"Oh! What happened?"
"It's the Italy bench! Dreki Vincent seem to be arguing about something!"
"We know that rumors of discord within the Italy National Team circulated before the match, with reports of verbal conflicts between players and coaching staff. But..."
"But we're in the middle of a game now!"
"As one of the captains of the Italy National Team, Dreki has been diligent and conscientious; he is not someone who abuses his privileges. Even when Vincent replaced him with other players, Dreki never complained."
"The noise grew louder, and some players came over, but they didn't separate the two."
" Dreki was saying something, and his words seemed to resonate with the Italy National Team players. The coaching staff were stopped by the Italy National Team players, and although the situation didn't escalate further, the conversation between the two continued."
" Dreki's voice is very loud; we can already hear what he's yelling!"
From the television came Dreki's angry voice.
"Me, go on? Why would I be on the field? Why do you want me to go on?"
"Do you really think I can score for Italy? What are you even thinking?"
"Victory! All we want now is victory, you understand?"
" Italy needs to attack, not defend!"
"It's his turn to step up!"
"Top scorer in Serie B! Sixty goals in total this season! Golden Boot winner of both the Italian Cup and the European Under-21 Championship!"
"Him, Lu! Let Lu play! Let him play football!"
"If anyone can save Italy, I believe that person is Lu!"
Dreki was hysterical, and even the fourth referee was bewildered by the situation.
Should we intervene?
This seems to be Italy National Team's own business?
Moreover... there was no physical conflict.
Logically speaking, the referee shouldn't have interfered.
But... this scene is also somewhat worrying.
Will Dreki suddenly go berserk and take action against Vincent, doing what every Italy wants to do?
Vincent's face turned pale.
He had never experienced anything like this before.
This was a do-or-die match for Italy, watched by fans all over Italy and even all of Europe. His substitutions were not only rejected outright by the players he was substituted into, but he was even reprimanded and instructed by them.
Is he still the head coach of this team?
Do these players even want to play football anymore?
Without a doubt, any player who goes against the head coach's wishes will find their future path increasingly narrow, with few exceptions.
This kind of defiance doesn't refer to arguing with the head coach, but rather to a direct and public rebuttal.
For example, when Sarri was managing Chelsea, he wanted to substitute goalkeeper Kepa, but Kepa refused.
This situation can be described as a lose-lose situation for both sides.
Sarri's reputation was ruined, his prestige completely gone, and he could only leave in disgrace.
However, Kepa was also considered a troublemaker by the industry, and his value plummeted in the Transfermarkt, with no one interested in him.
And Dreki is now in a similar situation to Kepa.
Kepa's reluctance to leave the field is somewhat understandable.
But Dreki's refusal to play is even more unusual.
This incident is bound to affect Dreki, and he may never be called up to the national team again after this incident, but Dreki still made such a relatively extreme choice.
Because he knew that this might be his last hope.
As for Vincent, after being scolded and rejected by Dreki, his future coaching career is unlikely to improve, because he can no longer maintain even the most basic authority as a head coach.
This is the player's problem, but it's also Vincent's own problem.
Moreover, he had never won any significant championship awards before, unlike Mourinho and Guardiola, who were championship magnets who could always bounce back no matter how badly they fell.
Regardless, the replacement process must continue.
The referee won't give the Italy National Team much time.
Pellegrini is injured and will definitely have to leave the field. If your Italy National Team doesn't make a substitution, you'll be in the top ten or eleven. The Sweden National Team must be overjoyed.
At the crucial moment, Maniero, who had remained silent on the coaching bench, walked over. He made Dreki release his grip and, in front of Dreki Vincent, said to the fourth referee, "We've decided, substitute player number 22, Lu Yang, for player number 8, Pellegrini!"
The fourth referee glanced at Vincent and noticed that Vincent did not shake his head.
So, the change of personnel began.
Before he could even warm up, Lu Yang was unexpectedly called upon and appeared dramatically on the court.
