The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 132: Highlight Moment

"Millwall has found the net! The crowd goes wild as chaos breaks out in front of the Aston Villa goal. The ball snicks through the jostling players, heading straight for the net, and the referee raises his arm with authority—goal confirmed! Millwall equalizes! Larsen's heart races as he leaps to his feet, charging down the pitch in a surge of elation. The slow-motion replay captures the brilliance of the moment—there he is, on the ground, managing to prod the ball into the goal with his toe, skillfully slipping it past August's elbow. Larsen is a marvel; he can score in ways that defy expectation. No matter how unconventional the approach, as long as there's a chance to put the ball in the net, he is ready to execute! The stadium erupts into a frenzy of joy. Fans stand, arms raised high, singing their team's anthem with passion that resonates throughout the venue"

Larsen runs along the sidelines, arms outstretched and his face beaming with excitement. His teammates chase after him from behind, while flashes from countless cameras illuminate Wembley Stadium, capturing this moment for the fans in the stands.

Aldrich watches this scene unfold and silently thinks: "Run free and laugh confidently, Henrik. This is your moment and Millwall's moment too. I once promised you all: you are superstars, and don't let my words go unfulfilled!"

Before long, Larsen is surrounded by his teammates, not just the ones on the field, but also substitutes like Ballack and Solskj?r who have rushed over to join the celebration. They all roar with excitement over the goal that saved the match, sharing fierce shouts and grins that boost each other's confidence. The power of belief is infectious, and as they walk back to their half, the young players are filled with spirit and vitality, like invincible deities ready for battle.

Aldrich quickly calls Makélélé over, reminding him to return to the defensive midfield position while Southgate occupies the center back spot. Now that the score is level, Millwall needs to balance out their tactical system.

Will this weaken the offensive play? Of course, it will. However, with Pirès, Nedvěd, and Schneider in the midfield matching Aston Villa's trio, Aldrich doesn't think Millwall will be at a disadvantage.

The key point lies within the penalty area. As long as Materazzi can continue to mark Simmek tightly, Millwall still controls the momentum of the match.

Brian Little, seeing the goal conceded, changes colors rapidly as he waves at the players from the sidelines, urging them to maintain their defensive structure.

When it comes to adaptability, it's clear that Brian Little is not up to par. His pre-match tactics were effective in the first half and everything seemed to be going according to plan. But now, with the second half unfolding dramatically, his tactical adjustments have become a liability, leaving him unsure about how to redirect his strategy.

Aston Villa's 5-3-2 formation, with five defenders and three midfielders at the back, offers comprehensive defensive coverage—surrounding the penalty area like a fortress. Millwall's full-spectrum attacks in the first half were just what they needed, making it difficult for Aston Villa to cope.

However, in the second half, Millwall abandoned the flanks, opting for a concentrated assault through the middle. This move left Aston Villa's two wing-backs defensively exposed; their presence was almost irrelevant as the attacks didn't target their side at all. In fact, the retreat of their wing-backs only muddled their teammates.

If Aldrich were in Little's shoes, he would push the wing-backs up to the positions of wide midfielders to disrupt the opposing midfield while creating the most direct offensive option in counterattacks. This would be a desperate gamble, but in football, one must have the courage to risk everything. Sadly, Little doesn't share that boldness; he thinks the match has merely returned to its starting position, possibly leading to extra time and penalties.

In the stands, Millwall fans seem to have returned from the depths of despair, collectively exhaling a sigh of relief.

After the equalizer, Arthur jumps up and down with his friends, turning to embrace one another, even exchanging playful kisses on the head. Those who had previously bickered now join in celebration, proving that at their age, they won't be petty like spoiled children.

The match resumes, and as Aston Villa equalizes, their defense is no longer unbreakable. Without Simmek dropping back effectively to disrupt play, Millwall's offensive threat grows increasingly menacing.

When Aldrich notices that Aston Villa hasn't made any offensive adjustments, he glances at Brian Little, whose face has grown tense. Inwardly, he mutters fiercely: "The momentum of the match has shifted!"

The difference between a score of 0–0 and 1–1 in a knockout cup match is negligible; it's still a tie.

However, the dynamics of the game have turned upside down.

This change stems from mindset.

With Millwall gaining momentum, they become increasingly aggressive, while Aston Villa begins to lose their composure. The illusion of maintaining a lead crumbles when they go from being ahead to equalized; it's as if something precious has been snatched away. They won't rest until they score another goal against Millwall, having already proven they can breach their opponent's defenses.

This shift leads to a lack of cohesion among Aston Villa's players.

The goal-scorer Kosti?, after receiving a pass from Stoughton, fails to clear the ball forward; he doesn't see York in the passing lane. Instead, he dribbles forward only to lose the ball in a challenge from Schneider. Before he can complain to his teammates for not supporting him, he quickly sprints back to defend.

