Capítulo 187: The Whole Stadium Sings the Lin Song
"Central Television, Central Television!"
"Dear viewers, we are live broadcasting the focus match of the fifth round of the 2013-2014 Premier League season, Manchester City versus Manchester United."
"I'm your host, Iruk Yoj!"
"And I'm Medraawd!"
Iruk Yoj glanced at the current Premier League standings and said:
"Currently, the two teams are ranked first and fifth on the standings. Manchester City has won all four of their previous matches, accumulating 12 points to top the table. Manchester United, with two wins, one draw, and one loss, has 7 points and is ranked fifth."
Medraawd added:
"Although the standings show Manchester City in the lead, the gap in strength between the two teams isn't as big as the standings suggest."
"Exactly, the outcome of this match depends on which team performs better!"
"Enough talk, let's take a look at the starting line-ups for both teams..."
"Manchester City is using a 4-4-2 formation today, with Lin playing as an attacking midfielder. However, he likely won't stay in one position and will probably act as a free-roaming forward as in previous matches."
"That's right. He can play in any forward position, and giving him enough tactical freedom can unleash his power. Restricting him to one position would weaken his impact."
"With the referee's whistle, the match has begun!"
"Manchester City has possession. Aguero passes the ball to Lin, who then passes it back to captain Kompany. Manchester City is playing patiently, not rushing their attack."
As Manchester City patiently played in their half, Medraawd and Iruk Yoj began to discuss.
"Since Pellegrini joined the team, he hasn't made many changes to Manchester City's attacking system. His main focus has been on organizing the defense."
"Exactly. Manchester City's offensive power is undeniable, but their defense has been shaky. While they can use their strong attack to suppress mid- and lower-tier teams, hiding their defensive weaknesses, these weaknesses become apparent against stronger teams. This was also why they couldn't advance further in the Champions League last season."
...
After receiving Lin's pass, Kompany and his teammates passed the ball a few times. When they attracted the opponent's forwards to press, Kompany decisively launched a long pass, aiming to find his forwards upfield.
This caught Manchester United players off guard. Since Manchester City brought in many Spanish players, their attacks had mostly been ground passes. They rarely used long balls, so Manchester United wasn't prepared for this.
Aguero received the ball, and Carrick immediately rushed to intercept. Aguero quickly passed back to Lin, who switched the ball to the right, giving it to winger Navas.
Navas sprinted down the flank, evading Evra's interception, and delivered a cross near the byline. The cross wasn't great; Manchester United defenders Ferdinand and Vidic blocked Aguero and Negredo, preventing them from getting the ball.
After this quick attack, Moyes applauded Manchester United's defensive effort from the sidelines.
Though Ferdinand and Vidic were getting old, especially the 35-year-old Ferdinand, they were still irreplaceable on Manchester United's defense. Ferguson relied on them, and Moyes had to continue using them.
However, both players' contracts were set to expire in a year. If Manchester United didn't achieve anything significant in the league or Champions League, they might leave next year.
It was now Manchester United's turn to attack. Carrick passed to Rooney, who used his strong physical presence to drive forward before passing to Welbeck.
People often criticized Rooney's rough technique, calling him a clumsy player, but this pass was beautiful. If Welbeck could reach it, it would be a one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
Unfortunately, Welbeck slipped and missed the opportunity.
"Damn it, the grass is too wet. Otherwise, I would've gotten that ball!"
Embarrassed by missing the ball, Welbeck blamed the wet grass.
Pellegrini was unhappy with this. Manchester City's midfield failed to intercept, allowing Rooney to pass. If not for Manchester United's mistake, they might have conceded.
He signaled his players to strengthen their midfield defense, especially Yaya Toure and Fernandinho, urging them to be tougher and not let Manchester United easily pass through.
With the coach's instructions, Manchester City's midfield intensified their efforts. The match quickly turned into a midfield battle.
In this tussle, both teams made more mistakes.
In the third minute, Evra intercepted the ball in midfield and passed to Fellaini. Before Fellaini could pass to the wing, Manchester City's players intercepted it.
Manchester City launched a counterattack. Fernandinho passed to Negredo, but he was quickly surrounded by Manchester United players and lost possession.
Manchester United tried to attack, but their pass didn't get past midfield before Yaya Toure cleared it out of bounds.