The Italy fans in the stadium erupted in wild cheers, chanting Lu Yang's name as if the game had already been won.
This is Italy's home ground, and the Italy stadium has a large capacity, so there are more than 50,000 Italy fans here!
When 50,000 people chant the same name in unison, the sheer power of that is unimaginable to those who don't attend the game in person.
Lu Yang!
Lu Yang!
Lu Yang!
Sweden National Team fans were completely baffled by this situation.
What does this mean?
Is a superstar about to make an appearance?
What other killer weapons does Italy have left?
"It's Lu! The player who just won the Puskas Award for the second consecutive time!" Some Sweden fans who had done their research began to explain Lu's existence to everyone.
In fact, around this time during the last match, Italy fans were also chanting this name.
However, Vincent persisted in playing despite his deafness and illness, demonstrating remarkable determination and respect.
Is he very strong?
"He's currently the top scorer in Serie B, but he usually plays in midfield. Many people say he's a bit like England's Gerando, a player who won the Golden Boot in midfield."
"Hey! Serie B? What are you talking about! Our Sweden team is completely dominating Serie A stars!"
"Yes, that's why these Italy are so hard to understand."
"And do you know what's funniest? This Lu is of Chinese descent!"
"What's so funny about that? Developed Europe countries already have a lot of foreign immigrants."
"The funny thing is that after the Lu team won the European Under-21 Championship, they waved the Italy flag on one side and the China on the other."
"Watt? Did I hear that right? What does he mean? Isn't he afraid of being abandoned by Italy?"
"That's what I wanted to say. He faced some criticism at the time, and even some China people didn't understand his actions. But... after Italy's defeat in the European Championship qualifiers, some Italy fans publicly stated that if Lu could play and score for Italy, they would never again oppose the color of the flag Lu Yang waved."
"Hahaha! These Italy are absolutely unbelievable! Don't they have any dignity at all?"
Sweden fans thoroughly mocked some of the comments previously made by Italy fans.
But an Italy fan nearby retorted, "Really? If you can't qualify for the European Championship or the World Cup, and there's a player who can help you achieve that goal, and he's willing to fight for you, but he also still loves his homeland, what would you choose?"
"Can you abandon your support for him?"
"Besides, I don't think there's anything wrong with his behavior. Even if I go to a big city, I will never forget the small village that raised me. Moreover, China is better than Italy in every aspect."
Sweden fans were completely baffled, scoffing, "So, you think this Lu came from China to help Italy football? Hahaha! That's the best joke I've heard all year!"
The Italy fan was not provoked; he took off his Italy National Team jersey, revealing a San Remo jersey underneath.
Clearly, this is a San Remo fan, so anything he says becomes reasonable, especially things that are impossible.
Because in the past two and a half years, everything that has happened in San Remo was something that should never have happened!
The fan said, "Okay, then hopefully after Sweden National Team misses out on this year's European Championship, you won't envy Italy for having such a team!"
" Lu Yang, keep it up!"
" Lu Yang, rise up!"
" Lu Yang, you're awesome!"
The fan started shouting because Lu Yang had received the ball on the field.
Bang!
After Lu Yang came on, he appeared in the left midfield position, replacing Pellegrini.
Candreva, who had moved from the defensive midfield position to the central midfield, was able to perform less disastrously.
Lu Yang knew that his primary task was to attack, so he wasn't in a hurry to switch positions with Candreva and move to the center, ready to become a defensive midfielder at any time.
Candreva passes the ball to Lu Yang.
This was Lu Yang's first appearance for the Italy National Team.
After receiving the ball, he executed a beautiful whipping Flip Flap, shaking off the defender in front of him, and then dribbled forward.
This move was so beautiful that it caught the eye of all the Italy fans.
This feeling is... a shock that has long been absent in Italy?
That's right!
Impact!
Italy has historically been known for its excellent defense, organization, and goal-scoring.
But what they lack most is players who can directly attack the opponent's defense.
