After celebrating, Pan Yi and Lippi discussed how to play after taking the lead.
The mentality before scoring a goal is different from that after scoring a goal. This is actually something the coaching staff is worried about.
Sometimes when there is a stalemate in a draw, the players can often implement the tactics assigned by the coach. But once this balance is broken, the players will be a little timid due to psychological fluctuations, and they will not be able to defend well.
"Let's go back to 4-3-3 first. The players are more familiar with this formation, and 3-4-3 is still more offensive." Pan Yi suggested.
Lippi nodded: "Yes, at least hold on to the first half, and then adjust according to the situation in the second half."
The two hit it off immediately.
The high degree of unity in tactical thinking and mutual understanding are the main reasons why these two world-class coaches can coexist harmoniously on the same team.
As we all know, Pan Yi is now nominally only the technical advisor of the Long Guo team, but in fact he often exercises his powers as head coach, which can be said to be a "double talker".
Once the head coach is dissatisfied with such a situation and must establish his so-called authority and lead with his own style of play, conflicts will definitely arise.
In world football, why is the dual head coach model rarely used? That's why. A team must still have a final say, otherwise it will just be a dispute and you don't know when it will last.
In Pan Yi's impression, the Swedish national team probably implemented a dual-head coach system around 2000, but it did not achieve much success.
But in the current Dragon Country team, there is no such nonsense.
It is because of mutual trust between the two parties that Lippi is willing to let Pan Yilai directly exercise his authority, and Pan Yi will not be too arrogant. Many tactics will be implemented after discussing with Lippi.
Now that a consensus has been reached, Pan Yi immediately stood on the sidelines, asked the players to return to the 4-3-3 formation, and reminded them to concentrate and defend in the final stage of the first half.
"Forget about the goal just now, just like before, play hard!"
After losing the ball, the Iranian team will definitely launch a crazy counterattack. After all, they cannot lose in front of hundreds of thousands of people.
The players present in Longguo also understand this.
Therefore, under Pan Yi's reminder, Zheng Zhi returned to the defensive midfielder position to assist Huang Bowen and Wu Xi in defense, while Zhang Linpeng and Jiang Zhipeng on both sides also retreated from the wing-back positions and stayed on the defensive line. .
As expected, the Iranian team immediately launched a crazy counterattack against the Dragon Kingdom team, which immediately increased the defensive pressure on the Dragon Kingdom team.
Not to mention the three midfielders and four defenders, even the three forwards in the frontcourt had to actively drop back to participate in defense.
In the end, all 11 players on the team were closely guarded in their own half, forming three lines of defense to withstand the Iranian team's attack.
This is also the bus tactic that the Dragon Country team often practices in training!
Because everyone knows that in Asia, the overall strength of the Dragon Country team is not strong, especially behind strong teams such as Japan, South Korea, Iran, and Australia. When encountering them, they often have to defend first.
Therefore, all kinds of defensive tactics, whether it is quick counter-attack, flexible counter-attack, or just defense without counter-attack, border defense and border counter-attack, have gone through a lot of practice.
In this way, the Dragon Kingdom team can flexibly switch between various postures during the game to deal with various types of impacts.
This Iranian team has a strong striker, but their better offensive methods are actually running and shooting, which means they need more space.
But now the three lines of the Dragon Country team maintain a tight formation, which does not easily give the Iranian team room to attack, which makes it difficult for Iranian players to get opportunities.
Especially for the defense of the Iranian midfielder, the Dragon Country team has been included as a top priority. This makes it difficult for Iran to organize an effective attack within the 30-meter area of the Dragon Country team, and most of them can only go to the wing. Then pass through the wing.
However, in a state of intensive defense, it was difficult for Iran's side crosses to get a chance in the Dragon Kingdom's penalty area. Both Feng Xiaoting and Mei Fang firmly locked in the air superiority and repeatedly pushed the ball out of the dangerous area.
Including injury time, after nearly ten minutes of hard work, the Dragon Country team still held on!
The referee finally blew the whistle to end the first half.
With Wu Lei's goal, the Long Guo team temporarily took the lead 1:0.
But in the last ten minutes of the first half, the one-sided situation on the court made all Dragon Kingdom fans feel a little uneasy.
Facing such a powerful Iran, can the team withstand such pressure? Can this advantage be maintained? ——
"The first half is over."
After the coaches and players of both teams returned to the locker rooms, the TV screen also switched to the live broadcast room.
He Wei and Xu Yang began to analyze and summarize the game situation in the first half, and at the same time made predictions and guesses about the game trend in the second half.
