Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 529: Lin Quan Faces Italy's Entire Defense

"Italian defenses shouldn't be making mistakes like this!"

In front of his TV, Germany's head coach, Joachim Löw, shook his head. Manchester City's tactics weren't particularly clever; they simply utilized the width of the pitch, moving the ball across large areas to stretch the opponent's defense and expose any gaps.

Italy's response wasn't bad either. When they saw Lin Quan was still on the right flank, they assigned Mattia De Sciglio to mark him. However, De Sciglio clearly wasn't skilled enough to keep up with Lin Quan. When Lin pretended to shift left with his teammates, De Sciglio followed without realizing Lin would suddenly change pace and make a sharp turn back.

De Sciglio, not known for his speed, was unable to catch up after Lin Quan made the first move. This gave Spain the perfect opportunity to break through what appeared to be Italy's rock-solid defense—actually, Lin Quan and David Silva broke through it together.

Receiving Silva's pass, Lin Quan sprinted forward without losing speed, all while carefully scanning the positions of Italy's defenders. After breaking through Italy's defensive line, he advanced into the space between Italy's midfielders and their defensive line.

Since Italy was using a three-center-back system, there was no full-back to block Lin's path. Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Andrea Barzagli—Italy's three central defenders—immediately sensed the danger and began retreating toward their penalty box.

They were willing to let Lin cross from the byline but were determined to prevent him from cutting inside and taking a shot. Alvaro Morata had already sprinted near the edge of the box, but Italy's Emanuele Giaccherini and Daniele De Rossi were racing back to defend, working with their backline to create a web of coverage around Morata.

One glance was all Lin Quan needed to know that passing to Morata wasn't an option. He quickly ruled out Morata and started searching for another viable target.

David Silva was further left, but the ball couldn't make it past two or three Italian defenders to reach him. A high cross would slow down the attack and waste this opportunity for a quick break.

Silva was out, leaving only one option—Andrés Iniesta!

De Rossi, who had been tracking back, saw Lin glance at Iniesta and, with his vast experience, immediately recognized Lin's intention. Without hesitation, De Rossi shifted his focus from marking Morata to blocking Iniesta.

De Rossi, a world-class midfielder with excellent game-reading abilities, quickly closed down Iniesta, leaving no room for him to receive the ball. This meant Lin Quan had lost another passing option.

Morata wasn't an option. Silva wasn't either. And now, Iniesta was marked out of the play.

The other players were positioned behind Lin, so it seemed like his only choice was to pass backward.

Just when everyone expected him to do so, Lin Quan defied their expectations. He kept advancing with the ball!

"What is he trying to do? Does he plan to take on our entire defense by himself?"

The Italian fans in the stands were stunned.

Ahead of Lin Quan was Italy's famous defensive line—the legendary BBBC combination of Chiellini, Bonucci, Barzagli, and Buffon.

This defense was considered one of the strongest in world football. If these players were a bit younger, it could easily be argued they were the absolute best.

This defensive unit had repeatedly helped Juventus and the Italian national team repel attacks. It was a battle-hardened defense that had proven its worth in many crucial matches.

Italian fans trusted their defense more than their attack, so when they saw Lin Quan attempt to challenge the entire Italian defense on his own, they were indignant.

"This kid is too cocky!"

"Come on, Chiellini! Barzagli! Bonucci! Teach him a lesson and show him what you're made of!"

While the Italian fans were confident, Chiellini and his teammates were far more cautious. This wasn't the first time they had faced Lin Quan. Last year, Juventus had played against Manchester City twice in the Champions League, and during those games, this very defensive trio had suffered at Lin's hands.

So, when they saw Lin advancing menacingly toward them, alarm bells rang in their heads. They became extremely vigilant.

Of the BBC trio, Chiellini made the first move. Instead of recklessly charging at Lin, he positioned himself to block Lin's path, trying to force him to slow down and give his teammates a chance to intercept.

The three defenders worked in perfect harmony—one moved to block, another covered, and the third pressed from the side. If Lin slowed down, he would immediately be surrounded and likely lose the ball.

Lin Quan knew this well. He glanced at Morata, who was trying to exploit the gaps created by Bonucci and Barzagli's movement to get forward.

Barzagli noticed this and, after a brief hesitation, decided to stay close to Morata. As Morata's teammate, Barzagli knew full well what Morata was capable of. While Morata could sometimes be inconsistent, missing golden opportunities, when in form, he was a lethal striker.

Unfortunately for Italy, Morata had been in excellent form throughout the tournament, so Barzagli couldn't afford to let his guard down. Even though it would be difficult for Lin to pass the ball to Morata from his position, Lin was no ordinary player—he was a superstar capable of pulling off the impossible.

Barzagli wasn't willing to gamble; a wrong decision could be disastrous.

With Barzagli marking Morata, the danger on Lin's right side decreased. Lin made a quick decision, cut the ball back, and dribbled horizontally toward the left.

This movement put Italy's defenders on high alert. Lin was isolated on the right, without any immediate support. But if he managed to reach the left side, it would be a completely different story.

