Volume 7 The Heart of the Lion King Chapter 120 The sun is so dazzling

The New Mestalla Stadium has been hailed as the "best course in the world", but that title should now be on the "Crimson Course".

The dressing rooms of the former best stadium in the world are so well insulated that even if the singing and roaring outside is earth-shattering, as long as the door is closed, nothing can penetrate.

The dressing room was not quiet either, with the highlights of England's 4-2 win over Portugal on the big LCD TV, BBC TV ace announcer Johan. Mortenson's passionate voice echoed through the spacious dressing room.

In the past, music might have been played in the dressing room before the game, but today Mortenson's voice is in the background. The players changed their jerseys and gear while glancing up at the TV screen from time to time.

This was deliberately arranged by Donn. Although the match against Germany was a game that did not require mobilization, he still had to take insurance.

After Donn saw that the players had already changed their jerseys, he turned down the volume on the TV a bit. Everyone also knows that the boss has something to say.

"Our game against Germany was a game that didn't require me to mobilize. So I'll cut it short. Donn coughed and cleared his throat. I'm not worried about your fighting spirit, but I'm afraid you're overzealous. ”

The players looked at each other, not understanding why the leader said this.

"It's good to have passion, but football isn't something you can win with passion alone. We have to keep our heads cool so we can play well. Do you want me to give you an example? In the FA Cup final of the 90-91 season, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest, Gaza [Gascoigne] was clearly overexcited, so instead of hurting his opponent, he injured himself. I don't want to see anything like that after the game starts. Keeping the mind calm at all times helps us to win. ”

"There's been so much pressure on us out there that I should have taken the pressure off you and told you: 'Don't worry, play like a normal friendly game.' But this doesn't work today, we are facing Germany, and we all know what kind of opponent it is. If I really say, 'Let's face Germany like a friendly!' You're going to think I'm not trustworthy as a manager, and I don't understand the situation. So what I want to say to you is ......"

Donn took a deep breath and didn't rush to get the rest of the words out, he was going to give the players time to brew their emotions.

"Yes! Even if we lose to Germany, we can hope to qualify for the knockout rounds, but is that what you want? Losing to Germany, barely advancing as the third in the group, became the joke of the whole world! Think about our performance in the first game, and then look at the present, the gap is so big, can you accept it? Donn gestured to the TV screen behind him. I can't accept it anyway. ”

"In fact, beating Germany and stepping on their corpse to go to the quarterfinals, that's the best result I think. Guys, I'm done, what to do, you all know it, right? ”

With that, Don clapped his hands and let go of the locker room door.

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"Is a draw good for both sides? If the winner is decided in the other match, Germany and England will be second and third, with third place likely to finish third in the best four groups and advance to the knockout rounds. If that's the case, England will be third. However, it is very unsafe after all, so I don't think the two teams will choose to draw. Whether it's Tony. Don or Matthias. Summer, their goal is clear - to win. Only by defeating the opponent can you ensure qualification and take your destiny into your own hands. This is also the dignity of being a strong team. ”

Before the start of the match, the television station in charge of broadcasting the match is inviting experts to analyse the qualification situation of the two teams, and in this way tell the audience how important the match is.

'We've just got the squad for both teams. Both managers were cautious and did not announce their starting line-ups until the last minute. Now let's take a look...... There were such rumours on the English side before the game, saying George. Wood will be back early in the do-or-die clash with Germany to help the team win. But judging by the list we have got, Wood is still on the bench. He was replaced by Michael. Johnson. I'm sure Coach Donn won't fail to understand the importance of this game, and he still won't let Wood play in a game like this, and it seems that Wood's foot injury is not completely healed...... It's a tragedy for the English, who believe they would have had a problem qualifying from the group if Wood had been fit, but now they have to ......fight Germany for a place in the league.

