CHAPTER 1856: CHAPTER 971: A FRENZIED OPPONENT! (PART 2)

The specific strategic and tactical arrangements depend on the coaching staff.

About ten minutes later.

"Here are the arrangements made by our coaching staff. Everyone understands, right? Li Shuangying, you’re taking on a role of commanding the field, coordinating between Zhao Xuanming and Liu Zhan, so you can’t be the main shooter. Adjust your mindset accordingly."

Head Coach Hou Xiangming looked seriously at Li Shuangying and said.

In the second half, Head Coach Hou Xiangming plans to have Li Shuangying "step back," with the main role of overseeing the entire field and creating opportunities for Zhao Xuanming and Liu Zhan.

Hou Xiangming knows very well that in the second half, the American team will definitely not reduce the pressure on Li Shuangying, and might even increase it.

"Alright, Coach, I understand!"

As the captain, Li Shuangying naturally understands the overall situation and has a strong sense of perspective. He nodded in agreement immediately and said, "From this perspective, this is even more important than being the main shooter. Looks like my pressure has increased again."

Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this, including Head Coach Hou Xiangming, who smiled as well. Li Shuangying is such a guy, with an exceptionally good mindset. Even without being the main attacker in the second half, he maintains a good state and creates opportunities for his teammates.

"Yes, Ying, you’re really important. Whether we can get the ball to shoot depends on you."

Liu Zhan said to Li Shuangying with a smile.

"Don’t worry, I’ll definitely create more opportunities for you." Li Shuangying reached out and ruffled the hair of his shorter teammate, Liu Zhan, with a smile.

Soon enough.

The halftime break was over.

The national team and the American team appeared on the field again, and the audience cheered, especially the fans of the national team, including the Chinese fans and those who came from home to watch the game, who were super excited.

"Go, National Team!"

"Finally, the second half is starting."

"I wonder if the American team’s mindset has adjusted."

"Looks like the American team is still clueless, hahaha."

"Second half, second half."

"Kick the Americans hard."

The audience had long been eagerly awaiting the second half. There were millions watching the World Cup D group match between the national team and the American team on various domestic streaming platforms.

Especially in the sports channel live room on the Feiyue Home streaming media platform, there were already over three million online viewers watching the match. Though this number was less than its peak, it’s impressive for a sports channel to have more than three million online viewers.

At Aztec Stadium.

With the referee’s whistle blowing again, the second half officially began.

After the national team got the ball, they launched an attack, though this attack was not aimed at scoring but rather to probe what defensive strategies the American team would use in the second half. This was a probing tactic proposed by Head Coach Hou Xiangming.

Sure enough.

After the national team launched an intense-looking attack on the surface, the American team quickly demonstrated strong defensive capabilities, obviously stronger than in the first half. It seems that the American team’s second-half setup was immediately probed by the national team.

Not only the defense but the attack was also probed. After the ball was passed to Liu Zhan in the midfield, he couldn’t find a better chance and attempted to break through on his own, potentially giving the opponent a chance to intercept.

But this was exactly what Liu Zhan wanted to see, and it was something Head Coach Hou Xiangming had indicated. If such a situation arose, they should go all out and try. Whether they scored or not didn’t matter. Even if the American team intercepted, it was fine because they could test what the American team’s attacking intention was.

After the American team intercepted Liu Zhan’s attack, they quickly launched a counterattack, attempting to break the national team’s defense, but all of this was within the national team’s coaching staff’s expectations, and the players had methods to deal with such situations.

This was just to explore the American team’s attacking intentions.

It seems that in the second half, the American team increased the intensity in both defense and attack.

"The American team is really coming out with both tactics in the second half."

On the sidelines, Head Coach Hou Xiangming muttered to himself.

In the VIP spectator seats, Ding Yue, Huang Youjie, and Xu Bin started discussing.

"Yue, Coach Hou is very thorough, and it seems that the American team is playing their hearts out this second half, going strong on both offense and defense. Can we hold up?"

Huang Youjie analyzed and said.

"Didn’t you see that several substitute players for the American team are already warming up? It seems the American team is throwing everything in." Xu Bin also analyzed and said, noting the sidelines on the American team’s side. The head coach of the American team had started getting the other substitute players to warm up.

Not just one or two substitute players were warming up; all the substitute players on the field were warming up. Although in the end, it’s impossible to replace all the substitute players on the field, doing so can create a sense of confusion, making it unclear to opponents which substitute player will come on.

"The American team is going all out."

Ding Yue muttered, "In the next ten to twenty minutes, our defensive pressure will be intense."

Ding Yue’s words were true.

In the next ten minutes or so, the American team launched a frenzied attack, breaking through the national team’s defensive line two or three times, but it was ultimately goalkeeper Zhu Cheng who saved the day.

In one instance, even goalkeeper Zhu Cheng couldn’t stop a ball, but it didn’t go in. Maybe it was luck, or maybe the American team was just unlucky. The ball, which had a great chance of scoring, ended up hitting the goal post. It was quite a close call.

But the American team’s mad attack was effective, making the national team’s defense very exhausting. Fortunately, they managed to hold on, and after the American team’s last shot hit the goal post, it was as if they lost steam, and their attack wasn’t as ferocious anymore.

After all, human energy is limited. Spending ten to twenty minutes on a frenzied attack, running fiercely, and competing with the opponent for speed would exhaust anyone, requiring them to slow down and recover. Otherwise, if they continue to attack crazily like this, the players probably won’t be able to hold on.

The national team’s players were also drenched in sweat, having to keep up with the American team’s crazy attacking pace. Otherwise, they might give the American team a chance to score.

So, by this point, both the American team and the national team were quite depleted in terms of stamina.

Finally.

At this time, the American team chose to substitute players and brought on two players at once. These two substitutes were both in forward attacking positions, clearly showing the American team’s intention to continue attacking. They aimed to use continued aggressive attacks to find another scoring opportunity and boost morale to score again, which would tie the game.

Seeing the American team substitute two players, the national team still showed no movement, as no players indicated they couldn’t hold on.

If the opponent had two offensive players reaching 99% of their limits and substituted them, then the national team players were mostly rotating around 85%, with one or two players running fiercely and defending well, reaching about 90%. They could continue for a bit longer.

Just like this.

After the two American substitutes came on, they started another round of attacks.

After Zhao Xuanming’s ball went stray, the American team counterattacked quickly, with those two new American players charging with intensity.

Seeing this.

The national team’s defenders, two of whom were near their limits, exerted all their strength, holding off the two American players’ attacks with all their might.

Finally, the attack was thwarted once again, with goalkeeper Zhu Cheng’s heart nearly in his throat, but he didn’t have to showcase his skills as the American team’s shot was tackled by a national team’s defender without committing a foul.

This left the American team in despair!