Chapter 639: Lin Quan Scores Twice, Ending the Match!
During halftime, the England dressing room was filled with tension. Both the coach and the players were racking their brains, trying to figure out how to turn the game around.
Even though they were only one goal behind, for a team that focused on counter-attacks, being down by a single goal was already a major blow. With only three substitutions available, making drastic changes to their lineup and tactics would be very difficult, especially since they had started the match with five defenders to bolster their defense.
These five defenders contributed very little to the attack, so if they wanted to focus on offense, some of them would have to be substituted for more attacking players. England had several skilled attackers on the bench, including Leicester City's striker Jamie Vardy and Manchester United's winger Marcus Rashford.
Bringing these players on could definitely boost England's attack, but with limited substitutions, using them too early would leave the team vulnerable if any unexpected situations arose later in the game.
Southgate was also worried about what might happen if they pushed forward in the second half, leaving their defense exposed. What if Spain took advantage and scored again? This was a real possibility, as their first-half defense had been based on stacking defensive players at the back.
If more players pushed forward and the number of defenders decreased, their defense would surely weaken significantly. Unless they could control possession as masterfully as Spain, keeping the ball away from the opposition, they would have to face Spain's frequent and dangerous counterattacks.
After much hesitation, Southgate decided to wait and see how the game unfolded. Substitutions were definitely necessary, but he didn't dare use all three at once. Instead, he used just one—replacing Ashley Young with Marcus Rashford. To fill the gap left by Young, Southgate moved John Stones forward, pairing him with Henderson as a defensive midfielder.
Stones was teammates with Lin Quan at Manchester City, and he had occasionally played as a defensive midfielder. His familiarity with the position and with Lin Quan might give him an advantage. That was Southgate's reasoning, though whether it would work remained to be seen.
Compared to England's adjustments, Spain made no changes. They kept the same lineup and didn't even alter their style of play.
Once the second half kicked off, it quickly became clear that England was making more attacking attempts. This shift was evident in their aggressive pressing in midfield and their forward momentum after winning possession.
England had clearly come prepared. Their pressing and pressure on Spain's midfielders had clearly been practiced, and early in the second half, they caught Spain off guard.
Spain had been a bit too complacent. Although they had expected England to step up their attacks, they had underestimated the energy of the young English players.
The England team on the pitch was extremely young, the youngest team in this World Cup, even younger than France. After Ashley Young was subbed off, all 11 English players on the field were born in the 1990s!
With Harry Kane under 25, 23-year-old Sterling, 25-year-old Lingard, 18-year-old Rashford, and 22-year-old Dele Alli, this England team was almost too young, which explained why expectations for them were so high.
After reaching the World Cup semifinals, they had been labeled the "Super Golden Generation." They might struggle to advance further in this tournament, but by the next World Cup, as these young players matured, it was hard to imagine how strong they could become.
Young players might not have the same experience as veterans, but their stamina and intensity were unmatched. Moreover, England had tall players like Kane and Alli in their midfield and attack, with Alli in particular dominating physical battles against Spain's midfielders.
Thanks to Alli's excellent performance, England created several attacking opportunities. However, without a reliable playmaker, their attacks lacked real threat. Neither Lingard nor Alli were the kind of players who could deliver a decisive pass, and their attempts to feed the ball forward to the attackers were too predictable, allowing Spain's defense to intercept and neutralize their efforts.
As a result, forwards Sterling and Kane were repeatedly thwarted.
While England's central attacks were ineffective, their attacks from the wings were more promising. Rashford's introduction significantly boosted the threat on the left wing. At this stage, Rashford had not yet become the later version of himself, nicknamed "Rash the Trash," and his attitude on the pitch was still solid.
Rashford was fast, technically skilled, and good at dribbling. His presence brought England's left flank to life, as he tirelessly delivered crosses into the box, unselfishly creating chances for his teammates.
However, his teammates up front weren't exactly making the most of these "perfect passes"—at least, that's how Rashford saw them in his own mind.
In reality, both Kane and Sterling were frustrated with his crosses. They found Rashford's crosses too formulaic—he would dribble to the baseline and just lob it into the middle. After a few attempts, the Spanish defenders were ready for it, and Kane was marked tightly, barely getting a touch on the ball. Sterling, with his shorter stature, was unable to challenge for Rashford's high crosses, rendering him useless in the box.
On the sidelines, Southgate was fuming. Rashford was a player who inspired both love and frustration. His ability to break through and cross from the wing was great, but as a winger, not a full-back, why did he keep crossing the ball from the baseline instead of cutting inside to combine with his teammates?
If he carried the ball into the box, even if he didn't make it inside, just being around the edge of the box would force Spain's defenders to split their attention, reducing the pressure on his teammates in the penalty area. The closer he got to the goal, the more dangerous his passes would be. If he could just play the ball into Kane's feet, with Kane's ability, he could have scored already!
