"A 1-0 score doesn't prove anything. We'll win back at the Amsterdam Arena!" said Rafael Vant, Ajax's biggest star and the first-ever Golden Boy in football history.
"They made many mistakes, but unfortunately our players failed to produce efficient attacks in this match. We squandered too many opportunities." The Ajax coach was also dissatisfied with the result, saying, "The score doesn't reflect our strength."
" San Remo won today because they were luckier than us!"
Their statements actually explained everything that happened in this match very well.
San Remo's numerous mistakes resulted in Ajax having many opportunities to counter-attack.
Will the Netherlands, known for their total football style, engage in counter-attacks and fast breaks?
joke!
That's amazing!
However, Ajax failed to mount any decent counter-attacks in this match.
If San Remo was wasting time and possession, then Ajax was certainly squandering chances today.
Their counter-attacks posed a very limited threat to the San Remo goal.
However, Hans from Live Football News doesn't believe that Ajax is squandering their chances.
He believes this is simply a reflection of Ajax's strength.
Ajax is currently missing their chance!
Hans: " Ajax's performance in counter-attacks may seem like bad luck, but it's actually the inevitable result of their lack of strength. There's only one reason they were able to reach the Europa League quarterfinals this season: their midfield maestro, Vant in the last knockout round."
"That's right! Vant has become a burden on Ajax."
"Although it's hurtful to say this, we can draw similar conclusions from the post-match statistics. Vant's total running distance was only eight kilometers, which isn't bad for a technical midfielder, but you have to remember that Ajax is a total football team!"
"Most of their players can run over 10,000 meters, while Vant is significantly worse than them."
"Furthermore, Vant's activity zones on the field are concentrated in the midfield and the middle of the attacking third. The area is not large; it is the usual activity position for a technical attacking midfielder."
"But let's look at Moric, who is also a technical attacking midfielder on San Remo's side! Do you see? His heat zone is half as large as Vant's!"
Even disregarding San Remo's advantage in ball possession, Moric's control range is still far greater than Vant's. This is related to tactics, player stamina, running ability, running willingness, speed, and explosiveness.
"For many balls, if you have enough speed, you can still interfere even if the opponent has already received the ball, because you have enough time. But for many balls, if you don't have enough speed and explosiveness, you won't even be able to move an inch, because you know it's too late!"
"The lack of speed and explosiveness is the third piece of evidence we need to discuss. Due to repeated injuries, Vant's speed is no longer what it used to be, and his explosiveness has also declined."
"But as the team's attacking core, given the opportunity, even on a counter-attack, the team will prioritize targeting him. And at this point, Vant lacks the ability to dribble forward, so he can only slow down the pace."
"Once Vant recovered, San Remo's defense also recovered. This is a major reason why Ajax lacked counter-attacking ability."
" San Remo's Kente marked Vant very closely, which shows that San Remo was not unprepared. While Ajax was studying tactics to counter their midfield passing, they were also studying Ajax's attacking linchpin!"
An analysis that is insightful and penetrating.
Of course, Hans didn't use any sensitive words like "serial position swapping".
He can expose what needs to be exposed, but it's not the right time for him to expose concepts that shouldn't be exposed.
The first inventor of many things is not necessarily the most sought-after.
Those who truly reap the benefits of this concept are often those who, after the concept has been accepted by the public, step forward to popularize it, concluding with, "I already knew that."
Hans knew how to effectively manage his reputation as a "top journalist".
April 16th, Serie B Round 32.
The team arranged for player rotation, but Lu Yang was not given a rest.
Because their league opponents are not weak; they are currently among the top five Serie B teams.
San Remo continued to make numerous mistakes in this match, while their opponents seized the opportunity to launch a high-quality counterattack, taking a 2-1 lead at one point.
In the end, the two sides played to a 3-3 draw, ending in a tie.
Lu Yang played steadily, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
Versace scored and assisted.
Fernandez had one assist.
Although Nagy has reduced his own goals significantly this season, he hasn't completely eradicated them. In this match, he scored a last-minute own goal, turning San Remo's three points into one, demonstrating his generosity and chivalry!
With this, Lu Yang's league goal tally has reached thirty-nine!
This pushes the Serie B goal record higher.
He might even reach 40 league goals soon.
Let's repeat ourselves on the same topic.
Just like when Lu Yang scored 18 goals in the first half of the Serie D season, countless people said that it would be difficult for him to even break double digits in Serie C.
As a result, Lu Yang Serie C, breaking the Serie C single-season goal record!
At that time, many people said that Serie C was just a lower-level league, and that there was an insurmountable gap between Serie B and other lower-level leagues.
The Serie B season is not over yet, but Lu Yang has already scored 39 goals.
He didn't lose his ability to score goals despite the improved level of the league.
If last season he was a rising star that many people were interested in glancing at...