This kind of attack has a high probability of failing.
However, this also puts a strain on the opposing defenders.
No matter how many times he defends against you, next time, it's a 50/50 chance.
Statistically speaking, his successful defense and your failed breakthrough will not affect your probability of success in the next breakthrough.
This kind of mental exertion is invisible to the naked eye, but it is real on the field.
If the opponent is not in a good mental state, even a casual pass from you can tear apart their defense and cause their efforts to fail.
However, Italy football in the past, being too mature and complete, actually stifled the emergence of explosive players.
The national team's short-sightedness has only exacerbated this situation.
Therefore, many Italy fans were already at the peak of their emotions after Lu Yang only touched the ball for the first time.
That kick to the Flip Flap brought them light!
More than ten seconds later.
"Sigh!" The commentator sighed. "That was a brilliant breakthrough. Lu Yang's first touch showed tremendous power. But he and Perotta still lack understanding. Lu Yang dribbled past two players and passed the ball to Ancarelli."
" Ancarelli passed the ball to Perotta immediately. Although there are rumors of discord between the two, they are both very professional. In an official match, they would never do anything detrimental to Italy."
" Perotta received the ball, hesitated for a moment, and then played a through ball behind the Sweden defense. It was a very beautiful through ball!"
" Lu Yang had already started his run. He appeared behind the Sweden center-back and curled a shot over the Sweden goalkeeper's outstretched fingers!"
" The Sweden National Team defenders' attention was entirely focused on Ancarelli; they had no idea that a midfielder would so resolutely cut into their penalty area!"
"Unfortunately, Perotta's hesitation wasted some time, resulting in Lu Yang being offside when he passed the ball. Therefore, the goal was disallowed and ruled out by the referee."
" Italy fans were excited for nothing! The Italy players are also complaining; they think it was a good goal."
"But by slowing down the replay, we can see that Lu Yang was indeed offside, albeit by a small margin, but it was still an offside goal."
"Although it's a pity, this goal also shows us how different Lu Yang is from traditional Italy midfielders. He's incredibly aggressive, very daring, and he's Italy's X-factor!"
"Hopefully, he can score a goal for Italy next!"
Of course, for every person who is optimistic, there is someone who is pessimistic.
One commentator remarked, " Lu Yang missed his best scoring opportunity of the match. He had just come on and wasn't easily noticed, so he stole a chance."
"But from now on, the Sweden defenders won't give him that kind of opportunity again!"
"The presence of Ancarelli and Perotta drew most of the Sweden National Team defenders' attention, but Lu Yang will also come into their defensive view afterward."
Both perspectives have some merit; they are simply different modes of thinking: one of optimistic idealism and the other of pessimistic realism.
For the next few minutes, Lu Yang continued to deliver outstanding performances.
He received the ball in midfield and faced pressure from two opposing players.
A normal person would send a reply, and that's exactly what Lu Yang did.
Even Candreva was ready to receive the ball.
However, Lu Yang quickly adjusted his direction with a V-Pull, then followed up with Fried Meatballs, weaving between two defenders.
Dribble forward through the middle!
Unfortunately, the attack ended with Perotta being surrounded and Ancarelli failing to make a timely run, ultimately losing its threat and turning into a goal kick thanks to Ancarelli's long-range shot.
After the attack, Lu Yang found Perotta and exchanged a few words with him.
Lu Yang: " Perotta, you don't need to pay extra attention to my positioning. If you sometimes see an opportunity and want someone to run into a wall with you, I'll cooperate."
"My runs forward are decisive, and I have enough stamina to run the whole game, so if you're going to pass the ball to me, you can give me more time to anticipate the movement or play a one-touch pass."
Lu Yang and Perotta were talking about the last pass.
If Perotta doesn't pass the ball to Lu Yang immediately, Lu Yang could easily be offside.
A target man's caution is necessary, but if he knows there's always someone who will push forward when he drops back, he'll know better how to handle the ball at his feet.
Perotta nodded.
