After Lu Yang’s rallying cry, he was now very close to becoming the midfield core of the team.
In the 37th minute of the first half, what Lu Yang had been worried about finally happened.
Finger stubbornly insisted on attacking what seemed to be a defensive vulnerability but was actually not after verification.
If the Italy Team had a three-forward formation with a right winger stationed behind Robben, that weakness could be exploited.
But Italy uses a two-forward formation.
Bam!
Joseph once again intercepted Finger and immediately made a long pass, finding Robben ahead.
Without Finger, Robben’s cut inside faced almost no obstruction.
Scamacca was instantly muscled out by Robben.
With Finger’s "help," Scamacca’s performance so far has been utterly inefficient.
He couldn’t advance during attacks and always failed to preemptively block Robben on defense.
Scamacca felt helpless.
Could Robben’s cuts inside be blocked?
How early would you have to start? Two or three steps ahead before Robben even touches the ball?
There’s no such style of play!
Besides, even if I block his cut inside early, he’ll still have an easy time going down the line!
Do you really think the world’s top left-winger can only cut inside and can’t cross?
Who are you underestimating?
Bam!
Just as the words were spoken, Robben completed the cross.
It was a ground ball delivered to Zidane’s feet behind the arc of the penalty area.
Drake was running frantically between Zidane and Robben but couldn’t touch the ball. Despite his strong face-to-face defense, his poor mobility couldn’t fully cover the defensive holes created by Finger.
Zidane faced the ball and lifted his left foot high, as if preparing for a powerful shot.
Which world-class midfielder doesn’t have a long-range shot that strikes fear?
Bernulin made a quick decision, rushing forward with both hands behind his back, right leg raised high, preparing to block the shot.
However, Zidane’s left foot quickly lifted and pulled back, gently stopping the ball, surprising everyone.
Then, half a beat later, he lightly flicked the ball with his right foot.
The ball flew straight to the open area on the right side of the penalty box, the space behind Bernulin.
A fake shot trap!
Zidane knew the coordinated synergy between Bernulin and Chiavich, the central defender duo, where Bernulin excelled at tackling and blocking, while Chiavich preferred to stay back, patching gaps, and contesting high balls in the box.
Therefore, Zidane’s long shot most likely drew Bernulin’s attention.
And the space behind Bernulin became the breakthrough point.
Bam!
How could Little Moustache Ruborg miss such a big open spot?
He sprinted ahead, muscled Praxedes out of his way, and delivered a volley comparable to Robben’s prior shot!
Too close, Audi dove to save but couldn’t reach the ball.
Two to zero!
The France Team completely crushed the Italy Team!
Both wingers scored, truly living up to the title of the strongest spear.
Yet the strongest shield seemed rather embellished.
"F*ck!"
Praxedes was furious at his slow start, getting muscled out by Ruborg.
If only he could have been a bit quicker...
"Zidane is so sneaky!" Bernulin also knew his lost position was the biggest issue, but he had no choice—if he hadn’t rushed to block, Zidane would have definitely shot from range.
Top-tier players can pre-program a series of moves in their minds and execute them under high-intensity conditions.
Yet, super top-tier players can start and interrupt their technical moves anytime, making them unpredictable.
Clearly, Zidane is just such a player.
After all, he’s the King of French Football!
There’s no shame in being toyed with by him.
At this point, the Italy Team’s morale wasn’t disrupted.
Because they were all self-reflecting and examining themselves.
But Finger was very dissatisfied and shouted at Scamacca, "Why do you always let him break through so easily? Don’t let him handle the ball so comfortably in dangerous zones. Do you not know how to foul?"
Scamacca felt aggrieved—I’m not blaming you yet!
Defensive midfielder Drake’s face didn’t look good either; if he weren’t vice-captain, Finger might also be shouting at him, and he sensed it.
But why blame others?
Is it necessary?
The Italy Team is a highly professional team with great conduct, players fight for honor and obsession. They all feel very upset when conceding a goal and are willing to take responsibility.
It is unnecessary to criticize teammates at this moment; they should encourage each other instead.
Finger’s approach was evidently inappropriate.
Moreover, he wasn’t qualified to criticize his teammates.
Who is he?
The captain or the core?
Neither!
Did he perform well in this match?
Definitely not!
Finger has lost possession the most; his performance has been bad today.
Fans might think Finger had lots of screen time and executed beautiful moves, but experts know his efficiency is very low today, being the key reason Italy struggled defensively and offensively.
Shouting at teammates at this time is nothing but passing the buck.
In the following few minutes, on the Italy Team’s side, Lu Yang voluntarily shifted right, forming a 442 formation.
Once Robben cut inside, Lu Yang could immediately cover.
This, to a certain extent, stifled France Team’s offensive tempo.
But on the downside, only Perrotta and Ancelotti remained upfront, making it hard to pose any lethal threat.