Football’s First Defender

Chapter 52: Everton

   December 06! The fourth match day of the Europa League Group A! Everton sits at Goodison Park to face Zenit, who did not perform well in the group stage!

  No one thought that Zenit, the champion team that blocked the gods and the Buddhas in the Russian Super League, would fall into an unprecedented passive situation in the group stage!

   Especially the two home games that have ended! Two draws completely cast a shadow over Zenit's group stage qualification!

   Zenit first faced Alkmaar with a conservative attitude, and then attacked in the final stage, but was led by the visiting team! Although in the final tie, I barely got a point! But it didn't win the victory that should have been won!

   After that, it was against Bundesliga team Nuremberg at home again! Zenit, who has regained his wide open and close play, is the first to be counterattacked by his opponent to score!

   Zenit, who entered the second half with a lagging score, relied on Arshavin and Pogrebnyak's goals to overtake the score!

   It's a pity that this time I was replaced by Zenit, who was completely reversed! In the final stage, the defense did not withstand the mad attack of the Bundesliga team, and the score of 2 to 2 was maintained until the end!

Both home games were tied, and in the situation where the four strong teams in the group must have a group match to return home, Zenit's two draws made him only in the last game, with the strongest strength. The opponent, Everton, is still away in England!

  Although in the away game on the second game day, Zenit scored three goals in the home court of the Greek team Larissa, scoring all three points with a score of 3 to 2!

However, Larissa has already lost three games in a row. It seems to be purely coming to play soy sauce. It is very likely that the four-game losing streak will end the trip to Europe. Then the qualifying situation is the record competition between the top four. Zenit, who has no winning record, is really It is dangerous!

  Because there are five teams in each group, there will be a group match for 5 match days, and each round will have one team bye!

   Before the start of the fourth match day!

   Zenit 1 win, 2 draws and 5 points in the final round bye

   Everton wins two straight 6 points in the final round of the visit to Alkmaar

   Larissa lost 3 straight with 0 points in this round bye and the final home scene against Nuremberg, it is estimated that it is also the life of points.

   Alkmaar has 1 win, 1 tie and 4 points against Nuremberg this round

   Nuremberg has 1 draw, 1 loss and 1 point. This round will be a life-and-death battle, but fortunately, it is sitting on the home court!

   Zenit’s math problem is very good. If you win Everton away, then you will be sure to qualify!

   But if it is a draw or a loss, whether you can qualify or not depends on the face of the opponent in the same group!

   "Destiny must be in your own hands! To qualify with a victory!" This is what Ed Wocart constantly emphasized before the game!

   To leave one's own destiny to others to control is always the most stupid behavior on the football field! Don’t you see how the last round of 2x odds draw was fancyly played? To score two goals 1 to 1 is to give you face, I will be 0 to 0, the two teams pass the ball for a walk, what can you do for me?

   The key now is, this Premier League team Everton, will easily let Zenit go at home?

   As the sixth Premier League last season, although there are no top stars in the Everton team, it is not an exaggeration to say that they are all powerful players!

   Among the best midfielders selected by Sky Sports last season, Everton's core midfielder, Arteta, beat Manchester United winger Ronaldinho to win this award!

   Under the coaching of coach Moyes, the team has stable tactics and strong execution ability of the players. It has even taken the top spot in the second tier of the Premier League in the past two years!

   is also called the most stable goalkeeper of the Champions League by good things fans. If you want to enter the Champions League, you need to pass Everton...

   is such a team. Everton, who is definitely a powerful player in the Europa League, is blocking Zenit's promotion.

   "Welcome to watch the live broadcast of this Zenit game!"

   "After the Europa League group stage draw, we have all thought that this death group will be a test for Zenit!"

   "During the period when the main defender Yang Feng was recovering from his injury, Zenit was in the throes of lack of Yang Feng for the entire three rounds of group matches!"

