Capítulo 26: Tornado of Youth
After Trezeguet scored, he turned and pointed at Larsson with a big grin, sprinting over to celebrate with his teammates. The Millwall players gathered around, reveling in the moment.
Feeling a bit parched after the excitement, Aldrich hurried back to grab a bottle of water. Although he wasn't on the pitch himself, directing the game from the sidelines and absorbing every moment kept his adrenaline pumping.
If he could have heard the commentary from the League One broadcast, he would have been thrilled by the announcer's astonishment at Millwall's goal.
"11 seconds! An incredible goal! A delightful play! Stam heads it clear, and Pirès takes the ball, dribbling just under twenty meters before shifting it from the left side of the pitch to Schnider on the right. The German lad made a decisive diagonal pass into the middle, and Trezeguet finds the back of the net! During this attack, only five Millwall players touched the ball, and there was no hesitation. Their speed left the Derby County players in their dust, with pinpoint passing that pushed the game forward without a single step back until the ball found its way into the net! We underestimated Aldrich and Millwall; they're not creating these thrilling goals by accident! Millwall is like a whirlwind, stirring up a storm of youthfulness..."
On the other side, Derby County's coach looked stunned, seemingly taken aback by the turn of events.
But he was already in a tough spot; with a draw and a loss in the first two matches, another loss would likely see his team drop to the bottom of the league standings.
He clapped his hands on the sidelines to encourage his players, hoping to uplift their spirits and push for a goal.
"Hey, guys, there's still plenty of time left! Don't let your heads hang low! Last season, we scored nearly ten goals against them! We can outscore them again!"
His words lifted Derby County's spirits, and the players rallied together to mount a series of threatening attacks after the kickoff.
Aldrich heard the opposing coach's motivational shout, his words cutting through the noise of the match. The history from last season was undeniable; Derby County had scored a total of nine goals against Millwall in their two league encounters and their playoff match.
With a determined look, Aldrich set down his water bottle and stepped to the sideline, raising his voice.
"Their coach says they can score ten goals against us! Did you all hear that?"
He aimed his shout toward Millwall's half, and except for Lucas Neil at the far end, who might not have caught it, the other players heard him loud and clear.
Instantly, Millwall's players sharpened their focus. Defensive duties became more resolute, each player moving with precision and intent, determined to give Derby no opportunities at all.
The crowd in the stands felt conflicted.
Though their team was leading by one, nearly all the players were concentrated in their half, with the ball being played back and forth there.
Their two forwards, Larsson and Trezeguet, seemed far removed from Derby's penalty area, hovering around the center circle.
This was contrary to England's football development over the past decade.
In this era, there's a prevailing theory in English football that towering forwards should crowd the penalty area to create direct threats, thus making a style focused on high balls quite popular, which distanced the game from scoring opportunities.
Trezeguet and Larsson's presence around the center circle appeared to lack urgency, even making them seem a bit lethargic.
Yet, they were keenly observing the positioning of Derby's defense.
In their minds, they clearly recalled Aldrich's tactical explanation during yesterday's pre-game briefing.
"Derby County loves to employ a high-pressing, aggressive style. If they can successfully impose this on the opponent early in the game and score, they'll continue relentless pressure until the other side breaks down. Their defenders stay closely attached to in-form forwards, rushing to intercept the ball or committing fouls to stop the attack. Henrik and David, listen carefully: don't get caught in physical tussles with their defenders. Drop back towards midfield and pay attention to their defensive positioning. They might not always stick to you, but they will habitually press up close at certain moments, creating a significant gap behind them. When that opportunity arises, a cross from one of the flanks will send the ball behind their defense. Let's race! In all of League One—even in the Premier League—there are few defenders who can turn and catch up with our forwards. That will be our time to shine."
Aldrich always subtly praised the players' strengths while strategizing, fueling their motivation to implement his tactics.
However, Derby's high-pressure style had been effective for quite a while. They closely marked Millwall's players involved in building up their offense; though they didn't always manage to disrupt every play, they certainly wouldn't allow any effective buildup.