He Wei said: "It should be said that the performance of the Long Guo team in the first half was indeed quite good. Especially during the period about thirty minutes into the game, the formation suddenly changed to 3-4-3, which made the opponent a little unable to react. , then scored a goal, and now we have the advantage.”
Xu Yang nodded and said: "Yes, in this game our players showed their own technical and tactical levels, played their own style, and showed a good mental outlook."
He Wei asked: "Now that we are leading, Coach Xu, what do you think we should do in the second half?"
Xu Yang thought for a while and said: "Well... we still have to play our own thing. In away games, there are many difficulties. The team is under great psychological pressure and it is difficult to play, so it is not easy to play our own thing."
He Wei: "...Okay, Director Xu is right. In the last ten minutes of the first half, the Iranian team's crazy attack created considerable pressure on us. It can be predicted that the second half of the game will be more difficult because Iran The team will definitely try its best to attack. I don’t know what Coach Lippi and Coach Pan Yi will think, but if it were me, I might adjust the tactics and further strengthen the defense. Coach Xu, what do you think?"
Xu Yang nodded again: "Yes, defense is very important, especially in the away game. We still have to persevere. As long as we defend until the end, victory will definitely be ours!"
He Wei: "Okay. I think Lippi may replace a striker, otherwise it will be too dangerous to use this 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 to withstand Iran's attack."
Xu Yang: "The national team coaching staff must have their own ideas and adequate plans. The game will be difficult, but..."
He Wei: "How to say?"
Xu Yang: "There is not much time left for the Iranian team!"
He Wei: "..."
——
In the visiting team's locker room, the national football players were panting and resting.
The long journey to the away game, coupled with the hot weather here, put the physical fitness of the national football players to a severe test.
As for the Iranian team's strong attack at the last moment of the first half, under the fierce defense, the international players were also under tremendous pressure. Each one tried their best and consumed a lot of physical energy.
Although the one-goal lead made the players look relaxed, no one was sure whether they could maintain this one-goal advantage in the second half.
After all, the Iranian team is indeed very strong!
At this time, Lippi and Pan Yi pushed the door open and came in.
Everyone turned their attention to them.
The players know that these two leaders of the national football team have already discussed the tactics and are here to inform everyone.
Sure enough, Pan Yi quickly said: "Iran's offensive will definitely be more intense in the second half, so we need to make adjustments in the midfield."
Then, Pan Yi took a few steps forward and patted Lin Liangming on the shoulder: "You go down and have a rest. We need to strengthen the midfield."
Lin Liangming nodded.
What Pan Yi means is that the team will change to 4-4-2.
The next forward is the midfielder, and then Zhang Yuning and Wu Lei are placed in the middle to create one high and one fast.
Under this choice, it is obviously most suitable to remove Lin Liangming.
Because Wu Lei is the fastest and poses the greatest threat to his opponents in counterattacks;
Zhang Yuning can play the role of a bridgehead, and his suppressive effect on the Iranian central defender was also obvious in the first half.
As for Lin Liangming, his skills are indeed good, but his speed, height, and strength are not that outstanding.
Then, Pan Yi walked towards Cai Huikang again: "Get ready, go up in the second half and play double midfielder with Zheng Zhi."
Cai Huikang, like Wu Lei, comes from Genbao Football Base, but he is tall and strong, a tank player in the midfield, and a full-time defensive midfielder.
Now that he is put on the field, the goal is to take advantage of his fierce defensive interception and good supplement awareness to assist Zheng Zhi in the midfield interception work.
At the same time, Wu Xi and Huang Bowen will stand in front of the two defensive midfielders, playing as wing forwards, with Huang Bowen on the right and Wu Xi on the left.
After Pan Yi ordered the substitutions, he began to move the chess pieces on the tactical board so that everyone could clearly see the tactical changes in the second half.
Then there are special instructions for forward players:
"Zhang Yuning, you still have to be at the front and hold their two central defenders in check."
"Wu Lei, your position should be deeper, probably as a shadow forward. When attacking, you can hover around Zhang Yuning, control the second landing point, or use your speed advantage to directly attack when you have the opportunity. Hit him behind."
"Also, you two should also pay attention to pressing their midfielders when defending, especially Ibrahimi. If possible, cut off the connection between Ibrahimi and Montazeri. Don't let They took the ball calmly and organized in the backcourt.”
In Iran's 4-3-3 system, Montazeri is responsible for serving as a ball-playing central defender.
Although he is not particularly tall and his ability to compete for the top is only average, he is relatively flexible and has excellent passing and ball skills. Many of Iran's threatening counterattacks come from his feet.
