Chapter 387: The Art of Deception
Having appeared in the Champions League group stage last season and now advancing through the knockout rounds, many players from Dynamo Kyiv were being eyed by elite clubs. Among them, Kaladze had garnered interest from AC Milan, while forward Rebrov held invitations from mid-table teams in mainstream leagues.
These players knew that this season's Champions League was their best shot to achieve noteworthy success with Dynamo Kyiv. They recognized that next season, the strength of their squad would inevitably decline.
They were united in wanting to secure a respectable score at Wembley before returning to Kyiv to leverage their home advantage for a hopeful win.
If placed in an equal setting, Dynamo Kyiv's capabilities would likely not be enough to claim qualification over teams like Lens or Arsenal. However, with the clear advantage of playing at home, they showcased incredible tactical strengths.
Aldrich didn't underestimate Dynamo Kyiv. Historically, they had eliminated the reigning champions, Real Madrid, in this very year during the quarter-finals. They had drawn 1-1 away and returned home to win 2-0 decisively.
Aldrich hoped Dynamo Kyiv would mount a counterattack when behind, but their tactical discipline was admirable and daunting.
Even when trailing by a goal, Dynamo Kyiv continued to play defensively, intercepting aggressively in midfield. Their counterattacks relied on quick combinations of two or three players, adapting based on the situation; if they couldn't break through, they would retreat to reorganize their defense.
As Kyiv adapted to the away game and found their rhythm, Millwall's attacking unit struggled to execute seamless combinations.
After scoring, Millwall's attack believed they were facing a soft opponent. With high spirits, they were eager to score again. Yet when Pirlo received the ball in midfield, he suddenly furrowed his brow.
In their attacking group of five, Aldrich had emphasized in training a key principle: no matter who had the ball, at least two players should run into open spaces in different directions to provide passing options.
But Pirlo noticed that both Nedved and Larsson were shadowed closely by defenders. Ronaldinho was too far back, and Henry wanted to wait for the next pass before moving. As a result, Pirlo had no choice but to pass the ball backward to Schneider, who was advancing over the halfway line.
Facing pressure from the opposition, Schneider found no passing lanes. After a lackluster give-and-go with Pirlo, he ended up passing the ball back to Pirlo.
Seeing this from the sidelines, Aldrich gestured for Ronaldinho and Henry to drop deeper, ensuring the ball would at least be moved forward. They needed to create space to disrupt the opponent's defensive setup.
If they lost possession, it should be in the attacking half.
Midfield was the most dangerous area to concede; if the opposition stole the ball there, it could lead to devastating counterattacks.
"Dynamo Kyiv's defense has been faultless of late, and Millwall is struggling to coordinate effectively up front. They should consider pushing their full-backs forward to increase their attacking options, pulling Kyiv's defense apart. Even when counterattacking, Kyiv can only push forward two or three players at most," Aldrich noted to himself.
The first half ended without Millwall creating further chances, leaving the score at 1-0 as the teams headed into the locker room.
During the halftime break, Aldrich made subtle tactical adjustments in response to Kyiv's defensive strategy.
When the second half began, Millwall's attack was ready to charge in!
"Millwall's front line looked empty, which was strange. Henry, Ronaldinho and Larsson were all retreating. You see, their positions were almost the same as Nedved's. It seemed that Millwall had designed a formation similar to four attacking midfielders."
"When they reached the area in front of Dynamo Kyiv's penalty area, the crowd was crowded. However, Millwall's advantage is that they can control the ball here - after all, the more players, the easier it is to control the ball."
Hrovka spoke with Kaladze and then consulted the head coach.
"The defense line faced no pressure but was hesitant to push up too far, fearing that their opponents might exploit their speed and get behind them.
Yet, watching the midfield line struggle to gain an advantage, they couldn't help but feel anxious.
Lobanovskyi relayed instructions to his players through his assistant.
'Hold the defensive line steady—don't push forward!'
15 minutes into the second half, Aldrich noticed that Dynamo Kyiv's defense remained stationary and did not try to advance!
He couldn't help but smirk.
The forward line retreating collectively was indeed a cunning tactic. If the opposition's defense advanced or if a player got eager and pressed up, there would inevitably be gaps for Henry, Larsson, Ronaldinho, and Nedved, all of whom could outpace any defender given the space to sprint.
Since the other team is on guard, let's pull out the next play.
No prompting was necessary from Aldrich; they had already gone over it during halftime.
It's time to go solo!
"Here we go, Ronaldinho is making his old mistake again! He had a clear pass to Nedved but chose to try and dribble through instead. Oh, the ball was intercepted! Wait a sec—the referee has called a foul! Haskovic committed a foul while defending, but was discovered by the referee!"
The foul was in a tricky position — 37 yards from the goal, not great for shooting but fine for crossing.
All of Kyiv's players participated in the defense, while Millwall's defenders moved up to compete for headers.
Ronaldinho, Pirlo, and Schneider stood over the ball, exchanging glances as if engaged in a silent showdown.
The team had a rule: long-distance free kicks were assigned to Schneider, while Pirlo took shots closer in; Ronaldinho ranked second in both.
However, with Pirlo missing the first half of the season, Ronaldinho's direct free-kick strikes had proven effective, contributing to both goals and assists.
