Chapter 646: The Breathless Last 2 Minutes!
"Although the goal wasn't scored through the familiar ground passes we know, Spain has still managed to take the lead first. It seems like the pace of the match has returned to what everyone predicted before the game."
"Haha, the game was veering off course, but Lin Quan forcefully pulled it back on track."
In the CCTV studio, the two commentators couldn't help but joke after seeing Spain's goal.
With the lead, Spain played more comfortably, launching more active ground attacks. It seemed that Lin Quan's free-kick goal had inspired the team, as they began trying more breakthroughs, seemingly aiming to force fouls and give Lin Quan more free-kick opportunities.
However, scoring from free-kicks isn't just about skill—you also need to be in the right rhythm. When you're feeling it, everything works; if you're not, no matter how good your technique, you won't score.
Lin Quan had already scored one free-kick, proving he was in excellent form for set pieces in this match.
Since that was the case, the team naturally aimed to create more chances for him.
Suddenly, Isco, David Silva, and even forward Diego Costa started pushing forward aggressively, trying to dribble past opponents.
This style of play made things very uncomfortable for France. At first, they didn't realize the change and stuck to their previous defensive strategy. As a result, Spain earned several free-kick opportunities, and every time there was a free-kick, the one taking it was always Lin Quan.
Every time the French players saw Lin Quan standing over the ball, ready to take a free-kick, their hearts couldn't help but race.
They were terrified that he would replicate his earlier free-kick goal. If Spain scored two goals in such a short period, France's situation would be in serious danger.
Thankfully, most of those free-kicks weren't in great positions. Except for one that was particularly threatening and forced the goalkeeper to make a spectacular save, the others either hit the wall, went too high, or missed the target altogether.
Though Spain didn't score again, France became much more cautious about giving away free-kicks.
They had realized that Spain's number 10 was in fantastic form today.
If they gave him another free-kick in a prime position, he might very well score again.
As a result, France consciously reduced the number of fouls near their penalty area, moving the battleground closer to the center circle. Even if they fouled in this area, the distance from the goal was too far for a direct free-kick to pose much threat.
A goal from such a long distance would be a classic moment in World Cup history, remembered by countless fans.
France's approach was smart, and the tactic wasn't wrong.
But they overlooked one thing: the yellow card that Kanté had picked up for fouling Lin Quan.
Because of that yellow card, Kanté lost the option of committing tactical fouls. He was also more hesitant in his defensive actions, afraid of picking up another card.
This greatly reduced Kanté's defensive effectiveness. In the first 30 minutes, he had managed to contain Lin Quan, significantly reducing the threat of his attacks.
But now, achieving the same level of control was much harder—if not impossible.
Without Kanté to lock him down, France had no choice but to double-team Lin Quan with multiple players.
However, with only so many players on the field, assigning more defenders to mark Lin Quan inevitably left gaps in other areas.
On top of that, Spain's pressing style of attack gave them a clear numerical advantage around the center of the field.
Aside from one defender staying back, the rest of the Spanish players were fully engaged in pressing and attacking.
Meanwhile, France had at least two players tied up at the back, and their full-backs had to constantly guard against attacks from the wings.
This left France outnumbered in midfield, and it was no surprise that they gradually fell behind in these exchanges.
Spain's passing and movement were incredibly sharp, and they excelled at executing quick combinations in tight spaces near the opponent's goal.
Now that France had pushed their defensive line forward, there was more space behind them for Spain to exploit, allowing their players to combine even more effectively.
In the 37th minute, Spain produced a brilliant team move.
Lin Quan received the ball on the left and played a one-two with David Silva. Faced with multiple French defenders closing in, he calmly passed the ball out to the wing.
The overlapping full-back Carvajal received the pass and played it diagonally to the cutting David Silva, who then passed it across the face of goal. Diego Costa, with his back to goal, laid the ball off to the oncoming Isco in the center.
With no one marking him, Isco unleashed a powerful shot from distance.
The strike was exceptional—powerful, fast, and perfectly placed.
Isco, feeling confident the ball would go in, already started raising his arms to celebrate.
But French goalkeeper Lloris, who had been shaken earlier by Lin Quan's play, seemed almost superhuman in this moment. He leaped at lightning speed and managed to tip the ball just wide of the post.
Isco was stunned!
"How did he save that?"
Isco couldn't believe it—was the opposing goalkeeper a god?
In the stands, many French fans, thinking they were about to concede a second goal, had covered their eyes in fear, unwilling to watch.
After waiting for what felt like forever without hearing any celebratory cheers, they curiously opened their eyes, only to see their fellow supporters staring in disbelief.
"What happened? What's going on?"
"Lloris… he… actually saved it!"
The French fan who was asked could barely get the words out, he was so excited he stuttered.
Just then, the stadium's big screen started replaying the save.
Spain's attack had been a thing of beauty, and even the French fans couldn't help but admire it.
But what was truly spectacular was Lloris's save. Before Isco even shot, Lloris had anticipated the direction and subtly shifted two steps to the right.
Those two crucial steps allowed him to reach Isco's shot.
Had he not moved, no matter how fast his reflexes were, his arms wouldn't have been long enough to make the save.
What made the save even more impressive was the risk involved. For a goalkeeper, diving to save a shot like that—where the ball is almost grazing the post—carries a high risk of injury. A slight miscalculation could send the goalkeeper crashing into the post, potentially causing a serious injury that might even end his career.