Ibrahimi in the midfield can be said to be the core of the Iranian team's midfield organizer. He often retreats to receive the ball from the central defender, so the connection between the two players is critical to Iran's midfield organization.
If the Long Guo team can start from the forward pressing and interfere with their backcourt ball distribution system, it will be very helpful for the team to quickly establish a solid defensive formation.
After hearing Pan Yi's words, Zhang Yuning and Wu Lei also expressed their acceptance.
They just listen to the coaching staff's tactical instructions!
Pan Yi's calm and confident voice also made the players feel at ease.
The coach knows it well, and they naturally know it too! ——
"Viewers, welcome back. What you are watching now is the second half of the second round of Group A of the top 12 Asian qualifying matches for the World Cup in Russia."
"In the first half that just ended, the Dragon Country team took the lead with Wu Lei's goal, which makes all of us Dragon Country fans feel excited."
"However, in the nearly ten minutes after the goal, the Dragon Country team was completely suppressed by Iran and played very hard, which also gave us a little worry."
"Obviously, our coaching staff is also aware of this. They made adjustments directly during the halftime break and replaced winger Lin Liangming with midfielder Cai Huikang. It seems that this is a switch to 4-4-2."
"This is obviously a manifestation of strengthening defense. This is very wise. After all, in a stadium with 100,000 people in Iran, in such a difficult environment, after leading by one goal, defense is the first priority. "
"The Iranian team also made a substitution! Azmoun came on as a substitute, and he replaced forward Guqiannejad. This shows that their formation will not change, and it should still be an offensive 4-3 -3."
"At the age of 18, Azmon entered the Russian Super League alone and played for Rubin Kazan and Rostov teams. Now he has made a name for himself and is the top scorer in the team."
"Azmon's body is not strong, but his movements are very light and his ability to break through with the ball is very good. During the dribbling process, Azmon is still very fast, and he can judge the opponent's defense in high-speed movements. He has the center of gravity and is able to grasp the defensive gaps in an instant, and his right foot ability is very good.”
"At the same time, as a forward, Azmon can also see the movements of his teammates and use his excellent vision and extraordinary ability to create scoring opportunities for his teammates. It can be said that his comprehensive ability is relatively strong."
"Among Azmon's various skills, the one he uses less is heading, but this does not mean that heading is his weakness. After all, 1.86 meters still has certain advantages in fighting for the top with ordinary defensive players. It’s just that because of the player’s speed and excellent ability to combine man and ball, many times there is no need for him to be a stand-up center.”
"Oh, judging from Iran's current position on the field, the strongman Taremi and the winger Jahanbakhsh who plays for Alkmaar in the Eredivisie are separated on the left and right, while Azmoun is standing at the center position."
"The Dragons controlled Iran's high ball very well in the first half, and Queiroz obviously noticed this. It seems they are going to change their offensive routine."
"Although Taremi is tall and tall, he is also very sharp as a winger; and Jahanbakhsh is even more famous in the Eredivisie. He is good at dribbling and speed, and he has the strong body of the Persian nation. Confrontation capabilities.”
"It seems that the competition between the coaches of the two teams is very head-to-head. Each has its own ideas and thoughts."
"Okay, let's focus on the court. The second half of the game is about to begin!"
Amid He Wei's commentary, the referee blew his whistle and the second half of the game officially started.
The Iranian team, which was one goal behind, was really eager to equalize the score. It took the lead at the beginning of the second half and launched a fierce attack on the Dragon Kingdom team. It was likely to take this opportunity to eat the Dragon Kingdom team in one go.
After the start of the second half, the Dragon State team took the initiative to retreat, focusing on staying within the 30-meter area of its own side, forming a tight defensive formation with a 4-4-2 formation, or more accurately, a 4-4- 1-1.
Especially in the middle of the frontcourt, Zhang Yuning is responsible for suppressing the Iranian central defender, especially Montazeri's ball, while Wu Lei often presses and clamps down on Ibrahimi.
This is a countermeasure against the current offensive method of the Iranian team.
What is Queiroz's most admirable offensive method?
Rather than widening the offensive width and controlling the offensive rhythm, Queiroz will deliberately avoid rhythm control, which the Iranian team is not good at, and will try his best to promote the physical confrontation and high-speed attack that Iranian players are good at.
When carrying out a quick counterattack, in order to get the ball holder to face the opponent's goal as quickly as possible, the offensive players will make concentrated breakthroughs toward the center space.
For example, when Azmoun takes the ball, Taremi and Jahanbakhsh on both sides will quickly move closer and concentrate their forces to break through the middle to target the holes in the opponent's defense.
This is also to better utilize Azmon's role.
