Capítulo 129: An Amazing Shot Shocks Ronaldo and Messi!
In the 36th minute, Pogba held onto the ball for too long and got intercepted by the Spanish players in the attacking third. Xavi sent a long pass, cutting through the French defense.
As soon as Lin saw his teammate intercept the ball, he sprinted towards the penalty area. Just as he entered the box, the ball flew over the heads of two defenders and landed right in front of him.
Goalkeeper Lloris reacted quickly, rushing out to block Lin's shot angle.
With no time to adjust, Lin couldn't stop the ball and chose to take a volley.
With a loud bang, the ball flew towards the goal.
Lloris reacted swiftly, diving to the side and stretching his body to form an almost impenetrable wall.
The angle for this shot was incredibly tight. If Lloris reacted in time, the shot would either be saved or miss the goal.
As Lloris leaped, he realized Lin's shot was exceptionally high quality.
The ball grazed Lloris's fingertips, heading towards the left side of the goal.
The hearts of fans from both teams, whether at the stadium or watching on TV, were in their throats.
French fans prayed to God, hoping the ball wouldn't go in.
Spanish fans, on the other hand, prayed for the opposite.
Lloris felt the ball brush past his fingertips and already sensed it might go in.
He turned his head in despair and watched as the ball struck the inside of the post and bounced into the net.
Lloris sighed heavily, feeling exhausted and dejected.
If he had prepared just a bit more, and reacted a bit faster, would the result have been different?
If the shot had been slightly more outward, it might have bounced out instead of in!
Just a tiny bit!
Spanish fans, both at the stadium and in front of their TVs, were also shocked. Only when they saw the ball bounce in did they finally relax.
That was so nerve-wracking!
French fans, on the other hand, were stunned into silence.
Being one goal down still offered hope for a comeback, but two goals down...
Even the most optimistic French fans couldn't remain hopeful now.
The slow-motion replay on the big screen showed that Lloris had indeed touched the ball slightly with his fingertips, but it wasn't enough to significantly alter the ball's trajectory.
If Lloris's fingers had been just a centimeter or two longer, he might have saved it.
Seeing the replay, Spanish fans celebrated Lin's brilliance but also developed a bit of respect for the French goalkeeper.
This goalkeeper is impressive, almost saving such a difficult shot!
But Lin's shooting was out of this world. Hitting such a quality volley?
Is he even human?
The goalkeeper had blocked so much of the goal, yet Lin still managed to score from such a tight angle.
That's terrifying!
After scoring, Lin was also surprised. He thought Lloris might have saved it. He ran to the camera and did a bow-and-arrow celebration.
French number ten, Benzema, stood with his hands on his hips, looking envious.
If only I had such excellent shooting skills, would I not get criticized so much at Real Madrid?
If they win, it's because of Ronaldo; if they lose, it's my fault.
Come on!
Don't I want to win too?
Remembering how even his coach, Mourinho, called him a cat, Benzema felt indignant.
From now on, I, Benzema, will strive to improve. I will learn to shoot better and prove everyone wrong!
How to learn shooting skills?
Easy, watch highlight reels of Ronaldo, Messi, and this Lin kid a hundred times!
Combine the best from all of them, and I'll get there!
As Benzema decided to learn from Lin, his teammate, Ronaldo, was also impressed by Lin's shot.
"He's got some skill, but if it were me, it would have been even prettier!"
Ronaldo thought, pondering how he would have handled that situation.
The French goalkeeper was quite good; regular methods might not have worked.
After thinking for a while, Ronaldo realized he couldn't find a better way.
Impossible, am I not as good as that kid?
Coentrão, Ronaldo's teammate for both club and country, was the last to walk into the hotel. Seeing Ronaldo still in the lobby watching the game, he was surprised.
"Cristiano, aren't you going to rest?"
Coentrão asked curiously.
"It's still early, you go ahead. I'll come up later."
Ronaldo replied without even looking at the time.
Early?
Coentrão checked the time. It was almost 9 PM.
Professional players usually maintain a strict schedule, going to bed early and waking up early to ensure 9-10 hours of rest, crucial for maintaining peak performance.
Ronaldo was known for his discipline and regular schedule.
Now, it was already 9 PM. By the time they finished their routines, it would be bedtime.
But Ronaldo seemed intent on finishing this game before resting.
What kind of game could be so captivating that it made him disregard his usual routine?
...
Far away in Argentina, Messi was also astonished by Lin's goal.
