allendalepharm Chapter 22: Roma's first goal sparks internal strife at Tottenham?
Chapter 22: Roma's first goal sparks internal strife at Tottenham?
The atmosphere at the Jinling Olympic Sports Center was fervent, with cheers that lasted for a long time.
Under the high pressing of Tottenham's midfield and attacking players, Roma's midfield organization and forward attack were not smooth, and they were forced to pass the ball back repeatedly.
Alisson received the pass and controlled the ball just outside his own penalty area, executing the coach's strategy of slowing down the pace of the game.
Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Lucas Moura, and others continued to push forward.
With his excellent footwork and mental fortitude, Alisson remained calm and composed.
It wasn't until Harry Kane was about five meters away that he passed the ball to Chang Huan, who had dropped back to a deeper position on the right wing to receive it.
Pochettino watched as Roma retrieved the ball again, then spat it out on the ground, exclaiming, "Damn it!"
Chang Huan has a long-term attribute of 87, and also has the ability to observe with the Heavenly Eye Fragment and spatial perception.
The visual feedback from the front field is like having a God's-eye view.
Son Heung-min and Ali are putting pressure on them from a different angle.
Amidst a huge cheer, Chang Huan used the inside of his left foot to flick the ball forward along the right sideline.
He dribbled the ball several meters forward.
When Son Heung-min got close, he suddenly passed the ball forward.
Speed up the attack with quick passing and cutting!
Son Heung-min, who was actively chasing back, tried to pull him back, but couldn't.
The referee, Ma Ning, kept his whistle in his mouth but did not blow it.
With a few stumbles, Chang Huan's ghostly runs repeatedly appeared at Roma's attacking support points, completely linking up the midfield and forward lines.
The battle spread to Tottenham's half, within 30 meters of their defensive zone.
Tottenham players are gradually paying more attention to defending Chang Huan.
However, Chang Huan did not continue to hold the ball; he passed it to captain De Rossi, who was supporting from the middle.
Roma's attack was again mediated by Strootman, and the ball ended up at El Shaarawy's feet on the left wing.
Following head coach Di Francisco's tactical instructions, Chang Huan ran from the far weak side towards the penalty area, hoping to try his luck.
El Shaarawy flicked the ball with the outside of his right foot and cut inside, drawing the attention of Trippier and Dembele before decisively making a through pass in the opposite direction.
Kolarov, making a rapid forward run along the left flank, adjusted his footwork and delivered a left-footed cross before Alderweireld could cover.
The football, rising from the ground, sliced horizontally across the Tottenham penalty area.
Goalkeeper Lloris realized that the ball, which was coming from mid-air with a strong inward spin, was spinning outward from the center of the penalty area and was not suitable for him to come out.
Lorenzo Pellegrini and Dier, positioned near the near post, realized the ball was too high and both stood still.
Vertonghen, Defrel, and Ben Davies in the center of the penalty area judged the landing point and prepared to jump to contest the header.
Chang Huan, who had run to the far post, felt that the ball would definitely not land there, so he simply stopped.
I don't know...
A sudden forward thrust came from his back, causing his upper body to involuntarily lean forward abruptly.
Out of bodily reflex, the legs naturally alternated as one stepped forward, accompanied by a startled cry: "Ah~"
The live broadcast director switches camera angles.
CCTV-5 commentator Shao Shengyi clearly saw a white figure in the distance making a blatant pushing motion and exclaimed, "Foul!"
De Vrij was unable to jump in the middle due to double interference from Vertonghen and Ben Davis.
The mid-air spinning football flew just over the heads of Defrel and Vertonghen.
Referee Ma Ning had noticed that Chang Huan had been fouled at the far end, but his eyes remained fixed on the football in mid-air.
Because a foul can only be ruled out if the ball successfully flies over the target.
The rapidly falling soccer ball unexpectedly struck Ben Davis on the back of the head before he had fully jumped.
After deflecting, the football fell rapidly in a parabolic trajectory towards the right side of the penalty area.
Chang Huan, who had lost his balance, stared at the soccer ball that suddenly appeared in front of his forehead and had no way to dodge it.
He instinctively closed his eyes.
The football, which hit his forehead, flew towards the near post at an even faster speed.
Lloris, standing in the middle of the goal line, turned his head but did not react.
Or rather, there are very few things that can be done.
Their vision remained focused on capturing the football.
A fraction of a second later.
The football grazed the right goalpost, crossed the goal line, and swished into the net...
Chang Huan fell in the right side of the penalty area, looking at the football bouncing in the net with a dazed expression.
what's going on?
That's a goal?
A huge cheer erupted, making him realize...
