Chapter 435 Preparation before the knockout round

Chapter 435 Preparation before the knockout round

Russia, the host of Group A, defeated Egypt in the last round and qualified second in the group. The first team in the group was Uruguay, which had won three games.

As for Group B, Spain and Portugal both defeated their opponents in the final round. With seven points tied, the Spanish team won the first place in the group by virtue of their goal difference. The third-place team in the group, Iran, won Unfortunately, they were eliminated with four points.

At this point, all the top 16 teams in this World Cup have been decided, and only the Japanese team is the only Asian team left.

After playing against the South Korean team, the German team began preparations for the knockout stage.

Although the outside world generally believes that Switzerland cannot cause much hindrance to the German team, the German team itself does not dare to be so careless. After all, the opponents also come from the European region!
After all, there are three games in the group stage. If you lose one, you can just catch up in the next two games.

But the knockout round is a game that determines the outcome. If it overturns, it will really be doomed!

You are the number one favorite to win this World Cup. If Switzerland capsizes, they will be scolded by the fans.

"Switzerland is not weak. We cannot face them with the mentality of looking down on our opponents because their world rankings are not as good as ours!"

In the pre-match preparations, Loew gathered the players and did a lot of ideological work.

He felt that the team's consecutive big wins could easily lead to the players becoming arrogant and underestimating the enemy, so it was necessary to crack them down.

Especially the main center back Hummels. As a defender, as a result, whenever there is a chance in an attack, he will boldly go forward, and this is even more true in set-piece attacks!

Loew could see that Hummels was excited.

This guy has currently scored a goal and also had an assist. For a defender, there is indeed reason to be excited about having such a performance in the team's offense.

However, the defender's job is to defend, and the forwards are responsible for scoring goals. If everyone goes to attack, then who will guard the goal?

After being scolded, Hummels was a little embarrassed.

The mood seemed to be quite low. Fortunately, Loew did not rush to kill everything. He allowed Hummels to leave his own half and go to the opponent's penalty area to participate in the attack when the team implemented set-piece tactics.

Hummels is very tall and has excellent heading ability, so he really needs to make good use of it.

After all, there are not many header experts in the German team. Although Boateng is equally tall and strong, his header skills are average and far less powerful than Hummels.

Therefore, when implementing set-piece tactics, allowing Hummels to participate in the top challenge can effectively improve the German team's header threat.

Zhao Jinge is also participating in header training, and Loew has also arranged for him a set-piece tactic similar to Real Madrid's "Tony with water". In the knockout rounds of the World Cup, especially against teams like Switzerland that play defensive counterattacks, set-pieces This powerful weapon that breaks dense defenses has a high tactical status.

In addition, Loew also arranged for him to conduct special penalty kick training with several shooters.

Because of the generally conservative tactics and strong defensive intensity, penalty shootouts often occur in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

If you don't practice penalty kick tactics in a targeted manner, if you are dragged into a penalty shootout, it will really just depend on luck.

The forwards have no objections to Loew's arrangement, but they have strong objections to the goalkeeper assigned to them as a training partner.

"Mark, is your habit of shooting penalty kicks in one direction only?"

After scoring ten consecutive penalty kicks, Zhao Jinge stopped the ball and asked Ter Stegen with some confusion.

"Have it?"

Ter Stegen was confused by Zhao Jinge's question, and he didn't even realize that he had this problem.

Zhao Jinge nodded seriously: "Not only yes, but it's quite serious!"

In order to confirm his guess, Zhao Jinge found a camera and took ten more penalty kicks.

After recording the entire process of Ter Stegen's save, his guess was proven right.

Ter Stegen always habitually pounces to his right side, and his penalty kick action is somewhat deliberate, highlighting his experience.

After scoring ten penalty kicks again, Zhao Jinge was unhappy.

This penalty does not improve at all, but it easily affects one's mentality.

"Mark, you need to train your ability to save points and make the most of your reaction speed!"

The assistant coach also discovered Ter Stegen's weakness in penalty kicks, so he approached him seriously and said to him.

