Football Genius Midfielder System

Giroud suddenly came charging in. He was taller, and more importantly, his heading ability was excellent.

Laporte was positioned behind Giroud, so he was already a fraction slower getting off the ground, and he failed to make contact with the header.

Giroud, meanwhile, beautifully headed the ball toward Mbappé. At that point, the only thing Rodri could do was block the shooting lane. Against Mbappé, you couldn't afford to dive in for a tackle, or he would simply get past you.

But Mbappé didn't even take a touch!

With one arm forward and the other behind him for balance, Mbappé leaned onto his right leg and sprang slightly upward, then swung his left foot through Giroud's header first time!

Every French fan had their eyes on Mbappé!

Rodri had partially blocked Unai Simon's view. By the time the goalkeeper saw Mbappé's shot, he was already a step too late to react!

Laporte sprinted toward goal, still hoping to make a last-ditch block, but Mbappé's strike wiped out Spain's lead and brought France level!

The French supporters in the stands erupted in celebration for Mbappé!

They knew Mbappé rarely failed to deliver on the biggest stage. The last FIFA World Cup had already proved that!

"Mbappé gets on the end of Giroud's pass and brings France level with Spain!"

"Giroud! Deschamps has only just brought him on, and he's already set up Mbappé for a goal. That partnership from the last FIFA World Cup is still incredibly effective!"

"Sometimes, putting the two strongest players together doesn't necessarily produce the best result. Some players make others better, and I've always seen Giroud as that kind of supporting striker!"

Laporte hadn't noticed Giroud suddenly making a run toward him, and Griezmann's pass had clearly been aimed in his direction from the start.

At first, it had looked as though France weren't targeting Laporte at all. But once the move developed, they deliberately attacked his side rather than Rodri's.

By the time Laporte realized what was happening, France had already shifted the actual point of attack away from him and onto Rodri, creating the goal.

Zubizarreta and Xavi were discussing whether France truly intended to target Laporte or Rodri. In the end, they reached the same conclusion. France wanted Mbappé attacking Rodri in order to create goals.

"Don't let France play those long balls. I don't care how Mbappé and Giroud switch positions. Just stop them from going long!"

The best way to defend against that kind of attack wasn't to have Laporte follow Mbappé everywhere. It was to stop Griezmann or Pogba from being able to release the long pass in the first place.

Hierro then called Leo over.

"I want you to keep trying. Whenever Griezmann or any other French player looks to play a long ball, have Pedri and Olmo press him together."

"If you can win it, even better. If you can't, force France to play short. Then you and Busquets will step in together and look for the interception."

"Once we win the ball, no matter where you are, carry it as close to the French penalty area as you can. You don't need to enter the box. You don't even need to get right up to the edge of it. The moment you feel you're close enough to threaten Lloris, shoot."

"I don't care how you do it. Just keep trying. If you don't score, if you send it over, hit it wide, or a French defender blocks it, I don't care what happens. I just want you to keep shooting."

"And tell Olmo and Pedri that whenever you shoot, both of them have to get into the box."

If any other coach had given those instructions, it would have sounded almost absurdly amateurish. What was the difference between that and telling a player to shoot aimlessly and waste possession?

Even Leo couldn't score with every shot.

But one thing Leo had always valued about himself over the years was his willingness to follow the head coach's instructions. To him, that was part of a strong working relationship. So if Hierro wanted him to do it, then he would do exactly that.

When the semifinal resumed, the reactions and expressions of the fans inside the stadium told the same story. Neither France nor Spain seemed completely certain they could beat the other, yet both sides also seemed to believe that they could.

The tactical battle between Hierro and Deschamps had truly begun.

61st minute!

Griezmann was dropping back again. This time, it wasn't because Leo had forced him backward. Griezmann was doing it willingly, because from deeper positions he could continue sending long balls toward Giroud and try to recreate the same kind of chance France had just scored from.

"Stay with him, Pedri! Keep chasing him!"

Leo immediately shouted toward Pedri. Although Pedri was a midfielder, he wasn't slow. As he closed down Griezmann, Olmo also started moving toward Pogba.

Lloris had the ball. His original plan had been to pass to either Griezmann or Pogba, but both options were now blocked, leaving him no choice but to play short to Kanté.

Kanté didn't attempt the long ball himself. His passing range wasn't suited to finding targets that far upfield.

Rabiot had to come short for Kanté instead, and France returned to their short passing. But just as Rabiot prepared to receive the ball, Leo appeared alongside Busquets.

Together, they first cut off Rabiot's passing lane back to Kanté, then shut down the route toward Giroud. That left Rabiot with only one option, a pass to Mbappé.

This time, Laporte stepped up early!

Leo immediately moved with him, and the two quickly closed around Mbappé. Mbappé might have been incredibly gifted, but Leo's tackling was just as impressive.

Laporte picked his moment and first used his body to engage Mbappé. Forced to concentrate on shielding the ball, Mbappé lost track of Leo's position.

Leo seized the opening, stepped in, and took the ball cleanly away from him!

He turned and carried it forward, then played it to Busquets, who immediately returned the ball into his path farther upfield.

Pedri and Olmo were both sprinting toward the French penalty area. Sarabia cleverly occupied Kanté, while Pogba was more concerned with protecting the defenders behind him, so he didn't immediately step out to challenge Leo.

Then he saw Leo right in front of him, still some distance outside the penalty area, suddenly pull the trigger!

It was a long way out, but the strike was excellent and forced Lloris into a save!

"Why shoot from there?"

"That's not a decision Leo normally makes. He would never usually waste a shot like that!"

Scholes didn't believe it fit Leo's usual shooting style.

But before long, Leo started taking the same kind of shot again and again.

One attempt after another.

And judging from the reaction of Hierro's coaching staff, they clearly weren't surprised.

This was obviously the task Hierro had given Leo.

"Is Hierro really planning to have Leo keep trying this?"

"Is that really the right way to play?"

...

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