Chapter 438 Martin’s battle for the kingship!

Chapter 438 Martin’s battle for the kingship!
The third and fourth place finals of the 2018 Fighting Nations World Cup came to an end at the Zenit Arena in St. Petersburg. The European Red Devils Belgium defeated the European Dragon Nation Team England 2:0 and won the third place, setting a new team history record.

In addition to the Belgian domestic media and fans who maintain a high degree of attention, the vast majority of media and fans around the world are focused on the peak showdown at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at 6 pm tomorrow!

If the Champions League final symbolizes the highest level of competition in the world, then the World Cup final is the most attractive and lucrative competition.

There will be a large number of TV stations and online TV stations broadcasting the game live in more than 200 countries and regions around the world.

The World Cup finals are getting closer and closer, and the most common tickets are being sold at sky-high prices.

A large number of fans who were not short of money were waving checks and clamoring to fill in the numbers on the checks as long as they had the tickets.

In this context, after all, there are not many fans willing to transfer their tickets.

Today, many fans prefer spiritual enjoyment.

Of course, there are also some fans who are not short of money and have been deceived.

After all, tickets are limited and there are many scammers.

News like this once made headlines on major social software.

That night.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo called the entire team for a short meeting in the multimedia room of the hotel at 8 p.m.

The core players, led by Cristiano Ronaldo and Martin, have unified their thoughts and made psychological adjustments for the game starting at 6 pm tomorrow.

It is no exaggeration to say that the World Cup final is the most important game in life.

There is no one like that.

Winning the championship will usher in the most glorious moment of his career.

If you lose, you will regret it for life.

Although the outside world is saying that they are the favorites to win the championship, in many cases such remarks can easily cause players to bear huge pressure, which will actually affect the performance of the game.

After the meeting, the top management of the Portuguese Football Association also specially hired the top psychological consultants in the country to help the players have a good mentality before the World Cup finals.

The World Cup final is never about coaches and players.

Champions are often determined by details.

A few kilometers away, the French team checked into a hotel. Captain Lloris, under the instruction of head coach Deschamps, also called his teammates for a short meeting. The purpose was to prepare for tomorrow's World Cup finals before the game.

As the loser in North London, Lloris wants to defeat the team led by Martin more than anyone else. What's more, Portugal is the team that made them dream of winning the European Cup on their home soil two years ago, so it can be said that they have old and new hatreds.

Defeating Martin and Portugal is what Lloris most hopes to accomplish at the end of his career.

After constant communication with psychological counselors in the past few days in preparation for the game, the players selectively forgot about the pressure from Martin, and each of them became high-spirited and confident in the game.

Lloris was very satisfied with the reaction of his teammates and gradually yearned for the most important final in his life.

He couldn't help but look at the night view of Moscow outside the huge floor-to-ceiling window, with its bright lights and feasting. In the hazy moment, he seemed to see himself wearing the captain's armband and holding up the coveted Hercules Cup...

※※※※※

The sky in Moscow gradually glowed with faint light, the night began to recede, the morning sun slowly rose from the distance, and the theme song "Live It Up" of the World Cup of Warring Nations spread from the streets and alleys to the entire city.

Although the melody of this song is not as catchy as the theme songs of previous World Cups, fans who enjoy the fanatical atmosphere of the World Cup know that the finals of the World Cup between the fighting countries are coming soon.

Many companies around the world have begun to give employees time off in order to allow everyone to fully enjoy the four-year feast, which can be regarded as a benefit for employees from good companies.

France and Portugal are even crazier. Except for some important positions, almost all government departments and private businesses give their employees holidays.

The two teams participating in the World Cup finals prepared in strict accordance with the plans made in advance. Starting from the energy intake at breakfast, they were meticulous.

Major media also began to report the preparations for the finals to fans around the world early in the morning to meet the needs of the fans.

The five-star hotel where the two teams were staying was already overcrowded, and even the main traffic roads were crowded.

Fortunately, the organizers had already sent a large number of patrols to maintain order on the scene, and the soundproofing facilities of the five-star hotel were also very good, so it did not affect the two national teams preparing for the World Cup finals.

The game time is at 6 pm local time, and both teams set off almost three hours in advance.

That is, at three o'clock, we took the bus from our respective hotels to Luzhniki Stadium.

The distance is not very far, but there are enthusiastic fans who come to Moscow to enjoy the World Cup atmosphere.

It took about half an hour for the buses to arrive at the main road outside the stadium.

"aoaoaoaooooooo——"

The overwhelming shouts almost swept through the entire Moscow.

Every street and alley is filled with fanatical joy. With the strong rhythm of the World Cup theme song, the final is getting closer and closer, and the atmosphere is spreading invisibly.

The World Cup final is a day for fans to enjoy, but for the players participating in the final, it is the biggest performance of their lives.

