8:40 PM local ti, inside the Spain dressing room.
"We're one step away!" Hierro roared.
"Once you step onto the pitch, you'll definitely feel nervous. You might even feel a little afraid. But I want you to get into match mode imdiately and forget every negative emotion!"
"Rember, this is the World Cup!"
Captain Sergio Ramos stood up and gathered all the players around him.
"Lads, we're only one step away. I swear, I've dread of winning the World Cup just like the Spain legends before us!"
"In 2010, at the World Cup in South Africa, we lifted the World Cup trophy."
"That was the highest honor of all, and now we have a chance to recreate that glory!"
Sergio Ramos patted Leo Lin, who then spoke.
"To be honest, a long ti ago, I never imagined I'd play in a World Cup final."
"For , all of this feels like a dream."
"So I won't be nervous. All I feel is excitent and anticipation."
"I'm going to enjoy this mont, enjoy this World Cup final, and enjoy soccer. I hope all of you can do the sa!"
"Boys!"
Leo Lin stretched out his left hand, and the players around him placed their palms over the back of his hand.
Everyone shouted together.
"For soccer!"
"For soccer!!!"
...
Monts later, in ESPN's comntary booth.
"Welco to the World Cup Final at Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow!"
"The starting lineups are now making their way onto the pitch!"
"The team in dark blue shirts is France, and the team in red shirts is Spain!"
"Both teams have won the World Cup before. France's head coach, Didier Deschamps, once lifted the World Cup trophy with France as a player, and now, as head coach, he has led them into the World Cup final."
"For French fans, Deschamps is an absolute legend."
"The referee for this match is the experienced Argentine official Pitana. At the last World Cup in Brazil, he officiated four matches as one of the tournant's main referees, and at this World Cup, he has been appointed referee for the final!"
Holding hands with a child mascot, Leo Lin stepped into Luzhniki Stadium beneath the blinding lights.
The mont he entered, the cheers of 81,000 people erupted and surged toward him like a wave of heat.
Suffocating.
Dizzying.
That had to be what it felt like.
Leo Lin shook his head and took several deep breaths to keep himself steady.
The opening ceremony ended, and the two captains went to the coin toss. Sergio Ramos won Spain the right to kick off.
On the sideline, Hierro quietly clenched his fist. The opening tactic he had prepared required kickoff possession.
After winning the kickoff, Sergio Ramos imdiately turned and looked at Leo Lin. Leo Lin gave a slight nod.
The players from both teams quickly returned to their own halves. Their formations slowly spread out, and the battle was on the verge of erupting.
Kanté could not stop looking at Leo Lin. He was his number one target in this match.
Pitana started the clock.
The whole stadium counted down.
"Three!!!"
"Two!!!"
"One!!!"
"Beep!!!"
"The match begins!"
"Spain kick off first!"
"Diego Costa plays it back to Sergio Ramos, and everyone pushes forward with him!"
"What is Spain doing?"
"What are they trying to do?"
Derek Rae could not quite understand it. The match had only just begun. Diego Costa had passed the ball back, and Spain's formation had surged forward, forcing every France player back into their own half.
At that mont, Spain's entire shape moved up. Even the defensive line had advanced to the halfway line while carrying possession.
Then ca a scene that left everyone stunned.
Leo Lin suddenly dropped deep. Sergio Ramos, who had brought the ball to the halfway line after receiving Diego Costa's back pass, abruptly handed possession over to Leo Lin.
After that, Spain's entire defensive line also began pushing up.
Across Spain's entire midfield and back line, only Leo Lin remained alone on the ball.
Because of this, France's formation was compressed until it was almost flat.
At that mont, if Leo Lin lost the ball, France could imdiately create a one-on-one chance. But they could not do it.
Because once Spain's defensive line pushed up, France's forwards had to track back and cover Spain's defenders. They no longer had the spare energy to press Leo Lin high up the pitch.
France clearly had not yet worked out what tactic Spain were using, but Derek Rae suddenly rembered sothing.
"1974..."
"This is the opening tactic the Netherlands used in the 1974 World Cup final!"
"The innovative playing style of the legendary Cruyff!"
"A tactical role ahead of its ti in the evolution of football!"
"The Attacking Libero!!!"
And at that mont, Leo Lin, standing alone in the center circle, exploded into motion.
Spain's advanced defensive line had looked as though it was pushing forward at random, but in reality, it had already combined with the movents of the midfield and attack to secretly build a dribbling lane for Leo Lin.
This was Hierro's opening tactic.
He wanted Leo Lin to use the Attacking Libero tactic from the very start, take advantage of the lane created by his teammates, drive through it alone, and charge straight at France's penalty area.
France.
Danger!!!
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