The second half of the match continued, and the situation became even more intense. Villarreal had to score a golden goal to win the game successfully.
In the 39th minute of the second half, the situation on the field suddenly became tense. Lin Feng received the goal kick from goalkeeper Asenjo. He quickly looked around, searching for the best passing target. In his line of sight, Rodri, in the defensive midfield position, was ready to receive the ball. Lin Feng unhesitatingly chose him, sending the ball steadily to Rodri's feet with a precise short pass.
However, just as the ball left Lin Feng's foot, an unexpected turn of events occurred. While Lin Feng was focused on observing Rodri's position, he overlooked Espanyol's forward, Lopez, who was lurking behind Rodri. Lopez, like a ghostly specter, quickly emerged from behind Rodri and snatched the ball with lightning speed.
This sudden turn of events caught Lin Feng and the entire Villarreal team off guard. After successfully stealing the ball, Lopez immediately displayed his excellent breakthrough ability, almost instantaneously breaking through Villarreal's defense and charging directly towards the backline.
The fans' hearts were in their throats as they nervously watched Lopez, like a sharp sword, rush towards Villarreal's goal. At this moment, the atmosphere of the entire stadium became extremely tense, and everyone held their breath, anticipating what would happen next.
Lin Feng stood on the field, a hint of self-reproach flashing in his eyes. He knew that his passing error had brought a crisis to the team, but he also understood that the most important thing now was to adjust his state as quickly as possible and face the upcoming challenge with his teammates. He took a deep breath, preparing to meet the defensive task ahead.
However, just as the fans were worried about Lopez's breakthrough, the game's situation took another turn. Although Lopez had a certain speed advantage, he was clearly not a dribbling master and could not display exquisite ball-carrying skills. Under Pau Torres's tight defense, Lopez tried to use a change of direction to shake off the defense, but he inadvertently pushed the ball too far, losing control of it.
At this moment, Lin Feng was quick-witted. He seized the opportunity and, with a decisive sliding tackle, knocked the ball out of bounds, successfully defusing this dangerous attack. Although Lin Feng's passing error had caused a considerable crisis for the team, he quickly adjusted his state and demonstrated excellent defensive ability, resolving the team's crisis invisibly.
However, two consecutive passing errors also made Villarreal's Head Coach Escribá frown. He was clearly dissatisfied with Lin Feng's performance; such errors should not occur for a defender. Escribá silently pondered how to adjust tactics and personnel in the upcoming match to ensure the team's stability and defensive tightness.
"Lin Feng, concentrate!" Head Coach Escribá's voice rang out from the sideline, carrying clear dissatisfaction. His gaze was fixed on Lin Feng on the field, his brows furrowed. The game was in a tense deadlock, and any team conceding a goal could pay a heavy price, a situation Escribá was most reluctant to see.
Lin Feng felt deep remorse for his mistakes. He understood that, as a defender, such errors were absolutely unforgivable. One passing error missed a scoring opportunity, and another directly led to the opponent's forward stealing the ball. Such mistakes had a huge impact on the game.
He quickly refocused his attention, putting his mind back into the game, determined to avoid making mistakes again.
At a critical moment in the match, Head Coach Escribá made a decisive adjustment. He waved to the substitute player on the sideline, bringing in the more experienced veteran defender Ruiz to strengthen the team's defense.
Although Escribá had always been committed to providing young players with more playing time and opportunities for growth, he also knew the importance of winning matches for the team. At critical moments, he had to make the decision most beneficial to the team.
Seeing the substitution board raised on the sideline, Lin Feng shook his head helplessly. He knew that his performance in today's match was indeed poor, and continuous passing errors had caused considerable trouble for the team. Although being substituted made him feel a bit unhappy, he also understood that it was for the overall benefit of the team.
He nodded to Head Coach Escribá, indicating his acceptance of the decision.
"Go and rest for a bit. You made too many mistakes on the field." Escribá gently patted Lin Feng's shoulder, his tone revealing a hint of dissatisfaction but more of encouragement. He understood that Lin Feng was a promising young player, but he still needed to be more focused and stable in matches.
He hoped that Lin Feng could learn from this experience and prepare for future matches.
Lin Feng took the towel handed to him by the team doctor on the sideline, gently wiped the sweat from his forehead, and then silently sat on the bench. Although he was substituted, his gaze remained fixed on the field, following every detail of the game. He knew that his performance today was indeed unsatisfactory, and continuous errors had caused trouble for the team, which was also the reason for the coach's decision to make a substitution.
However, the fans in the New England Sports live broadcast room were unwilling to accept this decision. They left numerous bullet comments, expressing confusion and dissatisfaction, asking why "Lin Huang" was being substituted. Some fans even thought that such an adjustment was wise, believing that it could prevent Lin Feng from getting injured and preserve his strength for the upcoming National Team matches.
The bullet comments in the live broadcast room surged like a tide, with various opinions and emotions intertwined. Some fans expressed understanding and support for the coach's decision, believing it was for the overall benefit of the team; while others insisted that Lin Feng should remain on the field, as his strength and potential were indispensable to the team.
The match was still ongoing, minute by minute.
In injury time, just before the end of the match, Villarreal's forward Sansone had a valuable attacking opportunity. He received a pass from a teammate at the edge of the penalty area, quickly accelerated, and, with excellent speed and agility, instantly shook off the Espanyol defender marking him.
After successfully creating a shooting space, Sansone did not choose to dribble excessively but decisively opted for a shot.
On the sideline, the Villarreal substitute players watched every move on the field with rapt attention. Their hearts pounded, and their eyes were filled with anticipation and tension. At this moment, only one common question was in their minds - would there be a last-minute winner?
However, just as the ball flew towards the goal, it grazed the crossbar and missed the target. A collective sigh swept across the field, and the players on the bench also showed expressions of disappointment.
Although they were proud of the excellent opportunity Sansone had created, failing to capitalize on it left them with some regret.
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