The three players exchanged looks, and Schneider, being the most senior among them, broke the silence.
"Let's decide with rock-paper-scissors."
Pirlo and Ronaldinho raised their brows in agreement.
Rock-paper-scissors. Ronaldinho was eliminated.
Rock-paper-scissors. Schneider won.
"Haha! Millwall has several players skilled at set pieces, and the trio is deciding the kicker with a game. It seems Ronaldinho is the first out, looking dejected as he steps back, while Schneider has emerged victorious alongside Pirlo."
The Dynamo Kyiv players can't help but feel irked as they watch their opponents so relaxed and playful. Anger starts to build, but they remind themselves to remain focused; after all, it's an away game, and they need to buckle down defensively. They'll make them pay for this later back in Kyiv!"
Before taking the free kick, Schneider smiled at Pirlo, "I'll screen for you."
Pirlo casually winked in response.
Schneider took a run-up, and everyone presumed the winner of rock-paper-scissors would take the free kick. And yes, he seemed poised to deliver a cross!
But instead, Schneider darted past the ball, and as soon as he did, Pirlo stepped up and rolled it to Ronaldinho.
Receiving the ball unmarked in the middle, Ronaldinho sidestepped the wall and aimed for the goal with a powerful shot.
"What a clever free-kick from Millwall! Ronaldinho lets loose from long range! The ball zips along the grass, heading straight for that bottom corner! But wait! Materazzi couldn't dodge it, the ball deflects off his leg. It's in! It's in! Millwall... hold on! The assistant referee raises the flag—Materazzi is offside! The goal is ruled out!"
Wembley, which had roared moments ago, now fell hushed. The fans had relished that creative free-kick—Millwall had made even a set play thrilling!
Ronaldinho, hands on his hips, gave a rueful smile as he watched Materazzi sprint back.
Materazzi was also feeling depressed as Schneider's feint also fooled him.
He dashed forward, ready for a header, prompting the Dynamo Kyiv defense to track him. But after Pirlo passed to Ronaldinho, the Kyiv defenders surged forward to smother the angles for the shot. Materazzi lagged behind for just a moment, startled when Ronaldinho's shot rocketed toward him like a meteor. He jumped but couldn't quite get out of the way, and the ball hit his leg, ricocheting into the far corner of the net.
Regardless of whether he got out of the way, that goal would have been ruled out—rules are rules.
"Next time you lie to others, don't lie to your teammates too!"
Materazzi shouted at Ronaldinho as he returned, the latter chuckled softly as he shook off the laughter and prepared to mark his man.
In the minutes that followed, Millwall consistently created threats through their front line's superb ball control, forcing Dynamo Kyiv into fouls. This allowed Millwall to generate more set-piece opportunities.
Pirlo attempted two shots; the first whizzed past the goal mouth, and the second hit the crossbar and was cleared by Dynamo Kyiv. He rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit unlucky today.
As the 84th minute approached, Millwall earned another free-kick opportunity. Henry drifted to the left flank to swap positions with Ronaldinho, attempting to charge the ball down the line before being harshly brought down by Luzhny, which was a clear obstructive foul. The referee decisively whistled for the foul.
Pirlo, Schneider, and Ronaldinho stood again near the ball.
"Odd. Passing to Schneider seems better; his inswingers are suitable for Millwall's head specialists, making it difficult for the goalkeeper. Pirlo and Ronaldinho should let Schneider take this one," pondered one of the commentators.
The three players went back to their game of rock-paper-scissors, and Schneider had good luck again, winning the draw.
Yet they all remained at the ball, and Schneider turned to Ronaldinho, asking, "Hey, you seem to be feeling the goal today."
Ronaldinho nodded, thinking back to his previous shot that might have gone in if Materazzi hadn't been in the way.
"Then you go."
"Are you here to perform tactical deception?"
"Forget it, just shoot; they probably think it's fake."
Ronaldinho thought about it, and he just might be right; they'd had screens on previous set pieces, but changing it suddenly could catch them off guard.
This free-kick was from a 45-degree angle on the left side, and after the referee signaled, Ronaldinho aimed for the far post and unleashed a curving shot.
"When the ball soared off, the Dynamo Kyiv players clearly looked taken aback.
Wait, how did he get to shoot?
Aren't you supposed to have lost in rock-paper-scissors?
Do you really know the rules?
Is it your house rule that the first loser gets to take a shot?"
The ball arched gracefully through the air, with goalkeeper Shovkovskiy completely unprepared for the direct curler to the back post. He scrambled to reach it but came up empty.
Fans in Wembley stood up, ready to applaud this stunning effort.
But then!
The ball hit the post and bounced back!
As Dynamo Kyiv breathed a sigh of relief, the rebounding ball found someone who leaped up high to head it, consciously controlling the angle.
"It's a goal! Millwall leads 2-0 against Dynamo Kyiv! Nedved's headed follow-up salvages Ronaldinho's free-kick! They score again! To be honest, Ronaldinho's initial shot being saved was somewhat disappointing; if that had gone in, it would have been such a beautiful goal. Nevertheless, Nedved has eased the Lions fans' disappointment. Now they can relax; with a two-goal lead, advancing to the Champions League semifinals is within reach!"
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