With fewer defenders, space opens up. When Nedvěd gains possession, Taylor makes a decisive choice to commit a foul, signaling Kosti? to return to help defend and discourage any reckless forward runs.

A direct free kick is awarded, positioned just outside the penalty area on the right. Schneider stands over the ball, while three Aston Villa defenders set up a wall behind the penalty line.

In front of the far post, Millwall's attacking players cluster together.

The headers expert Stam, along with Nedvěd, Larsen, and Trezeguet, wait in anticipation, while Pirès and Makélélé hover outside the box, ready to seize any second-chance opportunities.

"Hey! This free kick setup looks peculiar. All of Millwall's attacking players are rushing towards the far post, seemingly trying to connect with Schneider's curved ball using diagonal runs, which draws Aston Villa's defenders away. York and Taylor, positioned on the edge of the box, closely monitor Pirès and Makélélé's potential runs, leaving a vast open area in front of Aston Villa's center. What a strange sight!"

It appears that with the middle opened up, Millwall might either opt for a direct cross to the center for a long-range shot from Makélélé or Pirès, or perhaps aim for a header to the back post. Regardless, this creates significant anxiety for goalkeeper August, who must constantly watch the far post while also keeping an eye on the ball. As he begins to focus on Schneider, he realizes the player's gaze is locked on the far post.

Schneider is known for his high-quality free kicks, but he doesn't score often because most of the time those direct free kicks end up being crossed into the box, as the team has many players skilled at heading.

His shirt is drenched, and sweat pours down his brow, but he feels no fatigue and has no time to adjust his somewhat messy hairstyle. His focus is entirely on the teammates positioned at the far post as he begins his run-up.

Sweat drops, glistening in the light.

Boom!

The impact between his foot and the ball produces a loud crack.

Only then does Schneider shift his gaze toward the direction he genuinely aims to kick the ball.

Feeling a sudden rush of dread, August leans to the right, inching forward, a move he would soon deeply regret!

He shifts right towards the far post, but the ball sails past the wall, towards the near post at lightning speed. The angle is straightforward, and had he shifted just one step to the left, he could have easily stretched out to block it.

Instead, after that half-step, August turns and looks towards his back left, only to see the ball rolling into the net. His legs give way, and he sinks down to the ground, hands covering his face in utter shame.

He was deceived!

"Whoa! Whoa! What is August doing? Schneider's free kick goes directly into the net! Aside from its speed, this shot doesn't display any remarkable qualities—there's no noticeable curve or tricky angle—but August allowed the ball to fly straight into the goal! Why did he move right in the first place? Was he distracted by the attacking players positioned on the left? Who knows? Perhaps he'll reveal the truth after the match. But for now, Millwall has taken the lead! Thirteen minutes remain! Millwall is just thirteen minutes away from their first-ever championship trophy!"

After scoring, Schneider jumps high, waving his arms in triumph, before charging toward the coaching area. Aldrich, along with all the coaching staff and substitutes, eagerly awaits his arrival. Once he reaches them, Aldrich lifts him up, brimming with joy.

This match undoubtedly marks Schneider's finest performance.

His first goal was initiated by him, and the second was a direct free kick.

Even goalkeeper Keller rushes over, and the entire team hugs together, as if they've already secured victory.

Wembley is buzzing with excitement; aside from the more than ten thousand crestfallen Aston Villa fans, a sea of blue ripples through the stadium in jubilant waves.

Arthur shouts exuberantly, "We're ahead! We're fucking ahead! My son is the best! He's bringing that damn trophy home for every Millwall fan! Screw it, long live Millwall!"

Around him, the older gentlemen start stripping off their jerseys to wave in the air, dancing joyfully and cheering for Millwall's triumph.

While the fans celebrate wildly, Aldrich, after the jubilation, turns to Materazzi and grits his teeth, saying, "Marco, get back to defense. You're playing left-back with only one task: disrupt their attack, but stay calm. Don't give the opponent free kicks easily."

Materazzi nods decisively, and then Aldrich addresses Nedvěd, "Pavel, drop back a bit. After I sub on Patrick, you can return to the attacking midfield."

Nedvěd nods vigorously.

As the players begin to return to the field, Aldrich immediately passes along the substitution list.

After equalizing, Aldrich had already instructed all substitutes, except for the goalkeeper, to warm up.

Now, he is replacing Pirès and Schneider with Vieira and Solskj?r.

It's time to shift to a 4-2-3-1 formation.

Although Materazzi isn't a traditional wing-back, Aston Villa doesn't have a powerful right winger today. Aldrich needs to control the midfield, knowing that when the opponent pushes forward, space behind them will open up. Then, Millwall's attack will require speed.

Solskj?r and Larsen occupy the flanks, with Trezeguet leading the line, launching a multifaceted assault.

Aldrich is determined to claim victory in this match!