The solemn emotions spread on the faces of every player in the game.

Including Martin, who had been indifferent in the past, was slightly affected.

Not to mention other players.

Whether it is an old player who has participated in many World Cups or a young player who is participating in the World Cup for the first time, they are all affected by the World Cup finals in the future.

Almost all of them are wearing headphones and listening to their favorite music to get in the mood.

There were also devout players who closed their eyes tightly and muttered something, apparently performing a series of prayers for the games they might play.

No matter what you do, you are preparing for future games.

It wasn't until he got off the bus that Martin smiled and waved to the enthusiastic fans.

The reporters who arrived in advance kept pressing the shooting button of their cameras to record the wonderful moments and use them as material for subsequent reports.

Internationally renowned TV stations such as CCTV, Sky TV, and BB Sports TV have already accessed the live signal in advance. Fans watching the live game can see the real-time situation of the players.

Of course, I only watched it for a while, and I couldn't see it after entering the locker room.

You can also see the entrance warm-up, but it is more limited.

If you want to watch it for a long time, you have to wait until the game starts.

At around 4:30 in the afternoon, players from both sides left their respective locker rooms one after another and entered the stadium through the tunnel.

The Luzhniki Stadium, which can accommodate 84745 spectators, has already been filled with more than fans, and the remaining seats are quickly being filled by fans lining up to enter the stadium at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Martin!"

"Martin!!"

"Martin!!!"

When Martin and Ronaldo walked out of the tunnel side by side, deafening shouts instantly rang out over the stadium.

Martin, the person involved, was smiling, just like in the past, waving to greet the enthusiastic fans and making a gesture of drawing hearts with his hands.

What responded to him was even more crazy shouts.

"really envy you."

Ronaldo said sourly.

"Forget it, just listen..."

Martin gave Ronaldo a small look, and the high-pitched sounds of 'Ronaldo' and 'siu' were heard above the auditorium, but the momentum was not as high as his own.

"hey-hey……"

Ronaldo scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Not long after, French players also came to the court to warm up.

Neutral fans have no resistance to the stars and follow the trend enthusiastically and chant the names of the stars.

But the response received was less positive than the Portuguese star's.

It can be seen from the side that the French players feel more pressure.

The nervousness for the finals was also reflected in the following warm-up.

The French players' movements were a little stiff, while the Portuguese players were very relaxed and standard.

During the warm-up period with the ball, the Portuguese players were also in better shape.

Especially Martin, his passing, receiving and shooting give people a sense of déjà vu, as if he is watching a priceless art festival program.

The exquisite footwork is on full display.

Martin's warm-up situation was naturally noticed by the French team coach, and his already solemn expression became even more serious.

Griezmann, Pogba, Giroud, Mbappe, Kante and other players were all warming up seriously before the game. They suddenly heard huge cheers from the fans, and could faintly hear shouts of "Martin" He couldn't help but stop his movements and look over. You don’t know this by looking at it, but it becomes even heavier when you look at it.

What the hell!
Martin is in great shape!

All the difficult shooting movements were just right. The key was that the kick was powerful and the angle was tricky. Patricio shook his head repeatedly.

"This……"

Pogba looked at Kante beside him and asked: "N'Golo, tell me the truth, are you confident that you can guard him?"

"Can you guard him at Manchester United?"

Kanter rolled his eyes.

Pogba: "..."

The players of the two teams entered the middle part of the warm-up, and their respective starting lists appeared on FIFA's official website.

The French team is still in the 4231 formation.

Goalkeeper: Lloris

Defenders: Lucas Hernandez, Umtiti, Varane, Pavard
Midfielder: Kante, Matuidi

Midfielder: Mbappe, Pogba, Griezmann

Forward: Giroud

Portugal has a 442-- formation with parallel midfield positions.

Goalkeeper: Patricio

Defenders: Guerrero, Pepe, Font, Cedric

Midfielder: B Fee, William Carvalho, Martin and B seat

Forwards: Guedes, Ronaldo

……

Fans who follow the World Cup finals see the starting lineups of the two teams and know that the game is not far away.

At this time, the Luzhniki Stadium was already packed.

The pre-game warm-up time for both sides in the final is controlled to about forty minutes, which is between half an hour and forty minutes before the start of the game.

Setting aside such a long time is also the same as before the start of the finals and the opening game, which are directly related to the performances.

However, such a feast can only be seen by the audience. Players preparing for the final need to devote all their energy to the next game, so they can only take a few glances while waiting in the player tunnel.

But then again, the French and Portuguese players were focused on the final and were not in the mood to watch a performance similar to the closing ceremony before the game.

Return to their respective locker rooms.

The players wiped off the sweat on their bodies, put on new game jerseys, and dressed neatly.

