Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 541: Euro 2016 Semi-Final, Spain vs France

July 8, 2016, at the Stade de France.

The second semi-final of this year's European Championship was about to kick off, drawing massive attention from fans and media. Even before the match started, the stadium was packed with fans, and the majority were clearly rooting for the host team, France.

In a stadium that holds 80,000 spectators, at least 50,000 were French supporters, while fewer than 20,000 were wearing the red jerseys of Spain. Thanks to their overwhelming numbers, the French fans completely drowned out the visiting supporters. They passionately sang the French national anthem, cheered for every player on the field, and filled the stadium with applause and excitement.

For the French fans, this tournament felt like their closest chance to a championship in the last decade. If they could defeat the formidable Spanish team, they believed beating a less powerful Portugal in the final would be a sure thing.

The French players also seemed determined to win this match. During the pre-match warm-up, the French players were visibly excited, eager to get the game started. In contrast, the Spanish team appeared much calmer. Given that their average age was several years older than the French, and having already won various titles in the past, Spain didn't display the same intensity or hunger for victory as their opponents.

This calmness was both a strength and a weakness for Spain. On the one hand, maintaining composure in critical moments was a trait of strong teams, helping them avoid mistakes due to nervousness. On the other hand, lacking that burning desire to win could weaken their fighting spirit. Many teams, after winning championships, saw their drive and results plummet. Inter Milan in the 2010-11 season was a prime example, as the team, filled with veteran players, declined sharply after winning the treble the previous season.

Spain was now in a similar state. After the warm-up, both coaches gathered their players for final preparations in the locker rooms. While France's locker room buzzed with energy, Spain's was notably quiet. Spanish coach Del Bosque wasn't the type to give fiery motivational speeches. He calmly went over tactics with his players and offered a few words of encouragement before sending them out.

Meanwhile, in the French locker room, coach Deschamps was delivering a spirited final speech. Even though the walls muffled his words, the tone of his voice and the loud responses from the French players made it clear that their pre-match pep talk had worked wonders. As the teams met in the tunnel before the match, it was obvious to Lin Quan that the French players were pumped up, as if they had been injected with pure adrenaline.

Even Kante, who was usually shy and quiet, looked like he was bursting with energy, ready to unleash his inner strength at any moment. Lin Quan couldn't help but wonder what Deschamps had told them to get them so fired up. Worried that France might launch a fierce attack from the opening whistle, Lin Quan spoke to some of his teammates.

"Let's stay steady at the start and wait for their momentum to wear off," Lin advised. Young players can get a rush of adrenaline, but that surge doesn't last long. Spain's experienced veterans could bide their time, using their composure to outlast the initial French onslaught—as long as they could withstand that first wave of pressure.

As the teams made their way to the field, Deschamps glanced at Spain's starting lineup and felt relieved when he confirmed that Iniesta wasn't playing. Just as he suspected, Iniesta's injury was serious enough to keep him out of the game. With Iniesta missing, France's chances of winning increased.

The referee called the players to the pitch. Each team, led by children holding their hands, walked through the tunnel and into the stadium. After the national anthems, handshakes, and the coin toss, the players took their positions, and the match was finally about to begin.

As Lin Quan had anticipated, France won the coin toss and chose to start with possession rather than pick a side of the field. They clearly intended to attack while the adrenaline from Deschamps' pep talk was still fresh.

With the referee's whistle, the Euro 2016 semi-final between France and Spain officially began. Giroud passed the ball to Griezmann and immediately sprinted toward Spain's half. At the same time, Sissoko, Payet, and Pogba also surged forward. France came out of the gates with a ferocious intensity, looking like they wanted to overwhelm Spain from the start.

The French fans in the stadium were ecstatic, shouting and cheering loudly to amplify the team's attack. But while the French offense came out swinging, the traveling Spanish fans were on edge. Despite the star power of their team, Spain's squad was aging. Facing the young, energetic French lineup, Spanish supporters feared their team might be overrun.

Fortunately for Spain, the worst-case scenario didn't materialize. Thanks to Lin Quan's pre-match warning, the Spanish players were prepared for the French blitz. Seeing France's aggressive start, Spain quickly pulled back, tightening their formation and refusing to give France any space for fast breaks.

When Griezmann advanced the ball into Spain's half, he was immediately surrounded by defenders. He had no way to push forward and couldn't pass to Giroud, who was heavily marked. Griezmann was forced to halt and pass back to a teammate to reorganize the attack.

Although Spain pushed up slightly in response to the French retreat, they remained cautious, keeping most of their players behind the halfway line. This gave France little room to operate, and every forward pass or dribble was met with stiff resistance. Seeing no alternative, France slowed the pace, waiting for their teammates to catch up and carefully building their attack.