This season, he has already begun to make many top clubs consider whether they should take a gamble and spend a considerable sum to buy him.
To this day, he is not even nineteen years old.
After this match, San Remo will prepare to fly to Amsterdam to face Ajax away in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
But before that, the Champions League semi-finalists for this year had already been decided!
AC Milan decisively defeated Chelsea over two legs, with Izelet once again gaining the upper hand in his duel with Gutierrez.
Of course, this is also related to the fact that Chelsea has not yet fully gelled together.
Chelsea, acquired by Russia tycoons, is still undergoing a complete rebuild. After this season ends, they are likely to further strengthen their midfield, especially the defensive midfield position.
Once the reinforcements are completed, they will be at full strength next season.
Putting aside their honors, their strength should be comparable to that of top-tier clubs.
Meanwhile, Barcelona, under new coach Guardiola, achieved a breakthrough in the Champions League this season, reaching the semi-finals!
This is the best Champions League result achieved so far by the Argentina emperor and the Barcelona Homegrown Clique players.
They are practically at full strength this season.
However, Guardiola's demanding tactical approach slowed down their explosive growth, which to some extent affected their combat effectiveness.
Of course, this is something that most people would find difficult to notice.
However, if they can fulfill Guardiola's tactical requirements, their potential will be even higher, and other star players will also have a certain chance of integrating.
In the clash between Manchester United and Juventus, Manchester United emerged victorious.
Juventus suffered a disappointing defeat, drawing one and losing one of their two matches.
However, the two teams only managed to score one goal in total across the two matches.
Juventus ' attack is facing the same problems as the Italy National Team.
Lacking offensive power!
Ancarelli did not seem to display the same Italy spirit during the battle.
It's certainly not as eye-catching as his six million euro salary.
Bayern Munich also defeated Paris Saint-Germain, who were still in the process of rebuilding.
In the past two years, the Bundesliga has been much stronger than the Ligue 1.
This match wasn't considered an upset.
Thus, each of the four major leagues now has one team in the Champions League semi-finals, almost as if it were a pre-arranged agreement to exclude Ligue 1.
The subsequent draw left Soto speechless!
Because AC Milan, the only team not ranked that high in the league, was actually assigned to Barcelona.
Although the probability of randomly drawing lots is the same for everyone,... given Lu Yang's words, and the preconceived notion, Soto naturally used the word "allocation".
In Lu Yang's prediction, Barcelona is no match for AC Milan right now.
This... no matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem right!
Because AC Milan has not shown overwhelming fighting power in either the league or the Champions League this year.
Adding to their disappointing Champions League defeat last year, AC Milan is actually looked down upon by many teams and fans.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are already firmly in first place in the league.
In the Champions League, they also put up some incredible statistics on several occasions, winning 3-0 and 5-1, playing with great enthusiasm.
Rumors spread like wildfire.
" Real Madrid wants to buy Izelet? That shouldn't be possible! Izelet is Brazil, and we at Barcelona have a tradition of accepting Brazil players!"
"Why doesn't Izelet join our Barcelona?"
"Yeah, it's good to have him as a substitute to strengthen the roster's depth."
"The players Real Madrid wants would only be substitutes at Barcelona! Apart from Zizo, none of the so-called superstars they bought have any real skills!"
"Haha, Barcelona fans are really bold. Even if our Izelet were to leave, it would never be Barcelona!"
" Izelet will beat you to a pulp, just you wait!"
"Even if your Argentina emperor came, he couldn't possibly push Izelet to the bench. That's outrageous!"
"Real Madrid's superstars are at least globally recognized, while your superstars are all self-proclaimed. Is there any comparison? It's hilarious!"
AC Milan and Barcelona fans started fighting.
In comparison, there's not much to talk about regarding Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Although there are rivalries and controversies between the two, it's actually quite rare for football teams to develop inexplicable feuds simply because of a few matches. More often, ordinary fans are manipulated and drawn into a fandom-like state.
But fan culture hasn't been popular in recent years.
Following the heated discussion after the Champions League semi-finalists were determined.
Everyone was looking forward to seeing the Europa League semi-finals.
As expected, England's the Sun once again swayed the football world's attention.
The Sun: Breaking news! Sophia has accepted an invitation to the San Remo Music Festival and may bring Lu Yang to headline the event!
This news, once it was revealed, has attracted widespread attention in the entertainment industry.
As everyone knows, Sophia's new movie, " Gone Girl," seems to have finished filming.
Her participation in the San Remo Music Festival is very likely for the purpose of promoting her film.
The San Remo Music Festival is one of Italy's most famous music festivals.
In the past two years, thanks to the Sanremo Football Club, San Remo has seen a surge in tourism, becoming another popular tourist destination in Europe.
and!
The new four-star stadium in San Remo has been largely completed and is ready for use.
