Three Men Beaten in a Row, Straight Through to the Heart of the Defense! Are You Really Playing Defensive Midfield?

Dong Fangzhuo didn't actually have much prejudice against Tang Long.

If there has to be one, it's that Dong Fangzhuo once boasted that he was the first China player in the Premier League, using this to gain massive online attention.

Although his performance declined steadily after leaving Manchester United and he didn't play well;

After returning to China, he could only play for teams at the China League One level.

However, this experience studying abroad still brought him many benefits, making him a frequent guest at many events.

However, ever since Tang Long moved from Serie A to the Premier League, Dong Fangzhuo has been completely overshadowed by Tang Long!

Therefore, when talking about Tang Long, Dong Fangzhuo couldn't help but deliberately use a senior's tone to lecture this junior, revealing a sense of superiority that fans disliked. "I was playing in the Premier League seven or eight years ago. When I was playing football, you didn't even know what you were doing."

Actually, compared to Tang Long, what Dong Fangzhuo dislikes is Manchester City as a club.

Although he scored fewer than 50 goals throughout his entire career, made only 4 appearances for Manchester United, and had no particularly outstanding statistics;

But in his heart, he has long been deeply marked by the Red Devils and considers himself a true Manchester United player!

(Netizens exclaimed, "Dong Fangzhuo has become Dong Zhuo!")

When Dong Fangzhuo was playing football, Manchester City hadn't risen to prominence yet; they were truly the noisy neighbor that Manchester United fans talked about.

Although both are located in Manchester, Manchester United's glory far surpasses that of Manchester City.

At that time, Dong Fangzhuo could never have imagined that after Middle Eastern oil capital entered the market waving its checks, the balance of power between the two sides would actually be reversed!

In recent years, with Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement, Manchester City has completely overshadowed Manchester United in the Premier League.

Blue Moon, under Mancini's leadership, not only won their first Premier League title in 2012;

In the years that followed, they became the strongest contenders for the Premier League title, consistently ranking among the top in odds of winning the championship!

Manchester United's situation has taken a sharp turn for the worse, and they are now a team struggling to qualify for the UEFA Champions League.

This also troubles Dong Fangzhuo greatly. If Manchester United gets worse and worse and can no longer regain its former glory, his popularity and aura as a "Manchester United legend" will also decrease.

He didn't expect to make a name for himself in football anyway. If the aura of being a former Manchester United player diminishes, how will he make a living in the future?

Fortunately, Manchester United has made a strong comeback this season, acquiring two big names, Icardi and De Bruyne, in the transfer market, and has been sprinting to the top of the standings.

This boosted Dong Fangzhuo's confidence, led to a rebound in his popularity, and even resulted in him signing sales agreements with many live-streaming agencies in China.

Dong Fangzhuo has seen a second spring in his life and is ready to make a big splash in the second half.

This is precisely why Dong Fangzhuo's hostility towards Manchester City has intensified.

"Manchester United's goals this season go far beyond the Premier League title. They could very well replicate their treble-winning feat from the 2007-08 season. The Red Devils will eventually rise again; they will always be the dominant force in Britain and Europe!"

He firmly believes that Manchester United will rise strongly this season, surpass their city rivals Manchester City, and regain their former glory.

So, when Dong Fangzhuo was commentating on the Manchester City vs. Borussia Monchengladbach match, he was actually biased. He wished Manchester City would lose cleanly at home, preferably a crushing defeat, hehe~

During his commentary, he often compared Manchester United's top Premier League stars from the 2007-2008 season to Manchester City's current midfield.

They even used Giggs' Cruyff as an example to imply the huge gap between Tang Long and Giggs when handling the ball with their back to the goal.

However, just now, facing Xhaka's close marking, Tang Long used some of the tried-and-tested Cruyff techniques, completely outmaneuvering the tall Switzerland midfielder.

"Coach Dong, do you think Tang Long's Cruyff this time was exactly the same as Giggs's?"

"Ah, they're basically similar," Dong Fangzhuo's throat bobbed, he paused, and then said, "Basically similar, basically similar."

Dong Fangzhuo is definitely being stubborn.

Tang Long faced even greater pressure this time with his Cruyff than he had with Giggs.

Because Xhaka's defense is more aggressive, and Giggs is on the wing, while Tang Long is at the edge of the penalty area. To dare to back down and dribble past a player the opponent is sure to challenge for in that position takes real skill and daring; you absolutely cannot do that without absolute certainty.

Just as Dong Fangzhuo and Zhan Jun were still marveling at what was happening, the next scene left them speechless!

After Tang Long used Cruyff Turn to get past Xhaka at the edge of his own penalty area, he didn't pass the ball but instead dribbled all the way into the opponent's half!

Bang bang bang--

Bang bang bang--

He quickly slipped into a vacuum in the Borussia Monchengladbach stadium.

In the past, such long runs from the edge of the penalty area were always accomplished by his teammate, Ranocchia.

Because Ranocchia is tall, has long legs, and a long stride, there are no players in the center-back position to mark him consistently, so he can quickly dribble into open spaces.

But Tang Long is different; his position is defensive midfield, making him a target that opponents defend very closely.

Although Xhaka was beaten, another Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach midfielder Dahoud, immediately rushed forward to cover Xhaka's position, while shouting to wing-back Herrmann in the 4-4-2 formation, "Come here! Help me defend him!"

Just like that, Tang Long, who had just escaped Xhaka's fierce pressing, was immediately surrounded by two Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach midfielders.

Although uneasy about Tang Long's brilliant performance in the defensive midfield position, Yaya Toure, who was concerned about the overall situation of the team, immediately sensed the danger Tang Long posed.

He sprinted towards Tang Long, pulled slightly to the sideline, and shouted, "I'm here!"

This was a proactive protective rendezvous for Tang Long.

Behind Tang Long, watching him dribble the ball deep into the encirclement of two players, Ranocchia, fearing Tang Long hadn't seen Toure's position, shouted at him:

"Pass to Toure, don't let them steal the ball!"

Earlier, Toure lost possession in this position, almost giving the opposing striker Rafael a chance to face the goalkeeper, but Ranocchia made a timely defense to avert the crisis.

Having learned from this experience, Ranocchia, playing as a center-back, paid close attention to and was very careful about the defensive midfielders receiving the ball, fearing that Tang Long would repeat Toure's mistake.

However, Tang Long didn't seem to have any intention of passing the ball.

Two whooshing sounds!

He drew two arcs above the ball with his right and left feet in succession, using the Step Over feint twice.

Tang Long's Step Over feints are highly deceptive, mainly because when his feet sway, his upper body tilts accordingly, and his arms swing dramatically. Every part of his body, from top to bottom, changes as he Step Over.

This is unlike some players who, when Step Over, only move their feet while the rest of their body appears slightly stiff.

There's a sense of deliberate Step Over, as if it's just for the sake of Step Over.

In addition, Tang Long's pace was very fast; as he rode the bicycle, his whole body moved with tremendous force!

As the defender Dahoud pressed forward, he only saw two afterimages flash before his eyes.

He vaguely saw Tang Long's body sway to the left, and subconsciously stretched out his foot in the direction of the sway.

But before his raised foot could land, he heard a snap, and with a sudden change of direction, Tang Long vanished from his sight.

"Holy crap, that was fast!"

Dahoud was stunned and turned around with a bewildered expression.

Fortunately, Herrmann, who had been called over earlier to provide backup, quickly closed in on Tang Long.

"Don't worry, I'll clean up your mess!"

Compared to Dahoud, who is 1.85 meters tall, Herrmann, who is 1.89 meters tall, is larger and has a wider interception range.

He has more experience in defense than Dahoud.

Having learned from Dahoud's reckless lunge that backfired, Herrmann fought and retreated, maintaining a standard sideways defensive stance, refusing to actively approach Tang Long.

He thought to himself, "I won't stop you from getting the ball. I'll just keep retreating. As long as I slow down your offensive pace, the other players who are helping to defend will surround you."

However, although Herrmann's plan seemed clever, the reality was not what he imagined at all.

If you keep retreating and don't try to intercept, do you really think you can stop Tang Long?

Tang Long continued to dribble the ball left and right, first dribbling it to the left to draw Herrmann to the side, then immediately dribbling it back to the right.

The ball and body moved closer to Herrmann from the left and right, their aim being to lure him onto the field and extend his leg.

However, the experienced defender Herrmann was not yet fooled. No matter how Tang Long tried to lure him, he resolutely retreated.

"Don't just stand there, come and help me defend!" Herrmann shouted to his teammates.

Because Herrmann temporarily slowed down Tang Long's offensive, Dahoud, who had previously been beaten by him, gradually caught up.

Another defensive midfielder Xhaka, has also returned to his defensive position.

"Stop dribbling, Tang, give me the ball!"

Still worried, Yaya Toure chased after Tang Long and found an opening once again, reaching out to Tang Long for a request.

Based on Toure's years of experience playing in top leagues, Tang Long's steps were indeed a bit too much. The opponents had already surrounded him, and he was at risk of being dispossessed at any moment.

Toure thought to himself, "While his passing from the defensive midfield position is amazing, his understanding of the position in terms of judgment and progression is still inferior to mine."

Just when Manchester City's players thought they had successfully slowed Tang Long's attack with a defensive retreat;

Tang Long's sudden change in rhythm disrupted the situation!

Facing Herrmann's defensive retreat, Tang Long decisively accelerated, pushed off with the outside of his foot, and flicked the ball forward, instantly moving to a position less than a meter in front of Herrmann.

Where do you retreat to?

"Forehead..."

Herrmann, who was retreating, suddenly felt a bit of a mental block!

In that brief 0.05 seconds, Herrmann's brain was racing.

"He overshot! He definitely overshot! This is a great opportunity to steal the ball, we can't miss it!"

According to the general rules of football, in a one-on-one situation, the attacking player must make a move when the ball is within 1.5 meters.

If you accidentally tip the ball within a meter of the defender, you're in a very dangerous 50/50 situation!

In other words, if a defender extends their leg, there is a high chance they will intercept the ball.

Therefore, based on his extensive defensive experience, Herrmann judged that Tang Long had taken too long of a touch.

With his 1.88-meter height and long legs, he has a good chance to poke the ball out and completely end Manchester City's attack.

However, as soon as Herrmann stretched out his foot, he fell into the trap that Tang Long had specially designed for him!

To Tang Long, the tall player's leg extension looked as slow as SportMediaset replay.

"You've fallen for their trap!"

Tang Long used the outside of his foot, the tip of his little toe, to gently flick the ball to the left, his body as light as a feather, causing Herrmann to miss his target and allowing Tang Long to easily get past him.

"Wow! Tang Long surged forward through midfield, beating Dahoud and Herrmann in succession!"

"For some reason, the usually composed Herrmann suddenly rushed forward to steal the ball, and sure enough, he was beaten as soon as he made a move!"

"Tang Long's dribbling speed is incredibly fast; he's like a scalpel cutting through Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach's central defense!"

"Toure has been following closely, seems to be running out of steam, slowing down his pursuit!"

Sterling on the left wing is reaching for the ball; he's making a forward run!

"Nasri on the right flank is also on the high-speed track!"

"Agüero is currently surrounded by Dominguez and Christensen. Tang Long should distribute the ball to the two flanks as soon as possible!"

Agüero knew that Tang Long wanted to connect with him.

However, he was currently sandwiched between two center- Dominguez and Christensen.

Agüero pointed to Sterling on the left wing, signaling Tang Long to pass the ball to him.

Every player on the field has their own prediction of what will happen next, Agüero is no exception.

In his plan, Tang Long would pass the ball to Sterling, Sterling would then get past a full-back on the wing and gain enough space for Agüero to pounce on the near post and shoot.

This kind of attack, which involves moving the ball from the middle to the flank and then back to the middle, although the ball deviates several times, provides convenience for the defensive players' deployment;

However, compared to staying in the middle, the attack is more layered and creates more opportunities for shots.

But Tang Long didn't think so!

In his prediction, both Sterling on the left and Nasri on the right were double-teamed by a full-back.

Whether they can connect with Agüero immediately after the ball is passed to them remains to be seen.

"We've already passed two, why not try the third one?"

Tang Long used the same tactic again, dribbling the ball towards Dominguez, the center-back who was closer to him.

Seeing that Tang Long did not choose to pass the ball to the wing, but instead dribbled towards the middle, Sterling and Nasri on both sides also stopped.

"We're about to concede a goal!"

Toure had also slowed his advance and returned to the edge of the midfield.

He predicted that Tang Long's stamina had reached its limit after defeating two people, and there was a more than 95% chance that he wouldn't be able to defeat the third person.

Once the ball is lost, a counter-attack will be launched immediately, so Toure moved to the midfield position in advance to protect the defense, which is also a sign of his experience.

After all, the ability to dribble past two people and then a third is something only Toure's former Barca teammate Lionel Messi has ever accomplished in his career.

However, Toure didn't know was that besides Lionel Messi, there was another person on this planet who could do it, and that was Ronaldo had been retired for many years.

Dominguez was overjoyed to see Tang Long charging straight towards him!

He also predicted that Tang Long, who had already beaten two opponents, was at his limit. If he tried to force his way through again this time, it was probably because the young man was too impulsive and not calm enough.

"Come on, kid!"

Dominguez lowered his center of gravity and pushed forward.

Both Dahoud and Herrmann, who were previously beaten by Tang Long, are midfielders who are not good at one-on-one defense, while Dominguez, a proper center-back, is an expert in this area.

In the entire Bundesliga, his ability to one-on-one with strikers ranks at least in the top 5.

This 26-year-old, 1.84-meter-tall Spain center-back is not particularly tall, but he possesses both a strong physique and agile footwork.

When Tang Long took a step to the left, Dominguez immediately recognized it as a pendulum swing, reminiscent of the Ronaldo style!

"Heh, you can outmaneuver Liverpool's Mignolet with your pendulum, but you can't get past me."

Dominguez was very calm at this moment.

He was quite confident in his defensive skills, so he immediately realized that Tang Long was going to use the pendulum.

Therefore, Dominguez's center of gravity was not fooled; he stood motionless, anticipating Tang Long's second swing of the pendulum.

However, the Tang Long of today is not the same Tang Long who faced Liverpool.

After being fed that top-secret videotape of Ronaldo's dribbling skills from 1997, Tang Long's understanding of dribbling skills has improved by leaps and bounds.

Not only has the numerical value reached the current threshold of 90, but various dribbling skills have also been greatly improved!

There's no fixed formula for dribbling past an opponent. Matthews Feint' second dribbling move doesn't necessarily involve flicking to the right; he can also dribble straight forward through the opponent's legs.

Similarly, the Pendulum Dribble is not necessarily mechanical left and right; there is no limit to the number of swings!

Tang Long took a step to the left this time, Dominguez thought that Tang Long would immediately take a step to the right, so he stood still;

Tang Long decided to play along, flicking the ball to the left with his right foot. With a "whoosh," the football swept across the grass, leaving a trail on the ground, and passed right past Dominguez!

"Oops!"

Dominguez suddenly realized what was happening and quickly shifted his weight, turning sideways to chase after Tang Long.

This is the brilliance of Tang Long's extraordinary abilities!

If you swing with my pendulum, I'll take advantage of your unsteady center of gravity and dribble past you in the opposite direction;

If you don't react to my feint and stand still, then I'm sorry, my center of gravity has already shifted in advance, and I'll accelerate accordingly. Since you didn't move in advance, you still can't defend against me!

Tang Long's dribble, with its rapid acceleration and sudden change of rhythm, caught the Monchengladbach Mönchengladbach defense off guard.

Whether it was Dominguez in a one-on-one fight or Christensen standing guard beside Agüero, they were both completely outmaneuvered.

"What are you all doing following him? Block him!"

It was only a frantic shout from Monchengladbach Sommer goalkeeper Sommer that snapped the two center-backs out of their daze.

Agüero, now inside the penalty area, remained remarkably calm.

He knew that at this point, it was better for Tang Long to pass the ball to him himself than for Tang Long to pass it to him.

But he was still shouting, "Tang, look at my position!"

Then quickly adjust and move towards the penalty spot in the middle.

Agüero's move was truly brilliant; it was a classic case of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao"!

His real purpose in rushing towards the penalty spot was not to receive Tang Long's pass;

Instead, he wanted to attract Dominguez, who was rushing towards Tang Long, by shouting, and draw him over.

As expected, Dominguez, who had been outmaneuvered, got up to chase Tang Long, but when he saw Agüero calling out from the penalty spot, Dominguez made his own prediction in that instant.

He immediately dropped back, letting his other center-back partner, Christensen, chase Tang Long alone, while he himself went to defend Agüero and guard against Tang Long's passes.

However, it was this mismatch between Dominguez and Christensen that created a brief vacuum for Tang Long, leaving him undefended.

Facing Sommer, Tang Long quickly stepped to the left with his left foot, turned his body to the side, and swung his leg, using the inside of his foot to draw a curve to the far corner!

Whoosh--

Sommer leaped high, his fingertips barely brushing the ball, but he still couldn't get it to spin steadily into the top right corner of the goal!