Chương 440: Breaking Through the Defense
As the match kicked off, the pace was slow. Both teams needed time to adapt to the slippery pitch and ensure their passing accuracy. But some players seemed hyped up like they'd been injected with adrenaline!
In the first ten minutes, Arsenal found themselves almost fully on the back foot, forced deep into their own half. Overmars and Pires, reluctantly, had to track back, with Overmars especially aware of Dixon's struggles to contain Ronaldinho, who seemed to be in top form and attacking relentlessly
In the 11th minute, Arsenal attempted a long clearance from their defense. Ibrahimović managed to chest down the ball while facing away from the goal; he then spun around and dribbled forward. Makelele pursued him from behind in an attempt to cut off his path, while Materazzi, who had been marking Ibrahimović, was also well-positioned. Ibrahimović had come back to collect the ball, and after turning, Materazzi, close to Ibrahimović, became the first line of defense, forcing Ibrahimović to maneuver away, which would lead him right into Southgate's and Makelele's intercepting area. Zambrotta was tightly marking Bergkamp's run; unless Arsenal slowed down to reorganize, they risked losing their fast counter-attack.
Ibrahimović went straight for a breakthrough. His dribbling skills weren't yet flawless, but they were precise enough for the Premier League.
Materazzi moved to stop him, coming in from a slight angle with a clean tackle. If Ibrahimović dodged, Makelele would intercept him for sure. But Ibrahimović took an even bigger step, and Makelele darted in to take the ball.
Materazzi, however, stayed down. The wet turf had caused his slide to slip, resulting in a pulled thigh muscle.
Makelele kicked the ball deep into the opposing half, and Millwall's medical team ran onto the field.
Aldrich, from the sidelines, covered his head in disbelief.
Damn it!
Could Ibrahimović's black belt give him an added edge? After all, it was just a regular tackle on a simple dribble, yet somehow Materazzi ended up injured. Was this just bad timing, or some kind of jinx?
Aldrich called for Neil to warm up.
"Oh, it looks like Millwall is forced to make a substitution as Materazzi leaves due to injury. It might be because of the pitch conditions. We'll have to see if this change impacts Millwall significantly. Physically, Materazzi was more than capable of handling Ibrahimović, but can Neil keep Ibrahimović in check? We'll just have to see how it plays out on the field."
Before sending Neil in, Aldrich pulled him aside and said, "Don't get fixated on going one-on-one with Ibrahimović. Keep an eye on your teammates' positions, and don't rush in blindly. As long as you don't let him break through head-on, shutting him down won't be that hard."
Neil nodded repeatedly. After all, Ibrahimović was younger than him; he just looked taller and more powerful. With long legs and delicate footwork, Neil couldn't underrate his capability, nor overlook Ibrahimović's natural advantages. Aldrich felt it necessary to stress this point.
In truth, Neil's arrival in place of Materazzi didn't significantly alter Millwall's posture on the field. As both teams adapted to the rainy conditions, Millwall enjoyed the advantage of playing at home, clearly outperforming Arsenal. It didn't hurt that Millwall's firepower outmatched that of Arsenal as they maintained relentless pressure through their attacking plays.
Ronaldinho repeatedly tormented Dixon; one-on-one encounters were spectacular, arguably total victories. But such local triumphs hadn't yet yielded any significant advantages for the team.
Aldrich gestured for Ronaldinho to ease off on the relentless assault on Dixon.
In his mind, if they could wear Dixon down, the two center-backs would shift their defensive focus his way, leaving gaps on the opposite side.
But today, Overmars had dropped deep to assist Dixon, which meant Ronaldinho's dazzling performances, while impressive, weren't as effective.
Millwall began to interchange positions, and their complex attacking movements with their three-pronged frontline became bewildering to read.
With another slick move in front of Dixon, Ronaldinho left him reeling, instinctively retreating as if haunted. Ronaldinho then found Nedved, who didn't head straight for the box but instead exchanged positions with him. In a seamless switch, Nedved sent the ball back to Ronaldinho, leaving Vieira spinning in circles. His reckless pursuit saw him narrowly miss Ronaldinho, while the ball was already passed to Ronaldinho, waiting behind him.
As Larsson and Henry swapped positions, Ronaldinho passed the ball to Henry, who was completely unguarded on the right. Silvinho instinctively moved to mark Larsson, leaving Henry with plenty of open space. Henry took a direct shot as soon as he received the ball.
But that shot! The angle was too central!
Seaman made a slight adjustment and grasped the ball firmly, quickly setting up a counterattack!
Wenger's eyes shone with intensity on the sidelines.
This is a prime opportunity!
The Millwall attackers had just completed their positional swaps, with hardly anyone in their original positions. At this moment, launching a counterattack meant that Millwall could not possibly establish their first line of defense for reclaiming possession!
But in the next second, Wenger's face was filled with astonishment!
Indeed, Nedved was on the left side with Ronaldinho in a central role; Larsson had taken up the striker position alongside Henry on the right—none of this was where their starting positions had been established.
However, as Arsenal initiated their counter-attack, the four players showed no hesitation and instinctively fell into the roles expected of them, running straight back for defense.
Larsson and Ronaldinho pressured Vieira and Petit while Henry and Nedved chased down Overmars and Pires. There was no sense of confusion; their defending was cohesive and calm.
