Capítulo 303: Chapter 303: A Global Dilemma: How to Limit Lin Quan!
Chapter 303: A Global Dilemma: How to Limit Lin Quan!
At the new Water Source Stadium in Salvador, the defending champions Spain are playing against Costa Rica. Costa Rica has opted for a very cautious 5-4-1 formation. This choice is quite wise since Spain is the most offensively powerful team in this World Cup. They have scored 16 goals in their last four matches, averaging four goals per game.
Facing such a formidable offense, it would be foolish to engage in an open attack instead of focusing on defense. After the match started, Spain did not rush their offense. Instead, they patiently probed Costa Rica's defensive weaknesses through careful passing and coordination.
Most Costa Rican players play in their domestic league, which is not very competitive, so their individual skills are not as refined as those of the Spanish players. Spain has a good strategy for such a defense—speed up the play! The top European leagues are superior mainly because they have many star players with high levels of skill and tactics, which allows them to play at a very fast pace. In lower leagues, the slower pace is often due to players' individual skills.
Limited by stamina, passing skills, awareness, and vision, players in lower leagues struggle with a fast-paced game; their error rate increases significantly when the pace is accelerated. This is evident in the annual Club World Cup, where Europe's top clubs face champions from other continents. For example, Asian champion Guangzhou Evergrande couldn't keep up with Bayern Munich's pace at the Club World Cup, despite being able to defeat champions from Central America.
Spain's coaching staff had already researched and identified these weaknesses before the match. Spanish players were aware of their strengths and the opponent's weaknesses, hence playing to their strengths.
In this match, Lin Quan finally experienced what it's like to be a superstar, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Costa Rican players identified him as the primary threat within the Spanish team and assigned someone to mark him closely throughout the game. Whenever he got the ball, he was quickly surrounded and pressured by multiple players, and they did not hesitate to commit fouls against him.
Just 20 minutes into the first half, Lin Quan had already drawn three yellow cards. The main referee, Ilmatov from Uzbekistan, likes to control the game tightly. In his matches, it's rare for the situation to spiral out of control. He often steps in early at any sign of trouble. He had anticipated that Costa Rica might use a foul-heavy strategy against Lin Quan. While this strategy is viable, it comes with a price. If not managed, continuous fouls could escalate tensions, potentially leading to a brawl on the pitch, which would be undesirable.
His issuance of three consecutive yellow cards cooled down the Costa Rican players. For the rest of the match, they were cautious about committing fouls, giving Lin Quan more space to operate. In the 21st minute, Spain launched a quick counterattack. Lin Quan, drawing the defenders' attention, looked towards the center but cleverly passed the ball with the back of his heel to David Silva on the wing. The pass was stealthy, and Costa Rica's defenders couldn't immediately catch up with Silva, allowing him to make a cross. To avoid interception, Silva's cross was powerful.
Torres was a bit slow to start and couldn't reach the ball, and Costa Rican goalkeeper Navas also misjudged the catch. Unfortunately, there was no second Spanish player at the far post to capitalize, and the ball slid across the goal unchallenged.
Coach Del Bosque stood up on the sidelines, applauding the players for the attempt. Although they didn't score, the attack was well-executed and posed a genuine threat. Most importantly, Lin Quan was back in form.
In the 25th minute, Spain attacked again, this time switching to the right flank. Lin Quan advanced with the ball while observing the defensive positioning of the opposing players. The defender, thinking Lin Quan was distracted, attempted to steal the ball. However, Lin Quan quickly moved it away as the defender's foot reached out.
Gambóa was taken aback. Wasn't he not watching the ball? How could he react so quickly? No, it wasn't just reflexes. Was it a trap? Had Lin Quan pretended not to watch the ball to lure him into making a move? The more Gambóa thought about it, the more it seemed likely, but by then it was too late.
Lin Quan had already bypassed him, cutting in from the right toward the box. Seeing Gambóa beaten, the Costa Rican defense rushed back, with midfielder Borges charging at Lin Quan. He planned to stop Lin Quan or at least foul him if he couldn't manage a clean tackle. Borges was lucky earlier not to receive a card, so he had some leeway for a foul.
Lin Quan saw Borges approaching but didn't stop or pass immediately. His teammates hadn't opened up enough space; passing now would likely lead to a stagnant attack. Regrouping would give the Costa Rican defense time to organize, making it hard to break through. The best option was for him to keep the ball a bit longer, draw more defenders, and then pass.
Borges, thinking Lin Quan would pass and seeing an opportunity to strike, crashed into him without hesitation. Expecting to easily overpower the shorter Lin Quan, he was shocked when Lin Quan, sturdy like a little tank, didn't fall but instead caused Borges to stumble back several steps and land on his rear!
Borges was stunned, unable to believe he had lost in a physical challenge. Not just him, but everyone, including the coaches and fans from both teams, was surprised by the outcome. Lin Quan, after getting past Borges, faced a double team. He didn't keep the ball but quickly passed it.
