章 275: Pride and Prejudice
With Barcelona down by two, Van Gaal chose to make no substitutions. Although the team's attack looked vigorous, they were unable to convert their chances.
As the match progressed, the Barcelona players grew more and more sluggish, their attacking prowess dwindling, leaving them struggling to find a way to score.
Millwall's backline worked together to break down the opponent's positioning, alerting each other whenever the ball came into a threatening area. At times, they wouldn't hesitate to commit fouls to stop the opposing team's progress.
Several of Barcelona's free kick specialists struggled to find their rhythm, missing two direct free kicks in a row and both sending the ball into the stands.
Aldrich watched the game from the sidelines, a complex mix of emotions rising within him.
Was this the tragedy of Dutch football?
His thoughts drifted back to a painful memory: three years later, in the Euro semifinals, the Netherlands had faced Italy. The Italians, who had gone down to ten men in the first half, created few chances, while the Dutch unleashed their relentless attack. They missed two penalties during regular time and failed to convert three out of four in the shootout, ultimately falling to Italy.
That game made Toldo a hero, as he faced six penalties but only conceded one.
It was a victory that all Italian fans would find hard to forget.
But what about the damage it inflicted on Dutch fans? And on the global supporters who cherished the beauty of attacking football?
Dutch football won the hearts of worldwide fans yet consistently fell short on the pitch, unquestioningly crowned the "uncrowned kings."
Aldrich shook his head, trying not to dwell on such thoughts. He feared becoming idealistic; while beauty is commendable, it does not inherently change the score.
In clashes between top teams, desiring both victory and style is a luxury—as distant as it is unattainable.
During the first-half stoppage time, Barcelona pushed hard to change the score, leaving their defense exposed against counterattacks.
Today, Barcelona's biggest issue was their midfield's inability to intercept effectively.
Relying solely on Guardiola to stifle Millwall's rapid counterattacks was grossly underestimating them.
Among the forward lineup of Giovanni, Rivaldo, Enrique, Figo, and Anderson, only Enrique contributed significantly to defense—but he was stuck on the wing, limiting his scope of action.
Schneider played a short pass to Ballack, who, seizing a chance against Giovanni's futile attempt at a tackle, neatly let the ball pass behind him. Nedved, shielding the ball, laid it off to Makélélé, who then fed it forward to Larsson.
As all Barcelona eyes followed the ball, they suddenly spotted Larsson's position, sending chills down their spines.
How did he get to the center-forward position?
Larsson had his back to the goal, with Kutó pressing close behind, but Van Nistelrooy was only three meters away, making his run. Kutó chose to abandon Larsson to mark Van Nistelrooy, wary of being caught off-guard.
This allowed Larsson to turn and engage directly, charging forward while Barcelona's defense began to retreat.
Shevchenko sliced in from the wing again, and in that moment, Larsson found himself at the edge of the box. Everyone expected him to pass to Van Nistelrooy or Shevchenko.
But just as the defenders shifted their weight, Larsson effortlessly broke through the entire line, and in the regretful gazes of the defenders, he calmly slotted the ball into the corner of the net, extending the score to 3-0!
"0-3! 0-3! Is there still hope for Barcelona? Larsson's goal has essentially sentenced Barcelona to death. Given their recent two home defeats, it seems they have almost no chance of breaking out of the group. Finishing top is a dream; second place may be attainable, but they certainly won't be among the two best teams across all groups."
As that ball hit the net, the first half came to an end.
Larsson became the center of attention, a key figure in this first half, which resembled Shevchenko's earlier brace and altered the course of the match.
The massive boos from Camp Nou seemed directed at Aldrich.
As both teams returned for the second half, Aldrich chose to remain in the coaching seat, his expression still stern, as if he were naturally unexpressive.
Millwall's substitutes warmed up on the sidelines.
Barcelona launched a fierce attack in the second half, but again struggled to find the key to score.
As the 60th minute approached, Millwall made a substitution.
To the shock of fans around the stadium, Shevchenko and Larsson, the two goal scorers, were replaced by the 19-year-old Lampard and the soon-to-be-aged Gattuso.
Millwall adjusted to a 4-3-2-1 formation and added a midfielder. Gattuso serves as the defensive midfielder, Nedved and Lampard serve as the attacking midfielder, and Ruud van Nistelrooy remains as the lone forward.
Barcelona's fans shook their heads in disbelief.
This was humiliation!
This was downright disgrace!
This was bare-faced shame!
As Aldrich approached to shake hands with the two departing players during the substitution, he said, "Conserve your energy; the season has only just begun."
Aldrich succinctly expressed his rationale for the changes.
Larsson understood fully; having been highly active last season, he ended up injured—at his age, he was well aware of the importance of protecting his body.
Shevchenko felt a bit frustrated; he believed he still had more goals in him, perhaps even a hat trick.
However, Larsson had no complaints; he dared not voice any discontent.
They both exchanged high fives with each coach before sitting down, chatting and laughing.
Gattuso, newly introduced, quickly fouled Figo, earning a yellow card.
Barcelona had several seasoned players who would surely capitalize on Millwall's recently altered formation, targeting their most vulnerable spots.
