long live football

0708赛季的欧冠决赛将于莫斯科时间5月21日22时45分在卢日尼基球场举行。

Since arriving in Moscow on the 19th, Manchester United and Munich 1860 have turned it into a red and blue city.

The hotels and football bars in the city were booked out many days ago, and as many as 1.7 Manchester United fans and 1.5 Munich 1860 fans were crowded into the city.

The major airlines temporarily added a lot of flights from Moscow to London and Munich, because they expected that more fans would arrive here on the match day, and after the match, they called it the flight back home in the early morning of the second day.

Domodedovo International Airport was crowded with fans from England, Germany and other countries as early as the day before the game. To receive them, the Moscow authorities specially arranged 900 buses and a large number of taxis to stand by at the airport gate.

The British embassy in Russia and the German embassy in Russia have opened consultation hotlines for fans.

The Moscow police will send 1.45 police officers to maintain order in the stadium and the city on the match day. At the same time, thousands of cameras installed at the Luzhniki Stadium and the city will also be turned on at the same time. Emergency plans.

Dozens of miles of roads leading to the Luzhniki Stadium are covered with red and blue game posters. These posters painted with oil paint on the side of the road not only exaggerate the atmosphere of the upcoming game, but also provide various road signs for the future. Fans from afar show the way.

The atmosphere of the whole city is very hot due to the upcoming UEFA Champions League final. When every fan wearing a jersey appears on the street, many ordinary citizens stare at them curiously, and even many people Go forward boldly and chat in unfamiliar English or German.

Since Moscow has never hosted the World Cup or the European Cup, and the biggest event held in recent decades is the 1980 Olympic Games, the Russian capital has not been so lively because of major events for a long time.

Tonight, because of the charm of the Champions League and football, the city is once again boiling for competitive sports.

……

At 7:[-] p.m., two buses, one red and one blue, arrived at the stadium one after another. Under the shining of countless spotlights, the players of the two teams wore formal suits carefully designed by their respective clubs, and those in suits and leather shoes got off the bus one by one.

The reporters held up the cameras in their hands, ignoring the obstruction of the security guards, desperately hugging forward, shouting the names of the players, and pressing the shutter to try to capture the uneasy expressions on the faces of these players.

But maybe the head coaches of the two teams have told them that every player is expressionless. No matter how loud the reporters shout or how harsh the words are, they can't find the slightest trace of the players' deliberately rigid facial features. A nervous look.

In the press conference before the game, neither Ferguson nor Karl deliberately provoked each other, but they both showed their desire for the championship.

The Manchester United coach said: "Manchester United are extremely eager to win, and we all believe that we are fully qualified to get what we want."

The Lions coach responded: "Manchester United is a very strong opponent, but my players are also very confident in themselves. We will play our own style in Luzhniki and bring tactics and techniques to the fullest."

There is only one champion, but the coaches of the two teams have shown that they are bound to win. From this point of view, the game has gradually become more intense.

In view of the fact that there are many people who are familiar with each other in the lineups of the two teams, Carl and Ferguson both deliberately emphasized one thing in the pre-match training speeches to the players, that is: "Competition comes first, friendship comes second."

……

In the Luzhniki Stadium, there is a podium next to the entrance of the players' passage, and the staff is placing the big ear cup symbolizing the Champions League on it.

The St. Brad Cup will stand outside the stadium to watch the whole game until the winner is determined, and then an engraver will engrave the name of the champion team on its clean and splendid body.

Players from 1860 Munich and Manchester United lined up on both sides of the tunnel waiting to come on.

More than 8 fans in the stands have rendered the entire stadium into an atmosphere filled with flames of war and gunpowder. The smell of gunpowder in the air made the players tense up after leaving the locker room. It's because teammates seldom talk to each other, let alone talk to opponents, so not only are the players of the two teams standing with clear barriers, but the atmosphere between them is also so quiet that it's secretive.

Ferguson and Karl met at the door of the locker room, Karl took a step back, smiled and signaled Sir Alex Ferguson to go first.

There was no time for the two of them to greet each other before the competition, so Ferguson just nodded with a serious face and strode forward.

Karl walked slowly behind, and when passing by his own players, he would reach out and pat the players on the shoulders to show encouragement.

The players will also turn their heads immediately and give the boss a tacit and confident smile.

