Chapter 615: Attacking Play
The Fisht Olympic Stadium in Sochi, with a capacity of 40,000, couldn't accommodate all the fans who wanted to watch the high-profile clash between Portugal and Spain. The tickets for this match sold out immediately when the group stage schedule was released. As a result, most Portuguese fans had to watch the game from home or in bars.
"Shot! Brilliant! Cristiano! Goal! The Portuguese captain opens the scoring for Portugal! 1-0, Portugal has made a dream start!"
The commentator's excited voice echoed from the TV, igniting a huge cheer in the bar.
"Well done, Captain!"
"Great job!"
"Cheers to the goal!"
The fans were ecstatic, and golden beer spilled from their glasses as they clinked them together, shouting excitedly.
On the field, Portuguese players celebrated around Ronaldo, who had scored the goal, joyfully piling on top of him.
On the sidelines, their coach jumped out of the dugout, pumping his fist in excitement.
The referee intervened, finally ending Portugal's ecstatic celebration.
The Spanish players, having placed the ball at the center spot, were getting impatient.
Though conceding early and unexpectedly, the Spanish players weren't too concerned. They just thought the Portuguese team was overreacting, celebrating as if it were Christmas after scoring against Spain.
...
The game resumed, and Spain kicked off.
Conceding within the first two minutes was unexpected for Hierro. However, he believed Spain would quickly equalize.
But soon, Hierro realized he was wrong. Despite Spain's wave after wave of attacks, Portugal didn't resort to a purely defensive strategy. Instead, they pushed their formation forward, contesting in midfield and always keeping Guedes and Ronaldo ready for counterattacks.
Portugal's tactics were aggressive, showing a strong desire to attack. Spain, too, continued their offensive play, making the first half a thrilling encounter for the audience.
In the 15th minute, Iniesta sent a through ball, and Isco, after reaching the byline, crossed it. Diego Costa shielded the ball and laid it off for David Silva, who was about to shoot when a white-shirted player intercepted and shot the ball high into the stands.
"Wow—Koke's shot goes high."
"Koke should have left the shot to David Silva, who was in a better position," the Spanish commentator lamented, though not overly concerned, believing Spain's offensive power would eventually yield goals.
On the sidelines, Santos waved his hand nervously, then silently thanked Koke for his contribution to Portugal's defense.
...
Five minutes later, Spain attacked again.
Iniesta passed the ball forward, and Alba, joining the attack, passed to David Silva. Silva controlled the ball, slowed down to draw William Carvalho in, then suddenly accelerated, leaving Carvalho slipping to the ground.
"David Silva! What a move!" the Spanish commentator shouted. "Another one!"
David Silva, in a burst of speed, evaded Cedric and cut inside.
"Shoot!" David Silva curled the ball towards the top right corner.
Portuguese goalkeeper Patricio didn't react, and just as the Spaniards were about to celebrate, the ball narrowly missed the goal, going out for a goal kick.
"So close! David Silva's shot just missed the target," the Spanish commentator regretted.
While Spain regretted the missed shot, Iniesta gave Silva a thumbs-up, and Isco joked with Silva about the near-miss.
Meanwhile, Portugal launched a quick counterattack.
...
Patricio took the goal kick, sending the ball long. Ronaldo headed it to the left wing, where Bernardo Silva accelerated.
"Counterattack! Portugal's counterattack!"
Portugal's counter was swift and direct, bypassing midfield.
Silva sped down the left, drawing Nacho in before feinting a pass to Guerreiro and then cutting inside to pass to Bruno.
Bruno received the ball, flicked it with his right foot, turned, and bypassed the unprepared Busquets.
Iniesta rushed to intercept.
Bruno feinted with his upper body, fooling Iniesta, then nutmegged him with a quick poke.
Bruno then twisted his body, bypassed Iniesta, and faced Ramos. He deftly poked the ball through Ramos' legs, turning away from him to continue the run.
Desperately, Ramos pulled Bruno down.
The Portuguese fans jeered loudly, displeased with Ramos' disruption of Bruno's beautiful play.
Even the Spanish commentator praised Bruno: "Ramos had to foul to stop Bruno's wonderful display. That was a joy to watch."
...
The referee blew the whistle and showed Ramos a yellow card. Portugal earned a free kick.
Pepe, known for his heading ability, joined the attack, while William Carvalho stayed back to cover.
The free kick, being far from the goal, wasn't ideal for a direct shot, so Ronaldo didn't take it.
Bruno's free kick aimed for the box, but Ramos, strong in the air, cleared it before Pepe could connect.
Spain attempted a quick counterattack, but Bernardo Silva intercepted Koke's pass.
Koke, instead of passing, tried to dribble past Silva but got tangled up, resulting in a foul without a card.
Santos applauded his team's performance, praising Bruno for drawing a yellow card from Ramos—a significant advantage with a center-back on a yellow card.
Bernardo Silva's relentless pressing and commitment also pleased Santos.
...
"Bernardo Silva's effort to stop Spain's counterattack reminds me of Koke's failure to stop Portugal's goal earlier," noted the Spanish commentator. "If Koke had intervened, Portugal wouldn't have scored. Credit to Portugal and their coach."
Despite conceding to a Portuguese counter, Spain didn't deviate from their attacking strategy, confident in their ability to score.
Had it not been for Silva's defensive effort, Spain might have scored. Portugal, however, continued to seize every offensive opportunity.
The match broadcast showed a continuous exchange of attacks, thrilling the commentators and fans alike.
"Isco dribbles past Cedric, beautiful... He breaks into the box! Shot! Blocked by Pepe! So close!"
"Iniesta dribbles sideways, beautiful. He combines with Isco... Shot! Over the bar!"
"Portugal counterattacks! Bruno dribbles sideways, Busquets follows... Foul! Portugal gets a free kick at the edge of the box. A good position for Ronaldo... Ah, just over the bar!"
"Beautiful! Beautiful! Bruno, maneuvering in tight spaces, bypasses Busquets and Alba, turns, shoots! Just over the bar!"
(END CHAPTER)
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