AC Milan relinquished possession to minimize physical contact with San Remo’s players, reducing the risk of injuries.
They transitioned into a defensive mode.
The huge scoreline massacre Andrés wanted seemed impossible now.
In fact, considering Izalelt wasn’t on the field, AC Milan’s counterattack threat significantly decreased.
San Remo began to dominate possession.
Under Morici’s organization, San Remo quickly exploited both flanks.
The left and right flanks started their attacks, with coordinated shifts and transfers.
But AC Milan’s defense was solid, rendering most of San Remo’s attacks unsuccessful.
Bang!
Lu Yang’s left-footed shot from outside the penalty area, after receiving Bai Zhami’s pass, was blocked and deflected for a corner by AC Milan’s young central defender Chaloba.
This was his second failed long-range shot.
Today, AC Milan was well-prepared for his left-footed shots.
They were convinced that Lu Yang wouldn’t dare use his right foot to shoot.
Especially after Lu Yang’s earlier goal, which further confirmed AC Milan players’ suspicions.
Lu Yang’s right foot lacked power!
That kind of aggressive long-range strike, Lu Yang likely couldn’t execute today, so they only needed to guard his left foot.
And Chaloba’s individual skills were outstanding, having effectively contained Lu Yang so far.
Lu Yang ran to the penalty spot immediately.
He placed the football as if he were going to take the corner kick.
The linesman stood by, watching Lu Yang prepare, then turned his attention towards the penalty area.
Inside the penalty area, players from both teams were quietly jostling for position, preparing to compete for the ball.
However, at this moment, Lu Yang suddenly gestured to Morici, who was squeezed out of the six-yard box, pointing at his own right leg’s knee, signaling Morici to take the spot kick as his right foot was inconvenient.
"F*ck!"
AC Milan’s players were at a loss.
I’ve been positioning myself all this time, but now you say you want someone else to take the kick.
After the gesture, Lu Yang left the corner flag area.
Morici also prepared to lift his foot, heading from near the six-yard box towards the corner flag area.
AC Milan’s defenders took the opportunity to quickly re-assess their marking duties.
"Becher’s is looking for a chance to shoot from outside, everyone, be ready to fight for the second ball."
"Sogel, the big guy, is coming into the box, Chaloba, keep a close eye on him... never mind, I’ll mark him, Chaloba, watch the players charging in for the ball."
"Who’s gonna mark San Remo’s defender who’s prone to own goals, he still poses a header threat."
Everyone inside the penalty area was hurriedly reassigning their marking tasks.
Many goals conceded from corners result from unclear marking targets or unclear defensive strategies on whether to use man-marking or zonal defending.
Once these aspects are managed well, goals conceded from set pieces will be greatly reduced.
In essence, defending is about attitude. With the right mindset, training, and communication, once you build that rapport, you won’t fare too poorly.
However, right as everyone was discussing.
Bang!
Seemingly leaving the corner flag area, Lu Yang suddenly turned around and, upon returning to the corner flag area, delivered a ground pass across the penalty area.
Many people didn’t understand what was happening.
But AC Milan’s coach on the sidelines understood: "F*ck! Defend! Defend!"
Sadly, his warning didn’t manage to wake anyone up.
When the football reached Morici near the six-yard box, aside from the goalkeeper, no one from AC Milan reacted.
Then... Morici blasted the ball, sending it directly into the top left corner of the goal.
The goalkeeper dived to the lower area, completely opposite to the ball’s direction.
"GOAL!"
The ball hit the net, and Morici jumped up high to celebrate, quickly rushing towards Lu Yang. The two indulged in celebration, eager to solidify the goal, preventing the referee from being swayed by others into overturning the result.
Only at this point did AC Milan’s players realize what had just transpired.
They looked at each other, not even considering lodging a complaint about the corner being illegal.
Though the corner wasn’t illegal, it’s typical for players conceding a goal to create a fuss afterwards.
But AC Milan’s players forgot.
It signified they acknowledged San Remo’s goal, and it also indicated they weren’t too concerned about this conceded goal.
Because they were still leading.
They were up three to two, wait, how did San Remo already have two goals?
In an instant, AC Milan’s players belatedly felt a sense of crisis.
"Perfect! Lu Yang is too smart! He delivered a world-class assist!"
"San Remo’s second goal has emerged, crafted by Morici!"
"San Remo’s twin stars are shining brightly, capable of altering the score under any circumstances!"
"Lu Yang pretended not to take the corner, catching AC Milan’s players off-guard when he suddenly kicked the corner while they were discussing."
"As seen from the replay, it wasn’t just AC Milan’s players; even San Remo’s players were misled by Lu Yang’s actions."
"Sogel was still discussing positioning with Naji, while Morici noticed the ball coming from Lu Yang."
"Morici’s strike was firm and powerful! A non-stop shot with precision!"
"Lu Yang’s decision to pass it as a ground ball instead of an overhead pass was clever. If it had been the latter, Morici might not have managed it, given he’s only 1.74 meters tall."
"Three to two! There’s just one goal difference! AC Milan’s players, you need to wake up. Facing you is a miracle! They could achieve anything, absolutely anything!"
"I retract my earlier statement during the first half about AC Milan’s players popping champagne during the halftime break, as the game’s suspense remains alive. San Remo has fought valiantly like a hard iron block, earning everyone’s respect!"