Chapter 189 Advancement to the Italian Cup Final (Chinese National Football Team Wins Extra Update)
After the away game against Ascoli, the entire Inter Milan team rushed to Udinese without stopping to prepare for the second leg of the Italian Cup semi-final against Udinese.
The time interval between these two games is too short, so it is a huge test for Inter Milan playing away.
Fortunately, in the first leg of the two teams' match, Inter Milan won 1:0 at home and had a certain lead. As long as they draw in this game, they can advance.
"Don't think that a draw will qualify you. Based on my many years of experience, when you play with this idea, you are more likely to lose!"
Seeing that the players looked a little lax, as if they did not take the game seriously enough, captain Zanetti stepped forward and corrected this unhealthy trend in time.
We have finally made it this far. If we fail before the finals, wouldn’t all the sweat and hard work before then be in vain?
The previous away game where they almost lost to Villarreal has already sounded the alarm for them. If they continue to underestimate their opponents, there is no guarantee that the same thing will not happen again.
"The captain is right. Not only are we full of injuries and an incomplete lineup, but we have just been exhausted from a game and are not as physically fit as our opponents.
Udinese is not only well-rested, but also eager to win the championship. We must be prepared for a tough battle! ”
Seeing that Zanetti didn't finish his words, Lin Feng stepped forward to add to his remarks.
His words were recognized by his teammates, and Inter Milan's thoughts were finally unified before the game.
……
北京时间4月11日21时30分(意大利当地时间15时30分)。
A key battle in the Italian Cup semi-finals was held at Udinese's home stadium, Stadio Friuli.
As speculated before the game, Udinese has long been eager for the final and the championship.
In this game, Udinese arranged a three-forward lineup in the starting lineup, forming a 433 formation, with Iaquinta, Rossini and Pepe on the front line to attack, as if they were going to destroy Inter Milan with offense.
As for Inter Milan, Mancini did not use one lineup to death, but still rotated the players step by step in such a crucial game.
He sent out the main players who did not play in the previous game or did not finish the game and are still in good physical condition, and then paired them with some substitutes to face the opponent with a relatively conservative tactic.
Inter Milan kicked off first, but did not rush to attack. Instead, they passed the ball back and forth in their own backcourt to lure the opponent's lineup out to attack.
Udinese didn't care about that and their three forwards rushed over aggressively.
Inter Milan's ball moved from the front line to the midfield, and then from the midfield to the defender's feet.
Seeing that the opponent's forward was still pressing, Inter Milan's defender passed the ball back to the goalkeeper.
After Cesar got the ball, he controlled it for a while and was not in a hurry to pass it. Instead, he was observing the opponent's formation.
At this time, Udinese's forwards and midfield had completely pressed out, and even the defenders came near the center line.
Seeing that the opponent's center forward had already entered the penalty area and the forward line and midfield were slightly out of touch, Cesar calmly passed the ball to Zanetti on the wing.
There were no opposing players near Zanetti, so he tried to move forward a few steps, attracting the opposing players to come closer, and then passed the ball to his teammates in the middle.
In the middle direction, Lin Feng observed the positions of his teammates and the opposing players while moving towards Zanetti who was holding the ball.
Seeing that the left winger Recoba had retreated to the vicinity of the center line and was facing the opponent's half, Lin Feng had an idea. After receiving the ball, he did not stop it. He kicked it with the heel of his right foot and passed it diagonally to Recoba.
Recoba understood what he meant and quickly caught up with the ball. He moved to the left, dodged the opponent's player's attempt to steal the ball, and then he kicked the ball quickly and started to accelerate along the sideline.
Udinese's full-back failed to steal the ball and had lost his defensive position.
While he was chasing Recoba with all his might, he called on his teammates in the middle to come over for help.
This guy Recoba has a very strong long-range shooting ability. If no one comes out to help defend, he is very likely to cut in and shoot from the front of the penalty area.
The Udinese players guessed correctly, Recoba did have such a plan.
But when he saw the opponent's central defender approaching from the middle, he decisively changed his mind. Instead of forcing a shot himself, he passed the ball to the middle with a sideways kick.
