Football singularity

Chapter 816: Chapter 816 Vs Portugal (4)

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[19-06-2021 | Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany | 18:15 CEST]

[60’]

Germany kept the screws turning, and Portugal’s shape, which had been solid in the first half, began to show cracks at the edges. Wirtz collected a Kroos cross-field switch on the left and immediately drove inside, drawing Pereira out of his line. The Leverkusen youngster slipped a clever no-look pass between Pepe and Dias, sliding Havertz into the channel.

Havertz cushioned it on his chest, took a single touch, and rifled a low effort across goal that Patrício beat away with a strong wrist. The rebound spilled toward Gnabry at the edge of the area, the Bayern man shaping to shoot first time, but Carvalho threw himself across the line of the strike, the ball thudding against his thigh and ricocheting out for another corner.

"Germany is hammering at the door now!" Matterface exclaimed. "Three chances in ninety seconds, and Portugal is hanging on by their fingernails."

"Watch the Leverkusen boys, Sam," Dixon added. "Wirtz is dragging defenders, Rex is constantly pulling Semedo out of position, not risking leaving him alone for a moment."

The corner was worked short again, Kroos to Kimmich to Kroos, keeping their markers at bay before the Madrid man whipping in a teasing inswinger. Rüdiger climbed at the near post, glancing it on, but Pepe was there, heading it away to the edge of the box. Closest to the landing spot, Rakim brought it under control by flicking it up with the outside of his right, moving past Samedos’ lunging foot.

Meeting it on the half-volley with his laces, he sent the ball rocketing toward the right side of the goal. Patrício threw himself across his line, glove fully extended, and somehow managed to fingertip it onto the bar, the ball cannoning down before Pepe hacked it clear in desperation.

"RAKIM WITH A THUNDERBOLT FROM OTSIDE THE BOX!" Matterface’s voice cracked. "Rex, off the bar! Inches from his first international goal!"

"That is Champions League final form right there," Dixon almost gasped. "Patrício is the only thing keeping Portugal in this match right now."

[64’]

But Portugal, as champions tend to do, found a way to punch back without warning, proving why they were one of the footballing powerhouses. Bernardo Silva punished Gündoğan’s indecisiveness in midfield, fighting him off the ball and immediately sliding it wide to Guerreiro on the left. The Dortmund man drove forward into the space Kimmich had vacated, trying to get open in the attacking sequence.

His blistering run drew Ginter across before clipping in an early ball toward the back post. Silva peeled off Wirtz’s shoulder, beating the wing-back in the air, glancing his header back across the goal. Before anyone could react, Ronaldo was there, and the Portuguese captain fought between Hummels and Rüdiger and powered a foot at the descending ball, smashing it past Neuer’s despairing dive. The ball cracked off the turf and into the bottom corner, sending the net rattling.

"RONALDOOOO!" Matterface’s voice climbed past the rafters. "His second of the night! Old-fashioned centre-forward play from a man who keeps rewriting the record books!"

"That’s vintage CR7, Sam," Dixon said, almost reverent. "He’s been waiting in the box for forty minutes, and he finds the space when it matters. Twenty minutes ago, he was anonymous, and now he has a brace."

"SIIIIIIIIIUUUUUUUU!" the Portuguese corner roared in unison as Ronaldo wheeled away, the famous celebration sending the away contingent into delirium.

[Germany 2-3 Portugal — Ronaldo 64’]

[66’]

Portugal decided to make changes right after the goal, Fernando Santos signalling toward his bench almost before the restart. Off came Bernardo Silva and Diogo Jota, both having drained themselves dry, with João Félix and Rafa Silva stepping on with fresh legs. Santos clapped the two coming off, gestured at Fernandes to drop a touch deeper, and waved for teh them to maintain a compact shape.

"Santos shoring it up, Sam," Dixon noted. "Wants to lock the door and let Ronaldo do the rest."

Löw didn’t hesitate either, and two minutes later, Gnabry trudged off to a generous applause, and Jamal Musiala bounded on in his place. Havertz pushed up to lead the line, with Musiala slotting behind him alongside Rakim in the right-cam position, drifting. The German fans, seeing him step onto the scene, welcomed him with warm applause, their voices noticeably rising another decibel.