   "Although the team's offensive strength is still so strong, but due to the defensive problem, Zenit, who cannot devote himself to the offense, always feels that he has lost the domineering courage of the past few months!"

   "Zenit reported the latest news earlier that Yang Feng's recovery is very good, and it will take about a week to train!"

   "But now Zenit has to beat the powerful Everton away in this game, otherwise he can only wait for the results of the next group stage two weeks later!"

   "After this game, even if Zenit is promoted, it will take two months for the knockout to be played, so the whole team will go directly to vacation!"

   "Whether there will be European competitions to play after a short vacation, or a long vacation, waiting for the opening of the Russian Premier League next season! It depends on the result of this game, or the face of other teams!"

   "But I believe that this group of energetic young people, as well as the head coach Mr. Ed Wocart, must want to prove themselves in the European war!"

   "After all, although this Zenit hammered CSKA Moscow in various leagues in the league, Russia's first European championship was won by CSKA in the first two years!"

   "If you want to establish a new king in Russia, you must at least achieve the achievements of the old king!"

  …………

"Everton sent a nearly full lineup in this game, and the attitude is very correct! The only change that may be that the midfielder Cahill was put on the bench in this game! Replaced by a better defensive Lee Kasley !"

   "As David Moyes who uses a 451 lineup all year round"

   "In addition to a solid back line, the five midfielders have always been separated by the left and right midfielders. The midfield trio is a full-time defense, organizing offense, and a complementary trio with a certain breakthrough ability!"

   "The two midfield defenders Phil Neville and Lee Kasley were selected to strengthen the midfield defense! The idea of ​​Zenit is evident!"

   "Arteta still continues to be his court commander! Sitting in the middle! There are two tough guys escorting him!"

   "Pinar and Leon Osman are separated on the left and right sides! Defensive and offensive are correct!"

   "And Yakubu, who just broke Everton's record and joined this season, is the single arrow!"

   "The defensive line is followed by left-back Bynes, center-backs Joe Jean Lescott and Jazelka, right-back Hibbert!"

   "The goalkeeper is Tim Howard, the United States goalkeeper! The main goalkeeper of Manchester United before! He has the attributes of a nerve knife!"

"The good news for Zenit may be that Everton’s main defender, Yabo, was injured in the last league game. This season, Lescott, who played left back this season, has returned. At the central defender position, the replacement left-back is by Bynes, who has just transferred this season. Bynes also suffered a minor injury before and I don't know how he is recovering!"

"The purpose of David Moyes choosing Seizang Cahill in this game is obvious! His team is at home and a draw can ensure that the group will qualify, but the visiting team Zenit desperately needs victory! This is a good opportunity to counterattack. , Don't know how to use it, that's a fool's behavior!"

   Ed Wo Carter, who got the starting list, felt a headache when looking at Everton's two defensive midfielders!

   Even when Moyes let the main left back play a good Lescott to play the old center back again, I feel very helpless!

   When preparing tactics for this game before, many tactics were aimed at left back Lescott!

After all, with a height of 191cm to play the left back, although physical fitness occupies an absolute advantage, there is no problem in the Premier League game that advocates physical confrontation, but facing the small quick-wit players in Zenit's lineup, it is Zenit's opportunity to play his advantage. Up!

But now, with the injury of Yabo in the league, Lescott has returned to the center back. Bynes is also the kind of fast and flexible full-back. Not only is it more beneficial to defend against technical players such as Arshavin, but also his fast The ability to plug in is extremely strong, which will make Zenit's defense more pressure!

   "It's uncomfortable! This game!" Ed Wo Carter felt that God wouldn't help him! Obviously the opponent's main central defender is injured, but the new lineup feels more restrained from Zenit!

   "The game begins! The visiting team Zenit takes the lead! The Zenit has reached the edge of the cliff, but still has the opportunity to control his own destiny. Whether he can spend a pleasant vacation, it depends on this game..."