"Beautiful! That shot was perfect in angle, timing, and power!"
After admiring the goal, Messi pondered the same question as Ronaldo.
If it were me, how would I have handled that situation to score?
Lin's execution was excellent. The shot was of very high quality.
But, could it be done even better?
For ordinary players, possessing Lin's skills would be enough.
But Messi and Ronaldo are not ordinary players!
They are both phenomenal superstars and, because of each other, they're never satisfied with their current abilities.
Both Ronaldo and Messi want to become stronger, surpass the other, and become the only king of football!
The more Messi thought about it, the more he wanted to go outside and kick the ball.
While it was nighttime for Ronaldo, it was daytime for Messi.
So, during halftime, he planned to take a ball outside and try it out.
...
On the field, Spanish players ran over to celebrate with Lin.
The goal was spectacular. Even as spectators, they couldn't help but applaud.
Unless an even more remarkable goal is scored in this round, this might be the goal of the week.
"Lin, how did you score that one?"
Xavi asked while ruffling Lin's hair.
Other teammates also listened intently, curious.
"Just like this, then like that, and it went in. Got it?"
His teammates rolled their eyes: We understood nothing!
Forget it, the world of geniuses is beyond our grasp.
Lin's goal further boosted the team's morale. For the rest of the half, Spain's attack waves kept crashing on France's goal.
In the 39th minute, Alonso made a through ball, but Iniesta's shot from the edge of the box went just over.
A minute later, Lin backheeled a pass to David Silva in the box, but Silva's shot was blocked by the goalkeeper's leg.
With Spain's possession rate climbing, France's goal faced constant threats.
French goalkeeper Lloris was the busiest man on the pitch.
Continuing his excellent form from the previous game, Lloris made save after save, keeping the scoreline from worsening.
However, the French fans were on edge, seeing their team under such pressure.
We can't keep being passive. We need to attack!
If we don't even have a threatening counterattack, the Spaniards will only press us harder.
The French players knew they couldn't continue like this.
They attempted a few counterattacks during Spain's sieges but without success. Spain's midfield was too packed, making passes hard to complete.
Apart from his early brilliance, Pogba's performance was dismal.
In less than 40 minutes, he had three errors.
Facing Lin, he was completely outmatched.
Each defensive attempt was a failure, unable to contain Lin.
Moreover, Lin intercepted Pogba once, and in his haste to reclaim the ball, Pogba committed a foul, earning a yellow card.
This disastrous performance made French fans lose patience.
Those who thought he could be the next Zidane were utterly disillusioned.
With such a performance, he doesn't even deserve to shine in Zidane's shoes!
Seeing Spain's midfield impassable, France quickly changed tactics.
In the 42nd minute, France intercepted the ball at the back and sent a long pass, bypassing the midfield.
The ball reached the wing, where Bayern winger Ribéry sprinted to get it. He dribbled past Arbeloa, creating a one-on-one with Valdés.
But Ribéry's shot to the far corner was saved by Valdés diving to his side.
France missed their best chance of the half.
After saving Ribéry's shot, Valdés clenched his fists and let out a roar.
With Casillas injured in the Copa del Rey, Valdés, usually a substitute, found his chance.
In recent matches, whether against Uruguay, Finland, or France, Valdés had performed well.
This earned him the coaching staff's trust. While Casillas was out, Valdés was Spain's undisputed number one.
When Casillas returns, who to choose as the starting goalkeeper would be Del Bosque's headache.
After missing this golden opportunity, both teams struggled to create more chances for the remainder of the half.
At halftime, Deschamps consoled Pogba.
"Don't take it too hard. Spain's midfield is very strong. Losing to them is no disgrace."
"Even if we lose this match, it's not your fault, nor is it the end of the world."
"If needed, we can play the playoffs. As long as we don't face top European teams, we have a good chance."
Feeling Deschamps' reassurance, Pogba regained some confidence.
"Paul,
in the second half, don't mark Lin. He's too agile; you can't contain him."
Seeing Pogba's fighting spirit return, Deschamps gave him a new task.
"Just mark Xavi. He's older and less mobile. You should be able to handle him."
Based on the first half, Deschamps identified Xavi as Spain's midfield engine.
If Xavi's passing could be limited, Spain's attack would be less threatening.
Pogba nodded firmly, feeling confident about marking the lighter Xavi.
If I can't mark Lin, can't I mark you?
The second half began quickly, with the teams switching sides.