"For England, the goalkeeper is still No. 1 Joe. Hart. The defenders from left to right are Joe. Mattok, John. Terry, Stephen. Taylor and Micha. Richards. Parallel to the midfield, from left to right, is Chris. Cohen, Michael. Johnson, Stephen. Gerald and Walcott. The two forwards are Wayne. Rooney and Aron. Mitchel. There are two changes to this lineup from the first two games, and that is that Richards replaces Glenn. Johnson, who became the starting right-back, actually played more at centre-back at Manchester City, but he was able to play at right-back, and Donn fixed him in this position this game, obviously because of his excellent defensive ability. Another change is Chris. Cohen replaced Downing. Downing is fast and sharp in attack, but the defensive level is not flattering. And Chris. Cohen's biggest characteristic is 'balanced', both offensive and defensive are very average, there are no obvious shortcomings, excellent physical strength, good crossing skills, and at the same time very consciously retreat to participate in defense. In addition he and Joe. Mattok also hails from Nottingham Forest, and the bond the pair has cultivated at the club is sure to help England when it matters most. ”

"Let's look at the German side...... The goalkeeper is No. 1 Adler (rene_adler). From left to right, the back line is Jensen (marcell_jansen), Westermann (heiko_estermann), Mertesacker (per_mertesacker) and Lahm (philipp_lahm). The four midfielders are in a diamond position, with Rolfes (simon_rolfes) as the central midfielder and the talented Toni from Bayern Munich up front. Cross (toni_kroos). Left midfielder Schweinsteiger (bastian_sch._khedira). The two strikers are Podolski (lukas_podolski) and Mario. Gomez (mario_gomez). ”

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While the starting line-ups for both teams were being shown on TV, players from both teams were lining up in the corridors of the Estadio Nova Mestalla.

The players' aisles at the Estadio Nova Mestalla are separated in the middle, and there are two exits for each team to use. This design naturally avoids a skirmish between two teams that have always had old grudges coming together.

Bounded by the players' corridors, the stands of the fans of both sides are separated on both sides. The exit of the German team is next to the stands of the German fans, while the exit of the England team is against the stands where the English fans gather. Such an arrangement will allow them to receive the warmest cheers when they appear, without worrying about lighters and coins falling from the sky.

"Guys, it's time for us to play!" John wearing the captain's armband. Terry turned his head and shouted to his teammates behind him. At the same time, on the other side of the wall, Schweinsteiger was shouting the same thing.

Amid deafening shouts, the English and German players rushed out and onto the steps leading to the pitch.

"They're out!" In the stands, in the TV booths, in front of the TV, everyone shouted like this.

England wore their red shirts, while Germany wore traditional white shirts and black shorts. The players of both teams walked onto the pitch with their heads held high, and the high-profile Anglo-German battle was about to begin.

The atmosphere was frenetic, with both the English and the Germans cheering up their teams in the way they were good at, shouting the names of the players one by one. The temperature inside the stadium suddenly rose a few degrees compared to the outside.

The match was scheduled for 5pm local time, and the midday heat had not yet dissipated, but in front of the enthusiastic fans, it was nothing at all.

Donn stood in front of the dugout with his hands in his pockets. Today he didn't wear a suit, only a shirt, but a tie. Before the game even started, the back of the shirt and the armpits were already soaked with sweat.

People sweat when they are excited, nervous and scared. The atmosphere on the court made Donn's heart start to beat faster, sweat kept oozing out, and he was excited.

This frenzied atmosphere did not subside until the national anthems of both sides were played. Whether it's England or Germany, sporadic boos can be heard when the national anthem is played. The two countries have a long-standing grudge in football, and even occasions when they should show respect to their opponents have inevitably become a stage for mutual provocation.

After going through the necessary procedures, the players of both sides stood on the pitch and waited for kickoff.

The afternoon sun was shining brightly, and the green turf was a little white, and the white jersey of the German team almost blended into the background, which was piercing and painful, and people did not dare to look directly at it for too long.

Don suddenly cursed badly...... The Germans even took advantage of this, and England were at the back before the game even began. I knew that he would stick to the white jersey and let the German team wear the red ......

Although the new Mestalla stadium is cleverly designed, there is no backlit and backlit environment for both sides of the game, but the snow-white jerseys reflect the bright sunlight, causing their figures to look dazzling, which cannot be changed by the stadium environment.

