After the Champions League ended, the media across Europe focused on Barcelona, which won the championship trophy, and the giants with the same strength.
The media's focus began to shift, and the paparazzi began to dig deeper into which star would be transferred and which famous coach would be dismissed.
On May 21, Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium was once again packed with fans of two small teams.
Although Cardiff officially sold an equal number of tickets to fans from both sides, it was obvious from the situation at the scene that the crowd of Saints was almost twice as many as the opponents' fans.
"Southampton must win!"
"Victory is ours!"
"Winter, omnipotent!"
Outside the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, it can be seen from the banners held high by the Saints that the fans have equated "Wang Xiaodong", "Southampton" and "promotion to the Premier League".
Over the past few seasons, fans have rarely cheered for their own team's stars.
But in the last game of the season, nearly half of the fans shouted one person's name.
After the craziness of the last game, Wang Xiaodong still appeared in the starting lineup.
There was no red card on him, and the Football Association did not suspend him for other reasons.
If Wang Xiaodong is not seen starting in the team's most critical play-off final, the fans may rush into the scene immediately and tear down the bench.
The opponent in this final was Watford, who defeated Preston 3-0 in the two rounds of the play-offs to advance to the final.
Although the defeat against Southampton in the league was not entirely a bad thing.
As a result, Watford's head coach understands their opponents better and will take corresponding measures according to the opponent's situation.
Even before the game started, Watford head coach Eddy Boutroy said that they were striving to win this game and would even give up some scenes in order to win and advance, and there would be no competition with Southampton. idea.
As long as they can win, the team can do whatever it takes.
So at the beginning of the game, it was almost Southampton's half-time offensive and defensive drill. Watford occasionally counterattacked, but with Wang Xiaodong's active defense, it was difficult to achieve results after halftime.
For both teams, this game is crucial, related to the success or failure of the entire season. After considering Southampton thoroughly, Watford did come up with two tools on defense.
Especially when dealing with Wang Xiaodong's long-range shots, they almost didn't give Wang Xiaodong a chance to kick, because they didn't cut off the connection between teammates and Wang Xiaodong by passing the ball, but also deliberately drew a "standard line".
With 30 meters away from the goal as the boundary, try not to let Wang Xiaodong touch the ball within 30 meters. Even if he catches the ball, he will be forced to pass it out as soon as possible; 30 meters away, try not to let Wang Xiaodong kick the ball, and try to prevent Wang Xiaodong from kicking. Most of the fouls occur within this range.
The last spot for promotion to the Premier League is right in front of us, and no one wants to take a step back.
Even in the Premier League, in a life-and-death struggle, a relegated team may unseat the championship-winning team, let alone two teams that were originally equally powerful.
Just like now, Southampton looked aggressive and completely overwhelmed Watford. But in fact, there are not many times when he actually threatens the opponent's goal. Even Wang Xiaodong can't do anything about this.
Facing two or three Watford's tall central defenders, Wang Xiaodong did not have much advantage in terms of strength and body. Moreover, the opponent's private little moves are so frequent that Wang Xiaodong is driven crazy. Pulling the jersey is just a trivial matter, and pinching the thin flesh of the waist with his nails through the jersey, even Schwarzenegger can't stand it!
Although Bell has a large range of activities in front, his speed and breakthrough cannot give full play to his greatest advantages in a dense space.
So does Kendi Jones. Although many people compare him with Drogba, the real Warcraft will not fall into the quagmire of double-teaming.
In the end, Southampton still relied on Wang Xiaodong's long pass to create a melee in the penalty area to threaten the opponent's goal. However, luck will play a big part in this, and a team that defends wholeheartedly will minimize the risk. .
Wang Xiaodong has never been a thoughtful guy, but he has his own ideas and judgments about the court situation.
The reason why Keegan hasn't moved his position to midfielder despite Wang Xiaodong's long-range shooting ability is that he knows that Wang Xiaodong is not an organizational player who likes to think.
Therefore, once the offense is blocked, Wang Xiaodong will also wonder why this is so, and will also use his "unique" vision and too vague sixth sense to judge how to play to help the team open up the situation.
DANG! ! !
The first half ended when Kendi Jones' header hit the post.
Southampton had a comprehensive advantage, with a total of 12 shots.
But except for the last header that hit the goal frame, the other shots were either blocked by Watford defenders and goalkeepers, or deviated directly from the goal.
When they walked into the tunnel, the Southampton players had a somewhat frustrated look on their faces.
"Mr. Harry, please let go of my restrictions and let me play a few more games. I will definitely score goals!"
In the locker room, Wang Xiaodong followed assistant coach Harry and talked softly.
"No." Harry obeyed Keegan's request and refused to let go.
If Wang Xiaodong fires as hard as he did in the last game in the second half, I'm afraid the happiest thing would be Watford, who had already prepared.
This tactic is too risky and cannot be called a "tactic" at all.
After being rejected, Wang Xiaodong also threw his hands away. He had almost used up all his aiming charms in the previous game. He only had some elementary and intermediate aiming charms left in his hand, and he was not allowed to fire randomly.
The 15 minutes passed quickly, and before the kick-off of the second half, a burst of applause suddenly came from the stands.