After walking a few steps, the back of Manchester United No. 7 appeared in front of him.

Carl continued to walk forward without a single pause, but when he was about to pass by the other party, he reached out and patted the other party's shoulder, and said in a low voice: "Come on."

Ronaldo trembled suddenly.

A hand slid across his left shoulder, seemingly accidentally scratching the itchy flesh on the back of his neck, making him feel numb all over.

When I came back to my senses, I only saw a very familiar figure from the back: Karl!

Ronaldo reached out and scratched the back of his neck, his face was steaming.

Rooney, who was standing in front of him, turned around inadvertently, and asked in surprise: "Why is your face so red? The temperature outside is not very high, it's a bit chilly." In May, the temperature in Moscow during the day is not bad, but at night, Even wearing a three-piece suit does not feel warm.

Ronaldo said nothing.

Rooney continued to worry: "Could it be sick?"

"No!" Ronaldo quickly clarified: "I'm not sick! I'm just a little nervous." Well, it's because of nervousness that blushes.

Rooney was even more surprised: Cristiano Ronaldo, who has even played in the World Cup, will be nervous?Hmm, maybe I paid too much attention to today's game?Chris really deserves to be Chris. He is so persistent in winning, he is simply the first in the team.

Manchester United's No. 10 looked at No. 7, and couldn't help adding a bit of admiration.

……

The Moscow organizers clearly took this Champions League final seriously, and they even included a wonderful song and dance performance in the brief opening ceremony.

Dressed in red and blue jumpsuits, girls dressed as devils and lions danced on the grass.

Even the soundtrack is not played by the accompaniment tape I found, but by professional orchestra singers.

The grand opening ceremony made everyone feel a little more favorable towards the city of Moscow.

After the performance, the referee signaled the captains of the two teams to guess coins.

Manchester United won the kick-off.

Players from the two teams stood in their positions, the referee had his whistle in his mouth, and his eyes were fixed on his wrists.

The entire stadium held its breath at this moment: the game is about to begin.

"Beep-!"

A long whistle, the game begins!

Manchester United took the lead in attacking!

……

"GOOOOOOOOOOAL!"

When the game progressed to the 9th minute, the England commentator suddenly gave a passionate roar, which frightened many fans in front of the TV.

"Rooney Rooney Rooney Rooney! Genius Rooney! Fantastic Rooney! He took advantage of an opponent's mistake and put the ball in the goal! The 1860 Munich goalkeeper was completely unresponsive. The shot happened so fast and incredible. Now, even myself, I didn't capture the whole process just now!"

"1:0! Manchester United are ahead of their powerful opponents and firmly grasp the advantage of the game!"

The Lions fans in the stands were dumbfounded as they stared at the ball still rolling in the goal behind Koch.

How did this ball go in?

1 second ago, wasn't the ball still at Beckham's feet?Then Beckham passed to Hummels, and Hummels was going to pass it back to the midfield... How did Rooney score in the blink of an eye?

No matter how they thought about it, they couldn't figure it out. The fans all moved their heads towards the big screen in the stadium, ready to watch the replay of the goal.

Three minutes ago, Munich 3 launched an attack on Manchester United's defense. Owen volleyed from the center of the penalty area and scored. It was originally a very short shot, but Owen's aim made a rare error. The football hit the left post of the goal.

Manchester United immediately launched a counterattack.

1 minute ago, Manchester United's No. 7 Ronaldo's long-range shot was hit by Koch's arms, and the football landed at the feet of Beckham on the right side of the penalty area.

After Beckham took the ball, he wanted to turn around and return to the midfield immediately, but he just turned around and in front of him was the Manchester United player Carlos Tevez who was already eyeing him. In desperation, Beckham had no choice but to give up his plan to dribble the ball. Poke and pass the ball to the front right.

Hummels, who was closest to the landing point, immediately ran vigorously and soon arrived at the destination. The football happened to show signs of falling at this time.

Hummels wants to send the ball straight into midfield without stopping.

But when his right foot was about to hit the football, for some reason, the angle of hitting the ball deviated, the toe of his right foot almost slipped across the ball, and he didn't send the ball very far forward at all.

Then at the same time, Rooney, who didn't know when he came to him, seized the opportunity, lifted the ball and intercepted it, then turned around and shot!