Spain played cautiously, anticipating a French offensive surge.
France did try to press early on but held back after seeing Spain prepared.
After five minutes, both sides opened up, and the game's pace quickened.
In the 51st minute, Cabaye's baseline pass was shot over by Benzema.
Seeing the ball go over, Benzema waved his fist regretfully.
At least it was slightly better than the last shot, not a complete miss.
With a settled mindset, Benzema became more threatening.
In the 57th minute, Valbuena's cross found Benzema, who outjumped clubmate Ramos but narrowly missed the goal.
This attempt was better than the previous ones. Without Ramos' interference, it might have gone in.
"Good, keep playing like this. I feel we're close to scoring."
In the French commentary box, seeing the team's improved attack, especially Benzema, the commentators were hopeful, even predicting an imminent goal.
Sure enough, within two minutes, there was another goal on the field.
Unfortunately, it was Spain who scored, not France.
In the 59th minute, Monreal, signed by Arsenal for £8.3 million in the winter transfer window, showcased his dribbling skills.
He broke through the defense on the left, crossed to the center, and Iniesta poked it in, beating Lloris again!
0-3!
France trailed by three at home!
This sudden goal caught the French team off guard.
They were attacking well and had found their rhythm.
But now, their momentum was abruptly halted by Spain's goal!
This was supposed to be their celebration, but it became the opponent's.
French players' morale took a severe hit. Trailing by three goals is vastly different from trailing by one or two!
They couldn't even accept a draw. Three goals down meant they needed four to win.
But scoring four against Spain?
That's wishful thinking!
If Spain decided to defend resolutely, they wouldn't even concede one, let alone four!
In the 2010 World Cup, Spain conceded only two goals, none in the knockout stages, and won the title.
In Euro 2012, they conceded just one goal, none in the knockout stages, and won the title.
Scoring four against them was nearly impossible!
With a comfortable lead, Spain made a substitution.
Villa came on for David Silva.
Since Lin secured his starting spot, Spain's forwards, like Torres and Villa, found it hard to get playing time. It was somewhat unfair to these veteran contributors.
So Del Bosque tried to give them time when leading, to keep them in form for major tournaments.
Villa, eager to impress, was active. Lin saw opportunities to pass to him.
However, Villa, having been benched for a while, seemed out of form, wasting two good chances.
"Lin, sorry for wasting your great passes. Next time, just shoot yourself."
Villa apologized to Lin.
"No worries. We dominate possession and create many chances. Missing one or two is okay."
Lin didn't mind. He knew his teammates' shooting skills well.
Spain wasted many chances in this game, so he was used to it.
Despite the score, France didn't give up, playing with abandon.
In the 62nd minute, Cabaye's shot went over.
Spain responded, with Xavi's shot also going over.
In the 65th minute, France got a good chance. Ribéry beat his defender and crossed to the box.
Benzema missed, but Matuidi got the ball.
Unfortunately, his rushed shot went straight to Valdés.
This was France's second wasted golden opportunity, both thwarted by Valdés.
Barça's keeper was sensational in this match.
French fans were speechless. Given chances, but the team couldn't capitalize!
Had they seized one, it wouldn't be so dire!
Seeing this, Del Bosque applauded Valdés while considering giving him more chances when Casillas returned.
As time ran out, France played more impatiently.
In the 68th minute, Pogba fouled Xavi and got a verbal warning.
Two minutes later, Xavi was fouled again by Matuidi from behind.
This time, the referee showed a yellow card.
Repeated fouls on Xavi seemed to stifle Spain's attack, but France's offense still struggled.
In the 74th minute, France got their best chance.
A miscommunication in Spain's defense saw Valdés and Ramos fail to sync. Valdés missed the ball from Varane.
With Valdés out of position, Varane faced an almost open goal.
Shockingly, under Monreal's pressure, Varane missed the empty net.
France squandered their third golden chance.
French fans were furious. Given chances, and they blew them!
Even dogs could play better!
Refund our ticket money!
Refund now!
Already skeptical due to the team's many black players, the French fans' disappointment turned to anger, feeling they came to witness a tragedy instead of a victory.
We came to see you win, not get thrashed!
With fans turning against them, French morale plummeted.
Seeing the opponent's low spirits, Spain made another change. Fabregas replaced Iniesta.
Del Bosque also had Martinez warming up to replace Xavi, who was targeted by the French.
Before Martinez could come on, a huge twist happened on the field!
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