Soccer Wh A Mad Dog Type Full Back - Chapter 12 | MTL
On August 15, the team arrived in Borussia Mönchengladbach, a city less than 100 kilometers away.
This is a city with a high green coverage rate, where prosperity and nature blend perfectly.
The people who live here enjoy life; there's a celebration almost every month.
Today, Andy and his team will be facing the reserve team of Borussia Mönchengladbach, a Bundesliga team!
Borussia Mönchengladbach has the strongest squad on paper across the entire western region!
Because last season their first team finished third in the league, securing a Champions League spot.
This brings with it generous sponsorship fees and the need to bring in new players!
Therefore, there are several first-team substitutes in the second team.
The overall personnel configuration is a level above Dortmund's.
At the pre-match press conference, head coach Hans kept a low profile.
Actually, it's not really something to be high-profile about.
Because their matches simply didn't get any attention from the public!
The new season has begun, and more people are choosing to watch the first team's matches.
Therefore, fewer than 2,000 spectators attended the event on the day of the competition.
This is a far cry from the atmosphere of Dortmund's previous home game against Schalke!
However, Andy could understand and liked it.
The last game was an away game, and the attendance was not high.
It's often said that Europe has a strong football culture, but it also depends on the importance of the matches.
For regional competitions like theirs, a 50% attendance rate is considered good.
Its main purpose is to train young players and serve as a training ground for the home team!
For away games, the fewer fans the home team has, the less pressure the away team's players will experience.
During the field inspection, Andy noticed the opponent's movements.
Compared to pre-match intelligence and tactical training sessions, the on-site experience is much more direct.
The first-team substitutes appeared very experienced and composed; a little observation was enough to distinguish them from the others.
When the match started, Borussia Mönchengladbach did not play the aggressive style of play that was expected.
Instead, they consolidate their lineup and wait for Dortmund to take the initiative.
This puts head coach Hans in a rather awkward position!
In his tactical plan, the opponent would always have to leave their half of the field.
Who would have thought that the stronger ones would use a retreat as a strategy to advance?
Under these conditions, Dortmund's possession was intercepted in front of Borussia Mönchengladbach's penalty area.
Andy was just about to get back on defense when he was surprised to find that his opponent didn't launch a counterattack.
Instead, they kept moving the ball around in their own half!
As is well known, Dortmund's style of play is to press high up the pitch under normal circumstances!
Borussia Mönchengladbach's passing play in their own half was simply playing with fire!
After confirming that there were no opposing players behind him, Andy decisively moved forward to coordinate with his teammates to press the ball!
Sudden!
He caught a glimpse of the opposing center's movement out of the corner of his eye!
Something's not right!
Meanwhile, Borussia Mönchengladbach played the ball forward from their own half!
Center number 9 dropped back to his own half to receive the pass!
The moment he received the ball, he attracted the attention of a whole circle of Dortmund players!
Borussia Mönchengladbach's full-back quickly moved forward!
The center forward makes a half-turn and passes the ball forward!
The mechanical coordination is flawless, with no unnecessary movements whatsoever!
On the other hand, Dortmund's high pressing left their flanks completely empty, like a vast, barren grassland.
Holy crap!
By the time Dortmund players chased back, it was too late!
Borussia Mönchengladbach formed an attacking line in front of their penalty area!
When the full-back curls the ball inward and crosses.
Two players slamming into the goal inside the penalty area!
Goalkeeper Hendrick's two fists were no match for two heads.
Goal!
Most of the Dortmund players who conceded the goal looked bewildered.
The opponent's tall center forward suddenly dropped back to receive the pass, which was unexpected before the game.
Adding one more player opens up the space infinitely, activating the entire counter-attacking tactic!
This match.is likely to end badly!
The subsequent events on the field proved this point!
Dortmund's pressing was like hitting cotton!
The scene began to get lively.
Sergey, Jonas, and Pulis have all received three yellow cards!
Borussia Mönchengladbach only has one.
Dortmund coach Hans paced back and forth on the sidelines, a stark contrast to the calm demeanor of Borussia Mönchengladbach coach sitting on the bench!
From a high vantage point in the stands, the scouts watching the game sighed inwardly.
There's definitely a difference between a temporary coach and a coach who fought their way up from the U16 level.
Although he is not a professional coach, the relative importance of the two tactics is very obvious!
On the field, Andy neither stopped running nor stopped thinking.
In the 30th minute, he began to move his position.
Instead of pushing forward to support his teammates, he moved laterally and marked the opponent's tall center forward!
Number 9, Byron Waters!
It was precisely because he kept dropping back to receive passes that Borussia Mönchengladbach were able to break through the deadlock!
Just as expected!
Borussia Mönchengladbach resorted to their old tricks!
Waters retreated again.
But the next second!
Andy appeared beside him, sticking close to him in defense!
Waters had no choice but to pass the ball back and wait for another chance.
Unexpectedly, Andy maintained a distance of about 2-3 meters from him throughout.
Not a buddy!
Don't you need to defend your flanks?
Waters frowned!
His height of 191cm and Andy's height of 168.5cm create a huge visual impact!
Andy, on the other hand, needs to expend more energy to manage both.
However, he successfully found the key to his opponent's formation!
Midfield maestro Lars also noticed this situation.
During the dead ball situation, he found Price and Andy respectively and reassigned defensive duties.
Football is never a one-man battle!
His teammates' help allowed Andy to rejoin the offense.
In the 41st minute, Andy successfully intercepted the ball in the backfield and then launched a counter-attack, passing the ball to his teammate in the middle of the field.
At this point, Borussia Mönchengladbach, having halted their attack, had five players in Dortmund's half!
Domagoi, who was in the middle, dropped back to receive the ball and then passed it back to Domagoi!
Andy made a long through ball without stopping the ball.Marvin, the teammate who's moving up the pitch!
Borussia Mönchengladbach's backline players immediately tracked back and took their positions!
Marvin dribbled the ball towards the penalty area, creating a 1v1 situation with the opposing center-back.
When the second center-back came to help defend.
Marvin stepped forward with his right foot, simultaneously using his calf to push off with his heel!
Pass it behind you!
A yellow figure darted in from outside the restricted area!
The speed was so fast that it became blurry!
Why is it the 18th again?
Wasn't he just in the middle lane?
The Borussia Mönchengladbach players didn't have time to think and immediately retreated to the edge of the six-yard box to slide tackle and intercept!
A half-high cross!
Andy's clever move put both the goalkeeper marking close range and the sliding center-back in a very awkward position.
The ball flew to the far post at an extremely comfortable angle!
Nikolais is starving!
When he saw the ball, he already had a hundred ways to kick it into the goal!
He's even already come up with his own celebration moves.
In the opposing goalkeeper's despairing eyes.
A powerful volley!
This is the answer sheet that Nikolaos has submitted!
"Bang!"
A crisp thud echoed as a foot struck the post.
The goalkeeper knew he was safe!
Nikolaos knew his pills were spicy.
He chose to kneel directly in front of the goal to repent!
Andy stood on the baseline, his face filled with disbelief.
Not a buddy?
How can a ball with an expected goal value that is infinitely close to 1 hit the crossbar?
Even the coach's second aunt could score that!