"Three teenagers on the pitch for Germany now," Matterface announced. "Wirtz, Musiala, Rex. Combined age, fifty-three."

The Germans kicked off and immediately tried to up the tempo, but Portugal comfortably weathered their pressure. They dropped into two compact banks of four, with Ronaldo and Félix prowling the halfway line, daring the German backline to commit men forward. Hummels and Ginter exchanged a look before deciding Hummels would stick to him while the others helped in the passing game.

Around the 70th, Kroos picked up the ball thirty yards out and immediately searched for Rakim, who had drifted inside off the left. Dragging Guerreiro with him. The seventeen-year-old received it on the half-turn between three red shirts, and instead of laying it off, he let the ball roll across his body, sucking Carvalho into a lunge before elegantly nudging it through the Portuguese midfielder’s open legs on the turn.

"Oh, that’s cheeky!" Dixon exclaimed.

Carvalho stumbled, and Rakim was already past him, ball stitched to his feet as he suddenly accelerated from 0 to 100. Pereira slid across to cover, but Musiala had spotted the gap and made the run, and the winger sent it his way as he valuted over the Portuguese’s sliding tackle. He took two strides after landing, and collected it back as Musiala flicked it first time with the outside of his own boot.

Suddenly, Rakim was approaching the edge of D, with Pepe deciding to step up and make the stop, while Dias watched Havertz run. Rakim dropped his left shoulder, faking a breakthrough out wide as his feet flashed over the ball twice, causing the veteran’s centre of gravity to shift, trying to keep up. On his second step, he nudged the ball to his right with his left and immediately pulled the trigger with his right before Pepe could attempt the stop. The ball took a small hop on the turf as it blasted to the bottom right side of the goal, escaping the reach of Patrício.

"REX! HIS FIRST FOR GERMANY!" Matterface’s voice cracked completely. "What an exquisite finish! What a moment for the seventeen-year-old!"

"Sam, that’s the quality we were talking about," Dixon almost laughed. "He makes it look easy, but we have to remember he is playing against the best European players and making it look easy."

[Germany 3-3 Portugal — Rakim 71’]

[74’]

Portugal restarted with a renewed sense of urgency, as Ronaldo demanded the ball within five seconds of the kick-off. He tried to drive at the German line himself, but quickly found himself surrounded by white shirts. He sent it back to Bruno, but the United man turned into traffic, and the ball was tackled by Gündogan.

The German veteran didn’t waste time and immediately found Kimmich out wide, who exchanged a one-two with Jamal. What followed was ten minutes of German passing game as they tried to take the wind out of the Portuguese’s side. This approach almost backfired, though, in the 78th minute when a lapse of judgment allowed Jota to pick up a hospital pass from Cross intended for Rakim.

The Portugal man sent it forward to Ronaldo just beyond the halfway line, and the striker tapped it back to Bruno. The playmaker shook off Kross, who was desperate to make up for his mistake and charged into the German half. Options developed as they faced a momentary 4-3 with the German wingbacks yet to fully recover.

Stepping ahead of Gündogan, who almost caught up, he swung his feet vigorously, causing the midfielder to change his run lest he risk an injury. Using that space, Bruno carried the ball into the German half with venom, eyes scanning the field for the killing blow that would put Portugal back in front. Rafa Silva had peeled off into the right channel, looking to break past Ginter. While Ronaldo held the central line as bait, he monopolised the other two defenders’ attention in the central channel.

The Portuguese playmaker shaped to slide it into Rafa’s path, his body language selling it perfectly. Ginter read the intended pass and stopped retreating, stepping up into the channel, but Bruno hit the ball with the outside of his right foot, sending it gliding forward. Just at that time, Ronaldo turned to the other side of Hummels, putting the two defenders to one side. wanted.

The bewildered Hummels, who went from focusing on the play to Ronaldo, only saw the curling ball when it was already close to his feet. He tried to move his foot, but to no avail; he lost his balance and the ball curved past him. He latched onto the ball with the timing of a matador dodging a 500-pound bull piercing into the box with full steam.

"RONALDO IN BEHIND!" Matterface’s voice climbed.

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TO BE CONTINUED...

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