Last season's Russian Super League also saw a Leicester City-style "myth". The underdog Rostov won the championship in a blockbuster, and the team's number one forward was Azmoun, who was only 21 years old.
He is extremely capable of moving in a small area and is proficient in dribbling, breakthrough, speed and shooting skills. As long as the center can provide him with sufficient support, he will have a chance to score the Dragon Country goal.
But now Pan Yi asked the players to defend tightly in the middle early. After cutting off the Iranian team's side cuts and midfield passes, Azmon seemed a little helpless.
This makes it difficult for the Iranian team to find their forward teammates smoothly when they attack the frontcourt, and they can only use long-range shots from the outside to exert pressure.
But in this game, Zeng Cheng's performance was as solid as ever, and he didn't receive any of these long-range shots.
However, although the Iranian team seemed to be gaining momentum but not scoring, their well-trained transition from offense to defense also prevented the Dragon Kingdom team from counterattacking for the time being.
After all, in addition to the stable output on the offensive end, on the defensive end, the Iranian team not only continued their traditional fierce style of play, but also gradually developed stricter tactical discipline under Queiroz's training.
When the Iranian team loses the ball, they will not move their overall formation back, but directly counterattack on the spot.
Midfielders like Shao Jie and Ibrahimi will press in areas further forward than their own positions.
Even if the opponent's offense passes through the pressure zone, the penetrated defensive players will immediately chase back and shrink the formation, making it difficult for the opponent's offense to proceed smoothly.
In addition to team pressure and never-ending pressing, the Iranian team also often uses fouls to prevent the Dragon Kingdom from advancing.
In the 50th minute, in order to block a counterattack by the Dragon Kingdom, the Iranian team carried out two three-person double teams, and finally used a foul to prevent the Dragon Kingdom's most threatening attacker Wu Lei from advancing with the ball.
In fact, their foul count was pretty impressive.
From the top 40 to the top 12, the total number of fouls committed by the Iranian team ranked first among all teams. Not only did it surpass Australia and other strong teams, but even the South Korean team, which is also known for its fierce playing style, had fewer fouls than the Iranian team. Nearly 50 times.
Moreover, their fouls often occur in the opponent's backcourt, which does not easily give the Long Guo team a chance to take a free kick in the frontcourt, and it is even difficult to receive a yellow card.
It is precisely because of this that although Long Guo can launch a counterattack after destroying the opponent's attack, it is always killed quickly and ends without any problem.
As a result, the situation fell into a stalemate.
"The current situation is favorable to the Dragon Kingdom team."
He Wei explained:
"Because the Dragon Kingdom team is now in the lead, if the situation continues to be stalemate like this, the other side will only become more and more impatient, but we are not panicking at all."
"The prerequisite for such a favorable situation is the adjustment of the formation made by Lippi and Pan Yi during the halftime break."
"After removing Lin Liangming, although a major contact point in the frontcourt was sacrificed, Cai Huikang was replaced. His body was strong enough to compete with the Persians, and thus stabilized the defense."
"At the same time, tightening the defense in the middle also gave Iran's forwards no room to play. Of course, after doing so, Longguo's offensive power also weakened, resulting in a counterattack threat that was much smaller than in the first half."
"But it doesn't matter. We are the leading party anyway, right Director Xu?"
Xu Yang quickly answered: "That's right. The football game is like this. The leading side must pay attention to defense, and the lagging side must also strengthen the offense. But it should be noted that the defensive side is usually always ready to attack, and when strengthening the offense The other side will also pay attention to defense..."
He Wei: "...Well, let's continue watching the game."
As He Wei said, as the game reached a stalemate and time passed by minute by second, the mood in Iran became more anxious.
Especially after more than ten minutes of playing in the second half, the number of fouls committed by Iranian players increased significantly, and their foul movements began to become larger. This is an external manifestation of their mood.
Especially the two midfielders Ezzatolahi and Ibrahimi who took on more defensive tasks today.
Long Guo's targeted defense, especially Cai Huikang's interference in the midfield, separated the connection between the Iranian team's frontcourt and frontcourt, causing them to fight independently and the offensive effect was greatly reduced.
At this time, Iran's midfielder must press hard, try to regain the rhythm, and re-establish a passing network.
However, in the stable defensive system of the Dragon Country team, it was difficult for the Iranian players to easily steal the ball from the opponent's feet, and they had no choice but to foul.
However, the Dragon Kingdom players don't care about their opponents. The more anxious you are, the less anxious I can be!
As time passed by, no matter whether it was the thousands of Dragon Country fans at the scene or the hundreds of millions of fans in front of the TV, one thought emerged in everyone's mind:
The Dragon Kingdom team might really be able to win this game!