However, after this mistake, Gattuso quickly integrated into the rhythm of the game. In one-on-one defense, he relies on his own courage and effort. While his skills can't be described as weak, it's clear he's a little behind the top players, so he makes up for it with teamwork, which he does extremely well under Aldridge's guidance.
Barcelona's aggressive play continued, but their defense faced constant alarms.
After replacing two wingers, Millwall's offense became more direct, transitioning quickly to attack in small spaces through the center with their forwards pushing up along.
After a couple of costly passes, Lampard delivered a sublime over-the-top through ball. Nedved, channeling his inner forward, dashed forward, successfully avoiding the offside trap, embarking on a long run!
As he neared the goal, Baía charged out to block Nedved's angle for a shot. Instead, Nedved flicked a pass into Van Nistelrooy's path, who slotted the ball into an empty net. Barcelona had no defenders chasing back!
"Spain's giants, Barcelona, seem to have surrendered. They are utterly powerless against Millwall's incisive, lethal counterattacks. Van Gaal's tactical system is failing today—no attacking flair and an easily breached defense. Perhaps Van Gaal should set aside his championship coach ego and genuinely understand Millwall's players. Larsson, Shevchenko, Nedved—all exhibit blazing speed. With such gaps in Barcelona's backline, what can their defenders do against opponents sprinting straight at them, aside from committing fouls?"
Van Gaal remained as unperturbed as ever, resembling a mountain that remained immovable in adversity. Meanwhile, Aldrich continued to make substitutions.
Gronkjaer came on for the recently scored Van Nistelrooy.
Van Nistelrooy enjoyed the day; he had an assist and a goal at Camp Nou.
With Trezeguet injured, he felt he had a chance to challenge for a starting position.
In this first team, as Ronaldinho had told Aldrich, things like Van Nistelrooy being "selfish" simply wouldn't happen. The reason was straightforward—he was the star in the reserves but merely a supporting character in the first team. If he wanted to be the lead, he had to excel in that supporting role first.
Van Nistelrooy understood this point well.
After Gronkjaer replaced him, Millwall had no true center forward left. If Gronkjaer was considered a winger, Millwall didn't even have a striker.
Barcelona's fans felt this was a humiliation from Millwall.
Aldrich was crossing the line; he was killing them without reserve, leaving Barcelona with no shred of dignity!
Substituting out the goal scorers and throwing a bunch of inexperienced kids into the ring against a La Liga giant like Barcelona is a bold move.
If everyone on the Barcelona coaching staff sees this as a humiliation for Millwall, then Aldrich would be quite pleased.
Because it would likely cause them to lose their cool, further clouding their judgment and preventing them from grasping reality.
The outcome of the match was set in stone, but for pride, couldn't they score at least one goal at home?
They failed to score against Dynamo Kyiv at home and now trail even further, with Barca still without a goal. What face do they have left?
As a result, Barcelona pressed up the field, their offensive structure completely collapsed, stacking players forward as if to overwhelm Millwall's defense with sheer numbers.
Seeing the situation unfold like this, Aldrich felt a sense of ease.
The match had become simpler.
Zambrotta cleared the ball with a massive boot, and as Gronkjaer sprinted forward from midfield, he gave Abela no chance to impede him, charging into the opposing half solo.
Aldrich's substitutions were not about humiliation; bringing on Lampard and Gattuso was to solidify defense and fully unleash Nedved. The reason for introducing Gronkjaer was even simpler.
The Danish wing wizard was much faster than Van Nistelrooy!
When Bahia left the goal interception and was about to meet his opponent outside the penalty area, Gronkjaer subtle shot made the Camp Nou fans start to hide their faces. The ball soared through the air, creating a stunning arc that seemed to be heading towards Barcelona's empty net.
At that moment...
Gronkjaer was left astonished, as the ball struck the crossbar and rebounded back.
Baía pivoted to chase back while Gronkjaer prepared to celebrate. But shocked to find the ball had not gone in, he realized he wouldn't catch up to Baía now.
Yet, some players never give up. Nedved, sprinting alongside Baía, matched him stride for stride, and as Baía gained speed, Nedved had already outpaced him. He connected with the rebounding ball for a confident volley, sending it straight into the net!
"0-5! The only remaining question is whether Barcelona will score at home. This result will surely provoke reflection among the Barca hierarchy. For a club of their stature, not only winning but winning beautifully matters. Yet, when victory itself eludes them, what's the use of style? They've belittled teams like Dynamo Kyiv and Millwall, yet Barcelona is unable to find the net, and while they play beautifully, there's no disputing they are on the losing end—losing by a wide margin."
After his goal, Nedved returned to embrace Gronkjaer, who stood with arms akimbo and a wry smile. He planted a kiss on his head before they strode back together, while the other Millwall players dashed toward the section of stands containing less than two thousand traveling fans, celebrating wildly!
In the waning minutes of the match, Barcelona utterly lost any attacking impetus.
After all, ineffective attacks only left them open to counterattacks; they opted to run down the clock and urged the referee to blow the final whistle.
As stoppage time was announced, Aldrich rose calmly from the bench, hands in his coat pockets, and walked steadily toward the players' tunnel.
All fans who watched the game remembered this seemingly indifferent young coach. People have a strange misconception that it is not so much that Van Gaal looks down on Aldridge, but that Aldridge ignores Van Gaal and even scoffs at the idea of shaking hands.
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