As Lin moved left, he would be closer to Morata, increasing the chances of a short passing combination—the type of intricate play Spain excelled at and something Italy had to guard against.

Chiellini and Bonucci immediately moved with Lin, keeping a close eye on him while setting a potential offside trap for Morata, preventing Lin from passing to him.

Once Lin saw Morata was in an offside position, he refrained from passing the ball. Morata, recognizing the offside trap, stopped his run and pulled back, preparing to receive the ball with his back to goal.

"Is he setting up a layoff pass for Lin?"

Barzagli noticed this and quickly moved between Lin and Morata, cutting off any passing options.

With the Morata option neutralized, Lin looked for another teammate. This time, David Silva, rushing down the left flank, seemed like the best option.

The two had played together countless times for both club and country, and their chemistry was impeccable. If they connected now, it could spell disaster for Italy.

Recognizing the threat, Italy's Alessandro Florenzi and Marco Parolo immediately rushed to intercept, one blocking the passing lane and the other closing in on Lin, aiming to trap him.

Lin was fully aware of their movements. Moving left did create opportunities to combine with Morata and Silva, but Lin's ideal passing option was always Andrés Iniesta.

Unfortunately, De Rossi wasn't falling for it. While his teammates shifted around, De Rossi stood his ground, marking Iniesta closely and refusing to be drawn out of position. Lin's original plan couldn't work with De Rossi being so disciplined.

With all other options exhausted, there was only one move left.

Suddenly, Lin switched pace, cut inside, and accelerated toward Italy's penalty area, where Barzagli stood waiting!

Barzagli's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "He's coming straight for me. Does he think I'm the weak link?"

He wasn't wrong—Lin Quan did consider Barzagli the weak link.

Of the three Italian center-backs, Barzagli was the oldest, born in 1981 and now 35 years old.

At 35, Barzagli's defensive awareness was still top-notch, and his experience was richer than ever. But his physical condition had inevitably declined.

Lin Quan wasn't interested in flashy tricks; he wanted to test Barzagli's speed, specifically his reaction speed.

Without slowing down, Lin sped directly toward Barzagli. This meant the upcoming duel would be over in just one round—Barzagli would only have one chance. A wrong decision, and he would be beaten.

Barzagli knew this too. He focused intensely on Lin's feet, ready for the challenge.

As the distance between them rapidly closed, Lin made the first move. His left shoulder dipped slightly, and he pushed the ball outward with his left foot, hinting that he intended to go past Barzagli on the right.

Football analysts had long studied Lin's dribbling technique. One notable move was his shoulder drop, which was often a decoy.

Like Lionel Messi, Lin had lightning-quick footwork and an extraordinary ability to shift his center of gravity. Even when he had committed to a certain move, he could change direction in an instant, making it almost impossible for defenders to predict his true intentions.

Barzagli, aware of this trick, hesitated for a moment, wondering if this was just a feint.

No, it's not a feint!

Barzagli reasoned that Lin's left side was blocked by his teammate Bonucci, while his right side was open. It made more sense for Lin to cut right.

In the blink of an eye, Barzagli made his decision and lunged in, trying to intercept Lin's run on the right side.

But at that very moment, Lin pulled the ball back with his left foot, then nudged it forward with his right. With a quick step, he shifted his weight and changed direction, darting left instead of right.

Barzagli, despite being fully aware of what was happening, couldn't react in time. His right foot hadn't even landed, leaving him unable to adjust his balance.

Compared to Lin's agility, Barzagli felt like an old car, slow and outpaced.

In his mind, Barzagli could only think, "I'm too old for this!"

If only he were a few years younger, he might not have been fooled so easily, or at least wouldn't have looked so helpless.

Still, he hadn't given up hope. Lin had gotten past him, but Bonucci and Chiellini were waiting ahead. They were far more agile than he was, especially Bonucci, who was only 29 and in the prime of his career.

Bonucci, who had been marking Morata, was startled to see Lin glide past Barzagli with such speed.

"He's so fast!" Bonucci thought, immediately realizing the danger.

Reacting quickly, Bonucci moved to intercept Lin, determined not to let him cut inside for a shot.

Bonucci's timing was perfect. Lin had just beaten Barzagli but hadn't fully regained control of his rhythm. It was the perfect moment for Bonucci to step in and win the ball.

But Lin seemed to anticipate Bonucci's move. Rather than trying to beat him, Lin opted to pass the ball.

A pass?

Bonucci's eyes widened in surprise. He immediately realized the danger—he had left Morata free!

Sure enough, Morata received the ball, his back to the goal.

Morata silently congratulated himself for being smart enough to turn around in time to see Lin's pass. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to complete the play.

Knowing this was a rare chance, Morata wasted no time. With Chiellini pressing on his back, he laid the ball off to Lin Quan.

By the time the ball returned to Lin, he had already set up for a shot.

With a powerful strike, the ball rocketed toward the goal!

(End of Chapter)

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