He was expelled from naturalization at the beginning and slipped to Europe to become the king of the

Chapter 429 The ultimate textbook counterattack experience, the ninth goal in the World Cup!

"aoaoaooaoooooo——"

The fifteen-minute intermission passed quickly, and the players from both sides returned to Fisht Stadium through the tunnel.

Santos and Dalic were relatively satisfied with the performance of their respective players in the first half and did not make any adjustments to their personnel before changing sides.

In the second half of the game, both sides played relatively conservatively at the beginning, not putting too much energy into offense and focusing on stability.

Many football experts and fans think this situation is very understandable.

The World Cup, which is held every four years, has reached the quarter-finals, and the next step is the semi-finals. If you lose, you have to wait another four years, and you may not be able to reach the quarter-finals after four years.

The most important thing is that no one knows what the situation will be like in four years and whether he can still be included in the national team's competition roster.

The head coach has concerns, and so do the players.

Coupled with the conscious restraint at the tactical level, neither side will naturally take the risk to attack.

1:1 is still undefeated.

Once the score falls behind, who can guarantee the score and then equalize the score?

The game at the beginning of the second half was not enjoyable to watch. Both sides focused on defense, mainly in the midfield, causing the frontcourt players to easily become isolated and helpless.

How is it possible to create a great scoring opportunity against this backdrop?
Portuguese head coach Santos was sitting leisurely on the coaching bench with his legs crossed, looking as carefree as a spectator watching a game.

He knows that as long as Martin is on the court, it is possible to score or assist!
Croatian head coach Dalic frowned and was extremely worried about the team's situation.

Modric and Rakitic both focus on defense. How can they pose a threat to Patricio's goal?

Martin is also an extremely unstable factor. What if he suddenly exerts force at a certain moment?

The fans at Fisht Stadium were in high spirits, and they cheered one after another.

Sixty minutes into the game, Guedes and Brozovic stood next to the fourth official, obviously waiting for the dead ball to appear and be replaced.

As Cristiano Ronaldo, under Lovren's personal defense, pushed Martin's precise cross from the attacking right over the bottom line, referee Richie blew his whistle and pointed to the substitution technical area on the sidelines.

At the same time, the assistant referee near the center line held the side flag with both hands and raised it high.

Brozovic and Guedes, standing next to him, held their breath and looked heavy.

The player Portugal replaced was B Fee, who was relatively confused, and Croatia also replaced Kramaric, who did not play his due role.

Guedes came on to play center, and Ronaldo moved to the left wing.

Brozovic changed positions with Modric and became a defensive midfielder to share the defensive pressure.

Both of them made adjustments to the offense, obviously not wanting to drag the game into overtime, especially Croatia.

Overtime and penalty kicks were just played in the 1/8 finals, and my physical recovery was not very good. If we play another overtime game with a team like Portugal, it will definitely be a chronic death.

In order to firmly grasp the initiative, we must find a way on the offensive end.

Modric's forward position has indeed brought great improvements to Croatia's offense, but Portugal's defensive system is not vegetarian.

Martin is equally flexible on the defensive end, using his accurate judgment of the game to often appear in the most dangerous areas, while also being able to find and fill in gaps through command.

Croatia's offense seemed to have been strengthened, but in fact Patricio did not face a big test.

The time is about to enter the 70th minute, and the rhythm of the game has further slowed down with the cooperation of Modric and Rakitic.

Martin, who was always waiting for an opportunity, realized that the opportunity to overtake the score had arrived.

Croatia's slowdown in offensive pace was entirely due to the decline in physical fitness of all members.

A sudden increase in speed with cooperation will definitely have a high probability of tearing apart Croatia's stable defensive system.

Lovren kicked the ball far away from the sideline. Cedric did not rush to throw the ball in, and the on-site director gave Martin a close-up shot.

Central 5 commentator He Wei looked at Martin on the broadcast screen and said loudly: "There are still twenty minutes of regular time for the whole game, plus about twenty-five minutes of injury time. The physical fitness of both sides has reached this stage. When it reaches the critical point, it takes time to adjust. I think...this is Martin's opportunity. As we all know, his physical fitness is almost abnormal..."

While speaking, Sedric threw a foul ball from the right side of the front court.

The Portuguese offense in possession was very patient, going from left to right and right to left.

Martin plays a very important role in transfer and transition, and has no intention of taking the ball forward. At most, he stabilizes the rhythm and has no intention of speeding up.

Modric and Martin played three games in the Champions League finals and were deeply impressed by him, even fearful of him.

