When they stepped onto the field again, the Luton players inexplicably felt their running become lighter.
What was the reason for this?
No one delved into it; the players attributed it to the halftime break and Gao bo's words giving them strength.
Even the Roma players didn't pay much attention.
They pressed forward with a full-scale attack as soon as the second half began!
And the Luton players were very cooperative; they immediately retreated into their own half, forming three lines of defense in and around the penalty area!
Gao bo also set up an iron curtain defense in front of the penalty area!
The three midfielders no longer had attacking duties; their sole task was defense!! To protect the team's central area around the arc of the penalty box!
The flanks were entirely left to the fullbacks and two wingers to participate in auxiliary defense!
This was a complete iron curtain defense!
Besides the three yellow cards, Gao bo also used the other two card slots for defense.
[Match Card (Green): Defensive positioning increased by 15%, designated player "Jeffrey" used!]
[Match Card (Green): Heading increased by 15%, designated player "Jeffrey" used!]
The Roma players quickly noticed the change in Luton's play after halftime compared to the latter half of the first half.
Luton's defense became stable with the dense accumulation of players; the compact central defense forced Roma to play the ball wide and then create threats through crosses. However, Jeffrey and Sol Campbell's frontal defensive performance was outstanding; they headed away most of the aerial balls. Even when they didn't get to the ball, under their interference, Vucinic and players like Menez, Perrotta, and Pizarro, who rushed into the box, couldn't gain any advantage from aerial balls.
Roma did attempt a few ground passes, but facing the dense defensive personnel inside the box, it was extremely difficult to pass the ball into the penalty area along the ground.
"Luton adopted a full-scale defensive stance from the start of the second half! Almost all their players have now retreated to participate in defense!"
Roma continued to attack, and Ranieri wasn't surprised by Luton's defensive posture. In Ranieri's view, this was normal!
If Luton pressed forward to attack, they would die even faster!
But relying solely on defense? Can they hold on?
A slight smile appeared on Ranieri's face as he looked at Gao bo, who was posing coolly with his hands in his pockets not far away.
Undeniably, the tall and upright Gao bo had a resolute face, exuding a tough and heroic aura!
But... just having a good image isn't very useful in the coaching profession.
In the latter half of the first half, Luton's players showed signs of fatigue, which couldn't be faked. Ranieri knew very well that, given the physical condition of Luton's players in the latter half of the first half, they wouldn't last long!
Even parking the bus requires physical support. After all, parking the bus isn't just about standing in the penalty area and defending; any defense that loses its elasticity is like wooden stakes. Even if Luton's players were packed into the box, they had to frequently push out and retreat to block Roma's passes, shots, and even individual breakthroughs by Roma players.
These all required a considerable expenditure of stamina!
If Luton kept defending so passively, how long could the stamina they had painstakingly accumulated during halftime last?
Ten minutes?
Ranieri thought.
Twenty minutes at most!
Ranieri's estimate was already the most conservative!
....
Twenty minutes later, Ranieri wasn't smiling anymore.
The Luton players on the field showed no signs of fatigue whatsoever!
Their movements were light, and Roma even found it increasingly difficult to pass the ball into Luton's penalty area.
Ranieri's brows furrowed.
Were they faking it in the first half?
That's not right, is it?
The Roma players were also full of frustration; weren't they supposed to be fatigued?
At this moment, De Rossi had just taken possession.
Drinkwater rushed out, then, with a push, he shoved De Rossi aside and stole the ball. However, De Rossi immediately fouled him, preventing a potential Luton counter-attack.
De Rossi was shown a yellow card by the referee!
"Luton's defense is very good, and their running is also very active. They don't seem to show any signs of the fatigue they had in the first half..." Not to mention the Roma players, even Wrightkinson was surprised.
Ultimately, he could only attribute it to some kind of inspiration the Luton players received during halftime, and then they were sustained by mental strength in the second half.
Roma couldn't break through, so they had to keep pressing forward, with both fullbacks pushing up as well.
At this point, Ranieri had already decided to make a substitution.
Okaka was warming up!
Ranieri still didn't believe that Luton's performance in the latter half of the first half was an act, if they were truly faking it, it could only mean that Luton's players were all recruited from acting academies.
They're running out of stamina! Ranieri stuck to his judgment.
When Okaka finished warming up, Ranieri was talking to him.
Just then, boos erupted from the stadium.
Ranieri quickly looked up at the field!
"Luton's counter-attack is here!!!!!!"
Wrightkinson shouted!
At this moment, Griezmann had already carried the ball past midfield, and Luton's three-pronged attack was in full swing!!
And at this moment, Roma's defensive players in the back... besides the goalkeeper, only two center-backs remained!!
Luton, three against two!!
The piercing boos from the Roma fans echoed throughout the stadium; at this point, that was the only method they had.
However, these piercing boos did not affect Luton's front three!
Griezmann passed the ball to Vardy, then surged forward himself.
Mexes hesitated for a moment, then decided to defend Vardy, who had the ball. But Vardy was waiting for him to come forward to defend, and he immediately threaded a diagonal pass to Griezmann!!
Griezmann carried the ball all the way into the penalty area, and before the other center-back, Andreolli, came up to defend, he crossed the ball to the left!!
Adam on the left was already ready; he pushed it in with the inside of his foot!
Goal!!
One to two!!
Luton took the lead again!!
Ranieri on the sidelines was dumbfounded, and the Roma players were also stunned.
They hadn't expected such a script before the start of the second half...
Look at the Luton players, celebrating wildly in the attacking half; they don't look fatigued at all, do they?
Gao bo leaped up on the sidelines, a triumphant smile on his face.
Unexpected!
Ranieri definitely didn't expect Luton to suddenly have abundant stamina in the second half!!
"A beautiful counter-attack!! Adam White helps Luton take the lead!!"
Wrightkinson's voice came from the television, and the TV screen was replaying Luton's goal. The Luton fans in the pub were also cheering!!
And just then, a desperate chorus of boos came from the television!!!
The screen immediately switched to the live broadcast.
Griezmann was already winding up his right foot inside the penalty area, facing the goalkeeper!
The ball flew past the goalkeeper once again!
One to three.....
Not to mention the Roma fans, even the Luton fans were stunned.
The second half was... quite unexpected!!