章 509: Champion Mentality
Valencia's manager, Cooper, is a former defender, and the team he has built, the Bats, has become a force to be reckoned with. Mestalla has become a place where many top teams fear to tread.
There weren't many secrets to his team. The depth of their squad was fairly typical—nothing that could match the real giants of football. They were a team that could compete and fight hard, but their key players were limited. Their tactical approach wasn't one of endless variety, but much like the skilled masters in stories, they'd focused on honing a few things to perfection. And Valencia had done just that, turning counter-attacking into an art form and smashing opponents with it.
Cooper had led Millwall to the Champions League final with his defensive counter-attacking tactics. The British media, eager to hype up Millwall, took shots at Cooper for his style, but Aldrich disagreed. In fact, he held Cooper in high regard.
Valencia, with its limited squad, had no choice but to adopt counter-attacking tactics.
Their defense is aging, with an average age of over 32, and both full-backs are above 34. Would it make sense for them to push forward? The midfielders need to protect the defensive line, and this unity across the team is very reasonable.
At this point, Valencia's star player is the "Flea," Claudio López, who is the focal point of the team's counter-attacks. His runs down the left wing are unpredictable and wreak havoc on the opposition's defense, making defenders feel like they're facing a ghost.
The team's leader is the Basque tough guy, Mendieta. The midfield he leads is considered one of the best in Europe.
Football, after all, is played on the field, not on paper. It's about practicality and efficiency. Many teams have more star power than Valencia, and some are stronger on paper, but the chemistry of a team matters. It's the difference between individual talent and the collective effect.
The game begins with Valencia launching an attack. Angulo is dispossessed by Gattuso, and Millwall transitions from defense to offense. However, they don't rush, maintaining a steady tempo and controlling the ball well.
Spanish teams are known for their possession-based football, combining individual ball control with team coordination. It's delicate, and sometimes their attacks flow as smoothly as mercury. This is one of the reasons why La Liga started to surpass Serie A after the turn of the millennium, while Serie A's top clubs, once dominant in European competitions, fell short. Even though Manchester United and Millwall had dominated the Champions League in recent years, the English Premier League still lacked the overall appeal. Most teams relied on brute force, emphasizing physicality, with tactics and technical ability falling short compared to Serie A or La Liga. This is why Millwall's dominance in England is sometimes criticized.
But today, Millwall showed off their superior ball control and passing ability.
Valencia's counter-attacking style doesn't press high up the pitch, which allows Pirlo the space to dictate the midfield.
Ronaldinho, Larsson, and Nedvěd aren't rushing forward. Instead, they follow Millwall's football philosophy.
If they push too early, they'll be marked tightly and reduce their own space. The key is to pull back, control the pace, and then accelerate when the right moment comes, creating an opportunity.
The match played out quite differently than the spectators expected. People were anticipating Millwall's whirlwind of attacks and Valencia's unstoppable counter-attacks.
In reality, Millwall dominated the midfield, attacking slowly, while Valencia struggled to make an impact. The players started to get impatient.
In the 12th minute, Mendieta made a daring tackle on Pirlo, who quickly accelerated and passed the ball to the wing, giving Zambrotta room to move forward. This was a signal—Mendieta was out of position, so Zambrotta surged forward with speed, dashing down the touchline.
Angelo Ma, 35, had his gaze locked on Ronaldinho. As Zambrotta charged down the line unchallenged, it wasn't until he cut inside rather than crossing that Angelo Ma abandoned his mark on Ronaldinho to press the ball. But as soon as he moved, Zambrotta found Ronaldinho with a pass. Ronaldinho took it down the wing and delivered a low cross. Canizares read the play perfectly, anticipating the ball and throwing himself down to smother it. Henry was a heartbeat away from finishing, so he gave Ronaldinho a thumbs-up before sprinting back to his defensive position.
Valencia launched another attack, while Millwall's forward line dropped back to help with a high-pressure midfield defense. The defense line moved up, creating a trapping circle around the midfield.
Farinós and Gerard exchanged passes before risking a ball over to the left wing for López, the little flea, who was remarkable in his first touch, dribbling past Schneider.
Unfortunately, just as he got past Schneider, the ball ran a little too far ahead, and Materazzi quickly closed the gap. As López tried to regain control, Materazzi swept the ball to Butt, the goalkeeper.
Butt stopped the ball and passed it to Southgate, who passed it to Zambrotta on the wing. Millwall organized another attack, taking their time with the pace.
Controlling the tempo was one of Aldrich's key strategies for this game.
Millwall's opponents were great at counter-attacking, so if Millwall tried to increase the pace, they might create more pressure but would also risk giving the opposition counter-attacking opportunities.
Slowing the game down allowed them to maintain a solid formation, minimizing gaps. Aldrich also believed Millwall had an invisible advantage that Valencia lacked.
The champion's mentality—the composure of a final.
Valencia's first time in the Champions League final, the pressure was immense.
In the last thirty years, Valencia hasn't won a league title, so in this context, Millwall needs to keep their composure and slow the pace. If Millwall sticks to their methodical attacking play, the pressure on Valencia will mount. Their internal struggle will intensify—desperate to win but afraid of losing. With no control over the ball, unable to attack, unable to control their own destiny, how can they possibly win?
