WebNovels

Chapter 62 - Chapter 62 Midfield Iron Gate

On the match day of the sixth round of La Liga, the Estadio de la Cerámica once again welcomed a surging crowd of spectators.

Sunday home games had become an indispensable part of life in the small city of Villarreal, with almost every citizen being a loyal fan of the team.

At this moment, the stadium's broadcast blared exciting music, warming up for the upcoming match.

The fans' emotions were gradually ignited; they waved the team's flags and sang cheering songs, encouraging the team.

Inside the locker room, the atmosphere was tense and solemn.

Coach Escribá stood before everyone, his gaze like a torch, scanning each player.

His hands were clasped behind his back, as if bearing the fate of the entire team.

"Listen, lads," Escribá's voice was loud and firm, echoing in every corner of the locker room, "Osasuna is an attacking team; their offense is as fierce as a storm.

But remember, we are not afraid of challenges."

He paused, took a deep breath, and continued, "What we need to do is firmly control the midfield and take the rhythm of the game into our own hands.

Only then can we effectively curb the opponent's offense and look for counter-attacking opportunities."

As he spoke, Escribá walked to the tactics board and pointed at the tactical diagram with a pointer: "Look here, our midfield trio must form a tight triangle, with seamless coordination between them.

Rodri, your long passes and vision are key for us.

Pau Torres and Lin Feng, you need to pay attention to defensive support and covering positions."

"Players, today is the day for us to prove ourselves!" Escribá waved his fist, saying passionately, "The opponent is just a relegation team; they haven't tasted victory in La Liga yet.

But this doesn't mean we can underestimate them!

Every match, every confrontation, is a test of our will and ability!"

The players were infected by Escribá's motivation; their blood boiled, and their fighting spirit ignited.

They shouted in unison, their voices deafening: "Fight for victory! Fight for Villarreal!"

At this moment, the atmosphere inside the Estadio de la Cerámica had reached a boiling point.

The surging crowd filled every corner, their emotions running high, anticipating the start of the match.

When the Villarreal players gradually emerged from the player tunnel, the entire stadium instantly erupted in a huge cheer.

The cheers surged like ocean waves, one after another, as if to overturn the entire stadium.

Amidst the deafening cheers, the players walked with firm steps towards the center of the pitch.

Lin Feng stood in the team, feeling the surrounding atmosphere, and couldn't help but exclaim, "It's still better to play at home."

His gaze swept over the fans waving team flags and shouting loudly, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart.

Playing at home not only had the support and encouragement of the fans but also the sense of honor and belonging to his own city.

With a whistle from the referee, the match officially began, and Sansone in the center circle passed the ball to Rodri, who was playing as a defensive midfielder.

At this moment, all eyes were on this young prospect; he had never played for the first team, and many fans weren't particularly familiar with him.

Just as Villarreal began to organize their attack, Osasuna's players rushed up from their half like arrows from a bow.

Their movements were swift and powerful, demonstrating a strong desire to attack.

This visual impact instantly put Villarreal's players on high alert; they knew this would be a tough match.

Rodri, who had just received the ball, instantly became the focus of attention.

Osasuna's players pounced like hungry wolves, four or five of them forming a tight encirclement, trying to cut off Rodri's connection with his teammates.

The spectators' hearts were in their throats, feeling anxious for Rodri.

Rodri was surrounded, but he showed calmness and composure.

He tightly shielded the ball, using his body to fend off opponents' tackles, while quickly observing the situation on the field.

He knew that once possession was lost in this critical position, Villarreal's defense would instantly fall into an extremely passive situation, giving the opponent an opportunity.

Under the intense pressing of Osasuna's players, Rodri displayed maturity and composure beyond his age.

He did not panic due to the opponent's tight marking; instead, he dealt with the situation on the field with a calm mindset.

He tightly shielded the ball, using his body to fend off opponents' tackles, while observing the situation on the field with sharp eyes.

Just as Osasuna's players tried to tackle, Rodri suddenly exerted force.

He quickly adjusted his stance and passed the ball towards the wing with the inside of his right foot.

That pass was like a precise arc, cutting through the gaps between Osasuna's players, accurately finding Castillejo's feet on the wing.

"Great pass, brother!" Castillejo took the ball in stride.

It must be said that although this pass looked simple, to succeed, it required extremely high passing technique and skill.

A good midfielder can often fetch a good price in the transfer market, and the reason is that in today's football, passing accuracy is increasingly important; whether in attack or during the transition from defense to attack, precise passes are needed to complete the play.

Otherwise, why could Paul Pogba fetch a price of 100 million Euros in the transfer market?

Passing is the most exquisite skill on a football field.

Although the fans in the stands couldn't see the subtlety of Rodri's pass, they simply thought Rodri had passed the ball under pressure, but Coach Escribá on the sidelines was very surprised.

It should be known that very few players Rodri's age can pass the ball so calmly under high pressure.

Osasuna's pressing on the field was very active; they deployed five players in midfield, which gave them a numerical advantage in the battle for the midfield.

At the same time, Head Coach Monreal also arranged for players to intensify their pressing, which meant Villarreal didn't gain much advantage in midfield during the opening stages.

Once Villarreal lost the ball in midfield, the Osasuna players who had won possession would instantly launch a counterattack, with their midfielders rushing towards Villarreal's defense like an invading army.

When, in the 6th minute of the match, team captain Bruno Soriano faced Osasuna's pressing, he failed to pass the ball in time.

The Osasuna player who snatched the ball almost didn't hesitate, and all of them surged forward into Villarreal's backfield.

Five or six players in Osasuna jerseys instantly ran into Villarreal's backfield; the more players there were, the more passing options the opponent had in this counterattack.

However, to everyone's surprise, Osasuna's players hadn't even managed to make more than three passes before Rodri intercepted the ball, and a counterattack instantly turned into a hasty retreat.

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T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.

It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!

patreon.com/Greyhounds

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