Cruz, who was running side by side with another defender of the opponent, rushed over and took advantage of the gap left behind by the other defender of the opponent, and rushed into the penalty area. Facing the blockage of the goalkeeper, he shot the ball.
The ball almost brushed the goalkeeper's fingers and flew into the goal.
In the first minute of the first half, Inter Milan's first attack broke through the opponent and got off to a perfect start.
The ball came too suddenly. Not only was the opponent unprepared, even Inter Milan was surprised.
It was not until the referee confirmed that the goal was valid that the players on the field began to celebrate belatedly.
"Crus, you are our lucky star!"
"That goal was beautifully scored and the handling was very decisive. You are indeed a top shooter!"
"Haha, Cruz, I'm so glad I can be a teammate with a guy like you instead of an opponent!"
Cruz felt warm inside at the praise from his teammates, and he kept thanking them.
He knew very well that the goal was the result of the team's efforts and was not just his own achievement.
But the more he did this, the more his teammates liked him.
He is humble, low-key and capable, and can really help the team turn its fate around at critical moments. Who can not love such a player?
"Haha, at a time when rumors are rife that Mancini and the team's top scorer Adriano are having a conflict, Mancini should be thankful that he had convinced the team to renew Cruz's contract. In this way, even if Adriano is temporarily absent, Inter Milan still has a trustworthy killer on the front line!"
The Italian commentator who was broadcasting this game was also deeply moved. How could a player of Cruz's strength be willing to stay in Inter Milan as a substitute?
Is it really that Inter Milan gave too much?
Inter Milan's away goal made Udinese fans feel like a bucket of cold water was poured over their heads, and they began to feel cold in their hearts.
Now the total score between the two teams is 2:0, and the opponent also got a valuable away goal.
This means that Udinese must score more than 3 goals to advance to the final.
Isn’t this too difficult?
The opponent is Inter Milan!
The morale suffered a small setback, which made Udinese's attack in the next few minutes seem a little disorganized. The players played anxiously, as if they were eager to equalize the score.
It was not until ten minutes into the first half that Udinese, having calmed down, finally found an opportunity.
In the 15th minute, Iaquinta made a beautiful breakthrough with his own strength, but his shot in the penalty area was blocked by Inter Milan's substitute left-back Vorm.
This ball was actually quite dangerous. Cesar was standing a little far away at the time. If he had hit the ball right, Inter would have lost the ball. Vorm, who completed the key block, was recognized by his teammates and fans. The Cameroonian joined the team as a free agent last summer. He has only played 10 times for Inter and is a marginal player in the team.
If the back line was not full of injuries and there was no one available, Mancini might not have used him.
But his performance in this game won Mancini's recognition, and he is likely to be given more opportunities in the future.
Missing this opportunity meant that Udinese did not have any more great opportunities in the next ten minutes.
On the other hand, Inter Milan almost scored another goal thanks to Lin Feng's free kick.
In the 22nd minute, Obodo committed a malicious foul on Recoba and was shown a yellow card by the referee. Inter Milan got a free kick in a good position.
Lin Feng aimed at the back of the goal and shot directly, but the football fell a little slowly and finally hit the angle between the crossbar and the post and bounced out.
If this ball had gone in, Udinese could have just dragged it away and buried it.
Udinese became more and more anxious as the game went on. Not only did they press forward on all fronts to attack Inter, they also used their physical advantage to launch a frantic pressing campaign on the field, leaving Inter no chance to organise attacks or counterattacks.
This tactic achieved certain results, as Inter Milan made some mistakes under the opponent's crazy pressing.
In the 28th minute, Inter Milan committed a foul in front of their own penalty area, and Udinese's Betoto's direct free kick from 25 yards out was blocked by Materazzi.
A few minutes later, Vidigal made a cross from the flank, and Rossini headed the ball over the crossbar in the penalty area.
Udi's continuous attacks finally got a good chance. In the 34th minute, Pieri made a cross, and Iaquinta broke away from the back post and shot from close range, but was blocked again by Materazzi.
The blocked ball fell right at the feet of an Udinese player, but his hasty shot happened to hit the stomach of Materazzi who was getting up from the ground, and the ball was then cleared away by an Inter Milan player.