He also has a strong ability to organize and advance. He knows that this juncture is the best time to speed up and change the situation, so he puts all his energy on Martin, so that he has no time to take into account the offensive advancement from defense to offense.

In addition to the tactical requirements of assisting with the ball, Brozovic's task as a substitute is to have enough physical fitness to mark Martin on the defensive end.

And since he came on as a substitute, he has performed very well, which can be regarded as freezing Martin's performance.

Time passed by second by second, and both the audience at the scene and the fans in front of the TV felt nervous.

The senior national officials watching the game from the VIP seats also frowned. Although they could not be said to be fans, people at this level would have unique insights if they had a little understanding, thus worrying that the national team would lose the ball at a certain moment.

Once a ball is lost, it may be irreversible.

Two minutes later, in the 73rd minute.

Rakitic's long pass from the backcourt was too powerful, and Patricio got the ball. Perisic, whose start was obviously half a beat too slow, sighed in annoyance, and then turned towards Rakitic, who had already replayed quickly. Kitich gave a thumbs up.

Patricio, as in the past, threw the ball to Moutinho who dropped deep to receive the ball.

Mandzukic, who was at the forefront of Croatia's forward line, just pounced, and Moutinho directly sent a precise long pass to the left front.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who was just a few meters past the center line, stopped the ball with his chest against the left sideline and pushed the ball forward with the outside instep of his right foot. Guedes, who came on as a substitute, suddenly made a diagonal attack from the center and attacked the left rib.

Ronaldo suddenly accelerated, and Croatian right back Vrsaljko followed in to defend.

His starting speed also caught the entire Croatian defense off guard. Vrsaljko's speed was slightly slower, and Rakitic had to make key defenses based on the immediate situation.

Guedes took Lovren and ran outside.

Martin also accelerated, and Brozovic, who was the only one left to defend, was a little nervous.

At the same time, right winger B was attacking the right rib and inserted into the center vacated by Gerdes.

In a flash of lightning, a passing line appeared between Ronaldo and Seat B.

Cristiano Ronaldo, the Champions League assists king, has solid passing skills and does not hesitate to send a fast low pass that is close to the ground.

Lovren, who was taken away by Guedes, stopped his forward momentum and quickly reversed his center of gravity from facing outside to facing the B seat running towards Ronaldo passing the ball.

Seat B, which advanced at high speed, attracted the defensive attention of the two central defenders and Brozovic, who was marking Martin, at the top of the penalty area. However, he did not take the ball and shoot, but used the outside instep of his left foot to hit the ball while running. The ball was passed forward to the left, which was the space behind Lovren.

Lovren, who was facing Seat B, felt a chill instantly shoot up from the soles of his feet to the sky, and his whole body shuddered.

It is obviously unrealistic to expect Lovren, who is 1.88 meters tall, to turn around continuously. Left center back Vida can only follow the trend of the football to defend Guedes.

Goalkeeper Subasic also moved towards the near end, ready to make a save. Judging from Guedes' movement, it is very likely that he will hit the ball directly.

Vader thought so too, so he was ready to use his flesh and blood to block the shot.

"wowowoowowoowooo——"

The Croatian fans screamed in surprise above the Fisht Stadium.

The Portuguese fans stood up excitedly one by one, staring closely at Guedes.

Modric glanced towards the penalty area with his peripheral vision, and happened to see a familiar crimson back unmarked...

"Oops!"

But he was far away from Martin, and it was too late to defend. Therefore, we could only place our hopes on Guedes to directly meet the ball and miss the shot, or be blocked by Vida and Subasic. At the same time, he prayed in his heart: Never pass it to Martin.

But sometimes that's the case.

The less you want to see something, the more it will appear.

Gerdes, who was running, passed the ball with his left foot from the outside corner of the left small penalty area, rubbing the inside of his instep towards the bottom of the incoming ball.

The football shot up from the ground with a strong inward arc and flew over the head of Vader, who had no time to react...

Everyone's eyes followed the flight of the football.

Standing in the visiting team coach's technical area, Dalic had a wide view, and his heart suddenly pounded, and strong uneasiness swept through his body instantly.

"Martin!!!"

Central 5 commentator He Wei's voice suddenly rose an octave.

Portugal's most threatening player made a ghostly movement away from Brozovic and Rakitic, and appeared at the location of Guedes' pass.