To celebrate the new stadium's opening ceremony, the Russell Group also provided a huge sponsorship for this year's San Remo Music Festival.
Therefore, this year's San Remo Music Festival was heavily advertised, and invited numerous stars and celebrities to participate, making it famous throughout Europe.
Tens of thousands of tickets were snapped up long ago.
It's no exaggeration to say that it's one of the biggest music festivals in Europe this year.
And its date was April 22nd!
It happened exactly one day after the match between San Remo and Ajax.
even!
One day after the San Remo Music Festival ended, there was another league match in San Remo.
Not only is the competition schedule tight, but Lu Yang also has to go out and do gigs to make money?
Isn't this a bit too much?
The Sun exposes nothing truly serious, but it's incredibly accurate when it comes to reporting on such trivial and absurd matters.
Once they reported it, other media outlets followed suit, and soon Sophia gave a public response.
Sophia: "I will indeed be attending this year's San Remo Music Festival, thank you for your support and attention. I have indeed invited special guests to attend with me, but I cannot confirm the specifics yet."
Whether the special guest will come or not, or whether they will be available, is still unknown.
Reporter: "Is the special guest you mentioned Lu Yang?"
Sophia: "Sorry, no comment. You'll all find out when the time comes."
This interview did not dispel the rumors; on the contrary, the more people thought about it, the more likely it seemed true.
Many media outlets published articles specifically predicting the identity of this special guest.
Some people think it will be Anna, who is an excellent music producer.
The theme song and some of the incidental music in her previous film, " The Invisible Guest," were composed by her.
It's normal for such a seasoned music producer to appear at the San Remo Music Festival.
Some people believe it is Tia, Sophia's recent close friend.
This young model has started appearing frequently alongside Sophia this year, showcasing her at shows such as Milan Fashion Week.
According to media investigations, she was discovered to be Moric's girlfriend.
Given the relationship between Moric and Lu Yang, it's not surprising that Sophia would bring Tia to some large events.
Many people genuinely envy Moric because of this.
Not only did he have Lu Yang's connections on his team, but his girlfriend could also rely on Lu Yang's girlfriend, allowing him to smoothly enter the entertainment industry with resources far superior to those of ordinary newcomers.
Of course, most people believe that the mystery guest was Lu Yang.
And many people believe that Lu Yang will go.
Some people think it's Lu Yang, but Lu Yang won't go.
For details, please refer to the Brit Awards ceremony during the European Under-21 Championship.
Lu Yang arrogantly declined to participate in the team's match.
Opinions are divided, and the entertainment industry has capitalized on the football hype, with countless entertainment editors making a killing.
In comparison, the football media found themselves utterly inadequate.
In the entertainment industry, even the most trivial matters can be sensationalized into countless possibilities, with everyone making money.
But the football media remained so stubborn and meticulous, and in the end, they made no money, and their influence remained limited to the realm of football, unable to expand further.
We still need to learn from our peers in the entertainment industry.
Look at the earliest and most similar newspaper to the Sun; although its reputation is terrible, it has grown bigger and bigger in recent years, and making money is an undeniable fact.
The second leg of the Europa League quarter-finals began on April 21.
San Remo will play away against Ajax.
In the first half, both Ajax and San Remo continued the style of their previous match.
It seems neither team thinks they have done anything wrong.
San Remo still has instances of miscommunication, giving the opponent possession of the ball.
The good thing is that the players who lose possession will immediately press and win the ball back.
If the opponent's counterattack is even slightly slower, it won't pose much of a threat.
Ajax also frequently seized opportunities to launch counter-attacks, some successful and some unsuccessful, but overall they mostly turned counter-attacks into positional battles.
Vant's slowness was further demonstrated in this match.
Before Hans spoke up, everyone just felt that Ajax was acting strangely this year, but they couldn't quite put their finger on what was wrong.
After Hans made it clear, everyone saw Vant's slowness much more clearly.
Under the spotlight and magnifying glass, Vant's predicament is laid bare.
Moreover, while Sancho is slower, he's young and might be faster if needed.
Vant has really slowed down, and he can never go fast again.
Time flies and ages us all.
He should have been in his prime at 28, but due to frequent injuries and poor team choices, he spent two or three years on the bench, ultimately leading to the premature decline of his football career.
Rafael Vant was truly a tragedy in football.
What's frightening is that Barcelona has experienced several such tragedies.
The Arsenal captain who practically jumped ship to Barcelona right after handing over the reins to Vant a few years ago, isn't he now sitting on Barcelona's bench for two years?
Even though Barcelona officially launched this year, that captain is nowhere to be seen in this Cosmic Team!
Mr. Wenger talked himself hoarse, but to no avail.
But what is the other party's state of mind now?
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, the former Arsenal captain will be sold by Barcelona at the end of this season.
