"Oh, Müller has fallen!"
Müller's fall indeed briefly attracted everyone's attention.
However, he didn't touch the ball; instead, he quickly got up and rushed towards Algeria's wall.
Immediately after, Schweinsteiger, standing to the right of the ball, feigned a shot but remained motionless.
The next second, Mark accelerated towards the ball!
At this moment, almost everyone thought Mark was the true taker of this free kick!
Just as everyone expected Mark to shoot directly, he actually strode over the ball. Only then did Kroos suddenly Flick his toe, delivering a chipped pass!
However, perhaps due to too many feints, or perhaps the build-up to this play was too long, his chipped pass lacked power!
The ball flew over the wall and was headed out by an Algeria player!
Immediately after, with a long kick from Mahrez, the ball flew into the German Team's half and was eventually collected by Neuer, who had come out of his box.
And at this moment, everyone realized that the German Team's complex free-kick routine had failed!
"Absolutely disastrous!"
"The German Team's free kick..."
Even Flick on the sidelines covered his eyes with his hand, unable to watch.
And Löw looked helpless.
Although it didn't threaten Algeria's goal...
This utterly terrible free-kick tactic, especially Müller's comical fall, did make fans around the world watching the match laugh out loud.
For a moment, much of the tension of the match was dispelled.
Everyone had only one thought:
Was Müller's fall accidental or intentional?
This small interlude did not affect the direction of the match.
As the match reached the eighty-seventh minute, only three minutes remained until the end of regular time.
The score on the field was still zero-zero.
After Mark and Klose both came on, the German Team's offense became more layered, and they created quite a few shooting opportunities.
However, under Algeria's 'bus' defensive tactic, with all players retreating to defend their goal in the thirty-meter zone, they still couldn't put the ball into the net.
Watching the stalemate on the field, many German fans couldn't help but murmur:
Are they going to face their first extra time of this World Cup?
Or will there be a decisive goal in the final moments?
As the match reached the eighty-ninth minute, the German Team continued to control the ball.
Center-back Mertesacker passed the ball to defensive midfielder Lahm, who took two horizontal steps before passing the ball again to Mark, who had dropped back on the left wing to receive it.
"Stick to him!"
"Don't let him turn!"
After being repeatedly dribbled past by Mark, the Algerians immediately changed their defensive tactics and intensity against him.
As soon as he received the ball, the right-back would immediately close in to harass him, and then the right-midfielder would follow up to assist in the defense, preventing him from easily receiving the ball and turning.
However, facing Algeria's double-team, Mark remained unfazed. Without stopping the ball, he immediately played a back-heel pass across the middle to Kroos, who was supporting, and then immediately turned and ran forward.
Tony, understanding perfectly, immediately passed the ball into his path.
After a one-two broke through the opponent's double-team, Mark repeated the trick. After receiving the ball, he passed it again to Klose at the edge of the box.
The latter held off the tall center-back behind him and laid the ball back.
Mark received the ball again on the left side of the edge of the penalty area, took a touch, performed a step-over to beat the charging Algeria defensive midfielder Medjani, and then burst into the box!
"He's in the box!"
Amidst the exclamations of both sets of fans, Algeria's goalkeeper M'Bolhi did not wait passively but decisively rushed out!
Seeing the charging goalkeeper, Mark had already planned his response:
He feigned a shot, but at the moment M'Bolhi lowered his body, he deftly flicked the ball with a change of his ankle.
The next second, the ball arched up, perfectly clearing M'Bolhi's head, and flew into the empty net behind him!
Just as the ball crossed the goal line in the air, the Estádio Beira-Rio erupted in a thunderous roar!
"Goal!!!"
"In the final minute of regular time, the German Team has finally broken the deadlock!"
"A series of one-two wall passes, coupled with an extremely calm finish in front of goal—this goal perfectly embodies the beauty of football!"
"Mark Lane! This eighteen-year-old Super Substitute has scored again!"
"This will be a decisive goal!"
Mark, who had just scored, ran excitedly towards Klose, who had assisted him.
Klose, as if remembering something, suddenly turned around and pointed to his back.
Mark didn't think much of it and immediately jumped onto K-God's back, then raised his arms and cheered, fully expressing his excitement:
"Who else~~~""
This scene couldn't help but remind people of Messi and Ronaldinho.
At the same time, Löw and Flick on the sidelines also embraced each other excitedly!
With Mark scoring this goal, all German fans could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Want to play extra time?
Did you ask Mark first?!
This goal was not only Mark's fourth goal in this World Cup but also the fatal blow that crushed Algeria's fighting spirit and morale!
They had held on for the entire match, seemingly on the verge of dragging a strong opponent into extra time, only to be struck down by a decisive goal at the very last moment.
That feeling was absolutely terrible!
Watching the German Team players celebrate excitedly, Algeria's players looked bewildered and exchanged glances.
Even though Algeria's coach on the sidelines constantly waved his arms, urging his players to perk up, it couldn't bring his disciples back from the significant blow of that decisive goal.
Moreover, with the celebration over, the match entered injury time.
They only had three minutes left!
After the kickoff, Algeria adopted a desperate stance, pushing their entire formation forward, attempting to make a final, all-out effort in the remaining time!
Unfortunately, at this point, the German Team very pragmatically set up a 'bus' defense.
Three minutes might seem long for the defending German Team.
However, for the Algeria team, who were racing against the clock, it passed incredibly quickly.
Finally, with Feghouli's long-range shot going slightly high, the referee checked his watch and then blew the whistle for the end of the match!
As the whistle sounded, cheers once again erupted in the stadium.
Compared to the German players, who were excitedly embracing each other, the Algerians collapsed to the ground, some even covering their faces and weeping.
Even though they had played their revenge song before the match and lit their buffs, they ultimately failed to avenge the defeat from thirty-two years ago!
And the German Team, thanks to Super Substitute Mark Lane's decisive goal in the final moments of the match, defeated the "Desert Foxes" Algeria one-nil, advancing to the World Cup quarterfinals!
...
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