The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 88: Blitzkrieg

Despite Nedvěd's repeated attempts to explain to the referee Paul what had transpired in the penalty area, Paul merely shook his head in refusal. While there were instances where a referee could change their call, it was certainly a cautious matter, as it undermined their professional integrity. To overturn one's own decision? That would only lower their authority.

Perhaps it was just the inherent conservatism and stubbornness of the English, but Paul ultimately signaled for Millwall to take the penalty.

The Arsenal players were livid, yet they had no place to voice their grievances. They did not despise Millwall, their derby rivals; instead, they found themselves angry at the referee.

Helplessly, aside from Seaman guarding the goal, the other players had exited the box, but the Millwall players still turned to glance at Aldrich along the sidelines.

What to do about this penalty kick?

The primary penalty taker on the team was Larson, but Aldrich pointed to Nedvěd from the sidelines, indicating that he would take the penalty.

Larson had no objections, and the Millwall players didn't even position themselves on the penalty line to prepare for a follow-up shot; everyone stood back at a distance.

Paul blew his whistle, and Nedvěd walked slowly to the penalty spot, gently touching the ball with his toe before turning and jogging back.

Seaman stepped forward to pick up the ball, clearly moved by Nedvěd's action, and began to applaud.

The stands erupted with warm applause once more.

As Nedvěd ran back, he passed Adams, who sincerely said, "Sorry."

He had just hurled a series of curses, but Nedvěd chose to ignore him.

Glancing over at Adams, Nedvěd continued running, unfazed.

"Andy, this isn't going to be a great moment on the pitch, but it will surely be a classic example of fair play. Nedvěd is showing everyone that on the football field, you should beat your opponent honorably. If W?rl sees this, he should feel ashamed. Even if he brought Germany to the pinnacle of the world, beyond the German fans, no one admires his dive in the '90 World Cup final."

"The crowd is applauding Nedvěd's conduct. This is the kind of behavior we should endorse. Not every player who falls in the penalty area is fouled or diving. The referee's decisions can sometimes be unjust; that's part of football. But I'm glad to see players like Nedvěd standing up to uphold the integrity of the game. There are far too many negative examples in football, yet Nedvěd exemplifies what it means to compete fairly. Aldrich, the coach of Millwall, also aligned himself with Nedvěd's actions; replays show his strong agreement. I think tomorrow, there will be even more neutral fans who appreciate Aldrich."

Having suffered from Maradona's 'Hand of God', English fans are most contemptuous of deceitful actions on the field. Even when Owen dived while representing his national team, he didn't receive understanding only scorn and mockery, In the '90 World Cup final, the Emperor of Football, Beckenbauer, led a dominant German team against the defending champions Argentina, who scraped into the final. Germany was at an advantage but failed to score. The referee overlooked a penalty for Germany, and W?rl deceived the referee with a dive late in the match to earn a penalty. With that penalty, Germany stood at the top of the world again, but W?rl faced severe condemnation afterwards.

The first half ended quickly, and both teams retreated to their locker rooms.

Aldrich waited for his players to take their seats before giving them two minutes to clean their boots, tidy their jerseys, or have a sip of water to calm down.

"Pavel, you did the right thing."

Aldrich said calmly, addressing Nedvěd. Nedvěd looked up at him, nodded, and said nothing.

Turning his gaze to the other players, Aldrich continued, "I'm a coach who craves victory, and you are players who desire victory too. But we must not allow the lure of success to corrupt our spirits. If our talents don't match the opponent's, then let's compensate with hard work and sweat. If our strength is lacking, we will improve our abilities through determination and unity. However, we must never tarnish the word 'victory'. We shouldn't reduce the value of winning by resorting to deceitful tactics. Yes, that might help us win an important match and claim a crucial trophy, but in the process, we would lose even more. Some mistakes, once made, have no chance for redemption."

Many players listened attentively and nodded solemnly.

After a moment of silence, Aldrich walked to the tactical board and began articulating the plans for the second half. There weren't significant changes; rather, it was a shift in rhythm and slightly more detailed tactics.

Before the start of the second half, Aldrich took special note of the Arsenal players' expressions on the sidelines. He could see their competitive spirit had returned, their eyes gleaming with renewed determination.

Rioch is not an incompetent coach; at least after a demoralizing first half for Arsenal, their momentum picked up again following the break in the dressing room at halftime.

This was good.

The atmosphere in the stands remained electric, and amidst the cheers and shouts of encouragement, the second half commenced.