The battle on the pitch was fierce, with constant tackles and fouls. Both teams' aggression increased, forcing the referee to tighten his calls to prevent chaos.
In the fifth minute, Manchester City defender Nastasic fouled Smalling and received the match's first yellow card.
This yellow card served as a warning, making both teams more cautious. However, the midfield battle continued, preventing either side from organizing effective attacks.
In the stands, Guardiola pondered.
If he were the coach, how would he solve this?
Placing the playmaker in the defensive midfield position seemed insufficient. Maybe he should pull them back further, perhaps to the center-back position. But this would weaken the defense, especially against strong attacking teams.
Instead of pulling back, could the playmaker be placed on the wing? Perhaps a wide defensive midfielder or attacking midfielder?
This was a bold idea, as no one had tried it before.
Uncertain if it would work, Guardiola was already eager to experiment with this new strategy.
...
On the pitch, seeing his teammates struggle in the midfield battle, Lin decided to drop back and help press Manchester United's players.
Lin's presence added an extra player to Manchester City's midfield, providing an additional passing option and expanding their defensive coverage.
Manchester City began to dominate the midfield battle.
In the 15th minute, Manchester City organized an attack. After passing through the midfield, the ball reached Aguero.
Surrounded by Manchester United players, Aguero saw Lin coming to support him and quickly passed the ball to him.
With Manchester United players closing in on him, Lin didn't force his way through. Instead, he retreated, evading their press.
Near the center circle, Manchester United's defenders hesitated and fell back, leaving the pressing to their teammates.
Noticing this, Lin realized Manchester United's defense had strict zones. They only pressed aggressively in certain areas.
He decided to test this more.
As soon as Manchester United's defenders fell back, Lin advanced with the ball again.
Rooney tried to tackle but was easily bypassed by Lin. Against the agile Lin, Rooney seemed clumsy, and taking the ball from him was impossible without fouling.
Carrick and Fellaini moved in to intercept, but Lin passed to a teammate on the wing and advanced.
With space on the wings, Navas quickly moved past the halfway line to support.
Receiving Lin's pass, Navas sent a through ball back to Lin.
With Carrick and Fellaini left behind, Manchester United's defenders had to step up.
Lin used the same tactic, retreating with the ball. Seeing Carrick and Fellaini closing in, Manchester United's defenders decided to retreat.
Now!
Seeing the defenders abandon their press, Lin seized the moment, accelerating past Ferdinand.
Between Vidic and Ferdinand, Lin felt Ferdinand was stronger a few years ago. At 35, Ferdinand had the common issues of older players: declining physical fitness and reaction speed.
For a center-back, these were critical weaknesses.
Surprised by Lin's sudden charge, both Vidic and Ferdinand were caught off guard. Ferdinand instinctively tried to tackle but remembered Lin's deceptive moves and quick footwork.
Realizing he would be easily beaten, Ferdinand chose to retreat, waiting for support.
But Lin wouldn't give him time. Seeing Ferdinand not tackling, Lin accelerated, planning to outpace him.
Ferdinand was furious. This kid is underestimating me!
He grabbed Lin's jersey while trying to block him. Ten years ago, even five years ago, Lin might not have won this duel.
But against a 35-year-old Ferdinand, it wasn't hard.
Breaking free from Ferdinand's hold, Lin reached the ball first.
Seeing Lin bypass Ferdinand, De Gea had already rushed out. With less than two meters between them, De Gea would reach the ball in half a second.
Lin stayed calm, skillfully flicking the ball to his left, creating space before chipping it over De Gea.
De Gea reacted quickly, but Lin's shot was faster.
The ball sailed over De Gea's head, curving into the net.
The Etihad Stadium erupted with 50,000 fans cheering wildly.
"Beautiful!"
Guardiola couldn't help but praise the goal.
"Lin keeps surprising me every time I see him!"
Guardiola applauded Lin while speaking to his assistant, Ten Hag.
Ten Hag admired Lin's skillful play and joined in the applause, trusting Guardiola's judgment.
After scoring, Lin celebrated by running to the corner flag, gesturing for applause and cheers.
The Manchester City fans didn't disappoint, chanting his name so loudly it almost deafened everyone.
Some fans even began singing a song they had created for Lin – "The Lin Song."
At first, not many knew the song, but its catchy tune soon spread, and more fans joined in.
Soon, the entire Etihad Stadium was singing "The Lin Song."
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