The team members looked around and saw that Kevin Keegan, who had been hospitalized, appeared in the VIP seat in a wheelchair, with Jack standing next to him.
Seeing that the fans had noticed him, Keegan straightened his tie and waved politely to all the players.
At this moment, sitting in the stands, he is not the head coach of Southampton, but waving thanks to the fans as an England legend.
"Look, it's Mr. Keegan!"
"Mr Keegan is on the pitch!"
"coach!"
The players also raised their hands in the air and greeted Keegan.
"Hey, the old man has been discharged from the hospital?"
Looking at the energetic Keegan at the VIP table, the corners of Wang Xiaodong's mouth gradually turned up.
Keegan's arrival once again boosted Southampton's morale.
Wang Xiaodong began to work hard to move forward, often appearing in the central midfield position.
Since I'm not allowed to bomb from a distance, then I should go forward and pass the ball more, right?
Both Bell and Kendi Jones are accomplished at heading the ball, and Wang Xiaodong's forward penetration will take away a certain amount of defense and create a path for Bell to cut inside and shoot. With Bell's shooting skills, he is still very likely to score goals after taking a few more shots.
Of course, there is a more important point. If the opponent plays a defensive counterattack, Wang Xiaodong can press forward as quickly as possible, making the opponent's first counterattack pass impossible.
This may be a bit dangerous, but with Wang Xiaodong's abundant physical strength, it is still possible to block the opponent's counterattack.
After passing the ball several times in a row, Southampton's tactics in the second half gradually took shape.
Wang Xiaodong must be reluctant to always pass the ball, but he knows that if he wants to score a goal as soon as possible, there is no other good way.
After the tactical goal was clear, Wang Xiaodong started to get angry.
He passed the ball into the goal again and again, and the ball seemed to have eyes, always flying over the heads of his own players.
If Wang Xiaodong showed his powerful shooting skills in front of the fans in the last game, then this game allowed the fans to see his precise fixed-point delivery.
This time, not only did Ferguson come to the scene, but even the face of professor Wenger also appeared in the crowd.
The appearance of the two major coaches made fans and reporters wonder.
Although it is still unknown whether the two famous coaches have really contacted Wang Xiaodong, it is undeniable that regardless of whether Southampton can win this game, Wang Xiaodong will definitely appear in the Premier League next season.
In the 51st minute, with his side facing the goal, Wang Xiaodong pushed the outside of his right foot outward.
How did the two players guarding him think that someone would pass the ball in this way?
This cross was no less powerful than a fierce kick towards the goal. It was caught off guard and Bell got the ball at the edge of the penalty area.
Facing the opponent's two defensive players, Bell showed no fear after receiving the ball. He stepped left and right, and his continuously changing footsteps shook the opponent's center of gravity. Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Great Sage accelerated violently and shot directly through the gap between the two of them, heading straight for the ribs of the penalty area.
In normal training, Keegan has been practicing Bell's inside shooting.
But in the actual game, the Monkey King will never behave so rigidly.
Watford is also wary of Bell's inward cuts, but apart from continuing to increase his troops, there is no other good way to shoot.
After he entered the penalty area, the two players arrived too late. They don't want to steal the ball, they just want to block Bell's shooting route.
Seeing that he had lost his chance to kick, Bell took advantage of the situation and pushed the ball into the center of the triangle. At this time, Kendi Jones, who appeared in the center of the penalty area, had been completely missed.
No way, this is Southampton's normal way of playing.
When Bell breaks through, he can attract three or four defensive players from the opponent. In addition, the outside has been blocking Wang Xiaodong's continuous movement. How can Watford's defense not have loopholes?
As a person who is "comparable" to Drogba, Kendi Jones has also been working hard for this goal.
He rushed to the swing and started to shoot the ball without stopping. The ball rushed towards the goal like a cannonball, and there seemed to be a burning smell behind the ball.
This kick is so beautiful!
Just when Wang Xiaodong and others were preparing to celebrate the goal, Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster seemed to be in a panic. A magical flying dive blocked Kendi Jones' inevitable shot.
Even Kendi Jones had a surprised expression on his face. He held his head in his hands, not expecting that this powerful shot would be saved.
Ben Foster stood up and roared with excitement, his momentum was comparable to that of King Kahn.
It seemed that even he didn't expect that he could block the ball, and this time, he naturally became the team's savior.
"I am the genius, I am the savior!!!"
Ben Foster yelled hysterically in his mind.
Before the game, everyone knew that Southampton's offensive ability was very strong and could even blossom more.
Many teams often pray to God when facing such opponents, but only the goalkeeper is eager to try. When the goalkeeper of a weak team encounters a team with strong offensive ability, it is an opportunity for the goalkeeper to show off.
Especially the position of goalkeeper, which is highly competitive, many people become substitutes for life.
At this moment, Ben Foster, who saved Kendi Jones' shot, even began to dream about playing for a strong team like Manchester United, Arsenal or Liverpool next season.
Wang Xiaodong looked at Ben Foster who seemed to be going crazy not far away, and kept muttering in his heart: Is this guy too excited? It’s not like he defended my shot!
Now that I have achieved such a "little" result, it is so crazy. Is it really okay?
Do you want me to guide you?
