Chapter 366: Counterattack Masterclass
As Nedvěd rushed to the away fans' stand to celebrate, he slid towards the sideline, with Ronaldinho, Van Nistelrooy, and Henry following in a stylish slide-kneel celebration.
In the away supporters' section, every Millwall fan was filled with excitement, waving their arms and shouting for their players, all while plotting how to give the Chelsea fans a hard time.
"You think you're so mighty, top of the table?"
"In just 90 minutes, you'll be trailing behind us!"
Chelsea's players looked a bit lost after conceding the goal.
Viali was on the sidelines, teeth gritted, glancing at Aldrich, who wore a cheeky grin. Honestly, no manager in the entire Premier League can keep it together when staring at Aldrich like this.
While some coaches might be paranoid and others doubtful, Viali was just plain stunned.
Did Chelsea really concede this goal to a Millwall counterattack?
Not really! Chelsea's clearance didn't spark any kind of offensive rebound; Millwall simply took advantage during a swift attack.
This goal happened because of the chances Millwall created with their fierce pressing.
Does Millwall only know how to defend and counter?
Come on! Counterattack is only the foundation of a strong team. After 2000, even mid-table teams in the Premier League will have counterattack capabilities that will shock you - they only value speed and taking advantage of mistakes in the transition between offense and defense!
Millwall had plenty of tricks up their sleeves.
Especially against opponents who wouldn't focus on strengthening their defense, they had much room to exploit.
Today, the Lions' morale was soaring, especially among their attacking trio.
There was Ruud van Nistelrooy, eager to prove his talent; there was Nedved, whose quest for victory never waned; there was Henry, eager to score his debut goal; and there was a spirited Ronaldinho, ready to light up the pitch.
Chelsea restarted the game, but Millwall's offensive players immediately attacked Chelsea and pressed them fiercely.
Chelsea players were puzzled. Millwall was clearly leading, so why did the opponent press so hard?
In this high-pressure situation, Chelsea found it difficult to advance the ball, with precious little time for their players to make decisions. If they couldn't find an outlet, they would quickly become disorganized.
Nedvěd intercepted Di Matteo successfully. He immediately passed the ball to Ronaldinho, who sent a precise through ball into the penalty area. Henry outpaced Leboeuf near the byline, received the ball, and crossed it in front of the goal. Van Nistelrooy was poised to shoot but was beaten to the ball by Desailly's clearance!
Not only the players on the field, but even the Chelsea fans in the stands broke into a cold sweat.
Ronaldinho ran over to take the corner. He intentionally aimed the ball towards the near post, and Henry dashed in to meet it, heading the ball across. This unexpected choice sent the ball sailing over the heads of Chelsea's defenders. Right in front of the goal, a figure leapt high, making solid contact with the ball. De Goey instinctively raised his hand to block, but the ball sailed through his arms and nestled into the net.
"2-0! Millwall has taken a two-goal lead just 13 minutes into the match! In his debut, Henry has assisted two goals for his teammates, and this one was headed into Chelsea's goal by center-back Materazzi. After Henry's flick-on, Materazzi was completely unmarked, easily heading the ball home. Millwall is playing with ferocity today—are we on the brink of disaster at Stamford Bridge again?"
As Materazzi celebrated, Aldrich wore a smug smile.
Millwall's unexpected switch to attack caught Chelsea off guard. In the last three encounters between the two sides, Millwall has always played conservatively, controlling the tempo of the game by counterattacking or consuming opponents. Chelsea was highly praised before the game, and Vialli confidently declared that he would not be deceived - was he really not deceived by all this?
After the kickoff, Chelsea played with clear trepidation, fearing Millwall's counterattack, yet they didn't expect Millwall's overwhelming momentum, like a tiger descending from the mountains, ready to devour them whole!
Trailed by two goals, Chelsea tried to pick up the pace to score quickly. Millwall's aggressive pressing tactics hadn't changed, but after 15 minutes, Chelsea began to adapt to Millwall's pressing strategy, rallying together to support each other. To play it safe, when there was no outlet ahead, they would pass back, refusing to let themselves get caught in a sandwich.
The match settled into a somewhat dull rhythm, yet Chelsea's situation gradually began to improve.
In the 30th minute, Poyet made a through ball attempt to set Zola up, but it was intercepted perfectly by Southgate. After winning the ball, Southgate sent a long pass to the left flank.
As the ball neared the sideline, Ronaldinho executed a beautiful back-foot control and, without waiting for Petrescu to pressure him from behind, he surged forward.
When Di Matteo moved to defend against him, Ronaldinho, while accelerating, faked him out before charging towards the edge of the penalty area. He feigned a pass and then shot from the spot with no warning.
The ball took off from his foot, leaving Desailly and Le Berf dumbfounded. Le Berf instinctively tried to block the ball with his head while De Goey found his view obstructed. When the beautifully arced ball soared into his sight, he took a step sideways but then froze, only to hear the sweetest sound.
