Soccer: I have the attributes of Messi in his Prime

Chapter 535: The Battle of the Titans – Spain vs. Germany

If Portugal's hard-fought penalty shootout win over Poland was expected by many, the result of another quarterfinal match came as a complete shock.

In the July 2 quarterfinal, Belgium—one of the tournament favorites and widely tipped by experts as a serious contender for the title—was shockingly knocked out by Wales. After taking the lead, Belgium was then undone by three Welsh goals, losing 3-1.

Despite Belgium's roster full of highly talented and expensive players, they played like a disorganized mess. Instead of working together, it seemed like everyone was just playing for themselves.

Wales, on the other hand, played like a cohesive unit, utilizing the strengths of Ramsey and Bale on the wings to repeatedly exploit Belgium's poor defense.

If Ramsey and Bale could compete for the man-of-the-match title, Belgium's Romelu Lukaku and his brother Jordan Lukaku would surely be in the running for the worst performance of the game.

Romelu Lukaku, who had been highly regarded before the match, saw his market value drop by €20 million after this game.

Some people had previously placed him in the same category as world-class strikers like Suárez and Lewandowski, but after this match, those comparisons vanished completely.

Of course, Lukaku wasn't the only one being harshly criticized. Belgium's captain Eden Hazard and Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne also faced heavy backlash.

Hazard, in particular, played almost no part in linking up with De Bruyne throughout the game. It seemed as though he was overconfident in his abilities, constantly trying to break through on his own instead of working with his teammates, which ultimately led to nothing.

This lack of trust in his teammates was emblematic of Belgium's disjointed performance. And when a team falls apart like this, the blame often lies with the coach.

Belgian fans were furious, hurling insults at their coach, Marc Wilmots. After England's exit from the tournament, most people thought England manager Roy Hodgson was the worst coach of the Euros.

But after watching this match, everyone realized there was someone even worse than Hodgson!

To take a team as talented as Belgium and get this kind of result—Wilmots had truly earned his place alongside some of the worst managers, comparable even to Maradona during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

In football, if players are compared to Maradona, it's considered high praise.

But if a coach is compared to Maradona, it's an insult, calling them incompetent.

Upon hearing about Belgium's crushing defeat, Lin Quan sent a message to De Bruyne to offer some words of comfort.

De Bruyne had given it his all during the match, but with unreliable teammates around him, there was little he could do.

No matter how hard he tried, it was impossible to carry the team alone.

Football is, after all, a team sport. And when the entire team plays poorly, even a player as good as De Bruyne can't turn things around on his own.

At that moment, De Bruyne began to realize how lucky he was to have supportive and close-knit teammates, something he wouldn't take for granted in the future.

"Tomorrow is your turn. Be careful with Germany; they won't be easy to beat!"

Though he was feeling down, De Bruyne still replied to Lin Quan's message, offering his well-wishes.

He had no chance to go further in the tournament, so he could only root for his friends.

On July 3, at 5 PM, the quarterfinals of the 2016 European Championship kicked off at the Stade de Bordeaux, with the spotlight shining on Spain vs. Germany.

This highly anticipated match featured two of the top three teams in the FIFA rankings, both of whom were favorites to win the tournament.

Given the immense strength of both teams, this match drew unprecedented attention even before kickoff.

The newly renovated Stade de Bordeaux was packed with over 42,000 fans, filling every corner of the stands.

Among the fans, over 15,000 were supporting Spain, and more than 10,000 were cheering for Germany. The rest were local French fans.

Due to the high demand for tickets, many Spanish and German fans who couldn't get tickets gathered outside the stadium, cheering for their respective teams from the outside.

Germany came into this match with a strong determination to win, as their coach, Joachim Löw, fielded a 3-4-2-1 formation.

Leading the attack was Mario Gómez, with Thomas Müller and Marco Reus playing behind him.

Supporting them in midfield were Hector, Kroos, Khedira, and Kimmich.

The defense was anchored by Hummels, Boateng, and Höwedes, with Manuel Neuer in goal.

The biggest surprise in Germany's starting lineup was undoubtedly the inclusion of Joshua Kimmich, the 21-year-old backup full-back for Manchester City.

Despite not having many appearances for City, Löw boldly placed him in the starting lineup, even for such a crucial match against Spain.

It was a testament to Löw's courage.

In contrast, Spain stuck to a more traditional setup.

Coach Vicente del Bosque made no changes to Spain's lineup or formation, sticking with their familiar 4-3-3 formation.

The attacking trio remained the same: David Silva on the left, Álvaro Morata in the center, and Lin Quan on the right.

In midfield, Spain had Fabregas, Busquets, and Iniesta.

The backline was composed of Juanfran, Piqué, Ramos, and Alba.

However, in a notable decision, Del Bosque opted to start veteran goalkeeper Iker Casillas.

Though De Gea had excellent shot-stopping ability, his positioning and decision-making on crosses were still suspect.

In such a high-stakes match, Del Bosque chose to prioritize stability.

Both teams were stacked with talent, and with no major injuries, it was clear that both sides were fielding their strongest lineups.

For the fans, this was bound to be a thrilling match from start to finish, one they couldn't afford to miss for even a second.

The atmosphere was tense, and in the tunnel before the match, Lin Quan and Toni Kroos barely exchanged greetings.

Both teams were focused on getting into the right mindset, balancing nerves and excitement.

In the pre-match coin toss, Spain won the toss and chose their preferred side of the pitch, giving Germany the opening possession.

At precisely 5 PM, the referee blew the whistle, and the match kicked off.

