I AM the Football Star

Chapter 831 - 201: The Red Dot Combo, Ancelotti’s Despair (Part 2)

As long as you control the range of movement and power, this is not considered a foul, but rather a fair clash and positioning.

At this moment, what matters more is whose physical strength is superior.

Even if you push someone with a strong physique, they might not react and could even push you away.

And the defenders from strong defensive teams have exceptional physical qualities—no need to doubt it!

Praxedes, Chiavich, Bernulin—aren’t all of them physically dominant beasts?

Especially their core strength, which is unbelievably strong.

Russia’s players seem tall and strong, but in actual confrontations, they don’t gain an advantage, and might even suffer slight losses due to others’ seasoned experience.

Twelve minutes into the game, Italy launched several attacks.

They were mostly led by Finger, although he had some intent to cooperate with Lu.

After all, he has a good grasp of the situation now.

But the effect was mediocre, because Finger is not the kind of player who can create opportunities.

Olic’s long shot was caught by Audi.

Audi tossed the ball to Chiavich, who then passed it to Pellegrini.

"Over here," Finger waved his arm on the right, eagerly calling for the ball.

Pellegrini glanced at him but instead shifted the ball’s direction and passed it to Lu in front.

Pellegrini isn’t foolish.

If Finger can recognize the need to cooperate with Lu, why should I choose Finger over Lu?

Clearly, as Morici becomes more outstanding, he will inevitably occupy someone’s playtime.

Despite both Pellegrini and Finger being on the field now, they actually became competitors.

Even though Pellegrini assists Finger well, he’s bound to be the one discarded eventually.

On the other hand, working with Lu... Lu would indicate for Pellegrini to move forward, allowing him to play a more brilliant role and become more valuable as he plays.

While collaborating with Finger, Finger merely uses others as tools, making them less valuable over time.

Is there even a choice?

Sure enough, after receiving the ball, Lu signaled Pellegrini to advance, and then tried to dribble and break through himself.

When the Russian midfielder following Pellegrini came near Lu, they prepared to trap him along with teammates.

At this moment, Lu executed a Bengbu Spin and flicked the ball away with his foot.

Pellegrini smoothly got the ball, finding an open space.

Bang!

Although passing was an option, there were defenders near both Italian forwards, so Pellegrini decided to take the shot himself.

The Russian goalkeeper dived to save, pushing the ball out to the sideline.

Pellegrini was quite regretful, but he immediately gave Lu a thumbs up.

Lu also applauded, indicating the shot was decent.

Finger was quite uncomfortable watching this.

Finger’s ability to move forward isn’t as strong as Pellegrini’s; Pellegrini has the skill of an All-Purpose Midfielder, whereas Finger is more of a midfield commander.

Finger stepped to the Corner Flag Area to prepare for the corner kick.

Maniero’s tactical ability is strong. During this national team training period, although players may not be completely in sync, the tactical choices are very clear.

By following the tactics, even without much rapport, errors are minimized.

At this moment, Perrotta gave Finger a signal.

It meant the number one set-piece strategy.

As the primary player targeted for corners, Perrotta has the authority to request the set-piece strategy he wants. Of course, the kicker can also choose a more suitable strategy based on the field positioning.

Thus, Finger called over Canyes.

Follow Perrotta’s instructions and execute the number one set-piece strategy.

With a whistle, Finger lightly kicked the ball to Canyes who was nearby.

Tactical corner!

Bang!

Canyes took a shot, delivering an accurate cross.

What’s the difference between a tactical corner and a direct corner kick?

The difference is that most players’ positioning, pushing, preparatory movements for jumping and energy gathering, etc., are aimed at preparing for a direct corner kick.

It’s similar to counting one, two, three and everyone acts on three.

But a tactical corner can disrupt this rhythm, and the attacking side who is prepared is not affected by the disrupted tempo, making it easier to exploit the flaws.

Some tactical corners appear to disrupt the rhythm, seeming slower.

Yet, the cross is very fast, ultimately speeding up the slower rhythm, so it’s not truly slow. This can deceive experienced defenders, similar to when Lu tackled Zidane.

Whether the kick ends up being deliberately slow or seems slow but isn’t actually slow depends on the tactical setup.

Perhaps the number one strategy drags, the second seems slow but isn’t, the third targets the back post, the fourth the near post, etc.

Bang!

In a flash, Perrotta jumped up half a beat later.

When everyone else was landing, he was perfectly positioned.

He unleashed a Lion’s Head Shake, hammering the ball fiercely into the net, unstoppable.

"Oh! Goal! It’s Perrotta!"

"Italy executed a tactical set-piece—an intelligent choice!"

"Canyes’ cross was very comfortable! He earned a valuable assist!"

"Canyes is a player with limitless potential! But first, you must understand how to use him! He’s slightly different from traditional fullbacks."

"Pellegrini’s performance in this match showed improvement, and this corner opportunity stemmed from his long shot after collaborating with Lu!"