This ball was very thrilling. If Materazzi's first block was intentional, then the second one was pure luck.
If the opponent's shot was slightly off, Inter Milan's goal would have been broken.
Mancini frowned on the sidelines. It seems that the defensive lineup of half main players and half substitutes is indeed quite different from the pure main lineup.
In the previous shot, Bonucci lost his position. If he had chosen his position better, Iaquinta would have no chance to shoot.
Fortunately, although the opponent's attack created a certain threat, they were unable to seize the opportunity.
At the end of the first half, Inter Milan temporarily led 1-0.
After the half-time break, the two teams changed sides and neither side made any substitutions.
This time, Mancini did not stand on the sidelines to watch the game as he did before. Instead, he sat in the coaching seat, with his hands on his chest, quietly waiting for his opponent to make a move.
Udinese is now at a huge disadvantage. If they don't take action and make some adjustments to their offensive tactics, they will be far away from winning this game.
Udinese's offense did have more changes in the second half, and they were more patient in their attack and conduct in the frontcourt.
This is obviously because they were frightened by Inter Milan's counterattack in the first half. Inter Milan's quick counterattack ability is well-known in Serie A.
They are very good at taking advantage of the opponent's mistakes to launch fast breaks. Whether they are breaking through the middle and heading into the penalty area, or quickly crossing from the wing, they pose a great threat to Udinese.
But Udinese could only grit their teeth and attack, paying a little attention to defense during the attack, which was the limit they could do.
With Udinese's patient organization, they did find some opportunities.
In the 49th minute, Rossini chested down Obodo's pass, but his shot from 25 yards out went wide of the goal frame.
In the 51st minute, Iaquinta found another chance from Bonucci, but his shot was slightly off the right side of the goal due to the opponent's physical interference.
This was Udinese's best chance so far in the second half.
Mancini was getting a little restless and began to consider whether to replace Bonucci.
The kid played well at the beginning, but ever since that mistake in the first half, he started to lack confidence and became more and more timid.
If this continues, it will really become a breakthrough soon.
After taking a look at his own bench, his eyes finally locked on Favalli.
Although Favalli plays as a full-back, he can occasionally play as a central defender. At least his performance can't be worse than Bonucci, right?
This substitution achieved immediate results. After the defense line was stabilized, the players no longer had any worries and Inter Milan's counterattack threat suddenly increased.
In the 55th minute, Lin Feng intercepted the ball in the midfield and sent a straight pass. Cruz received the ball and took advantage of the situation to have a one-on-one chance. He broke into the goal and calmly shot the ball into the near corner. The ball went under the goalkeeper's armpit.
The score became 2:0.
The home stadium fell into dead silence, and Udinese fans were completely disheartened.
Their fierce attack was in vain, and the opponent's counterattack was like a sharp dagger, every move was aimed at their heart, and the stab was very accurate.
Cruz, who scored the goal, was so excited that he ran over to thank Lin Feng.
He had just seen a loophole in the opponent's defense, and Lin Feng's pass came in an instant, making him feel as if he was helped by God.
Lin Feng should be credited with the main contribution to this goal!
The teammates didn't care about that. They rushed over from all directions and surrounded the two of them tightly.
This goal basically killed the suspense of the game. The total score between the two sides is now 3:0. Udinese needs to score four goals in the next thirty minutes to advance.
This is not an impossible task at all!
Inter Milan’s head coach is even considering the opponent in the final!
"What was the result on the other side?"
"Roma is currently leading their opponent 1:0 at home. The total score between the two sides is currently tied at 2:2, but Roma has the advantage of away goals. If this score remains unchanged, our opponent in the final will probably be Roma!"
The assistant coach's answer made Mancini nod slightly. Just as he predicted, between Palermo and Roma, it was Roma that had the last laugh.
Considering the strength of the Roma team, the final may not be easy to play!
Fortunately, the Italian Cup final is decided in two games, but the game is scheduled between the last two rounds of the league, which makes it a bit difficult.
I wonder if the league championship race will be as tense as it is now?
(End of this chapter)