It wasn't that Rashford didn't want to do this—he simply couldn't. Spain's defense was very well-prepared. Whenever England attacked, Lin Quan would drop from the center to the left to help David Silva, forcing Rashford wide. Meanwhile, Spain's right-back Carvajal blocked his path into the box, leaving the outside lane open. Rashford could cross if he wanted, but cutting inside wasn't an option.
Though Rashford had decent dribbling skills, taking on two defenders at once was too much. He didn't dare force his way through, so he was forced to comply with the defense's plan and settle for baseline crosses.
With Carvajal pressuring him, the quality of his crosses was understandably poor.
England's offensive pressure lasted for about seven or eight minutes before Spain adapted and regained control of the game. In the 57th minute of the second half, Koke intercepted the ball in the defensive half and passed it out wide to David Silva.
Silva evaded Sterling's attempt to win the ball and sent a diagonal pass to Lin Quan on the left wing.
Lin Quan dodged Lingard with a quick change of direction and a deft touch, then lifted his head to survey his teammates' positions. Seeing an opportunity, he sent a long pass across the field to the left.
On the other side, Isco had already begun his run.
Lin Quan's pass had just enough pace, and as the ball landed, Isco arrived just in time.
England's right-back, Walker, had been sprinting, hoping to match Isco for speed. But seeing that Isco had control of the ball, Walker slowed down and prepared to block his advance.
Isco, noticing this, dribbled inward, drawing Walker with him. As Walker moved to follow, Isco passed the ball back out to the wing.
A red blur streaked past—Spain's left-back, Jordi Alba, had raced forward, picking up the ball and charging toward the baseline.
Walker chased after him, but Alba's speed was too much, and Walker couldn't catch up in time.
With Walker pulled out of position, Isco had room to move again. He sped toward the edge of the box, ready to combine with his teammates.
Alba, whose name is similar to Bayern's Alaba, differs in playing style. Alba's strength lies in his attacking ability, much like Real Madrid's Marcelo. Alaba, on the other hand, is known as the best left-back in the world—truly a versatile player with both defensive and offensive prowess.
Alba didn't cross the ball like Rashford had been doing; instead, he passed it back to Isco and then cut inside toward the penalty area.
Isco anticipated Alba's movement and immediately slotted the ball through for him.
Spain's left-wing passing and cutting combination was well-practiced, and Alba's unique style had been emphasized in Del Bosque's pre-match tactics.
The connection between Isco and Alba was seamless, and their speed made it difficult for the English defense to keep up. Despite Walker's best efforts, he couldn't stop them. He could only watch as Alba took the shot.
England's goalkeeper, Pickford, reacted quickly. As soon as Alba shot, Pickford moved laterally, diving to tip the ball over the bar at the last moment.
Alba shook his head in frustration after seeing the save. He had given his best effort with that shot but still couldn't score.
Spain earned a corner, and Lin Quan had a quick discussion with David Silva about their corner kick strategy.
They had taken several corners and set-pieces in the first half, but England's height advantage meant none of them had been particularly dangerous.
So Lin Quan suggested a change in tactics—no more directly crossing into the box.
"Let's do this… first like this… then like that…"
After hearing Lin Quan's plan, both David Silva and Busquets nodded in agreement.
"I think it'll work,"
David Silva had no objections.
"Don't worry, I'll deliver the ball right to your feet!"
Busquets patted his chest confidently, assuring them he would execute the plan perfectly.
Satisfied with their responses, Lin Quan nodded, trusting them to carry it out.
Even if this tactic didn't work, it would only waste a corner kick. Spain had already earned nine corner kicks by this point, and since none of the first eight had worked, one more failure wouldn't be a big deal.
But of course, it would be best if it succeeded.
Seeing the Spanish players pointing and discussing strategy, the English players grew suspicious, unsure of what Spain was planning. But they stayed vigilant, knowing Spain wasn't up to anything good.
David Silva approached the corner flag. After taking a few steps back, he glanced toward the box and made a hand signal.
The English players didn't understand what it meant, but they saw Ramos, Piqué, and the other Spanish players running toward the far post, so they followed suit.
At that moment, David Silva passed the ball to Busquets, who wasn't far away.
A short corner?
The English players hesitated for a moment, then immediately rushed forward to pressure and intercept Busquets.
Busquets, seeing that the defense was reacting just as Lin Quan had predicted, was thrilled. Calmly, he passed the ball to Lin Quan, who had positioned himself outside the penalty area.
Without hesitation, Lin Quan struck the ball on the half-volley, going for a long-range shot.
Because he was far from Busquets and most of England's players had charged toward Busquets, there was no one near Lin Quan to challenge him. He had a clear, uncontested shot.
As soon as he hit it, Lin Quan felt confident.
And sure enough, the ball flew like a rocket, cutting a beautiful arc through the air before nestling into the top corner of the net.
England's goalkeeper, Pickford, had done everything he could, but there was nothing he could do about a shot like that—it was a world-class goal.
The score was now 2-0. Lin Quan's second goal of the match had all but sealed England's fate!
(End of Chapter)