Germany immediately launched an aggressive attack, showing no signs of caution or hesitation.

They knew Spain's strengths inside out, probably even better than Spain themselves.

So, there was no need for a cautious approach!

Spain was caught off guard by Germany's high-intensity start, and their first attack posed a significant threat.

Reus made a dangerous dribble forward, drawing the attention of several Spanish defenders.

But it was just a decoy—while the Spanish players were focused on Reus, Toni Kroos made a sudden run and fired a powerful shot from the edge of the box.

It was a clear statement of intent from Germany, and it sent a shiver down the spines of Spain's supporters in the stands.

Though Kroos' shot went just over the crossbar, the German fans erupted in applause, thrilled by the early show of ambition.

From that opening attack, they could see Germany's determination and fighting spirit.

As long as they kept up this intensity, there was no doubt they would eventually break through Spain's defense!

However, Spain was a team that had won both the World Cup and the European Championship.

After absorbing Germany's early blow, they quickly retaliated.

Fabregas advanced with the ball, linking up with Lin Quan, before suddenly switching play to the left wing.

David Silva skillfully dribbled past Kimmich, cutting inside and playing a dangerous pass into the box.

Morata made a ghostly run, shaking off the German defenders and lunging for the ball with a sliding shot at the penalty spot.

This chance was far more dangerous than Germany's earlier shot, and the German fans in the stands turned pale with fear, instinctively covering their mouths, holding their breath.

But Neuer came to the rescue. As Morata slid in to shoot, Neuer stuck out his right leg at the last second, making a miraculous save to deflect the ball just over the crossbar.

Spain earned a corner kick.

Given Germany's aerial superiority, Spain opted for a short-corner routine.

Iniesta made a run towards the corner flag as if to receive the ball, drawing the attention of the German defenders.

However, he was merely a decoy—the ball wasn't meant for him but for Busquets, who was positioned just behind him.

Busquets took the ball and, instead of shooting from distance, lofted it towards the back post where Ramos and Piqué were lurking.

The German defenders, having seen Busquets receive the ball unchallenged, let their guard down slightly.

They assumed he would shoot since there was no one marking him.

But instead, Spain went for the header at the back post, catching the Germans by surprise.

Ramos, though not the tallest, has an impressive leap, and he rose above Hummels to power the ball into the back of the net.

Just two and a half minutes into the match, Spain had already scored! It was a dream start!

The Spanish fans in the stands erupted in celebration, as the referee confirmed the goal.

They had imagined all kinds of possible scenarios for this match, but none had expected such an early goal.

Ramos' header was an unexpected gift that sent the Spanish fans into a frenzy.

Even Ramos himself was surprised—Hummels was an experienced defender, and Boateng was no pushover either.

Germany's defense had been airtight at the start, with Ramos and Piqué tightly marked.

But with just a few quick passes, the Germans let their guard down, giving Ramos a perfect chance to head the ball home.

Ramos wasn't particularly confident in his shooting, given that he was a defender more focused on clearing the ball than scoring goals.

But when it came to headers, he had all the confidence in the world!

He had scored numerous headers, both for club and country.

And now, scoring such an important goal in a match as crucial as this, against Germany, Ramos was ecstatic.

If it weren't so early in the game, and if he hadn't already been booked in the last match, he would've taken his shirt off to celebrate.

Ramos sprinted to the corner flag for a passionate slide in celebration, with his teammates rushing over to join him.

As the Spanish players reveled in their early lead, the German players couldn't help but feel a bit dejected.

Conceding a goal so early felt unfair. They hadn't even settled into the match yet.

Had they just kept their concentration during that defensive phase, they wouldn't have conceded such a goal so quickly.

"Stay focused! No more mistakes! There's plenty of time left, we can turn this around!"

Captain Manuel Neuer didn't blame his teammates for the mistake but instead shouted words of encouragement, hoping to lift their spirits.

Neuer's rallying cry had some effect—after all, the game had just begun, and Germany had plenty of time to recover.

As play resumed, Germany went on the attack again, seemingly unfazed by the early goal.

However, now that Spain was more alert, their attacks didn't have the same impact as before.

Seeing that their initial approach wasn't working, Germany began to change tactics.

Reus started to see more of the ball.

Compared to Özil, Reus had greater speed and dribbling ability, which gave Germany more attacking options.

Spain was well aware of Reus' danger, so from the start of the match, they had kept a close eye on him.

Whenever Reus carried the ball too deep into their half, he found himself surrounded by Juanfran, Fabregas, and Busquets.

Busquets, in particular, was key in this strategy—he would leave Müller unattended to provide support, denying Reus any opportunity to get close to Spain's penalty area.

With Busquets helping out, Reus' threat was temporarily neutralized.

But this opened the door for Müller to cause problems.

On the surface, it seemed like Gómez was the primary threat up front for Germany.

But their real danger came from Müller lurking behind Gómez.

As one of the world's most lethal shadow strikers, Müller had a knack for being in the right place at the right time, always ready to send the ball into the back of the net with the most efficient of finishes.

Before he strikes, you barely notice him—he blends into the game like an ordinary player with no special qualities.

But that's what makes Müller so dangerous.

On the sidelines, Spain's coach Vicente del Bosque stood with his hand on his chin, furrowing his brow as he watched the game unfold.

Müller's off-the-ball movement was exceptional, something that had been evident throughout his career with Bayern Munich.

Germany was sure to exploit that.

But the big question now was: who was the real focal point of Germany's attack—Reus or Müller?

(End of Chapter)

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