And yet, Lloris fearlessly threw himself into it.
"Lloris!"
"Lloris!"
"Lloris!"
Thousands of French fans chanted his name after seeing the replay, honoring him with their heartfelt admiration.
At that moment, every French fan had the same thought: Thank God we have Lloris!
After making the save, Lloris stood up, letting out a roar of frustration and anger, releasing all the pent-up emotion inside him.
He felt like his focus had fully returned. His earlier shakiness, caused by Lin Quan's play, had completely disappeared. Now, facing Spain's other players, he had no fear, and he could even perform above his usual level.
As for facing Lin Quan again? Lloris wasn't sure yet. He needed to make a few more good saves to build up his confidence.
When Isco had taken his shot, Lin Quan was also in position for a potential rebound.
Isco's shot was of such high quality that even Lin Quan doubted he could have done any better himself.
But luck wasn't on Isco's side—he encountered Lloris at his peak form.
"Great shot, keep it up!" Lin Quan said, patting Isco on the shoulder when he saw the dejected look on his face.
"Yeah, I will!" Isco nodded firmly, trying to shake off the disappointment and stay focused.
Deep down, though, he was frustrated. Why was it that Lloris had looked so ordinary when facing Lin Quan, but suddenly turned into a wall when dealing with him? Did Lloris see him as an easy target?
That was unbearable!
On the sidelines, France's coach, Didier Deschamps, stood up and applauded the team's successful defense.
But despite his applause, his face was full of concern.
Clearly, Deschamps had seen the danger his team was in.
Earlier, Spain hadn't posed much of a threat during their attacks. But now, they had. Although they hadn't scored again, the trend was extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, the first half was nearly over. Deschamps glanced at the scoreboard—38 minutes had passed.
If France could hold on for another seven or eight minutes, they'd make it to halftime.
Although they were down by a goal, Deschamps was confident they could make a comeback in the second half.
But only if they didn't concede again!
Hang in there, boys. Just make it through the first half, and in the second half, we'll launch our counterattack.
The French players on the field seemed to be on the same wavelength as their coach. Without any instructions from the sidelines, they all instinctively focused on defense.
Just how much was France committing to defense?
Take Mbappé's position as an example!
In the 40th minute, during a Spanish attack, Mbappé had tracked all the way back into his own penalty area and even made a sliding tackle.
With their main counter-attacking threat defending inside the penalty box, you could imagine what the rest of the French players were doing.
Mbappé's intentions were good, but whether it was a wise choice was another matter.
At the very least, once Mbappé dropped back to defend, Spain's attacks became even more aggressive.
The entire Spanish team pressed forward, and even goalkeeper De Gea was playing near the center circle on France's side of the field.
Spain had thrown everything into the attack, with their goalkeeper as the last line of defense. During their attack, he even became an outlet for passing and distribution.
Thanks to their numerical superiority, Spain's attacks were relentless.
From the center, to the wings, to the half-spaces…
France was in crisis from all directions. Spain's attacks were so fast and ferocious that the French players struggled to keep up.
Although the first half wasn't over yet, the French players already felt exhausted, as if they couldn't run anymore.
The overwhelming pressure and Spain's aggressive attacks gave them no time to catch their breath. They were constantly operating at full intensity.
At that moment, the French players truly understood how powerful Spain's attack was.
This was what it felt like to be caught in a storm!
"Spain's attacks are ferocious!"
"The ball is constantly flying around France's penalty area!"
"Wave after wave, Spain isn't giving France any breathing room!"
"France's defense is looking disorganized. They need to clear the ball quickly and catch their breath, or Spain's attack might overwhelm them!"
France's goalkeeper Lloris was the busiest man on the field during this period.
If it weren't for his saves—one after another—France probably wouldn't have been able to withstand Spain's onslaught.
But even Lloris was starting to feel the pressure.
Spain's attacks were so intense that every time he made a save, he didn't even have time to catch his breath before diving again for another one.
While his spectacular saves made him look impressive, the energy drain was starting to take its toll.
Thankfully, the first half was almost over, and Spain didn't have much time left.
Otherwise, Lloris didn't know how much longer he could hold on under Spain's relentless pressure.
On the sidelines, both coaches couldn't stay seated.
Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque crossed his arms and frowned as he watched his team attack.
Spain's offense had been incredibly sharp during this period, but it was coming at the cost of their players' energy.
If France could withstand this wave of attacks, it would be a big loss for Spain.
Already, Spain's players weren't as physically fit as their French counterparts. If they kept exhausting themselves like this, they would hit a wall in the second half even sooner.
On top of that, failing to score now would severely hurt their morale.
If they couldn't break down France while they still had the energy, they might not get another chance to dominate like this in the second half when France would have more control.
So, they needed to score—just one more goal would be enough!
On the other side, Deschamps was even more tense.
Even though he wasn't on the field, he could clearly feel that his players were being pushed to their limits.
This made him incredibly anxious. His clenched fists were sweaty, and his tie felt suffocating around his neck, making it hard for him to breathe.
Just then, the fourth official held up the board, indicating one minute of added time for the first half.
Seeing this, Deschamps breathed a huge sigh of relief.
The clock had just passed 43 minutes, nearing the 44th minute.
Even with the stoppage time, there were just over two minutes left.
So, hang in there, boys!
Clench your teeth and hold on!
Survive these last 2 minutes, and victory will be ours!
(End of Chapter)