On the French bench, even though their plan to start with an all-out attack had failed, Deschamps remained unfazed. After all, Spain wasn't a pushover. If they were that easy to beat, there wouldn't have been a need for such detailed preparation. Deschamps had more tricks up his sleeve; even in a slower-paced game, France's lineup could still outmatch Spain.

Meanwhile, Spain remained patient after fending off France's initial surge. Under Lin Quan's leadership, they focused on ball control in the back, forcing France to chase the ball and exhaust themselves.

Most of Spain's players, except for a few like Lin Quan, were seasoned veterans with vast experience. While they lacked the energy and explosiveness of France's young players, their wealth of experience allowed them to toy with their opponents.

Giroud, Payet, Griezmann, and Sissoko, who were pressing high up the pitch, initially chased the ball with great intensity, trying to intercept or steal it from Spain. But Spain's players remained composed and worked together seamlessly. Whenever a French player closed in, the Spanish team moved the ball quickly, always finding a safe passing option. And if necessary, they simply passed the ball back to their goalkeeper.

In Spain's system, having a goalkeeper with excellent distribution skills was a must. For this match, Del Bosque had chosen Casillas as the starting goalkeeper, following his strong performance in the previous game. Casillas had been playing with most of these players for years, and their chemistry was undeniable. With Casillas anchoring the defense, the Spanish outfield players felt secure.

As a result, the game often played out like this: when a French player closed in on a Spanish player with the ball, the Spaniard would calmly pass it away at the last moment. From the perspective of Spanish or neutral fans, these moments seemed tense and nerve-wracking. But from the French fans' viewpoint, it felt like Spain was deliberately toying with or even humiliating their players. How else could the ball always be passed away just before the French players could make a successful tackle?

One or two close calls could be chalked up to luck, but when it kept happening over and over, it was clear Spain was in control.

"Spain is really walking a tightrope here, playing with fire right in front of their own goal!" remarked one commentator on Chinese Central Television (CCTV) as they watched the match unfold.

"I doubt any other team besides Spain would dare to play like this," said another commentator. "Even if they had the guts, they might not have the skill."

Another analyst shook his head, perhaps thinking about the Chinese national team (known as "Guo Zu"). Guo Zu was notorious for being unable to keep possession of the ball. Their players treated the ball like it was on fire, and even in their own half, they would panic under the slightest pressure. Only when they launched long balls far downfield would they feel safe. Compared to Guo Zu, Spain's players had far superior technical skills and mental toughness.

Despite the enormous pressure of playing in a semi-final, Spain's players stayed calm and composed, never making a single mistake. Their seemingly dangerous play was actually incredibly stable, as they toyed with France's attackers.

Being forced to chase the ball endlessly was a demoralizing experience for France's players. Not only did it drain their energy quickly, but it also chipped away at their confidence. After several minutes of trying and failing to win the ball, the French team gave up. They had already committed four players to pressing, but they couldn't afford to throw more men forward. If they did, Spain might suddenly exploit the empty spaces with a swift counterattack, leaving France in serious trouble.

Through this experience, the French learned a valuable lesson: never try to steal the ball when Spain is playing keep-away in their own half.

Once Spain had drained most of France's energy and their adrenaline-fueled aggression had faded, Lin Quan took possession of the ball and began moving forward. This was the signal that Spain was about to launch their first real attack!

The players on the field immediately perked up. Spain's back-passing had lulled some of them into a drowsy state, and many fans had grown frustrated with the slow, cautious play. Were Spain trying to put everyone to sleep with their boring tactics?

Fortunately, Spain wasn't so heartless. At last, they were on the attack, and the fans couldn't wait to see what kind of beautiful play Spain would create. With Iniesta sidelined, Lin Quan had moved back into midfield, while Pedro took his spot on the wing. As Spain's midfield general, Lin Quan barely crossed the halfway line before he was swarmed by French defenders.

Kante, Payet, and several others were all tracking him, but Kante stuck to Lin Quan like glue. Whether Lin had the ball or not, Kante shadowed him relentlessly, trying to cage him in. Kante's one-on-one defensive skills were exceptional, and with his endless stamina and fierce determination, he was currently the toughest defensive midfielder on the planet.

Few players would enjoy facing Kante in the middle of the field—not even Lin Quan. However, Lin Quan had a slight advantage because he and Kante were teammates at Manchester City. He knew Kante's strengths, weaknesses, and habits well, and they had often practiced against each other. This familiarity gave Lin confidence that he could win most of their one-on-one duels.

This gave Lin a mental edge, and it made Kante more cautious in defending him. In situations where Kante might normally try to stick out a leg to make an interception, he hesitated against Lin, preferring to play it safe rather than risk making a mistake.

Kante's extra caution frustrated Lin Quan. Beating Kante one-on-one was already tough, but now Kante was playing conservatively. Worse still, Kante wasn't alone—he had help from his teammates. Lin found himself in an increasingly difficult position.

(End of chapter)

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