Chapter 645: A Free Kick Like Mihajlović's! Spain 1-0 France!
Due to Kanté's foul, Spain was awarded a very well-positioned free kick.
Lin Quan, following his coach's instructions, took it upon himself to attempt a direct shot whenever there was a good chance for a free-kick goal.
The French team, clearly aware of the danger, took the free kick very seriously. They carefully set up the wall and defensive positions in the box. To prevent Lin Quan from exploiting the jumping wall and executing a low shot, they even had a player lying down behind the wall.
Seeing this player lying on the grass in such a "graceful" pose made many fans in the stands chuckle. But the French players on the pitch weren't laughing—if Lin Quan hadn't successfully used this trick before, who would have thought to defend against it?
The Spanish team also recognized the importance of this free kick. Although many expected Lin Quan to take the shot himself, several players positioned themselves in the opponent's penalty area, ready to contest the header. Even if Lin Quan didn't send the ball into the box, their movement would still distract the French defense, giving Lin Quan a better chance to score.
After positioning the ball, Lin Quan stepped back seven or eight meters before stopping.
French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris stood on his line, knees slightly bent, eyes fixed on Lin Quan. Knowing that Lin Quan was Spain's most dangerous player, Lloris had studied his game tapes extensively before the match, especially his free kicks.
After watching Lin Quan's highlight reel of free kicks from various matches, Lloris had grown quite apprehensive. Lin Quan's technique was exceptional, but unlike some free-kick specialists who mastered just one style, Lin Quan had an arsenal of different shots: the knuckleball, the dipping ball, the S-curve kick...
Just thinking about all this made Lloris feel an overwhelming sense of pressure. At this moment, no one on the field felt more stressed than him.
The free kick was about 27 meters from the goal, positioned fairly centrally, giving Lin Quan plenty of options. Until he actually took the shot, no one could predict which type of free kick he would use. This meant Lloris had to react immediately after the shot and quickly figure out the best way to make the save.
Doing all of that was extremely difficult, so Lloris could only hope his teammates in the wall would help.
The wall plays a huge role in disrupting the free-kick taker, and often the shot will hit the wall directly. Even if it gets past the wall, many attempts sail over the bar or wide of the target.
Very few free kicks make it over the wall and still stay within the frame of the goal. It's those "survivors" that the goalkeeper has to deal with.
Ideally, Lloris hoped the wall would stop the shot before he had to do anything.
A slightly worse scenario would be that the wall limited Lin Quan's options, forcing him to shoot from a less favorable angle, making Lloris's job easier.
But would Lin Quan allow him that?
As Lin Quan prepared to take the free kick, the referee blew the whistle, signaling him to proceed.
After a quick glance at Lloris's position, Lin Quan began his run-up.
One step, two steps, three steps...
With each step, his speed increased, and in Lloris's eyes, Lin Quan seemed to grow larger and larger.
It was almost as if the entire stadium was shaking with each step Lin Quan took. Of course, that wasn't possible—it was simply Lloris's nerves getting the better of him, a result of the immense pressure and fear he felt toward Lin Quan.
In Lloris's mind, he suddenly recalled the coin toss before the match and the shock he felt seeing Lin Quan wearing the captain's armband.
This guy was already a beast on a regular day, but now, with the national team's captaincy, he was bound to be even more unstoppable.
The more Lloris thought about it, the more terrified he became. His legs even started trembling slightly.
Lin Quan, unaware of Lloris's internal struggle, took a big stride toward the ball. Just before reaching it, he glanced one last time at Lloris's position and decided on his shot.
Boom!
With a loud bang, the ball flew off the outside of Lin Quan's foot, spinning fiercely as it rocketed toward the goal.
The French wall leaped high, but each player instinctively turned their head, fearing the ball might hit their faces. A shot struck with such power could easily knock someone out, or worse, cause a concussion that might end their career.
In reality, they needn't have worried—the ball flew over the wall.
Lloris had been watching Lin Quan closely, but even up to the final moment, he couldn't figure out what kind of free kick Lin Quan was going for.
Lin Quan's leg swing was small, and the way he struck the ball was subtle and deceptive, making it hard to identify the technique.
By the time Lloris tried to analyze further, the ball was already almost at his goal.
How is it this fast?
Lloris was shocked!
There was no time—he had to dive based on instinct!
As Lloris lunged desperately to his left, he felt a gust of wind brush past his cheek.
Then came the unmistakable sound of the ball hitting the net.
Boom!
The stadium exploded in an instant, with countless Spanish fans jumping up in excitement.
It's in!
We scored!
We're in the lead!
The Spanish fans were shouting, clapping, and waving their scarves wildly, making noises so ecstatic that even they couldn't understand themselves. Their joy was beyond words.
In contrast, the French fans were stunned. Staring at the ball rolling in their own goal, they couldn't believe what they were seeing.
"Did… that really just go in?"
"Why did that look so easy?"
The French fans found it hard to accept. In the first 30 minutes, their defense had been excellent, denying Spain any real chances. But suddenly, with one free kick, the scoreline had changed.
The excellent defense they had shown earlier had raised their hopes, but with that goal, their expectations came crashing down, and the drastic shift left them struggling to process what had just happened.
"A Mihajlović free kick!?"