Arsenal aligned their thoughts, and Rioch made some adjustments to the defense, strengthening their backline by utilizing Adams as a sweeper in a three-man defense. This resembled the early chain defense of the great international era, but it's uncertain whether this temporary change would bring any remarkable results.

Winterburn and Dixon boldly pushed forward to assist in attacking, while Bergkamp dropped back to play a false nine, sharing playmaking duties. Arsenal's formation had transformed into something quite irregular, as adjustments to the 5-3-2 layout were somewhat unavoidably bizarre.

Arsenal launched an offensive, with Bergkamp retreating to combine with the oncoming Platt, who then found Wright at the edge of the penalty area. Wright took a shot without an angle, forcing Keller to comfortably collect the ball.

Aldrich lifted his chin and gestured towards Arsenal's half, signaling for Millwall to initiate their swift counterattack!

The counterattack commenced from the goal kick. Keller threw the ball to Thuram on the flank, who began to surge forward. Arsenal hadn't anticipated Thuram's offensive involvement, causing a moment of panic. What further caught them off guard was that aside from the two center-backs and defensive midfielder Makelele, every other Millwall player surged forward like a blue whirlwind, pressing forward relentlessly.

Thuram made a direct pass to Schneider, who laid it off to Nedvěd. Following a one-two, Schneider pushed it wide and received the ball again. In the attack's culmination, Trezeguet drove into the box, Larson close behind, just on the edge of the six-yard box. Schneider's return pass rolled right to him, and he unleashed a powerful shot as Arsenal's defense continued to backpedal. The ball zipped quickly through, and Powell, realizing too late, attempted to block Larson's shot but was clearly slow. The ball streaked past him, a whisper of wind in its wake.

Seaman dived toward the top left corner of the net, but by the time he made it, the ball had already nestled into the corner.

Millwall led 2-0!

"Larson! Red-hot Larson! He fired a fierce shot from the edge of the box into the corner! Millwall's counterattack, starting from the goalkeeper, was astonishingly fast! In League One, they consistently tore apart opponents' defenses. Just look at the replay: from Keller throwing the ball to Thuram, to the final goal, Millwall executed this rapid counterattack in just 13 seconds! How fast can they be?!"

Seeing the goal, Aldrich closed his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and he pumped his fist in front of him in a small gesture of elation.

In the second half, Arsenal would undoubtedly enhance their offensive efforts. Millwall's goal was not to retreat defensively; they intended to unleash a blitz!

As long as Arsenal pressed forward, the space behind them would become Millwall's counterattack stage. If their strikes couldn't land on Millwall, then Millwall's swift counters would ring the death knell for the Gunners!

Larson, who had scored twice, raced along the sideline, one hand to his ear, soaking in the roaring cheers from the crowd.

From the South Stand, a chant erupted.

"Nobody likes us, we don't care! We've got Larson!"

Rioch appeared somewhat frustrated; Arsenal, going through a period of reform, faced the stable Millwall. The sharp edge that Arsenal had lost over recent years could not be quickly regained, while Millwall resembled a newly born lion, hungry for victory, eager to taste the blood of their enemies!

The motivation ignited at halftime dissipated almost instantaneously, leaving Arsenal's players standing with their hands on their hips, looking lost and defeated.

After a loss to Millwall's second-string team last season, they might comfort themselves with the idea that Graham's job was shaky and the team's performance had plunged, resulting in not being able to unite as one. But today?

Facing Millwall's first-choice lineup, their attack was utterly disastrous, and their formerly proud defense appeared riddled with holes.

Where was the dawn of victory?

Following Arsenal's kick-off, Aldrich noticed something that almost made him chuckle.

Arsenal began to play their usual defensive game again.

They resembled ostriches, huddling together. They would poke their heads up to check the outside world, and upon sensing danger, they quickly withdrew, burying their heads to ensure their safety from harm.

Rioch walked back to the coaching area and sat down. There were still forty minutes to play, but he didn't have any expectations for a comeback.

After all, it was a derby; they couldn't afford to lose by too much, even though Millwall was not Arsenal's primary rival—Tottenham was.

Arsenal's attacking system could be considered starting over. Just because Bergkamp and Platt had arrived didn't mean they would immediately become sharp. Loco relied heavily on his best players on the pitch; avoiding further counterattacks was the correct choice against the rising threat of Millwall.

Millwall remained relentless, and just ten minutes before the match's conclusion, Trezeguet and Larson executed a surprising swap; Larson charged into the penalty area to meet a cross from Pires. His header once again pierced the net guarded by Seaman.

Completing a hat trick, Larson was named Player of the Match as Arsenal left the Lion's Den with a three-goal defeat!