Chapter 232: Breaking the Offside Trap — Simple Yet Not Simple
The scene returns to the moment after warmups, when the players gathered in the locker room for the coach's pre-match talk.
In England's dressing room, Roy Hodgson's expression was unusually serious.
"Since Greece got out of their group, they're not a weak side. Maybe slightly weaker than us, but not a team to be butchered. Kids, I need you to take the opponent seriously and treat this match like a final… Their tactic is high pressing, and we have trained against this… In the match, do not underestimate them — fully cooperate with Xia Qi."
Hodgson cast his gaze toward Xia Qi as he spoke.
Xia Qi was the core of this team, like the conductor of an orchestra. Without sufficient team cooperation, even Xia Qi could not create miracles alone.
Hodgson worried the players might rely on overconfidence, neglect teamwork, show off and squander opportunities.
In Hodgson's coaching career he'd seen too many strong teams suffer upsets.
Frankly, a team like England facing a weaker side makes him uneasy — he'd rather a heavyweight clash like with the Netherlands. At least against the Netherlands he wouldn't worry about careless lapses.
After applying pressure, Hodgson tried to ease the tension: "Of course, you don't need to be overly worried. We're stronger. We're the most firepower-laden team among the last 16. If I'm right, they're trembling right now, discussing how to defend our attacks…"
"Haha…"
Compared with the relaxed mood in England's dressing room, Greece's was more intense. Fernando Santos was also emphasizing tactics to his players.
"From our observations of their earlier matches, we can see the true core of this team is — "
Santos pointed at the name placed on the tactical board at the center circle and said:
"Xia Qi! He's England's core. England's organization and attacks originate from him. Note that he's not only a conductor but also an excellent finisher — he's already scored six. Think about it — he alone has one more goal than our whole team.
"Isn't that a bit terrifying? So our defensive strategy is to prevent him from shooting from the edge of the box and to block his passing outlets…"
…
When the match started, Xia Qi realized the old man's concerns were well founded.
Although Greece's three lines looked high and seemed to leave space behind for pacey players like Raheem Sterling, Theo Walcott and Xia Qi, in practice it was not easy to exploit.
Greece's three lines kept very tight distances; the gaps between each line were narrow, leaving little space for Xia Qi to play timing-of-pass runs behind the defense. One slight misstep and the receiving teammate would be flagged offside.
Even with Xia Qi's and teammates' [Telepathic] attribute, they were often caught offside.
This visible-but-unattainable style eroded England players' mentality, causing irritability.
Greece's high lines also allowed efficient high pressing.
Since they pressed high, a successful counter-press could make England players nervous. High up the pitch a turnover could lead to a speculative shot toward England's goal that Xia Qi and others couldn't stop.
High-quality long-range shots often had England on edge.
After a few minutes, Xia Qi understood why a team with a negative goal difference could reach the last 16.
This was a team that danced on a razor's edge — either they got battered or they battered others.
Greece's ability to blow teams away lay in their 4-3-3: defense began with the three forwards harrying the opponent's defenders.
When the forwards pressed, the midfield and back lines pushed up to compress space and isolate the ball carrier, preventing an easy pass.
If a defender tried a short triangular build-up via the goalkeeper, England fans would need a special heart-relief pill.
In short, collective high pressing gave Greece many opportunities in the final third.
If not for Xia Qi and Jordan Henderson repeatedly covering danger, England's goal might well have been breached.
Hodgson sat on the bench with a dark expression, eyes never leaving the field.
Each time England's goal was threatened he guzzled water; during Greek pressing his water bottle deformed in his hand — a sign of how tense he was.
Santos on the other touchline was no better off.
He stood rigid, every near-miss shot making veins on his forehead bulge, roaring and pounding his chest like a beast.
The pitch atmosphere was tense, but over Pernambuco Stadium the mood felt more festive.
For many Chinese fans, the outcome mattered less than seeing Xia Qi shine.
Even while England's goal was repeatedly endangered, they could still laugh and enjoy the match.
The student beside Xia's parents advised them not to be too nervous — to watch in an enjoyful way.
If England slipped up and the so-called "European Chinese team" advanced, it would still be fine: they'd get to cheer for Xia Qi in the next match.
This joy is uniquely felt by compatriots!
Xia's parents gratefully accepted the sentiment.
…
In the first ten minutes, after testing Greece's tactics, AI designed a counterattack for Xia Qi.
On the pitch Xia Qi extended his hand for the ball and made a subtle "scattered flowers" gesture to the three forwards.
Walcott and the other two dashed forward from their positions but could not break Greece's last line.
The ball quickly found Xia Qi, and a Greek defender shadowed him closely — Greece's pattern was for nearly every player to have a man in front of them.
Stelios Manianitis immediately closed on Xia Qi, preventing him from controlling calmly.
One man, however, is hard-pressed to mark Xia Qi.
Xia Qi didn't wait in place; he ran into the ball, and Manianitis had to chase after him.
Xia Qi didn't control it but passed horizontally to Steven Gerrard nearby, then ran forward. Manianitis, who had just caught up, had to pivot back.
Manianitis turned just in time to see Gerrard pass the ball back into the path of the surging Xia Qi.
A textbook "two-man give-and-go" with a twinning dynamic.
Manianitis accelerated toward Xia Qi but before he could reach him, Xia Qi passed again — this time to Rooney in the central channel.