Take a look at the expressions on the faces of the English players...... Without exception, they all squinted, frowned, and had to turn their faces sideways to look at their opponents, and they couldn't stare too long, and they had to look away when they glanced at them, or their eyes would want to cry.

Don realized that he wasn't mean enough, because he hadn't discovered the trick of using sunlight. I didn't expect honest Germans to play this game, but was it an intentional act or a pure coincidence?

He also misses his pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses now, and he can't stare at the German players for too long off the pitch. Bowing his head to avoid the glare of the light, he whispered an expletive. He could certainly have his sunglasses retrieved, and he would be the first ever football manager to direct a game on the sidelines with sunglasses on, adding to his personal book. But that won't help the team, he will only make the players feel like they're being abandoned.

As a result, Donn could only endure the trouble caused by those glaring jerseys and chose to stand with his players.

Even the referee put the pergola on his forehead with his hand, looked at the players on both sides, and after checking the time with the fourth official on the field, he blew the whistle for the start of the game!

"It's game on! England kick-off! ”

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The glare of the sun and whitish turf, as well as the German jersey, caused a lot of trouble for England. As soon as the Germans moved, the blinding white swayed in front of the eyes of the English players, as if someone was holding a mirror and playing a game of reflecting sunlight in front of their eyes.

Don't underestimate such details. The visual disturbance will naturally make the player's mood become agitated, and the trance, inability to concentrate, and even more ensuing. Just look at Michael. Johnson's passing of the ball straight off the touchline without defending shows just how much trouble this inconspicuous detail has caused England.

Although this influence is not decided, it is important to know that England is facing the German team, not just a cat or a dog. Against such an opponent, any mistake can have serious consequences.

Originally, Donn arranged for the team to attack first, and used continuous attacks to boost the team's morale. Now England easily ceded possession and retreated, only to be pressed back by Germany a few minutes later. England were reluctant to concede defeat like this, they were trying to find opportunities to attack, and as long as possession was on their side, it was suddenly four or five England players rushing to the opposition half, completely sparing no effort and fighting spirit.

But in Don's eyes, his brow furrowed.

The feud between the England team and the German team made the English players unwilling to lose the upper hand in the game against the German team, and they couldn't stand the slightest grievance. It's a good thing to be competitive, but if the blood rushes up and the reason is drowned out, then a good thing becomes a bad thing.

In such a situation, the German team obviously took advantage of the natural conditions to gain the upper hand, and this is the time for England to hold steady and shrink the defence. England usually behave like that, but today against a special opponent, England's players still only think about attacking.

Don felt that he couldn't go on like this, and he had to get the team back on track.

He walked to the sidelines and shouted to the nearest players: "Shrink the defense, let's play the defense and counterattack!" Don't press it out! Watch out for the space behind you! ”

Naturally, those players will pass on his instructions to the whole team, and it will be up to the England players to calm down.

After being yelled at by Donn, England's defence was clearly much more solid. The offense is no longer blindly pressurized, and it is won by numbers.

The game went back to the 'defensive counter-attack' that Donn and England are used to.

Donn doesn't care about playing ugly, but England fans must not be able to stand the England team's "bag" appearance, and German fans also think that their team has the upper hand, and they keep singing in the stands, cheering for the team, and by the way, damaging the arrogance of England fans.

Summer, on the other hand, was not as excited as the fans, and when he saw Donn yelling at him and England starting to recycle, he didn't think it was good. His men have collected information on the matches of England and Portugal, and the England team, under Donn, has become very accustomed to defending and counter-attacking. If their own team continues to press England to play......

He thought of that 4-2 match. Portugal's yesterday seems to be Germany's today.

So he went to the sidelines and blew the whistle.

German fans must be eager to see their team beat England, even if they can't score goals, it's cool to be able to press England out.

But Summerer didn't get what they wanted.

After trying to besiege England for 10 minutes, Germany also withdrew and began to slowly weave their way around England in midfield.

Such a change is naturally considered from the safety of the team, but it makes the fans who watch the game very dissatisfied......

In this way, it was originally a game like Mars hitting the Earth, but because the coaches on both sides were more concerned about the result, it became dull.

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(To be continued)