From Arsenal to the Ball God

"Only this way, sometimes you can get heaven’s favor and with some luck, blast the ball into the net; relying solely on 22 feet to pass hard isn’t always effective."

He Wei continued to look down, gradually realizing that this was also a manifestation of confidence.

Although Spain might worry about Ma’el as a counterattack point, thanks to their strong control ability, they can to a certain extent prevent France from launching a fast counterattack.

It’s important to know that fast transitions often capture mistakes or seize the ball when both sides want to transition, launching a fast attack amidst the chaos.

When Spain can ensure no blatant mistakes and push France far back, even if the ball is intercepted, it’s far from their goal, making it hard to attack; the risk they face is very low.

A scenario often appeared during the remaining match time.

France’s full-back or center-back intercepts or blocks the opponent’s pass, trying to advance with the ball or make a short pass to advance, only to find Spain quickly organizing their press and rushing at them face-on.

"Bang!"

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Even if they attempt a long pass directly towards Ma’el’s position, everyone but the pressing group quickly positions themselves defensively, leaving Ma’el with a sea of players in front of the penalty area.

It’s safe to say that they’ve turned possession into an art, relying on control, they’ve built a robust defensive system.

"Bang!!"

In the 24th minute, Ma’el shakes off Aveloya and Pique on the flank, performs a one-two with Giroud, and under the interference of Javi and Alonso, forcefully takes a dipping shot.

The football whistled towards the far corner of the goal, with some quality, but still didn’t make it past the wall in front of the penalty area, bouncing off Fabregas and out for a corner.

He frustratedly tugged at the hair on his forehead, rubbing the sweat into his hands, then adjusted his mindset to step into the penalty area, ready to contest a header.

This kind of opponent is extremely hard to defeat, sometimes giving the impression of an iron wall... but he knew, the more it was like this, the more persistent and self-believing he had to be, otherwise it would easily become a downhill slide.

"I said from the start, Spain plays very cautiously, which is also reflected in their defense.

"They no longer merely worship offensive football; instead, they’re willing to invest 8-9 players in defense, sealing off space.

"We rarely see a look of helplessness on Ma’el’s face, but today it seems to have appeared twice already. Hopefully, he can quickly adjust. Many are expecting him to perform well in the final.

"The corner is taken! Front post! Ramos heads it out! There’s no worry over these two center-backs’ aerial defense!

"Spain in possession, it’s uncertain when France will next reach their penalty area."

"....."

Beside the pitch, Deschamps gradually felt a sense of foreboding. He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back, looking for ways to improve the attack.

No more waiting; judging by Spain’s state today, they won’t give France more than 2-3 counterattack opportunities. Relying on these few chances to score is too difficult, and even if they do score, it might not be enough.

But at the moment, apart from choosing to make the team’s defense more aggressive and assertive, increasing their offensiveness, there wasn’t any other adjustment.

He pondered with his hands behind his back; this adjustment was certainly a double-edged sword... While increasing the team’s interception success rate, the defense would also be more exposed.

It’s a gamble, a gamble that the counterattack group led by Ma’el can get more opportunities in this change than Spain’s six midfielders.

Even if more opportunities aren’t gained, being better at seizing them is enough.

"Give it a try!"

Seeing Ma’el running forward from a distance, Deschamps suddenly felt a sense of reassurance, approached the field to summon the full-back Sagna on this side to help convey the defensive tilt adjustment.

Sagna nodded and ran over, conveying to those around him, gradually shifting the whole mid-to-back line defense to a different state.

On the other side, Bosque was also pacing back and forth beside the pitch. Even with the team’s dominance in the game, his concern wasn’t lessened—it was, after all, the final.

Checking the time, 35 minutes had passed, and the team hadn’t yet scored... This would certainly increase their pressure and allow France to gradually adapt, creating more counterattack opportunities.

"Bang!"

Now, Nasri on the right wing of France delivered a cross, with the ball flying straight to the far post.

As the ball flew over Giroud’s head, all attention focused on Ma’el and Pique, both leaping to compete for the header.

"Bang!"

Ma’el ultimately prevailed, out-jumping Pique to head the ball.

The football bounced off the ground and flew towards the far corner of the net, with Casillas diving quickly to his left, ultimately managing to push the ball out of the small penalty area.

"Bang!" Ramos reacted swiftly, watching the ball being pushed towards his position, clearing it to the sidelines before it could land.

"Ah...!" A collective sigh of disappointment echoed through the Warsaw National Stadium from the French fans, also serving as a wake-up call to the Spanish team—not to underestimate an opponent with a game-changing player.

After witnessing this scene, Bosque felt as though his heart nearly stopped at that moment, realizing he needed to make some changes.

He walked towards the coaching bench to discuss with his assistant, "Consider Pedro and Torres; the team needs to increase its impact... French midfielders and defenders, though not famous, have performed very well today.