This is the reason Poland was able to score two goals against England.
Their counterattack is extremely powerful!
Both of their wingers have exquisite crossing skills, and their central forward Pavovsky is frighteningly strong!
England, like Italy at that time, had center-backs playing high up, leaving a large space behind for Pavovsky to exploit and adjust.
The difference is, England played high because they were in an advantageous position, which naturally opened up spaces behind while they bombarded the attack.
Italy’s high line, on the other hand, was a tactical requirement. The chances they created and their dominance were not as strong as England’s.
Theoretically speaking, Italy’s front-line ball control tactic was very dangerous, especially when ball control couldn’t be converted into offensive opportunities.
Of course, Italy’s previous ball control did convert into offensive opportunities, but even so, it was still dangerous.
"It’s almost time!" Pavovsky murmured to himself. He felt he had already dominated Lam, and his teammates could pass the ball now.
Time, space, condition, everything was just right.
But the surrounding cheers suddenly changed, replaced by shouts among Poland’s midfield teammates.
"Defense, do your defense well!"
Pavovsky looked to the left.
There, his teammate had already been pushed off the sideline, nearly falling.
And the football was at the feet of an Italian player nearby.
Number 22?
Is that Lu Yang?
Yes!
Because the European Youth Championship only has a squad list of twenty-three, theoretically, numbers only go from 1 to 23. Lu Yang couldn’t wear his preferred number 24 jersey, and he didn’t want to wear the number 23 jersey that Morici wore at the club, so he had to choose the number 22 jersey.
Momo, don’t get me wrong, I simply dislike the number you’ve worn, nothing else.
Just now, the Polish left winger advanced after getting the ball, but just as he determined Pavovsky’s position and prepared to pass, a figure suddenly appeared to his right.
Lu Yang, who had previously dribbled past two players in midfield and assisted on the right flank overlap and bottom line, was still hovering near the penalty area when Canyes crossed, looking for a rebound opportunity.
But during Poland’s counterattack, he unexpectedly sprinted to the defensive position where Canyes should have been.
Not even mentioning his stamina and attitude, just this ability to plug gaps and know where he should appear is truly unmatched.
Bam!
At high speed, Lu Yang proactively engaged in body contact with the Polish left winger.
With a speed of 80, an eruption of 83, a strength of 80, and a balance of 83, just how could Lu Yang lose this duel?
The Polish left winger was directly pushed off the sideline by Lu Yang, while Lu’s dual 76 tackle and interception allowed him to easily hook the ball away.
Since Lu Yang and the Polish left winger were running in the same direction during the confrontation, rather than colliding sideways or face-to-face, this type of confrontation was unlikely to be deemed a foul.
The Polish left winger raised both hands to complain that Lu Yang bumped him.
But Lu Yang ignored him, turned around, and dribbled the ball back near the midfield.
Even in that collision, even if the Polish left winger had fallen, the whistle might not have blown, let alone he didn’t even fall!
"Wow! Lu Yang has made a contribution! He completed a perfect tracking defense!"
"If it weren’t for Lu Yang, that ball would have definitely been passed out, and with Pavovsky’s ability, he would have already taken down Pirola and Lam!"
The commentator exclaimed passionately, and the Italian fans finally relaxed.
"Lam, switch positions with Pirola!" Lu Yang passed the ball to Morici and spoke to the approaching center-back group.
Pirola hesitated a bit, as he has always played as the right center-back at the club.
Don’t assume that center-back positions can be interchanged and are relatively central; in fact, it has been analyzed in detail before, there are still subtle differences between left-side players and right-side players.
These differences become extremely important at crucial moments.
Recklessly changing center-back positions is very unwise.
"Alright, let’s switch!" Lam nodded directly.
As a result, Pirola had to switch positions with Lam.
Pirola, after all, didn’t trust Lu Yang very much because he hadn’t played with Lu Yang before, plus he’s a La Liga player, while Lu Yang is just a Serie B player.
But fortunately, Lam trusts Lu Yang enough.
This position switch, on one hand, allows Lam with his speed to better fill the spaces left open by Canyes.
If the opponent appears in the seam or even in the bottom line area, Lam would have to push out before Canyes returns, temporarily acting as a right-back.
Before that, Lu Yang would be responsible for tracking the opponent, with Lam serving as double insurance.
On the other hand, defensive midfielder Cortino can drop to the center-back when Lam is pulled out, strengthening the protection of the penalty area.
With Cortino’s obstruction, even if Lu Yang is late, by then, he could return to the backfield to temporarily act as a defensive midfielder, engaging in tackles and interceptions.
This is a set of backfield defensive switching and coordination, with Lu Yang at the core, adapting to Cortino’s playing habits, while also needing Lam’s extensive cooperation.
This single adjustment nearly neutralized the negative impact Canyes had on defense.
Lu Yang’s defensive instinct is apparent.
And these are experiences and feelings that players have on the field, which the coaching staff may not be able to consider or notice. Even if the coaching staff did notice, without the corresponding players, they couldn’t make such targeted adjustments.