The tucked-in left back Strinic thought that something was falling from the sky, and he was confidently preparing to head the ball to clear the siege. He suddenly caught a black shadow falling from the sky with his peripheral vision. His experience in many battles made him realize that the situation was not good. .

He looked up instinctively, and just in time Martin jumped up high and hit the ball hard with his bright forehead.

The football changes its trajectory and flies towards the goal at a faster speed.

Subasic, who came from the other end, threw his entire body and stretched out his left arm, but there was still some distance between his fingertips and the football flying toward the goal...

"Goooooooooooooal—"

Multiple commentators in the commentary box raised their voices in unison.

"Ninth goal!"

Central 5 commentator He Wei shouted passionately: "Martin, who was closely monitored in this game, stepped forward! He appeared in the most critical position at the critical moment! He scored two goals in the first and second half to help Portugal take the lead!"

The entire Fisht Stadium went crazy with Portuguese fans, and neutral fans were also affected, shouting hysterically.

The Croatian fans were stunned and stunned.

The joy of one party sets off the sadness of the other.

The Portuguese players on the field ran towards Martin excitedly and celebrated the go-ahead goal crazily.

The current score is maintained until the end of the game, and they will reach the World Cup semi-finals again after 12 years.

Cristiano Ronaldo also completed his first World Cup semi-final in his career.

The 2006 World Cup in Germany was the last battle of Portugal's golden generation. Twelve years later, Cristiano Ronaldo has also reached the twilight of his career, but he is lucky. With the help of the best Martin, the emotions released are also particularly crazy.

The Croatian players led by Modric all showed extremely painful expressions at this time.

Going into overtime with a tie was their bottom line, but they didn't expect that the score fell behind at a critical juncture of physical fitness...

If they face other teams, they may even the score, but facing the team led by Martin, there is really no hope.

Several players on the team have played against teams at the club level that Martin has played for, and the results have been very poor.

Rakitic had a great victory over Arsenal when he represented Barcelona in the 2016-2017 season, but Martin did not participate due to the death of his adoptive father due to illness. When he went to the Emirates Stadium in the second round, he was directly rolled his eyes.

Martin's goal not only helped Portugal take the lead, but also greatly damaged the confidence of the Croatian players.

Immediately, the live director restored the entire process of scoring a goal.

From the time Patricio threw the ball to Moutinho until Martin shot, only Ronaldo, B and Guedes passed the ball. There were four passes in total, among which Ronaldo, B and Guedes all passed. The ball is shot with one kick, the process is very smooth and full of fun to watch.

"A textbook quick counterattack to score a goal! The ultimate visual enjoyment!"

Central 5 commentator He Wei said impassionedly: "Portugal, the favorite to win the championship, has shown obvious championship temperament!"

Martin, who has attracted much attention, was quite surprised by the team's attack. According to his idea, he would advance personally with the ball and then fish in troubled waters. He did not expect that Ronaldo's coordinated offensive cooperation would come out. Due to the tactical discipline established before the game, Also appeared at the football landing point for the first time.

The cross ball sent by Guedes was actually not the best, but Martin showed up where it should be with his accurate judgment of the landing point.

The on-site director showed the Croatian star who was worried.

Modric, Rakitic, Perisic, Mandzukic, Brozovic...

Players with or without "Qi" appeared very confused and lost confidence in advancing to the semi-finals.

Head coach Dalic sees it in his eyes. There is not much he can do. Substitution and adjustment are one of the few means, and it is also a very important signal release.

The game is not over yet and anything is possible.

Kovacic replaced left back Strinic, and the formation changed from 4231 to 352, a variant of 3241.

Vrsaljko, Lovren and Vida serve as the three central defenders.

Rakitic and Brozovic serve as double midfielders.

Perisic, Modric, Kovacic and Rebic serve as the midfield four.

Mandzukic is at the forefront of the striker.

Portugal did not make personnel adjustments. Apparently Santos believed that the team could cope with Croatia's changes with its existing lineup.

Portugal, who overtook the score, was as high-spirited as if they had been beaten to death.

The whole team is experienced in many battles and will not make low-level mistakes lightly. Martin is also checking for deficiencies and making up for them, and ensures the overall safety of the defense through real-time command.

It can't be said to be impregnable, but it won't be easily broken.

Croatia, which was lagging behind, had no choice but to increase the number of attackers to tear apart Portugal's defense and see if they could quickly equalize the score.

They all know that if they fail to equalize the score in a short time, it will mean that this game will be the last game of this World Cup.

For many players, this World Cup is likely to be the last World Cup of their careers!

(End of this chapter)