Because no one thought that Hummels would make a mistake before passing the ball, and Koch also did not expect that every player in Munich 1860 thought that his goal crisis had been resolved, so Rooney's goal went so smoothly. Almost as soon as he raised his foot to volley on his side, the football on his side was caught.

When the big screen played back the whole scoring process for the second time, the players and fans discovered that the reason for Hummels's error before passing the ball was that the toe of his right foot hit a rough patch before hitting the ball. The turf, the right foot first directly scraped a large piece of grass, and then hit the football, because the force on the foot had collided with the turf first, which directly weakened the force and deviated the angle, so it was given to Manchester United. machine.

The mistakes caused by this reason are too... so helpless.

Hummels patted his head in frustration.

Beckham passed by him, patted him on the shoulder, bowed his head and said, "It's not your fault."

But the grass of the Luzhniki Stadium has harmed Munich 1860 more than once.

In the next 7 minutes, Munich 1860 launched two attacks against Manchester United, both of which unfortunately died due to the players' improper response to the long pass.

It has only been ten minutes since the start of the game, and the Lions have made three low-level mistakes, one of which caused their own goal to lose a goal. This is really surprising.

The England commentator was full of joy: "Munich 1860 is out of shape! From the beginning to now, Manchester United has the upper hand in the number of successful passes and shots, and even has a valuable goal. All this tells us that Manchester United today It's in great shape!"

The German commentator was looking for the reasons for the Lions' frequent mistakes.

After observing the game carefully, they soon discovered the truth: "The grass of the Luzhniki Stadium is really bad! Looking at this long-range shot, the color of this piece of turf is obviously different, as if it was put together randomly! Let's take a closer shot, yes, This one is indeed uneven...the one where Hummels made a mistake just now!"

"There is also the area near the Manchester United goal, which is near the right post. Is the loess under the turf exposed?"

"There is an area in the half of the two teams that is obviously discolored and uneven. The reason why Munich 1860 has been making mistakes has finally been found. It is the problem of the turf! The hardware facilities of the Allianz Arena are the best in Europe. Known top players who are used to playing on good grounds suddenly come to play on these pitches whose turf quality is obviously not up to standard, and it is certain that they will make mistakes or be in poor form."

Poor turf on the playing field will greatly affect the performance of technical teams, and the more teams rely on technology, the greater the impact.

First of all, uneven and uneven grass will make players make more mistakes, especially in dribbling and passing. Then, if the turf is not flexible, or if it is potholed, it will be difficult for players to perform those flexible and fancy moves. However, even if someone has excellent skills and uses exquisite foot skills, he may step forward and suddenly step into the grass pit, and change from showing off skills to hurting himself.

"As for the reason why Manchester United played better than Munich 1860?"

German commentator Gaynor curled his lips: "As we all know, the turf at Old Trafford is notoriously rotten like a vegetable field, so the Manchester United players must have been used to fighting on such a field... "

"However, the Luzhniki Stadium is a five-star stadium anyway. Why are the competition conditions so bad?"

"Oh! By the way, the Russian media have reported some stadium conditions before the game - the original Luzhniki Stadium was covered with artificial turf, but because they bid to host this year's Champions League final, and UEFA requires all The Luzhniki Stadium had to change the turf before the game because the UEFA Champions League finals had to be played on natural turf."

"It is reported that the organizer originally cultivated a batch of turf in Moscow by itself, but the quality of the turf was so poor that it could not pass UEFA's quality acceptance test. Therefore, the organizer removed the original turf that was not up to standard a month ago. We have urgently imported a batch of natural turf. The laying work was completed in a hurry a week ago. Maybe it was because of the rush of time when we were rushing to work, so we didn’t maintain these natural turf. After all, natural turf is much more delicate than artificial turf. ..."

As the game progressed minute by minute, the performance of the Munich 1860 players still did not improve significantly.

The camera cuts to Carl for a shot.

Carl looked calm.

The commentators from various countries were very surprised: "The team is one goal behind and the grass is not in good condition. Auston is really calm."

In fact, it wasn't that Karl could hold his breath, but that as early as yesterday, he had a premonition that the current scene would happen.

When the team came to the Luzhniki Stadium for adaptive training yesterday, as soon as they stepped on the turf here, the players shouted that they didn't feel good.

In just 2 hours of training, the team made at least four mistakes.