Regardless, Lu Yang's words made him feel very comfortable.
Lu Yang didn't ask Perotta to do anything; instead, he tried his best to understand things from Perotta's perspective.
This is a hundred times better than simply saying, "After you receive the ball, play a through pass immediately; don't miss this opportunity."
Similarly, Lu Yang went to see Ancarelli again.
Lu Yang: " Ancarelli, regardless of whether there's an opportunity or not, I will insist on pushing forward in every attack to draw at least one defender away from you."
"I'll also be watching your positioning. Whenever you have an opportunity, the ball will definitely be at your feet!"
Look how nicely you're saying that.
Ancarelli nodded and smiled.
This is the little helper he needs most.
Does Ancarelli possess the concept of impact force?
have!
But not many!
Even though Ancarelli, in his thirties, could still run, he couldn't sprint many more times; he was getting old after all.
At this point, he not only needs a target man center forward to help him stretch the defense, but he also needs a player who excels at making forward runs to help him push the ball out.
Under this dual pressure, Ancarelli can maximize his shadow strike ability.
Although Lu Yang and Ancarelli lacked chemistry, if Lu Yang was willing to step forward every time, Ancarelli could find excellent opportunities in those situations.
The only one who had a tough time was Lu Yang. Sometimes he would push forward but the team wouldn't necessarily follow up with an attack, which wasted his energy and attacking enthusiasm.
But when it comes to stamina, other players don't have much, but Lu Yang has a lot!
And his offensive enthusiasm... Lu Yang is currently very enthusiastic.
This was his debut for the Italy National Team.
A single goal can make you famous, and that's always the most inspiring story for young players.
Lu Yang will never admit defeat in this match!
The 77th minute of the match.
Sweden National Team has been awarded a corner kick.
Lu Yang naturally prepared to enter the penalty area to contest the header.
But he noticed that there were two players in the opponent's corner area.
Italy also had a Sweden player at the near post and outside the penalty area.
Because they are far from the key threatening positions, they do not have close defenders around them.
If Sweden National Team intends to take a tactical corner kick, then...
With that thought in mind, Lu Yang rushed inside and headed straight for the corner flag area.
"What are you doing?"
"Go back!"
"Go back!"
"Defend the people you're supposed to defend, damn it!"
Vincent was yelling and cursing in the coaching area; this wasn't part of his corner kick defensive tactics.
Lu Yang completely ignored his tactical instructions.
Vincent was not happy to see Lu Yang's endless advances before.
Indeed, this has made Italy's forwards more threatening to some extent.
However, this also created defensive vulnerabilities in Italy's midfield.
Vincent didn't pay attention to how Lu Yang always managed to get back to his defensive position in time; he only looked at what he wanted to see.
Bang!
The Sweden National Team takes a corner kick at the corner flag.
It was indeed a tactical free kick.
Lu Yang immediately lunged at the corner kick taker.
But the opponent gently flicked the ball to the side.
Another Sweden player delivered a cross.
As we all know, after a corner kick is taken, there will be a wave of positioning and aerial duels in the penalty area.
However, if a tactical corner kick is delayed by even a second or two, the players who were initially positioning themselves and contesting for the header will actually miss their best opportunity and timing.
At this point, players making runs from the back row to get into position have a significant advantage.
At that moment, a Sweden National Team player positioned outside the penalty area launched an attack into the box, preparing to leap and shoot.
However...
Bang!
Bang!
Lu Yang Defensive Feint.
He appeared to be diving towards the corner kick taker, but midway through, he changed direction and dived towards the corner kick receiver.
Therefore, when the opponent took the cross, Lu Yang happened to be in the path of the ball.
Lu Yang stretched out his right foot and touched the ball less than 0.5 seconds after the opponent passed the ball.
The football soared high, rolling down the wing towards the midfield.
Without hesitation, Lu Yang ran towards the soccer ball.
The two Sweden players taking the corner kicks also realized what was happening.
