Green Dragon

Chapter 204 Who is the final opponent?

"It was a very good penalty match, I bet they almost fooled their teammates with their realistic performance, but everything is as I expected."

At the press conference after the game, Van Basten looked calm and relaxed:

"If there is only one person in this world who will not be deceived by them, that person must be me. Because I know deeply: they are not only the captain of Ajax, they are teammates fighting side by side on the pitch, but also in private. Very good friends, at least I often see Long go to Louis's house to grab a meal..."

The German reporters in the audience obviously didn't want to hear about the boring life of the Ajax players. They were very disappointed with Schalke 04's tragic elimination.

Therefore, almost all the questions at the venue were handed over to Dutch reporters. As a supporter of Van Basten, Leighton of the Telegraph certainly bore the brunt of the opportunity.

"Marco, congratulations on leading the team to the final. We all know how difficult it was for you along the way."

He praised the head coach before asking the question:

"Another semi-final starts tomorrow, Manchester United and Real Madrid... If you could choose, who would you prefer to play in the final?"

"Uh..." Van Basten was a little embarrassed. No matter who he answered this question, he probably wouldn't please him. If his prediction was wrong, wouldn't it be embarrassing?
So he could only say perfunctorily: "let's let the result of tomorrow's game decide."

Layton was not surprised by his answer, because White Swan really doesn't like verbal disputes, so he turned to Ajax's official press spokesman:
"Same question, I would like to hear your answer, dear dragon?"

The Ajax vice-captain adjusted the microphone on the table: "You think... I like to make you a big news?"

Layton and his Dutch colleagues all smiled.

Because in the past two years, the young man sitting on the table has provided them with a lot of news topics, and they can easily complete their daily tasks without racking their brains or thinking hard.

From the outstanding performance on the field, to bombarding the national team, and talking about the best in the press conference, and making a shocking statement or two from time to time... this young player has provided them with a lot of material.

The only regret is that in an international metropolis like Amsterdam, the conservative Chinese players don’t have any exciting things to show except occasional gatherings with their teammates, which is a bit of a fly in the ointment...

"I hope it's Real Madrid because we lost to them in the second group game, so I want revenge."

Long Shute smiled, then changed the subject:
"But it suddenly occurred to me that we have played against Real Madrid many times in the past two seasons. We don't need extra games to prove our strength, don't we?"

"The group stage and Real Madrid are divided together, and we will play again in the knockout stage. Even TV viewers will probably feel a little tired of aesthetics?"

After performing two moves of Tai Chi, Long Shute made his final statement:
"Of course, whether the opponent is Manchester United or Real Madrid, our goal will not be the runner-up. This is the only constant thing."
-
When Ajax did not enter the Champions League final, everyone would think that the championship is their goal.

But now that they are standing at the gate of the final, it doesn't matter whether the opponent is Real Madrid or Manchester United.

Football is round and anything can happen in 90 minutes.

Superstars and big names may not necessarily be able to dominate the game, and the comparison of strengths on the bright side may not necessarily affect the final result. This is the truth in the long years of football.

The most important task of Van Basten and his coaching team now is to help the players to boost morale, but the tactical arrangements are secondary.

Greek mythology, Danish fairy tales, Porto Dark Horse Road, Kaiserslautern miracle, and even Long Shute led the Chinese team to win the Asian Cup...

They used vivid examples one after another to tell the players that everything is possible.

As long as you don't give up, even the Chinese team can beat the mighty French team! -
When Ajax returned to the Netherlands from Germany the next day, another Champions League semi-final also started as scheduled, with Real Madrid and Manchester United at Old Trafford.

There is no doubt that this matchup attracted more spectators than the match between Ajax and Schalke. In the words of the Spanish and English media, this game is more like the Champions League final.

Manchester United, which sits at home, has a big advantage. Although they did not win the championship four rounds in advance, because they defeated Chelsea, the most direct rival for the championship, the six-point advantage basically guaranteed that they would not capsize in the gutter.

Coupled with the fact that Ferguson gave up the FA Cup and the League Cup two domestic cups that are like tasteless, at this moment, they can concentrate most of their energy on the Champions League.

Compared with Manchester United, which is waiting for work, the situation of Real Madrid as a guest is obviously much more difficult: they played against Barcelona twice in a row in more than 20 days, and then fought against their city rival Atletico Madrid, but they only won one game after three games. King's Cup...

Mourinho was reluctant to give up any honor, but when the smoke cleared, the exhausted Galacticos only won the Copa del Rey championship, but handed over their long-awaited league championship to others—in only With four rounds left, the eight-point gap is enough to make them desperate.

In terms of player strength alone, Real Madrid has first-line superstars such as Ronaldo, Kaka, Higuain, Benzema, Di Maria, Ozil, Alonso, Ramos, Pepe, Marcelo, and Casey. Undoubtedly stronger three-pointer, but the old and spicy Ferguson made full use of the home court advantage, relying on Rooney and Giggs' two goals to keep the Galacticos out of the gate of the Champions League final.

When seeing Old Trafford go crazy and his former teammate Lu Xiaopang become a hero, Ronaldo, who scored a free kick, could only shake his head helplessly.

Ferguson defeated his favorite young junior and joined Ajax in the final.

The venue of the final is Wembley Stadium in England, and Manchester United is equivalent to having the advantage of most of the home court
The 2008 Champions League champion, the 2009 Champions League runner-up, and in 2011, Manchester United reached the Champions League final three times in just four years. Ferguson's second glorious peak of coaching the Red Devils has already arrived.

Compared with Manchester United, Ajax has more Champions League trophies, but the last time it won the championship is already an old thing 15 years ago in the last century.

Among the players, apart from Oleg who once played for Barcelona, ​​none of this group of young people has experienced such a grand event.

Away games, lack of experience, the coaching ability of the head coach is even more different, whether it is tactical command, psychological quality or morale boosting, they are not at the same level...

Van Basten and his disciples, if they want to win the championship...there is a long way to go!

(End of this chapter)