*Thud.*
The ball struck the post but hit the interior and bounced into the net.
"Ronaldinho scores! What a magnificent goal! An absolutely splendid goal! After receiving the ball near the sideline, he dribbled forward, dodged Di Matteo, and then in front of the penalty area, confusing the Chelsea defenders with a feint. Everyone anticipated a pass, but he unleashed a stunning curled shot from the spot. The ball wasn't fast, but the angle was exquisite, a true dead-ball hit, ricocheting off the post into the net over De Goey's head! Ronaldinho—he is the next Ronaldo, no, his name is already Ronaldo... Millwall's offense is stronger than ever; at least Shevchenko and Trezeguet couldn't have made that happen. Ronaldinho poses a threat far greater than just being a typical forward! In less than 30 minutes of the match, Millwall has scored three goals. Now they lead their rivals, Chelsea, by three away goals!"
Ronaldinho's goal left the entire crowd speechless.
The Lions' fans sat there with their mouths agape after the goal, eventually coming back to themselves and cheering, nodding to each other as they relived Ronaldinho's extraordinary scoring moment, praising him endlessly.
Chelsea fans, unwilling to admit it, could not help but feel deep admiration for that goal.
After scoring, Ronaldinho ran to the sideline, beaming as he jumped into a samba dance. His teammates rushed over to celebrate—one after another, they embraced him while the team's senior players like Nedvěd and Southgate patted his head, all smiling, genuinely impressed by the young star's display.
Meanwhile, Aldrich stood on the sidelines after the goal, defiantly gesturing a 'quiet down' sign to the Stamford Bridge crowd!
Although Aldrich remained unfazed in the face of the Chelsea fans' jeers as he walked onto the pitch, he finally had the chance to express himself when his team took a commanding three-goal lead.
This set off a furious wave of backlash from the home fans. In the stands nearby, some supporters were so incensed that they attempted to scale the barriers, looking to confront Aldrich directly. Thankfully, the security team was on the ball, swiftly removing three of these heated fans before the situation escalated further.
The fourth official and referee rushed over to restrain Aldrich, not to admonish him for taunting the home fans but to issue a warning.
The referee firmly told him, "If you exhibit any more erratic behavior, I'm afraid I'll have to dismiss you and report this incident prominently in my match report!"
Aldrich brushed it off completely. As he returned to the coaching area, assistants Jansen and Klinsmann were animatedly discussing Ronaldinho's recent goal, with Klinsmann gesturing the goal's trajectory while Jansen illustrated the arc of the shot...
Once the players finished their celebration, Aldrich gestured to the team—tactics were about to change.
The players responded unanimously, with Ronaldinho even giving Aldrich a double thumbs-up.
Originally, the pre-match plan had Millwall's high-pressing tactic in effect for only 30 minutes in the first half; few teams could maintain such intensity for a full 90 minutes. Even Guardiola's team built on possession to execute high pressing. Unless Millwall had a squad of tireless warriors, their relentless pressing would likely tire them out and leave them vulnerable to counter-attacks that could tear their defense apart with ease.
Now was the perfect time, with a good position and a three-goal lead, they could play more conservatively.
Viali looked pale; he was still unyielding, still defiant!
Millwall was just too damn lucky today.
Except for the first goal, which he could not argue against, the subsequent two—one from a set piece and the other from Ronaldinho's individual brilliance—if only Chelsea had a stroke of good luck, they could have avoided any goals.
When Chelsea kicked off again, Vialli noticed that all Millwall players were retreating and was so angry that he wanted to rush towards Aldridge for a one-on-one duel.
"Goodness, look at Millwall! They've completely pulled back, no longer pressing in the midfield; they're just waiting to hit on the counter!"
"Aw, bloody hell!"
"Can we cut out this sort of sneaky business?"
If Vialli could directly question Aldrich about his tactics, Aldrich would likely dismiss him with a amused smirk.
"Sneaky? If Millwall truly intended to play that way, they could construct a tactical formation that would leave everyone in Europe utterly despairing."
With six muscular defenders plus Nedvěd, who surged forward, and three strikers—Henry, Ronaldinho, and recovering Larsson—he couldn't say they'd win every match, but their defense would surely frustrate forwards from all over Europe.
Unfortunately, Aldrich didn't favor that style of play; it stifled players' creativity, made for dull matches, and especially against teams that defended well, he would find standing on the sidelines excruciatingly boring, as the gameplay might end up being so tedious it would make one want to die.
After a furious 30-minute press, Millwall voluntarily fell back to counter, making this adjustment to conserve energy for the whole match. In this way, even with Chelsea trailing by three goals, they now had a respite.
Within five minutes of resuming play, Chelsea managed to hold onto possession and finally found some rhythm. In the absence of pressure from the opposition, the players could breathe easier and showcase their skills.
Yet the Chelsea fans in the stands seemed deflated, wearing expressions of gloom, seeing no way for their team to overcome Millwall.
Millwall's three goals in half an hour inflicted a heavy blow on Chelsea.
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