Iniesta received Lin Quan's pass, drove into the box, and made a high-quality shot. Unfortunately, Navas continued his excellent form from previous games, making a spectacular save to deny Iniesta's attempt. Lin Quan couldn't help but glance at Navas with a bit of admiration for his strong performance.
Iniesta shook his head; his shot was decisive and of good quality, which might have succeeded against another goalkeeper, but Navas was the best in La Liga for a reason. The Spanish fans at the venue, though disappointed, were thrilled by the sequence of dangerous attacks. Being able to attend the game in Brazil, they were mostly die-hard fans of the Spanish national team and had full confidence in their team's abilities. As long as Spain maintained this momentum, scoring was only a matter of time.
More than Iniesta's shot being saved, what really caught the attention of the fans watching both at the venue and online was the comic scene of Borges trying to bump into Lin Quan and ending up falling himself. They found it hilariously absurd.
"Haha, Costa Rica's number 5 thought he could handle Lin Quan!"
"Too bad, the flop failed!"
"Not only did he fail, but he also embarrassed himself in front of a global audience. If I were him, I'd be looking for a crack to crawl into right now!"
"Stop, I can almost feel his embarrassment as if he's trying to dig a three-room apartment on the pitch with his toes!"
"Lin Quan may look unassuming, but he sure can take a hit!"
"LOL, remember when Fulham's Richardson tried to take him down and got schooled by Lin Quan? Don't be fooled by his height; his physical strength is no joke!"
"I checked, and Lin Quan weighs about 74 kg, which is actually a kilogram more than Borges. Plus, with his lower center of gravity, he's not at a disadvantage in a collision."
"Lin Quan is 173 cm tall, that's not short, right?"
"About average height? He's a tad taller than Messi!"
"If we're comparing heights, a certain player known for tiptoeing in photos might have something to say!"
"Comparing heights with Ronaldo and Messi? That's just mean!"
"Exactly, since when is height the measure of a hero? Let's compare goals instead, like World Cup goals?"
"Fun fact, Messi has participated in three World Cups and has a total of 5 goals so far."
"Ronaldo also participated in three World Cups, with a total of 4 goals."
"And here's the kicker: Lin Quan, in his first World Cup, has already scored 6 goals. He's also the top scorer of this tournament. Now that James Rodriguez is out, only Messi and Müller pose a threat to him on the scoring charts."
It's shocking to compare these numbers. Fans know Lin Quan has been exceptional this World Cup, scoring multiple goals. But because he's also a prolific scorer in league and Champions League play, many don't realize what these numbers represent.
When fans listed Messi and Ronaldo's World Cup achievements, they realized just how terrifying Lin Quan's six goals in four matches are.
"This game isn't over yet. Lin Quan might score again. If he scores one more, he'll leave James Rodriguez behind and take the top spot alone!"
"Wow, is Lin Quan that fierce? I've always known he's great, but he seems even more impressive than I thought!"
"I feel the same, but why is that?"
"Why? It's because Lin Quan is younger and hasn't been in the professional scene for very long, so he doesn't have as many fans yet, which is why everyone subconsciously thinks Messi and Ronaldo are better."
"That makes sense. It might also have to do with the league and club Lin Quan is in."
"Exactly, Messi and Ronaldo are in La Liga, and Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the top clubs in the world. The attention their matches generate is naturally much higher than Lin Quan's visibility at Manchester City. Not just the fans, but the media too prefer to cover the clashes between those two over anything else."
This is perhaps the most convincing explanation, and fans generally accept this reasoning.
"Let's use this World Cup to show those who have overlooked Lin Quan just how far he has come!"
"Go Lin Quan!"
...
Borges was indeed embarrassed. When his teammates helped him up, he couldn't help but explain:
"I just slipped, I wasn't stable, it won't happen again!"
His teammates glanced at him doubtfully. I'm not blaming you, why are you so eager to explain?
Borges didn't realize his own mistake, but Costa Rica's coach Pinto noticed something:
"Spain's number 30 has stronger physical resistance than we expected."
He had assumed that because of Lin Quan's smaller stature, he would be less capable in physical confrontations, which is why he had set up a smothering strategy.
From the results in the first 20 minutes, this tactic seemed to have some effect. But Borges being knocked down by Lin Quan suggested that it wasn't just the physical combat strategy that was effective, but also the combination with foul tactics.
Without enough fouls, it would still be difficult to contain him. But with three players already carrying yellow cards, continuing with foul tactics would be risky. Given Ilmatov's officiating style, he wouldn't tolerate continued fouls from Costa Rica. They might end up with several players sent off before the match even ended.
So, this method was not viable; they had to think of something else. If top European club coaches couldn't come up with a solution, it was too much to expect him to find one in a short time.
In the end, there was no solution. Costa Rica couldn't limit Lin Quan!
Thank you for your concern. Here's an update on my mother's condition in the hospital. After being admitted, her condition has stabilized somewhat. The doctors have scheduled a coronary angiography for tomorrow to determine the extent of blockage in her heart's blood vessels and will then decide whether to proceed with stenting or bypass surgery.
(End of this chapter)
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