The tempo of Millwall's defensive play continued until the forty-minute mark of the first half. After sustained pressure, Derby County started showing signs of frustration, their defense also becoming lax.
Southgate intercepted a ball from Derby's forward at the edge of the penalty area, but instead of mindlessly clearing it, he kept his cool.
Among the center-backs, Southgate's footwork was noticeably superior to Stam's. In Aldrich's strategy, Southgate was not only responsible for defensive duties but also for distribution after winning the ball.
Pirès waved for the ball from a gap in the middle of the pitch, and Southgate delivered a precise pass through the crowd.
After receiving the ball, Pirès shifted sideways, evading the approaching interception from Derby's players. Then he glanced toward the forwards and lifted the ball into the opponent's half.
For over thirty minutes before this, Pirès had been looking to collaborate with the wingers for key passes, relying on either Pirès or Schneider to deliver the deadly ball. However, it hadn't worked well, as Derby's players had been tightly marking both of them, preventing any effective offense.
So this time, Pirès chose not to play it wide but to create a threat himself!
Aldrich marveled at Pirès's decision from the sidelines: What a clever player!
Although he expected his players to meticulously follow his tactical plans, spontaneous moments of brilliance were allowed. A player who could read the game and make the best decisions would always earn Aldrich's admiration.
As the ball soared over midfield, it flew above the heads of Derby's entire backline.
It would land around forty yards from the goal.
Derby's defenders immediately turned to chase back, ready to use their bodies to block Millwall's forwards.
But the two center-backs found themselves in a bind.
Once Pirès lifted the ball, Larsson and Trezeguet executed a well-timed interchange of runs, leaving Derby's defenders with no chance for close fouls, creating confusion instead.
The moment they burst into motion, they unleashed an astonishing burst of speed, both thinking: The boss is brilliant!
Derby's defensive line suffered a painful penalty; in mere seconds, Larsson and Trezeguet had opened up a gap of over a meter between them, and that distance only continued to grow.
Larsson was faster, but knowing he wouldn't reach the ball's landing spot, Trezeguet peeled away to be a distraction.
After a brief moment of silence in the once-buzzing Lion's Den Stadium, both Millwall players found themselves in a one-on-one situation, closing in on Derby's penalty area like unleashed beasts. The crowd was holding its collective breath, sensing a brewing storm.
Larsson reached the falling ball just as Derby's goalkeeper chose to confront him. With less than three meters separating them, Larsson opted not to shoot and selflessly passed the ball to Trezeguet.
Trezeguet, who had lagged a step behind, was definitely not offside. He took one touch and surged into the penalty area, already past the line where Derby's keeper could act.
The goalkeeper turned to pounce at Trezeguet, but the angle to block the shot was gone.
Trezeguet continued his dribble toward the byline, dodging the goalkeeper, watching an empty net that gave him a thirty-degree shooting angle. But this time, he returned the favor and passed the ball back to Larsson, who had been waiting in front of the net and was not anticipating the return.
With ease, Larsson slotted the ball into the open goal.
The fans in the stands erupted, all rising to cheer, applauding, and waving their arms, excitement written all over their faces.
Perhaps because the goal had come too easily, Larsson walked over to Trezeguet, sharing a laugh and embracing him in celebration.
Derby's players rushed back into their net, angering the ball into the goal after feeling frustrated; the mood within their team quickly turned sour.
On the sideline, Aldrich tightened his fists, pumping them up and down, holding back from celebrating further.
By halftime, Millwall led 2-0!
Derby County suffered another goal before the break, a devastating blow to their morale, almost a death knell.
In the second half, Aldrich made three substitutions and slowed the pace, but Solskjær, coming off the bench, scored twice in thirty minutes, helping Millwall secure a crushing 4-0 victory over Derby. The stadium echoed with the fans' chants.
"Ole, Ole, Ole, oh Ole..."
Millwall had exacted revenge!
After three rounds, Millwall topped the standings with three wins, ten goals scored, and none conceded.
The team, once regarded as underdogs before the season, had finally captured the attention of all their rivals in League One!
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