew he couldn't simply fill the gap in the defense but had to modify the tactical layout and pursuit of goals.
Do they still want to take the initiative to attack with one less person?
It was time to focus on defense and counterattacks.
First and foremost, they had to ensure that their opponents didn't score an away goal.
After Monaco wasted a free kick from outside the box, Millwall made their substitutions.
"Hall, switching out two players at once—is that even necessary? Normally, when a defender is sent off, a coach would withdraw an attacking player and bring on a defender. But he's subbing off two forwards for a defender and a defensive midfielder. Seems like he doesn't hold out much hope for winning at home. Then again, it makes sense; Manchester United couldn't win at home against Monaco and even conceded an away goal. Hall's primary concern now is to keep the team from conceding. Trezeguet and Shevchenko walked to the sidelines, looking a bit dejected. In such a high-profile Champions League semi-final, they got only three minutes of playtime before being subbed off. Even though it was a forced switch, they should understand Hall's decision. Still, it's hard not to feel unhappy. Coming on were Matérazzi and Gattuso, so it appeared Millwall would shift to a 4-3-1-1 formation."
It was normal for Trezeguet and Shevchenko to be unhappy. Being subbed off so soon couldn't make them feel anything but frustrated.
But frustration aside, Aldrich didn't have the time to console them. They were professionals and needed to maintain professionalism.
At that moment, it was up to them to adjust their mindset. Throwing a tantrum would be unprofessional.
Thankfully, both players demonstrated their professionalism, sitting quietly on the bench, just glancing at the field.
After overseeing the game for ten minutes, Aldrich returned to his seat once the two substitutes found their rhythm.
After Southgate's dismissal, if Aldrich had substituted another defender, it would have simply covered the defensive gap. By bringing in a defensive midfielder, he was fundamentally altering the team's approach.
Defending was now the priority.
This is also a strategy to lure opposing players to initiate an attack.
Makelele and Gattuso serve as double hubs, Pirlo connects in the midfield, and Nedved runs behind Larsson. Both have considerable freedom of movement. The question now is whether Monaco will give them a chance to fight back.
Aldrich couldn't help glancing over at the opposing coaches' bench, where Tigana remained composed, showing no signs of directing his team from the sidelines.
Aldrich sighed. It appeared that their resolve was unwavering.
Be proactive, respond to the situation! Monaco, why not press up and be proactive!
With one man down, flamboyant attacking play was out of the question. In this fierce contest, being one man down was akin to losing a limb for a master. Millwall, given the limited conditions, had to adapt according to their opponent's tempo.
Especially being down a man from the outset—if they played too recklessly, the gap in stamina would become increasingly apparent as the match wore on.
Millwall had no choice but to play the defensive counter-attacking game.
The journalists from Fleet Street were all seething with frustration.
How ridiculous.
During the League Cup final against Chelsea, a smoke bomb reduced Fleet Street to a laughingstock. After predictions and speculations, they hadn't even grasped the most basic situation.
Against Juventus, the outsiders doubted the Lions, yet they delivered an epic victory that was nothing short of heroic.
Now, with expectations for them to reach the finals, they were crumbling right at home!
The most infuriating part was that Millwall, while down a man, really did start to play timidly!
Come on, show some guts against Monaco!
As the game progressed, the Wembley stands began to sing. Although the game has now entered the "unspectacular" stage, Lions fans turned to entertain themselves and sang songs to cheer for the team.
Even though their attack posed no threat, the overall formation had collapsed back to the midfield and defense, relying solely on Larsson, Nedvěd, and Pirlo for their attacks. They often found themselves in double-teamed situations that thwarted their efforts. Monaco was in a similar position; with Millwall playing defensively, they too were patient with their passing, waiting for good opportunities before pressing forward, dispatching limited attacking forces.
Since Monaco's first shot from outside the box, both teams had only three attempts at goal before halftime, two of which were from set pieces...
In the second half, the Lions maintained their strategy of defensive counterattacks. Aldrich reminded his players that once Monaco began to push forward, their attacking numbers would increase, and they should be ready to counterattack.
But Tigana was steadfast in his strategy to wait it out; even in the last ten minutes of the match, Monaco didn't push forward significantly. Despite their one-man advantage, they showed no signs of an offensive advantage, easily defusing Millwall's attacks.
The first leg of this drowsy semi-final came to a close at Wembley.
0:0.
Both sides drew blanks.
After a brief exchange with Tigana, Aldrich walked off to face the media.
Today, he was under significant scrutiny; failing to win at home in London disappointed many, leaving experts shocked and dampening the momentum behind Millwall's push to reach the finals.
It was a rather conventional view—if you couldn't win at home, how could you expect to make waves away?
Aldrich patiently answered some provocative questions, displaying signs of despondency and disappointment.
However, once he returned to the locker room, he spoke to the listless players with fervor.
"Hey, cheer up! Get excited! So what if it's 0:0? Everyone keeps saying it's advantageous to play away second, and I just don't buy it! Monaco didn't score a single goal at our place; when we go to their ground, have you thought about this? If we score one, they have to score two to advance. If we score two, they need three! Who is in the better position here?"
It made sense in a way. Millwall just needed to score in the second leg, and Monaco would have to outscore them to progress.
Though it's a bit of a flimsy argument, the players found comfort in it, their spirits lifted as they readied themselves to travel to France, all set on securing that coveted spot in the finals.
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