The situation on the field clearly reflected this. Pirlo controlled the ball; could Valencia press?
Who would press? The forwards couldn't win the ball back, and if the midfielders moved up, they would lose their position.
Once Pirlo calmly controlled the midfield, moving the ball from side to side with stability, his penetrating passes would often catch Valencia off guard.
This was especially true when Millwall's attacking players unexpectedly switched positions.
"Millwall's tactics today have been spot-on, completely dominating Valencia. Valencia has been unable to create any threatening attacks. Under the pressure of Zambrotta's pressing, Mendieta had no choice but to pass the ball back. Pellegrino launched a long ball forward, but the possession quickly returned to Millwall's feet. It seems like Hall's preparations have been meticulous, giving the opponent no chance to counterattack."
Valencia's breakout season this year was undoubtedly linked to their background.
It was similar to Millwall's first season in the Champions League, where European giants underestimated the Lions, and Aldrich's counter-attacking defense led to the big teams being caught off guard.
In simple terms, it was the opponent's underestimation, thinking they could win with just a strong attack, only to be caught by surprise.
Aldrich wasn't rushing today, avoiding pushing his team too far up and giving the opponent space for a counterattack. He compressed the midfield and pressed hard when Valencia attacked. Millwall's players were faster overall, and the opponents could only rely on passing and cutting through. This was something Aldrich was confident in—Millwall's tactical discipline and execution could limit the opponent's play.
In the 36th minute of the game, Kily González broke past Pirlo, but Gattuso intercepted the ball. González, unusually, stayed glued to Pirlo, and just as Gattuso was about to pass the ball to him, his movement came to an abrupt halt. It seemed like Gattuso had a brief mental lapse. He had planned to pass to Pirlo, but upon seeing Pirlo tightly marked and unable to find space, he froze, unsure of what to do next.
Lopez was sprinting from behind Gattuso, and Pirlo, seeing the danger, quickly pointed to the right. Gattuso almost blindly passed the ball to that side.
Schneider, who had made a run, received the pass and launched a quick counterattack.
On the wing, Schneider accelerated, passing Gerard, and then effortlessly dribbled past Herlado, who had been filling in for the suspended main player, Caboni.
The left-back, rarely seen in the league, had an unremarkable performance today. Schneider stopped on a dime, feinted, and with a quick drag, bypassed Gerardo to enter the penalty area.
The Valencia defense was left scrambling, but Schneider kept his cool. After evaluating his teammates' runs, he played the ball back to the top of the box.
Henry, making a reverse run out of the area, received the ball just outside the box, and with a delicate inside-foot pass, he chipped it into the box.
Henry's movement drew defenders away, giving Larsson the chance to make a precise diagonal run into the middle. The two were in perfect sync, and Henry's positioning created space for Larsson, who now found himself in a favorable position.
Inside the box, Larsson controlled the ball, facing the keeper in a one-on-one. But with barely two meters between him and the defenders, Kucic and Pellegrino were closing fast.
He calmly controlled the ball, set himself, and with a quick, accurate strike, he slotted it into the far corner.
Larsson timed it perfectly. After taking the shot, Jukić and Pellegrino stretched their legs to block, but by the time they reached him, Larsson had already taken his shot. The ball was too well-placed for Canizares to reach as he dove, and he could only watch the ball go in.
After steadying himself, Larsson opened his arms wide and sprinted toward the sideline in celebration.
"Henrik Larsson! Henrik Larsson! Henrik Larsson!!! Although his goal tally this season is lower than Henry's, Larsson, the lethal striker who has been breaking Milwall's all-time top scorer record with every goal, how could he be absent in such a crucial match? This is his stage! As his sixth season with Milwall nears its end, Larsson has already scored more than 160 goals for the club, proving himself as the efficiency king! This goal is the result of a brilliant combination between Schneider, Henry, and Larsson—simple, quick, and deadly. Valencia should never have given Milwall such an opportunity. Not only did Larsson comfortably control the ball inside the box, but he even had time to adjust his shot. Perhaps it was no more than two seconds, but for Larsson, that was more than enough! Now, Milwall is leading Valencia 1-0, and their second UEFA Champions League title is within reach, with the treble glory coming ever closer!"
Larsson walks over to the sideline, smiling as he faces the roaring Milwall supporters.
For him, winning honors with the national team had always seemed nearly impossible, so much so that at the age of nearly 30, he had begun to consider retiring from international duty. He wanted to devote all his energy to the club, giving his utmost to Milwall.
As he watched the passionate Lions supporters cheer him on, Larsson thought to himself: 'It's not enough, it's still not enough.'
What wasn't enough?
A second Champions League?
No, it's still not enough.
Millwall could achieve even more—third, fourth, fifth...
He was determined to bring more trophies, not just for the club, but for the fans and for himself!
He wasn't as fortunate as Henry, who became a World Cup champion at such a young age, but Larsson had the same dream—to become a legend and surpass many of football's most famous names.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット