The Midfield's Rhythmic Poet! A Performance as Wonderful as a Master of Tempo!
The midfield has always been a crucial battleground in football.
This is a fertile ground for fierce battles, a battlefield filled with the smoke of gunpowder.
Especially in the Premier League, the pace of attack and defense transitions is extremely fast, and the situation can often be reversed in an instant.
Players who can play well in midfield must have a high football IQ. They are intelligent, have sharp eyes, and their pupils are like radar, constantly scanning and searching.
As football tactics and techniques continue to evolve, radar technology is also being updated and upgraded.
From traditional ranging radar to acoustic radar, and then to laser radar, the intensity and speed of football matches are constantly increasing, and the demands on midfielders are also rising accordingly!
The outdated equipment can no longer meet the demands of modern football. Many midfielders, as they play, become increasingly lost and powerless, and are thus eliminated by the tide of time.
In defense, they must act as a solid barrier in front of the back line, disrupting the opponent's offensive routes through tackles and interceptions;
In attack, they also need to stretch the opponent's defensive formation and provide passing ideas for the forwards.
When necessary, one must step forward, deliver the decisive blow, and breach the opponent's goal.
Many midfielders became punching bags, suffering from both defensive and offensive pressures, from both opponents and teammates.
She's really caught in the middle, having to please both sides!
However, Tang Long played with remarkable composure and ease in midfield during this match.
He was caught in the middle, but instead of taking it out on his opponent.
In the stands at Stoke City Stadium, Raymond, a scout who had been following Manchester City's matches on behalf of Bayern's manager, also showed a delighted expression after witnessing Manchester City's attack!
Although I had heard of Tang Long's name long ago and had watched some of his matches on television;
But this was the first time I'd ever seen him play football live.
Raymond lowered his head and scribbled furiously in his notebook:
"Tang's thinking during the transition between offense and defense is very quick. He can accelerate the team's attack and make full use of the opponent's weak formation that is disjointed. Although this weakness only lasts for a few seconds, he has a firm grasp on it."
Then he wrote down a few more names, "Template: Xavi, Iniesta, Busquets."
Finally, the names of these three people were circled together, and an arrow was drawn pointing to Tang's name at the top of this page's notes.
Raymond pondered for a moment, then flipped to a few more pages and wrote Ranocchia's name on a separate blank page.
"Having just saved a header from Crouch, the Premier League's tallest striker, he immediately threw himself into the attack after landing, making decisive forward runs with incredible speed. Whether in attack or defense, his headers are a very dangerous weapon for the team."
"He's very similar to Yaya Toure in his prime; both have a strong ability to charge forward. We could modify him based on Toure's model."
Raymond paused for a moment, then immediately crossed out Toure's name.
He thought to himself, "Toure and Guardiola worked together at Barca for a few years, and there were many frictions between them due to personality differences. I'm comparing Ranocchia to Toure, Guardiola probably won't be too happy about it."
After thinking for a moment, he wrote down the names of Ballack, Vieira, and Gullit next to Toure.
As he was pondering which of the above-mentioned players would be the best fit to transform Ranocchia into if he played midfield, the cheers of the Stoke City fans around him interrupted his thoughts.
Raymond looked up at the field.
In the 78th minute, Stoke City, trailing by one goal, began their final desperate struggle.
Despite feeling like their legs were made of lead, the players in the backfield gritted their teeth and managed to pass the ball from their own half to the front under the high pressure from Manchester City's attacking third.
Raymond then realized why those passes had ignited the passion of the Stoke City fans.
In this match, Stoke City rarely had more than five consecutive passes, so how could the fans not be excited when they had six?
Raymond secretly admired the Stoke City players. Even as a mid-to-lower table team in the Premier League, they remained so tenacious towards the end of the game. This was a rare sight in the Bundesliga, where teams rarely displayed such fighting spirit when facing Bundesliga Bayern.
"There's an opening in the middle..."
Sitting in the stands, with a godlike view, Raymond's keen eyes spotted a gap in Manchester City's central defense where a through ball could be attempted.
At this moment, the player with the ball is former Barca player, Bojan.
Like Guardiola, Raymond worked at both Bayern Munich and Barca. He was very familiar with Bojan, having followed the diminutive Spain player's youth league scouting report for a whole year before recommending him for promotion to the first team.
Although Bojan's development has not been as expected due to injuries, his vision and passing skills are still there.
As expected, Bojan did not disappoint Raymond's persistent pursuit, delivering a highly penetrating through ball!
"Pretty!"
Raymond in the stands couldn't help but shout it out.
His eyes were even a little red, not for any other reason than feeling sorry for Bojan's talent!
This player, born in 1990, is a true product of La Masia. He made his Barca debut at the age of 17, scoring ten league goals that season, and even once relegated the 20-year-old Lionel Messi to the bench.
I guess I was his mentor back then.
All that is in the past...
Just as Raymond was lost in thought, still reminiscing about his time working with Bojan at Barca, the gasps of the Stoke City fans around him abruptly pulled him back to reality!
"Oh no, the ball was intercepted!"
"What a pity! If we had passed it there, Crouch could have gone one-on-one with the defender!"
"Tang's tackle was so sudden! Where did he come from?"
"He's good at both offense and defense, how come this despicable China guy is everywhere!"
Amidst the intermittent complaints from the fans, Raymond learned that Bojan's through ball had been intercepted by Tang Long.
At the time, he was lost in his memories of the past, his eyes unfocused, and he didn't notice exactly how the break occurred.
There was no replay of the ball on the big screen at the stadium, so despite Raymond's immense curiosity, he had to temporarily suppress it and continue watching the game.
He just felt that Tang's speed must be extremely fast, and that he was able to intercept the ball halfway through, which exceeded his expectations.
Right below Raymond's stands, Manchester City manager Pellegrini broke out in a cold sweat!
Limited by his horizontal field of vision, he didn't see the opening that had just appeared in the middle, so he didn't loudly remind the players.
It wasn't until Bojan's pass, the ball rolling halfway along the ground, that the Chile finally realized what was happening, but it was too late to shout!
Pellegrini was initially impressed by Bojan's vision, noting that he was indeed a former starter for Barca;
Then Tang Long suddenly appeared out of nowhere and slid in to break through, leaving Pei Shuai dumbfounded, his mouth agape but unable to utter a sound!
"Good shot!" Assistant coach Rayne slapped Pellegrini hard on the shoulder.
"Bojan tried to launch a sneak attack, but Tang predicted it perfectly, hahaha!"
Crouch was furious!
If Bojan had passed that ball, he could have had a one-on-one match with Ranocchia!
Unfortunately, at the last moment, Tang Long noticed the gap in the middle and suddenly appeared. With almost no chance of touching the ball, he made a flying sliding tackle and used his toes to deflect the ball out of bounds.
A difference of only a fraction!
How could Crouch not be furious?
"Bojan, again!"
Unconvinced, veteran Premier League player Crouch is looking to make a comeback.
However, with Bojan's pass being intercepted, the team's morale plummeted, and the fatigue in their bodies, along with the depletion of their physical strength, made their legs feel like lead.
84th minute.
Tang Long performed exceptionally well on both offense and defense.
He's leading his teammates on the road, delivering the final blow to their disorganized opponents!
"They're here!"
Ranocchia again!
With his first touch, he easily bypassed Bojan using his speed. Just as his touch seemed a bit too heavy, and the game was about to become a 50-50 affair between the two midfielders...
Whew!
With a swift pull of the right shoe across the ball, the ball was stolen from the opponent's outstretched foot. Immediately following up with a push of the left foot, the weight shifted forward, and the ball was past!
"Great shot, beautiful slam dunk, this ball is going in." Scout Raymond smiled slightly.
Tang Long moved closer to Ranocchia and gained possession of the ball when Ranocchia was double-teamed.
Imbula, the Congolese ironman, is 188 cm tall and weighs 88 kg!
He stood before Tang Long like a mountain, blocking out the lights of Stoke City Stadium.
Tang Long could tell from Imbula's low center of gravity that he was camping out in defense.
The so-called "camping defense" is to block the ball handler's path forward. It's even better if you can block passing; if you can't, the first priority is to prevent the ball handler from getting past you!
As one of the few tall players in Stoke City who can run the entire game, Imbula showed no signs of fatigue and remained composed even after 80 minutes.
Tang Long dribbled towards him, using three consecutive Step Over to feint!
Although his legs were moving rapidly above the ball, Tang Long's eyes were not on the ball, but fixed on Imbula's body posture.
Once your opponent shows signs of shifting their center of gravity, it's time to end the single-ride and accelerate for a sprint.
However, Imbula is quite cunning~
Knowing that his high center of gravity made him vulnerable to being outmaneuvered by Tang Long, who was skilled at dribbling, he deliberately lowered his center of gravity unusually.
So much so that when Ranocchia ran past him, he was surprised, thinking that the Congolese man was almost squatting on the ground.
Having failed with his first move, Tang Long immediately launched his second attack before Imbula could even catch his breath!
He understood one principle: he must keep the pressure on his opponent and not give them any chance to catch their breath.
The second move Pendulum Dribble!
Tang Long swayed to the left, Imbula shifted slightly to the left to regain control;
Tang Long swayed to the right, Imbula shifted slightly to the right, but managed to hold back!
"Left! This pendulum move is left-right-left. He'll definitely return to the left next. As long as I stay on the ground on the third and final move, he still can't get past me. My teammates in the frontcourt are almost back in position. This kid has no chance!"
Imbula glanced out of the corner of his eye at his teammates who were running back towards Tang Long, and his confidence immediately soared.
Tang Long saw through Imbula's thoughts and heard footsteps behind him.
He decided to take them by surprise.
The final step is still to the right!
Left--right--right!