Ter Stegen is the second goalkeeper of the German team. Once Neuer is injured or suspended, he will have the opportunity to play on behalf of the German team.

Taking into account his shortcomings in saving penalty kicks, if the German team is really dragged into the penalty shootout in the end, it will probably be a disaster.

Ter Stegen was a little frustrated, but still nodded, saying that he would seriously strengthen training in this area.

For a goalkeeper, twenty-five years old is definitely very young.

The goalkeeper position requires a lot of game experience to complete the transformation. Ter Stegen still has a long way to go, and there is enough time to slowly adjust.

Neuer, the main goalkeeper of the German team, is already 31 years old and may not be able to make it to the next World Cup.

Therefore, Ter Stegen needs to grow up as soon as possible. The German team's national goal is likely to be guarded by him in the future.

Compared with Ter Stegen, the German team's main goalkeeper Neuer's ability to save points is much stronger.

Facing the goal guarded by Neuer, at least three out of ten penalty kicks taken by the German team's forwards will be saved.

The most unlucky person was Thomas Muller, who took ten penalty kicks but had five saved!

This hit rate is indeed a bit bleak!
However, Zhao Jinge felt that Thomas Muller's penalty kick skills were not bad, and the power, speed and angle of the ball he kicked were acceptable.

But Neuer was able to make incredible saves and save penalty kicks!

To be honest, this shocked Zhao Jinge a bit.

He never thought that a goalkeeper's ability to save points could be as strong as this!
"Neuer is the most reliable man in the Bundesliga, and he also created a clean sheet record in Bayern Munich's history!"

Thomas Muller and Neuer have worked together at Bayern Munich for several years and know the strength of this teammate very well.

After hearing Thomas Mueller's words, Zhao Jinge understood.

No wonder Neuer saved Muller's penalty kick so well. It turned out to be because the two were teammates and he should know Thomas Muller's playing habits very well.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jinge was a little eager to try:

"I'll try!"

Neuer smiled and waved to Zhao Jinge:

"Come on horseback!"

Although he has never taken any advantage against Zhao Jinge in club games, Neuer has long paid attention to his teammates in the national team and also noticed that Zhao Jinge rarely takes penalty kicks in league and cup games.

Because Zhao Jinge's opponents did not survive the penalty shootout during the game, and because he was too young, Zhao Jinge only got the right to take penalty kicks in his second year at Manchester City, but he usually gave it to his teammates.

However, from the Wolfsburg era to now, Zhao Jinge has hit all the penalty kicks he has taken and has never missed one.

Of course, this is related to the fact that he takes fewer penalty kicks.

But the 100% hit rate is still quite terrifying!

Generally speaking, a penalty kicker is considered excellent if his shooting percentage exceeds 80%, and he is considered a very stable free throw shooter if his shooting percentage exceeds 85%. There are very few people who can make 100% hits, and most of them are players who take relatively few free throws.

For example, Zhao Jinge's club teammate Yaya Toure, his current penalty kick percentage is 100%, but he has only taken 11 penalty kicks, which is too few.

Zhao Jinge positioned the football, took a few steps back and looked at the goal.

Neuer braced himself, bent his knees slightly, and was ready to make a save at any time.

He planned to judge the direction of the opponent's shot by observing Zhao Jinge's steps and rhythm. This is the experience accumulated by experienced goalkeepers through a large number of games. It is very effective and very simple.

Neuer judged the right direction for the first goal, but Zhao Jinge's penalty kick was too fast.

Before he could complete the downward pressure of his body, the football rolled from his armpit into the net.

"Great fight, come again!"

Neuer was a little excited. Zhao Jinge's shot hit the lower left corner of the goal, which is the safest free throw position that most players would choose.

He was close to saving the ball. If he had reacted faster, he might have been able to save it successfully!
For the second ball, Zhao Jinge still hit the lower left corner, but in a different direction.

This time Neuer also judged the right direction, but his movements were still a little slow when making the save.