Carl and other members of the coaching staff observed the Luzhniki Stadium and found that the condition of the field here is indeed very poor. The turf is uneven and the color is poor. There is a dead situation, in short, it is far worse than the Allianz Arena.

The playing field is bad, almost irreparable, and the only solution is to adapt, to force yourself to adapt to the bad environment.

Therefore, when arranging the team to adapt to the training yesterday, Karl added two hours more training time than Manchester United. Today, the passing warm-up before the game was also 20 minutes longer. The venue, but it will help more or less.

As for whether it has any effect?We'll have to wait until the game continues to find out.

……

After learning through the commentator that the main culprit for the poor technical performance of Munich 1860 was the low-quality turf laid in the stadium, the Lions fans felt angry and helpless one by one.

Do you want to accuse the organizer of not being careful enough to prepare the venue?But the nearly 6000 pieces of turf that are now spread in the Luzhniki Stadium are also imported from Slovakia at a high price. In order to ensure the quality of the turf, the organizer also specially hired field experts from England to guide it. The only blame is Russia. The turf import procedures are too troublesome, and the weather in Moscow is really not suitable for the growth of natural turf. No matter how carefully cultivated, the natural turf transplanted in a short period of time cannot achieve high quality.

Although they held back and didn't curse, the Lions fans still complained a lot about "this damn turf" before continuing to watch the game seriously.

On the court, after a period of running-in, Munich 1860 has also begun to adapt to the turf like a vegetable field.

The football is passed back and forth at the feet of the 1860 players, and the passing errors that occurred at the beginning of the game gradually disappear, and sometimes even a single pass can send the ball to its destination.

When encountering Manchester United's pressing again, the ball under the feet of the Lions players is no longer so easy to be intercepted. Just like what they did at the Allianz Arena, they can easily clear the ball after two or three backward passes.

From the beginning of the game to the present, the suppressed skills of the Munich 1860 players seem to have been released all at once. The cooperation between throwing the ball, catching the ball, and running has become more and more exciting.

Their performance is not only no less than that of the Manchester United players, and they are even slowly showing signs of being better than each other.

As a stadium expert once said: "Although it will annoy many teams to suddenly play on bad turf when they are used to good turf, teams with good skills will always get used to it, even if They were disrupted at first, but in the end, the technical teams were always the quickest to adapt."

After playing their own rhythm, the offense of Munich 1860 came very quickly.

In the 27th minute of the first half, after passing several passes, 1860 Munich's offense advanced to the frontcourt.

Portillo's goal came suddenly.

When the Spanish star dribbled the ball into the penalty area, Manchester United defenders Ferdinand and Vidic wanted to block him in front of the goal. At that time, Owen was waiting for the opportunity not far from the right front of Portillo. Almost everyone I feel that the Spanish star will definitely pass the ball to a teammate in a better position.

Ferdinand and Vidic probably felt the same way, so their actions to block Portillo were not particularly fast.

But Portillo was unexpected. He took advantage of the opponent's "take it for granted" very cleverly, stretched out his toes in front of the two Manchester United defenders, successfully picked the ball over the heads of Ferdinand and Vidic, and shot into it. net!

"TOOOOOOOOOR! 1:1! Munich 1860 tenaciously equalized the score and pulled themselves back from the precarious cliff!"

"Munich 1860 will never disappoint! Portillo will never disappoint! Manchester United's innate good adaptation to the field of play did not allow them to lead their opponents for a long time, and the end of the first half is still fast. In 20 minutes, the Lions pulled back the goal that fell behind, and now that the two teams have adapted well to the turf, will they then have a big competition like sparks hitting the earth?"

……

After seeing the players finally overcome the turf problem and pull the game back into an even situation, Carl let out a long sigh.

He put a big "X" on the word "turf", threw it out of his head, and then started to think about the tactics, rhythm, substitutions and other issues of the game.

At this moment, something icy and cold suddenly fell from the sky, landed on Carl's cheek, and then slid down from his cheek to his chin.

Carl stretched out his fingertips to catch it, and looked down, there was a cold and transparent wetness on his fingers.

is rain.

Then there was a second drop, a third drop, and countless drops of water falling from the sky.

Carl looked up, his eyes slightly squinted at the night sky.

The continuous raindrops fell from the sky, almost connecting into a line.

He sighed helplessly, "We're going to fight in the rain."