In the Russian TV commentary booth, guest commentator José Mourinho couldn't help but shout in amazement after seeing the goal.
The host, noticing his reaction, quickly asked, "Coach Mourinho, is there a story behind Lin Quan's free kick?"
Mourinho nodded. "There was once a genius free-kick specialist in Serie A named Mihajlović. Many who witnessed his free kicks considered him the best free-kick taker on the planet. His free kicks were incredibly dangerous, with perfect placement, power, and spin. His accuracy was so high that if you gave him one chance, he'd give you a miracle. During what was once considered the mini-World Cup—Serie A—many famous goalkeepers suffered at his hands."
Seeing the female host's confused expression, Mourinho tried to explain in simpler terms.
"As we all know, scoring directly from a free kick is already very difficult, but Mihajlović once scored three free kicks in a single match in Serie A, cementing his legendary status. I never thought, after his retirement, that someone could replicate such a perfect Mihajlović-style free kick."
Mourinho was full of admiration. Every time he saw Lin Quan, the kid surprised him.
In the front row of the stands, Pep Guardiola smiled when he saw Lin Quan's goal.
Lin Quan had used this same trick once before in a match for Manchester City, and it had led to a goal.
But for some reason, Lin Quan didn't use this move very often. Perhaps because it was so difficult?
That might explain why so many people were shocked—they simply hadn't seen it before.
The characteristics of a Mihajlović-style free kick were clear: during the kick, the body remains as extended as possible, with power generated mostly from the lower leg, making it hard for the goalkeeper to predict.
Once the ball leaves the foot, it travels at incredible speed with intense spin.
Facing such a powerful and fast-spinning ball, the goalkeeper has a hard time making the save.
First, the goalkeeper needs lightning-quick reflexes to perform the save in the shortest possible time. If they're even slightly slow, the ball will be in the net because of its sheer speed.
Second, when making contact with the ball, the goalkeeper's technique must be precise. Otherwise, even if they touch the ball, the spin and speed might still carry it into the net.
Mihajlović's free kicks often left goalkeepers touching the ball but failing to keep it out, with the ball deflecting off their hands and into the goal.
But how to deal with such a shot? It's almost impossible, especially since very few players can replicate this kind of free kick, leaving goalkeepers with little chance to practice against it.
As for the French goalkeeper, he didn't even pass the first test. His reaction was too slow, and the ball went in.
Compared to the stunned fans in the stands, the reaction from Spain's players on the pitch was much wilder.
After Lin Quan scored, the Spanish players crowded in the French penalty box charged at him like enraged bulls, nostrils flaring, as they raced to celebrate with him.
It's a goal!
Finally, we've scored!
To the Spanish team, Lin Quan's goal felt like rain after a drought—a much-needed relief!
If they hadn't scored soon, the pressure would have crushed them.
"Great job, Lin!" David Silva gave Lin Quan a huge hug.
"Brilliant shot!" Ramos ruffled Lin Quan's hair affectionately.
"What kind of free kick was that? I want to learn!" Isco practically worshipped Lin Quan, bowing as if he were a deity.
Seeing his lively teammates, Lin Quan couldn't help but laugh.
"Thanks for the compliments, everyone. Isco, if you want to learn, I'll teach you when we have time, but I can't guarantee you'll master it. This kind of free kick is really hard—it depends on your physical ability and talent."
Isco nodded enthusiastically. "Don't worry, Lin! If I can't learn it, that's on me, not you."
With Lin Quan's goal in the bank, the atmosphere within the Spanish team suddenly lightened.
Although they hadn't completely achieved their first-half goal, having the lead gave them confidence, and they were no longer as anxious as before.
On the French side, however, their morale had clearly taken a hit after conceding the goal.
Especially for Lloris, the French captain. This was the moment when he should be stepping up to boost the team's spirits and calm his teammates.
But he was the one most shaken by the goal and hadn't yet recovered from the shock and frustration, completely forgetting to fulfill his role as captain.
Seeing Lloris unresponsive, Mbappé and Griezmann stepped up instead.
Griezmann said, "It's alright, there's plenty of time left in the game, and we're only one goal behind. We've been through this before. No big deal. When the second half comes, and they're out of stamina, we can score as many as we want."
Mbappé added, "Exactly. Just get the ball to me, and I'll take care of the rest!"
Hearing their words, the French players regained some of their confidence.
Yeah, it's only the first half, and we're just one goal down. It's not the end of the world.
"Griezmann and Mbappé are right. Spain only got lucky with a free kick—they didn't break through our defense to score. This kind of goal doesn't matter. It's not like they're going to score another free kick, right?"
Paul Pogba, the most valuable player on the team, couldn't sit still after seeing Griezmann and Mbappé taking charge. He had always considered himself the true leader of this French team.
Mbappé and Griezmann exchanged a glance but didn't respond.
Pogba wasn't wrong about one thing—Spain's goal did feel a bit lucky.
If Spain had scored through open play, France might have been in real trouble, as that would mean they couldn't stop Spain's attacks.
But since it was just a free kick, the situation wasn't as dire.
As long as Spain couldn't break through France's defense, there was no need for France to panic.
Being down by one goal wasn't a big deal. They were confident they could catch up in the second half.
Unless, of course, Spain managed to score more free kicks, just as Pogba had said.
But was that even possible?
(End of Chapter)