Football Genius Midfielder System

"I really don't know what Hierro wants Leo to do, but the most likely explanation is that he simply wants Leo to keep shooting because he believes one of them will eventually go in."

"But is that really the right approach? Is this honestly something a highly accomplished coach like Hierro, who has won multiple trophies, would come up with?"

Gullit and the others discussed it for a long time, but that was the only conclusion they could reach.

Yet the idea sounded ridiculous. Hierro simply wouldn't do something like that. No coach would tell a player to keep shooting over and over until he finally scored.

Was that even football?

Could that really be called a tactic?

The Spanish fans couldn't figure out what Hierro was trying to do either. But as they watched Leo keep shooting and Lloris make save after save, Spain had already won six corner kicks in just thirty minutes of the second half!

"So France still has no intention of completely shutting down Leo's shooting space. They're just going to keep relying on Lloris to make the saves."

"Lloris has certainly been excellent, but shouldn't you at least give him a chance to catch his breath?"

"And Spain's corner kick tactics have been awful. They've had this many corners without creating a single goal. What's even the point of taking them? They might as well give them up!"

Hierro had already explained the plan to every Spanish player. At this point, they didn't need to worry about anything else.

All they had to do was create opportunities for Leo to shoot.

Every time Leo took a shot, France head coach Deschamps would instinctively reach up and grab his chin from the bench.

And each time, his grip seemed to get tighter, almost as if doing so might somehow help Lloris make an even better save.

67th minute!

"France still isn't committing extra numbers in midfield to completely shut Leo down. Whether it's Kanté or Pogba near him, they're doing their best to take away part of his shooting angle, but they still can't stop him from getting shots off entirely!"

"At the very least, that gives Lloris some help. Even a little bit can make those saves slightly easier!"

Pedri had become Spain's main outlet from the back. Laporte and Rodri would play the ball into his feet, and Pedri would then distribute it toward the wings.

If he passed to Sarabia, he played it directly to his feet. If he passed to Ferran Torres, he put the ball into space ahead of him.

Spain attacked in completely different ways down their two flanks, the exact opposite of France.

Whenever France attacked from the wings, both sides relied on speed to charge straight ahead.

But Spain's defending in this match had been outstanding, exactly as Stam had praised earlier.

76th minute.

Leo fired another shot, and Lloris saved it once again. France immediately dropped back into their penalty area with practiced ease and prepared to defend another corner.

"France almost seems to know exactly what comes next now. First they let Leo shoot, almost as if they're indulging him and allowing him to waste the chance."

"Then they immediately set themselves to defend the corner, stop another Spanish attack, and finally see whether they can create anything for Benzema or Giroud at the other end."

"Both teams have actually simplified this UEFA European Championship semifinal. They're playing much more directly than they did in the first half!"

Scholes had figured it out.

Deschamps understood Hierro's tactic, and he believed Hierro simply wanted Leo to dictate this semifinal.

So Deschamps was willing to accept these almost amateurish attacks from Spain, then have France look for opportunities immediately after Spain had finished wasting one of them.

As long as Giroud and Mbappé could combine successfully one more time, France could take the lead, run down the remaining time, eliminate Spain, and advance to the UEFA European Championship final.

81st minute!

This time, Olmo and Pedri both dropped deeper, while Ferran Torres and Sarabia pushed forward.

Leo once again received the ball in midfield, with Pedri and Olmo both working to create space for him.

Having this kind of tactical freedom was incredibly comfortable.

Leo barely even needed to make any extra runs. He could simply stay where he was, hold off Pogba while bringing Pedri's pass under control, and the first part of the move was complete.

Then he would carry the ball forward, use his dribbling to get past either Kanté or Pogba, and immediately shoot.

That was the entire tactic.

89th minute.

The UEFA European Championship semifinal was almost over, and France and Spain were still tied 1-1, making the match feel somewhat similar to France's earlier game against Portugal.

The fans were already beginning to sense that France and Spain might be heading for a penalty shootout.

Spain had taken sixteen more shots than France, but only seven more had been on target, and the two teams still had exactly the same number of goals.

"Completely useless. Hierro's adjustments haven't worked at all. If anything, Spain have looked less effective than they did before!"

"France have had so many chances to counterattack and haven't taken advantage of a single one. They haven't played nearly as well as they did against Portugal."

"If this goes to a penalty shootout, I still favor France!"

The fans were already discussing the possible shootout when Pedri once again passed the ball to Leo, just as he had countless times throughout the match.

Kanté told Pogba to drop back, then stepped forward himself to defend Leo.

Leo first carried the ball and adjusted his position, exactly as he had done every other time.

Then he swung his leg back as if he were about to shoot again.

Kanté immediately moved to block off part of the shooting angle and help Lloris.

But Leo feinted the shot and burst forward instead!

A sudden acceleration!

Past Kanté!

With that one move, Leo instantly closed a huge portion of the distance between himself and the goal.

Pogba hurried across to block him!

Leo cut the ball again!

Then exploded forward once more!

Another huge step closer to goal!

This was the opportunity Spain had been waiting for all match.

Just when everyone had become convinced this was Spain's entire plan, that this was the only way they intended to attack, Leo changed everything at the most critical moment.

At what seemed like the very end of the match, he made the deadliest adjustment of all.

Leo struck the ball.

A moment later, the French supporters were howling in despair!

"What?!!!"

"Leo has scored a last-minute winner against France!"

"They can be back in Paris by early tomorrow morning. They're going home!"

"France's UEFA European Championship campaign is over!!!"

Gullit's roar, Scholes' excitement, and Stam's astonishment all belonged to Leo in that moment.

Then came the final whistle.

The UEFA European Championship semifinal was over!

Reporters inside the stadium immediately rushed toward Leo.

They desperately wanted to know how he felt after receiving so much trust from Hierro, then using such an unusual tactic to influence the match and ultimately score the winner against France.

"I know exactly what you're going to say. You're going to say Coach Hierro's tactic looked amateurish and had no place in a UEFA European Championship semifinal. But we won, so that means it was a good tactic."

"And there's something else."

"There's a method to the way I play football. I believe that if I keep trying, eventually one of those attempts will succeed."

"If it hasn't worked yet, I keep trying. And once it does work, that proves I was right to believe in myself."

"In the end, we knocked France out. That proves my approach was right, and Hierro's was too."