During the reserved time, most players will also pay attention to their personal appearance and have their hair styled meticulously.

Martin and Portugal are the most playful players on the team, and the two of them almost drank an entire bottle of hairspray together.

In the French team's locker room, the one who pays most attention to appearance is naturally Giroud, who is known as the most handsome guy in football.

The players who have sorted out their personal images naturally move toward the head coach who has prepared a tactical board.

In fact, the tactics are formulated long before the game. The pre-match arrangements are more about deepening the players' impressions and making subtle tactical adjustments to the opponent's starting lineup.

The French team's starting lineup is almost full of famous names, and Santos' coaching team has already guessed it.

Portugal has mainly played the 4231 formation in the past six games. Most of the starting lineups sent for the final did not exceed expectations. Only Moutinho was replaced by B Fee, and the formation also changed to a 442 formation with parallel positions in the midfield. .

It is equivalent to saying that Santos has no tactics that need to be adjusted. On the other hand, Deschamps needs to make corresponding changes in Portugal's employment.

Moutinho can share a lot of organizational responsibilities on the court, thus giving Martin more opportunities to perform in the frontcourt.

The current B fee is still very low-key. He is full of energy, works hard and does not complain.

Without Moutinho, Portugal's offense will rely more on Martin, B Seat, B Fee, and even Ronaldo who retreats to participate in the ball.

In this way, it is impossible to prevent it.

So Deschamps felt a headache, and his tactical adjustments were relatively limited.

In other words, players need to make corresponding self-adjustments according to the immediate situation of the game.

……

The closing ceremony at the Luzhniki Stadium was coming to an end, and the main console pressed the game preparation bell for the home and away sides.

The head coaches of the two teams, who were still encouraging the players, clapped their hands vigorously, incited the players' emotions, and spoke impassioned words.

Before walking out of the locker room, the core players of their respective teams gave succinct speeches.

Not long after, the players from both sides of the final came to the tunnel.

The on-site director quickly switched the camera to show the key players of both sides.

Martin, Ronaldo, Pogba, Griezmann, Kante...

Each player is given a close-up shot.

Martin, in particular, was given longer time.

He has scored 12 goals in this World Cup, only one goal away from the single-World Cup scoring record set by French legend Juste Fontaine in 1958.

He is also recognized as the strongest player in world football today.

In addition, he is also called the strongest player in history by many fans.

However, such remarks are still somewhat controversial. After all, for many people, the impression flow brought by the 'ancient superstar' is more profound.

But there is a statement that is recognized by the vast majority of fans.

That... is that if Martin leads Portugal to win the World Cup final, he will become the first football king of the 21st century!
Coupled with his super performance in the Champions League, he can completely surpass the "ancient" superstars such as Pele, Maradona, and Beckenbauer, and become the number one player in history!

For Martin, it is not only a game that can realize the dream of his late adoptive father, but also a personal battle to become the king!
Many of the players from the two teams are very close club teammates. They had a friendly exchange before entering the field, which fully demonstrated what it means to be second to the game and first to friendship.

Martin pulled in a few words with club teammate Kante and Ferland Mendy, who had failed to win Deschamps' trust.

Compared to Kante's slowness and shyness, Mendy is much more outgoing. He also patted Martin on the shoulder: "Come on, I'm optimistic about your performance!"

"If I perform well, you will only be the runner-up."

Martin teased.

"Uh……"

Only then did Mendy react and slapped his forehead: "Then your performance is still sluggish."

Kanter said angrily: "Can you think about it next time?"

"Hehe~"

Mendy smiled awkwardly.

Within two minutes, referee Pinata from Argentina signaled everyone to get ready to play.

The players from both sides, who were still chatting and laughing, all held their breaths. The substitutes entered the court directly, and the starting players took their caddies and prepared to enter.

"aoaooaoaooooooooo——"

When the players from both sides followed the referees into the stadium, the audience at Luzhniki Stadium burst into loud cheers.

The reporters who were separated by the cordon at the entrance of the player tunnel pressed their shutters one after another.

However, the players from both teams did not pay attention to the outside world. They could not help but focus on the Hercules Cup that was placed at the entrance of the player tunnel by the legendary captain of the German team Lahm not long ago!

The Hercules Cup made of pure gold sparkled under the strong light, and the golden light couldn't help but attract everyone's attention.

Every player wanted to touch it, but no one took it.

Touching the trophy before the game is a big no-no!

Many players have tried it, but they all ended up disappointed.

For such a curse, no player will risk his life.

The World Cup final is the most important game in football. If you lose the championship because you touch the trophy before the game, you will not only become a sinner of the country, but also make yourself feel guilty for life, and even depressed...

The process is almost the same as most pre-games, the only difference is that it is full of ritual.

(End of this chapter)