Another top-potential star has fallen in Barcelona.
This is not just one person's problem; it's a series of problems.
But the consequences often fall on the individual.
"You're too slow!" Moric said to Vant, who was pressing forward, after making a quick cutback and passing the ball smoothly to his teammate.
He was simply stating a fact, without using any exaggerated tone.
But those words stung Vant.
"Young man, you need to watch your mouth!" Vant glared at Moric.
"I didn't mean anything by it. I'm just curious about your Barcelona career. I hope we can talk sometime so I can avoid making some wrong choices." Moric remembered what Lu Yang had told him a few days ago.
It wasn't that he didn't trust Brother Lu, it's just... he was still a little unwilling to give up and wanted to ask other people how they felt.
It's like some people who know they only have enough savings to buy a car worth a little over 100,000 yuan, but still read BMW 3 Series reviews every day.
He wanted to struggle a little longer.
However... Moric's words were tantamount to rubbing salt into Vant's wounds.
Barcelona career?
Are you asking about the experience of using the substitute seats at Camp Nou and comparing them with substitute seats from other teams?
Idiot!
"You're so arrogant! You'll grow old like me someday!" Vant was so angry he was about to vomit blood.
He knew that the young man in front of him had received an offer from Barcelona during the winter transfer window.
This is just like what happened to Vant back then.
Vant felt as if he were seeing a low-budget version of himself.
Because Barcelona offered him ten million back then!
And that was five, six, or seven years ago!
"That's why I want to learn from you; I don't want to become the next you," Moric said frankly.
Sincerity is an attitude.
But honesty can sometimes be really hurtful.
Bang!
Vant was furious and overthrew Moric.
Lu Yang, who had overheard their entire conversation, simply helped Moric up and pulled him away.
Bro, shut up! If word gets out about what we just said, everyone'll want to beat you up!
The referee gave Vant a yellow card.
An Ajax player rushed over to confront Moric, saying, "Your scheme has succeeded."
But Moric swears that he is genuinely curious about everything at Barcelona right now!
He truly had no intention of provoking Vant.
In fact, Moric had already been quite restrained.
When someone becomes obsessed with or interested in something for a period of time, it's like being poisoned.
This feeling is something that everyone, regardless of gender, is familiar with.
At halftime, Soto did not change their tactics; they were now in the lead.
He specifically instructed Moric not to provoke the opposing players with trash talk anymore.
Facing an Ajax whose core weaknesses are exposed, San Remo doesn't need to win with such difficulty, nor does it need to resort to such underhanded tactics.
Next time you have the chance to play against a Premier League team, you can give it a try.
I heard that the fights in the middle of the game there are really intense, with chokeholds and broken legs being commonplace.
At the start of the second half, San Remo launched a Frontcourt Pressing.
Lu Yang, Soguer, Baizami, Moric combined to press and win the ball.
Lu Yang fought his way from the left flank all the way to the middle.
Ajax were unable to get the ball out of their own half and could only pass it back to the goalkeeper.
The goalkeeper also wanted to try something a little more unconventional.
Anyone who watches football regularly knows that many goalkeepers, even when faced with a ball they could handle immediately, often have to "let the ball fly for a while."
They only picked up the ball or passed it out after the opposing striker rushed up.
The goal was to lure the opposing striker forward.
On the one hand, it's about wasting the opponent's energy; every little bit helps, and it might just play a crucial role.
On the other hand, it draws the opposing striker over, effectively reducing the number of players the team's midfield and defense have to deal with, thus increasing the numerical advantage and enhancing the stability of the midfield and defense's passing.
So, even though he could have kicked the ball long, the goalkeeper dribbled it a couple of steps.
But he didn't expect that Soguer had absolutely no intention of being polite.
Soguer charged straight at the goalkeeper without slowing down at all.
Bang!
The Ajax goalkeeper feinted and then launched a long ball out.
But by then, Soguer was already very close to him.
A muffled thud followed.
Soguer clutched his stomach and collapsed to the ground.
But at the same moment, the football hit Soguer and bounced to the side.
In the middle of the penalty area, even closer than the penalty spot, the ball bounced so beautifully.
Bang!
Lu Yang, who had been pressing from the left flank, made his way into the penalty area.
The ball landed right in front of him.
What's this?
This is the principle of Heaven rewarding diligence!
Facing an open goal, Lu Yang raised his foot and shot!
Completed in one go!
One to zero!
San Remo took the lead away from home.
Ajax are down 0-2 on aggregate.
Given their failure to score away from home, they need to score three goals to advance to the Europa League semi-finals!
"GOAL!"
After scoring, Lu Yang turned to look at Soguer.
Although Soguer was hit hard, it wasn't a fatal blow, and he still managed to provide an assist.
He immediately endured the pain and got up to celebrate the goal with Lu Yang.
This is what they call bittersweet!