Chapter 64: The Second Half Starts with a Burst of Energy
"The Arsenal and Mallorca players have come out onto the pitch... Neither Wenger nor José has made any substitutions during the halftime break, suggesting that they're both satisfied with the first half. Mallorca's defense has been solid, giving Arsenal few chances, while Arsenal has dominated possession, needing only a goal. Overall, the first half wasn't all that exciting—Mallorca focused on defense, and Arsenal couldn't create much. Henry was lively but had few opportunities to shoot, while Bergkamp seemed subdued... However, Overmars has played well, creating chances with a few strong runs down the wing. But that's not enough—let's hope the second half is more exciting."
The ESPN commentator, watching the players return to the field, was clearly hoping for a more thrilling second half. After all, the first half had been lackluster, with hardly any notable attacks. It had made his job of commentating rather dull...
Eto'o and Tristan walked side by side toward the center circle. Although they had worked hard in defense during the first half, as forwards in such an important match, failing to score was still a source of regret...
However, the two were excited at this moment, because José had told them before the game that they should attempt to launch an attack right from the kick-off. The midfielders were ready to fully support them in hopes of getting a goal.
Undoubtedly, José's tactical suggestion was mainly because the early minutes of the second half often offered a good chance to score. Still, this strategy ignited the fighting spirit of the two forwards.
If the first half had been a sleep-inducing affair, the situation at the start of the second half immediately got everyone's attention!
"Mallorca passing the ball in their own half, Arsenal presses high... We've seen this many times in the first half. Mallorca's players are technically skilled and hard to intercept, so it looks like this will continue for a while... N'Gonga has the ball... Oh, direct pass! A beautiful pass!"
As N'Gonga delivered a precise, surgical pass, the commentators immediately became energized and excited.
"Eto'o takes the ball, passes it to the right to Ibagasa, Ibagasa crosses—fantastic! Eto'o gets to the ball ahead of Petit, forcing his way through! Petit is left behind! Eto'o continues, charging forward—Mallorca is off to a fierce attack right from the start of the second half!"
Clearly, Mallorca's sudden offensive caught the Arsenal players off guard.
Wenger had spent the halftime break thinking about how to break through Mallorca's defense, and he hadn't even considered the possibility that they might immediately launch an attack—after all, Mallorca had shown no interest in offense during the first half. This is a clear sign of Wenger's lack of adaptability under pressure.