His reaction speed is already very fast, but when a person makes a save, his body has to fly out first, and then he presses down. The time consumed during this period is completely enough for some players to throw the ball in at a faster speed.

Therefore, if you want to complete the save, you need to predict in advance!
In the third goal, Neuer predicted in advance that Zhao Jinge would hit the lower left corner and made the save first.

However, after he made the save, he realized that he had judged the wrong direction. Zhao Jinge's shot was towards the lower right corner of the goal.

"Come again!"

Neuer was not discouraged, but became more courageous with each defeat.

He felt that he was very close to making a successful save!
Zhao Jinge nodded and continued to shoot the fourth free throw with an expressionless face.

Neuer once again predicted in advance and judged the right direction.

However, this ball was not hit close to the ground, but a half-high ball.

As soon as Neuer hit the ground, the football flew over his body.

Seeing Zhao Jinge's free throw, Neuer's expression changed slightly.

The half-high kick is the best penalty kick to save, and taking such a penalty kick is very risky.

Based on his understanding of Zhao Jinge, the opponent does not seem to be the kind of person who likes to take risks. In other words, his shot was taken with absolute certainty.

In other words, the other party guessed what he was thinking!
"Are you coming again?"

Ten free throws had not yet been completed, but Zhao Jinge saw that Neuer did not shout the word "more", so he stopped and asked.

"Come!"

Neuer gritted his teeth and chose to continue the challenge!

The duel between the two made a lot of noise. At this time, the players who were practicing set-pieces ended their training, so they came over curiously to watch.

"What's going on?"

"Hey, Neuer and Zhao Jinge are sparring!"

"Oh, how's the battle going?"

"All four free throws were made, Neuer didn't take any advantage!"

With the players watching and discussing, Zhao Jinge took the fifth penalty kick.

It was still the lower left corner. Neuer did not predict in advance this time. He only made the save after observing the opponent's shooting action. Of course, the result was half a step too late.

"What a pity this goal is. I could have saved it if I had been faster!"

Werner said with some fear.

The German team's three-man Trapp on the side shook his head:
"It's difficult to save. Zhao's penalty kick is too fast. It's difficult to save such a penalty just by relying on the body's reaction speed."

As a goalkeeper, he understands the dilemma of goalkeepers when saving penalty kicks.

"How do you save a penalty like this?"

Thomas Muller asked curiously.

Only the goalkeeper knows the goalkeeper best. He plans to learn from this and will have the opportunity to use this knowledge when he takes penalty kicks in the future.

"By gambling!"

"bet?"

Everyone looked at Trapp in surprise.

"Well, to put it nicely, it's prediction, to put it badly, it's a bet, betting on which direction the other party will hit next time!"

"Oh! No wonder I always see the goalkeeper's direction of throwing the ball and the direction of the shot being completely different. When this happens, it must be that the goalkeeper's prediction is wrong?"

"Well, that's right!"

Neuer actually heard everyone's discussion, but he had trouble saying it.

It’s not like he hasn’t tried this method of predicting before, and it doesn’t work!

Both prediction saves failed, and one of them was hit with a half-high ball, which shows that the opponent understood his thoughts and found a solution.

If you continue to predict, the probability of success is very low.

However, if you don't predict it, every save will be a little bit closer, which is really uncomfortable!

So, he thought again and again and decided to continue betting!
For the sixth goal, Neuer predicted it in advance and judged the right direction.

His fingers successfully touched the football, but Zhao Jinge's shot was so powerful and heavy that he failed to shoot the ball, only slightly changing the flight direction of the football.

With a bang, the football hit the inside of the post and bounced into the goal.

"What a pity!"

"Just a little bit!"

There was a sound of regret at the scene, and the German players who were watching all felt sorry for Neuer.

After watching it for so long, this time is the best chance to save it!
Although Neuer was a little regretful, he actually touched the ball, which doubled his confidence.

"Then come again!"

The German goalkeeper clapped his hands heavily and cheered up again!

(End of this chapter)