A goal!
He turned his head to make sure the assistant referee hadn't raised the flag, and excitedly ran with his arms outstretched, using both hands and feet.
He ducked to avoid Florenzi's pull from the side, excitedly rushed towards the right corner area, and celebrated the goal with a knee slide.
Although the goal came in an unofficial International Champions Cup match.
Son Heung-min, standing in the Tottenham penalty area, stared blankly with his mouth slightly agape. He never expected that a casual push would "assist" Chang Huan's header into the goal.
What's going on?
Lloris was very unhappy after conceding three goals in this match!
Seeing Son Heung-min's expression, he became furious and rushed over, sulking, to accuse him: "Hey~ if you're going to defend, then defend! Who told you to push someone? Huh??"
As Son Heung-min turned to walk out of the penalty area, Lloris caught up with him and shifted the blame onto him. Son retorted angrily, "Am I wrong for making a defensive play?"
"Is this a defensive matter? Do you think you can head the ball in if you don't push him?"
Lloris had only wanted to vent his frustration on someone easy to vent on, but he didn't expect Son Heung-min, who was usually quiet, to talk back. He instantly felt offended and his temper flared up: "Don't you know that physical fouls in the penalty area can easily result in a penalty kick?"
Vertonghen realized something was wrong and quickly went over to push Son Heung-min away.
Loris relentlessly continued to hurl insults at him.
Ben Davis also came up and pushed Lloris away.
This scene was captured by the on-site director.
PP Sports commentator Zhan Jun humorously remarked, "Chang Huan's goal really stirred up a hornet's nest! Lloris and Son Heung-min are at odds!"
The fans in the stands, seemingly eager to stir things up, echoed throughout the stadium with shouts of "Hey hey hey!"
The South Korean fans at the scene unconditionally supported Son Heung-min and unleashed a barrage of profanities, starting with "Ashiba," at Lloris.
The Roma players celebrating their goal noticed the new development in the Tottenham penalty area and turned to look at the Tottenham players who were embroiled in internal strife.
Lorenzo Pellegrini put his arm around Chang Huan's shoulder and joked, "Look at your goal, it was really out of timing. Next time it'll be my turn."
"Is it my fault?"
Chang Huan shrugged and spread his hands.
The argument between Son Heung-min and Lloris was prevented from escalating thanks to the intervention of their teammates.
Pochettino then made substitutions, replacing key players such as Son Heung-min and Harry Kane.
Young players such as Walker Peters, Harry Winks, and Nkoudou made their debuts as substitutes.
After being substituted, Son Heung-min walked towards head coach Pochettino, expressing his bewilderment...
She looked as wronged as a young married woman.
Social media platforms are very active at this time.
It's perfectly reasonable for South Korean media, social media, and fans to praise Son Heung-min's aggressive defense; on the contrary, it's shameful for goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris to shift the blame.
Chinese domestic media and fans mainly used humorous headlines, with the general message being: Chang Huan's debut goal sparks internal strife at Tottenham!
The game restarted, and the fans' attention gradually returned to the game itself.
Tottenham made a series of adjustments and played steadily, committing more players to the attack while ensuring the safety of their defense.
In the 75th minute, the ball went out of play.
The Roma coaching staff continues to make adjustments to the lineup.
In this context, both sides' tactical thinking revolved around the substitute players adapting to the rhythm of the game.
"Chang Huan's performance was truly dazzling; he was definitely aiming for MVP!"
PP Sports commentator Zhan Jun praised enthusiastically: "Outstanding footwork, ghostly positioning that always keeps Roma's attacks in check, and excellent vision and accurate long passes that always find the weak side of Tottenham's defense..."
Once again, Harry Winks and Ben Davis were effortlessly dribbled past each other with a fancy croquet ball, prompting SBS Sports anchor Jang Ye-won, who was watching from South Korea, to exclaim in admiration, "Absolutely outstanding..."
Coach Di Francisco and his team have taken note of Chang Huan's performance.
Their outstanding performance in the three International Champions Cup matches made them realize that the detailed plans they made before the season needed to be adjusted appropriately!
Young players like Chang Huan, who can have a positive impact on the game, must be given more playing time.
Too young?
With great power comes great responsibility!
Chang Huan's performance improved, and he became a threat with every ball he handled. Unfortunately, the final shot was not taken advantage of.
In the final stages of the match, Lucas Moura received a pass from Harry Winks on the right wing and moved through unopposed territory.
He dribbled past three players and curled a left-footed shot into the top left corner of the goal.
Ultimately, Roma defeated Tottenham 3-2 at the Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, ending their International Champions Cup campaign with a three-game winning streak.