This was Italy's counterattack!
The opponent immediately tried to pull Lu Yang, but missed Lu Yang's jersey by a hair's breadth.
"Wow! Lu Yang executed a brilliant gamble on defense! He anticipated the opponent's free throw attempt and made a spectacular interception."
"The ball is now flying towards midfield. Lu Yang is very fast, and he has a chance to be the first to touch the ball."
" The Sweden player tried to pull Lu Yang away, but he didn't have a chance; Lu Yang was too fast!"
"It's completely unbelievable. Lu Yang's profile mentions his defensive prowess, but there's never been any mention of his speed. I think it's time for all the scouts to update their information on Lu Yang."
" The Sweden center-back couldn't retreat in time; his speed put him at a disadvantage in the defensive transition, so instead of retreating, he charged forward towards the ball."
" Lu Yang is speeding up! He's getting faster and faster!"
" Lu Yang touched the ball first! Watch out!"
" The Sweden center-back came straight at Lu Yang with a Slide Tackle!"
"A beautiful lobbed pass! Lu Yang and the ball soar over the Sweden center-back!"
Rumble!
The crowd erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
Italy fans were thrilled.
Lu Yang miraculously dodged the opponent's tackle and continued to maintain control of the ball!
This is incredible!
Throughout the Sweden half, besides the goalkeeper, there was only one right-back positioned to Lu Yang's right.
The land in front of Lu Yang was almost completely flat!
Lu Yang glanced at his opponent and continued dribbling the ball on the wing.
The Counterattack Vanguard!
Flank Speedster!
Kaka's Long Stride!
Lu Yang's speed exploded!
He's like a supercar, he just can't stop!
Seeing that the situation was not good, the Sweden right-back had no choice but to move closer to Lu Yang.
He suddenly rammed into Lu Yang Lu Yang, resulting in a violent physical collision.
Can Lu Yang win the collision?
He might not lose!
However, if he were to collide violently with the opponent, it would be difficult for him to maintain control of the ball and sustain such high-speed movement.
Therefore, Lu Yang made his choice.
He kicked the football forward with a sudden burst of speed.
At the same time, Lu Yang was knocked out of bounds by the opponent.
The cheers of the Italy fans came to an abrupt halt.
Instead, Sweden fans retaliated with a celebration.
But the next moment, all the sounds disappeared.
It was as if fate had seized their throat.
Bale's Outside Overtake, start!
"My God! Unbelievable! Lu Yang is running fast outside the sideline, and he hasn't stopped!"
"He's surpassed him! He's really surpassed him! Lu Yang is overtaking the Sweden right-back!"
"He's past him! Lu Yang has overtaken the Sweden right-back on the outside! He's actually passed him!"
"Cut inside! Lu Yang touched the ball first; his intention was clear: he was going to cut inside!"
"It's all over! Lu Yang made a wide arc, but ended up in front of the Sweden right-back!"
"Between two points, Lu Yang is the shortest!"
" Lu Yang charges into the penalty area, one-on-one with the goalkeeper!"
" The Sweden goalkeeper stood in the goal, blocking most of Lu Yang's shooting angles with his body. He was very calm, he..."
Bang!
Lu Yang unleashed a furious shot!
The Sweden goalkeeper touched the ball with his foot, but that didn't prevent it from going into the net.
One to one!
Italy has equalized the score!
Young player Lu Yang scored two goals in less than ten minutes on the field, one of which was ruled offside and the other was indisputable!
At this moment, Italy fans finally saw the light they needed!
Lu Yang, YYDS!
I was supposed to finish writing about this match, but Taozi 've been away these past few days accompanying a friend to Mount Putuo to fulfill a vow. Time is tight, and I haven't had any drafts saved up, so I can only write in the hotel every night.
I wrote this update during a break on the plane, which made me airsick and I threw up in the toilet. The update also mentioned that I was connecting to trending topics on the subway, and I'm still on the road, having not even had dinner yet.
I hope everyone understands.