Arsenal's rapid counter-attack ground to a halt when Overmars passed the ball toward the center.
Bergkamp, about to receive the ball, was intercepted early on by Pirlo, who successfully read the play.
Wenger was in utter disbelief. Defenders typically sprint in straight lines when tracking back—it's the shortest route, a straightforward concept.
Yet, what really mattered was that every player understood exactly whom they were supposed to mark, the area they needed to cover, and where they could cut off a pass most effectively. If two defenders ended up marking the same player, they'd clash, leaving gaps for the opponent to exploit.
Even with Millwall's attack getting turned around, their forwards kept a clear defensive structure!
Aldrich, what kind of formidable team have you crafted here?
This team has the hallmark of a historic, record-breaking side!
"Unbelievable, Andy. Until now, Millwall had been playing against foes with considerably lesser strength. Today, facing Arsenal, we're witnessing their seemingly flawless defense—it's truly impressive."
"From a tactical perspective, Millwall's front-line defense embodies an all-out attack and defense philosophy that 99.9% of teams cannot achieve! Take Ronaldinho, for example: when attacking from the left flank, he plays as a winger. When he moves into the center and swaps positions with Nedved, he becomes an attacking midfielder, while Nedved takes on the winger role. In defense, Ronaldinho is supposed to mark or support Zambrotta to strengthen the left flank. However, from the attacking midfielder position, instead of tracking Overmars, he marks the advancing Petit, who should have been Nedved's responsibility. Similarly, Nedved now has to mark Overmars.
This defensive strategy may sound simple in theory, but when several players swap positions, if even one player fails to stay alert and mark their designated opponent, it creates clear openings for the opposing team to exploit. Millwall executed this exceptionally well, successfully limiting Arsenal's counterattacks. With Zambrotta in front of Overmars and Nedved behind him, Overmars chose not to break through, avoiding a battle of attrition, so he passed forward. With no options in the center, as Vieira and Petit were closely marked by Larsson and Ronaldinho, he opted to pass to Bergkamp, only for Pirlo to intercept, thus ending Arsenal's counterattack."
"Achieving this requires a high level of tactical intelligence and game awareness. Millwall's ability to restrict Arsenal's rapid counterattacks to such an extent speaks volumes about how frightening Hall's coaching is."
"As the father of total football, Michels, once said, to truly unleash the power of total football, at least seven world-class players are needed. For now, Hall isn't pursuing the ideal of total football; he's allowing the four most advanced players in attack to execute this tactical philosophy. The back line, starting from Pirlo onwards, is hesitant to push forward. I believe this audacious tactic needs to be grounded in reality; you can't expect the entire team to adopt this philosophy. Defenders and forwards swapping positions, with forwards also completing defensive tasks, only exists in an idealized world. Hall is pragmatic; he seeks a balance point that allows the attack to be even more potent than expected while also solidifying the defense. Perhaps now, he has found that balance."
The cold rain and wind streamed down Wenger's face, and he couldn't tell if the droplets were sweat or rain.
The unfolding situation on the pitch entrapped him.
Arsenal's once unstoppable counter-attacks in the Premier League had been shut down perfectly by Millwall three times in a row right in the midfield!
Wenger realized that Millwall's high pressing had zeroed in on the midfield; if they breached that zone, it would be smooth sailing ahead!
Arsenal had quick players, but Overmars found himself pushed deeper into defense due to the pressure from the flanks, starting counter-attacks far too deep, unable to leverage his speed in transition.
As for Bergkamp, Ibrahimović, and Pires – they might have some pace, but they had no speed advantage!
Under this immense pressure, the Arsenal players sensed urgency, so they increased their tempo during counter-attacks. Players sprinted faster, passing more quickly, attempting to slice through Millwall's defensive lines at speed.
However, on the football field, over-relying on speed often came with a caveat: mistakes!
Pires was on the left side with the ball, eager to make a move. He tried to loft a pass over Schneider to Ibrahimović without waiting for the pressure to come. But the execution faltered; Neil intercepted the poorly aimed pass with a jump, directing it back into the attacking half with a powerful header.
Vieira sprinted forward too quickly and ended up overextending himself. While Pirlo may not have been as fast as Vieira, he turned sharply, raced forward, and managed to collect the ball. He then played it out to the right, getting it behind Pires, where Ronaldinho was waiting.
Without pausing the ball, Ronaldinho initiated a one-two with Nedvěd, deftly evading Petit's challenge. As he approached Silvinho, he faked him out and surged down the byline, pulling the entire Arsenal defense towards the end line before sending in a cross.
The ball arced over the heads of the Arsenal defenders, sailing past Henry and the advancing Nedvěd.
What a pass!
How did it fly from the Arsenal byline to the edge of the area?
Positioned at the corner outside the left side of the box, Larsson steadied himself, raised his right foot, and connected with a stunning volley!
"Larsson strikes from outside the box! It's a goal! Larsson, Larsson, Larsson! Millwall's phenomenal striker, Larsson!"
The powerful shot left the foot with no spin, shooting like a bolt of lightning into the top left corner of the Arsenal net, leaving Seaman utterly stunned.
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nt_a Hey, folks! Life sometimes throws things our way, so I’ll need a day off tomorrow. But we’ll be back on track right after. Thank you for hanging in there!
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