Rooney had his back to the attack, with Kostas Manolas marking him fiercely, making it difficult for Rooney to turn.
Rooney had no option but to lay it back.
The ball returned to Xia Qi, and Rooney spun forward. Manolas did not follow Rooney's run but charged ferociously at Xia Qi.
With his surge, Greece's entire back line pushed up suddenly.
"Greece, offside again!" Huang Jianxiang shouted.
In previous instances Greece had succeeded in stopping England's attacks by catching players offside.
Manolas expected success again — he thought Xia Qi would play the wall with Rooney.
Seeing the ball fly over his head, Manolas didn't bother to look back, raising his hand to the referee: Rooney's offside.
Rooney was indeed offside! But the referee did not blow his whistle! Manolas was stunned and turned to look at the ball: it wasn't headed for Rooney but for the right flank, where Walcott received it.
Manolas paused and shouted, "No. 15 is offside too!"
"We collectively set the offside trap."
The referee and the linesman ignored him; the referee pushed his hands forward to signal the attack was on.
If England had used their previous method — the three-pronged strike all making simultaneous anti-offside runs — Greece's well-drilled offside trap could have kept Walcott caught.
But this time, under Xia Qi's orchestration, Walcott did not rush forward during Rooney's counter-movement. He first cut inside and moved laterally, keeping himself level with Greece's defensive line.
At the moment Xia Qi passed, Walcott then made a diagonal forward run — in an instant the offside trap Greece had carefully laid out became a huge void.
"Beautiful!"
"Walcott is onside!"
"Greece finally tastes the side effects of their own offside trap!"
Huang Jianxiang and He Wei grew excited in the Chinese broadcast room; the stands erupted. The Chinese drum finally played its part!
Each thunderous beat seemed to energize Walcott like lightning, letting him streak across the open green pitch.
Greece fans hissed in alarm, but the drumbeat did not influence Walcott.
Greece goalkeeper Orestis Karnezis had to come off his line. Though risking a lob, the chance of a successful lob to an empty net is lower than a close-range blast.
Between two evils, take the lesser: Karnezis' sweeping style — much like Neuer's wide-ranging defending — matched the offside tactic well.
His presence was part of why Santos dared employ the offside trap.
But this time…
Walcott, seeing Karnezis off his line, instantly launched a lob.
If it had been Neuer, Walcott might hesitate, but facing this Greek "Neuer," he was confident.
He lifted his foot and chipped!
Karnezis had already reached near the penalty spot.
Walcott chipped the ball.
The ball drew a rainbow in the air and hung over the empty goal behind Karnezis.
Karnezis retreated and leapt, arms raised, to tip the ball…
But he touched nothing.
The ball fell into the empty net behind him unaffected.
"Goal!"
"England lead Greece 1–0!"
"An offside trap is a double-edged sword: if it's cracked, it's very easy to concede."
"That's why Greece's goal difference is negative!"
Hodgson finally smiled on the bench when the ball went in; he rose and applauded.
Walcott ran toward the corner flag to celebrate.
England celebrated while Greek players surrounded the referee to protest that it was offside.
The referee and linesman stood by their decision; video replay confirmed they were right.
Walcott's lateral movement followed by a diagonal forward insertion, and Xia Qi's pass, were perfectly timed!
"Greece held their line for only a dozen minutes before their tactic turned against them. From now on the match will be even tougher for them."
"England got through the initial confusion and, under Xia Qi's organization, finally found the right method."
In the Chinese fan stand the student beside Xia's parents extolled Xia Qi's role enthusiastically.
Xia's mother modestly waved it off: "Xia Qi's not as great as you say — the scorer was Theo…"
"Ninety-nine percent of that goal was down to Xia Qi!" the student declared, eyes wide, as if astonished that Xia's mother would not see it.
Xia's father, knowing more about football, said objectively, "Those passes are what a core player should do. Xia Qi's passing was important, but Theo's movement on the field was the key."
The boy couldn't accept that and replied indignantly, "Keep watching and you'll see Xia Qi is the most crucial! Without Xia Qi England would be nothing!"
Xia's parents smiled. Hearing praise for their son made them proud and fulfilled.
Fernando Santos stood stunned at the touchline, watching the field.
He hadn't expected the tactic that troubled opponents in the group stage to be so easily solved by Xia Qi.
Greece swaggered for only 12 minutes before conceding.
What chilled Santos was that he had yet to find a counter to Xia Qi's solution.
He had prepared three countermeasures for Xia Qi's long passes from deep, but none were needed now.
Xia Qi's solution was simple yet not simple!
He first used distribution to neutralize Greece's high press, then used one prong of the three-pronged attack to make Greece step up for an offside trap, turning his own passive offside into an active bait to win space for the other two prongs — effectively turning Greece's offside trap from a hidden card into an open one, and finally allowing the other two prongs to exploit the counter-offside.
It seems simple but is not easy!
First, you must ensure you won't be robbed under the high press; second, the trident strike must coordinate seamlessly — a slight misstep and the plan collapses.
Thinking of such coordination, Santos realized Xia Qi and Walcott were from the same club, so…
With that thought he immediately shouted to his players on the pitch: "Strengthen the left-side defense."
Greece's left side was defending England's right winger Walcott.
Santos hoped Rooney in the middle and Sterling on the left would not develop the telepathic coordination with Xia Qi.
If so, England would again fall into the offside trap.
(END CHAPTER)
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