Football: My AI System Provides Max-Level Predictions-Chapter 209 - 179: The First Team Coaching Staff is Stunned! Why Did He Run to That Position?

Chapter 209: Chapter 179: The First Team Coaching Staff is Stunned! Why Did He Run to That Position?

Tonight at Anfield, no miracles!

This was the attention-grabbing headline on the front page after the match in the Milan Sports Daily.

Liverpool led Inter Milan 2:0 in the first half, making the Italian media anxious.

Is it possible that Inter Milan, the lone Serie A representative in the UEFA Europa League, will really fall at Anfield?

At this moment, the scene of Liverpool coming back with three goals to defeat AC Milan in Istanbul in 2005, a nightmare-like scenario, echoed again in the minds of every fan supporting Inter Milan and Italian football.

Many Italian journalists who came to watch at Anfield already had sweaty palms!

The scene from 10 years ago, is the nightmare about to repeat?

But unexpectedly, Inter Milan showed a completely different attitude at the start of the second half.

Inter Milan’s gamble paid off!

Tang Long’s zero-angle header was impressive!

The precision in timing and his resolve at that moment completely shattered Liverpool’s psychological defenses.

When this goal was scored, Liverpool was out of the picture.

"Inter Milan needs a hero to step up at this moment!"

"If someone must be chosen, it can only be Tang!"

"Tonight, Tang did not play the role of a behind-the-scenes attack planner, he did not even provide an assist."

"Instead, he rushed into the penalty area, using his not-so-adept header, to accomplish a team redemption!"

"He pulled Inter Milan back from one foot already stepped into the abyss!"

"Inter can do without anyone right now, but they absolutely cannot do without Tang Long!"

"He is not a player who is good at scoring, but when the team desperately needs a goal, he can always be the first to stand out!"

On the night after the match.

On the flight heading to Milan with Inter Milan, the praise for Tang Long had already spread overwhelmingly.

...

After a day of rest.

Inter Milan started training on Friday morning local time in Italy.

According to custom, at 8 o’clock sharp in the morning, all Inter Milan first-team players and coaches arrived at the meeting room on time to conduct the review of this UEFA Europa League semi-final second leg.

Having won the match and advanced to the UEFA Europa League final, everyone’s mood was great.

The whole meeting room was filled with laughter and joy.

But Mancini’s brow slightly furrowed.

He felt a pang of confusion!

What perplexed him was not why Inter Milan scored in the second half, but Tang Long’s goal or perhaps the way Tang Long scored.

The start of the review meeting was somewhat unconventional.

Assistant coach Herrera was interrupted by Mancini before he could speak!

"Herrera, tell me carefully, how exactly is our team’s wing crossing tactic deployed?" Mancini asked.

Herrera answered truthfully:

"In our positional play wing crossing, we generally aim for the near post, especially considering Icardi’s position."

"Icardi is very good at getting the near post because his height is not advantageous, especially compared to the tall Premier League center-backs."

"However, his footwork speed is decent, and his core strength is strong, so he habitually grabs the near post, and crossers are instructed accordingly."

"Then why did Gualin cross the ball to the far post?" Mancini asked.

"Um, that’s probably because he didn’t cross well. Gualin’s preferred foot is his right, and he rarely sprints to the wing to cross, after all, he is a defensive midfielder." Herrera said.

"Well, that’s odd." Mancini tapped the table with his knuckles and leaned back in the chair, "Why would Tang Long be at the far post?"

Faced with Mancini’s persistent questioning, Herrera was also puzzled.

"Boss, honestly, I haven’t figured out this issue either."

"Logically, when a wide player crosses the ball, regardless of whether he aims for the near post, middle, or far post, he should rush into the box, right?"

"But Tang Long? He kept retreating, almost to the inner right penalty box line position."

"What player grabs a point there, I don’t get it either." Herrera scratched his head, clearly at a loss.

Mancini watched Herrera’s puzzled expression, it seemed this guy truly didn’t know.

He wondered if perhaps the set-piece coach, Bisik, had specific instructions.

After all, although the goal was from positional play, the cross and header, in past trainings, set-piece coach Bisik had more instructions for the players.

Mancini turned to look at Bisik, "Bisik! What’s your take?"

Where did Bisik figure it out, Tang Long was able to predict due to AI system’s prompting and preemptively position himself so accurately.

Although this guy was specifically invited from England to be Inter Milan’s set-piece coach, his relationship was quite complicated.

He was Mazzari’s brother-in-law, a relationship hire, and had joined Inter purely thanks to his brother-in-law’s influence.

Now, the brother-in-law Mazzari has long gone.

Bisik, who lost his support, lives every day in fear.

Afraid that the management, in a foul mood someday, will kick him out.

Bisik was somewhat nervous, with sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"I’ve never worked with Tang alone like this, boss."

"Tang isn’t good at headers. Generally, in my set-piece arrangements, he won’t appear in the penalty area; he usually stands at the top of the arc."

Bisik stammeringly, mixing English with Italian, nervously explained to Mancini.

"Oh, well, that’s odd then."

Mancini touched his chin, lost in thought.

The only explanation could be that Mancini thought Tang Long had already determined at the moment of Gualin’s cross that the not-very-successful, rather absurd cross would not fall at the near post or the center of the penalty area but rather at the far post.

And, exaggeratedly close to the right side of the penalty box line.

But this explanation also made Mancini feel a bit unreasonable!

After that night’s game ended, Mancini repeatedly watched the replay of this ball.

Through wide-angle comparison, almost at the moment Gualin touched the ball, before it even went out, Tang Long abruptly moved from the middle towards a very deep position at the far post.

According to assistant Herrera’s explanation, Gualin pulled out a somewhat absurd and unsuccessful cross with his non-dominant left foot, so how did Tang Long predict where this absurd cross would fly precisely at that moment?

This is simply a paradox.

Can’t understand, really can’t understand!

Mancini was too lazy to think much, simply skipping this segment, and began studying with the team for the upcoming Serie A Round 36 match against Palermo.

Time is tight; just two days later, on Sunday night local time, Inter Milan will face Palermo.

Don’t underestimate Palermo, although they’re a relegation team, they just defeated Napoli in the last round.

In the latter part of Serie A, relegation teams always have endless strength and power.

Inter Milan must not underestimate them and can’t make the same mistake as Napoli, otherwise, the point tie situation between them and Napoli would immediately be wiped out.

Right in the conference room, as the coaching staff couldn’t figure out Tang Long’s header.

Inter Milan players who arrived early at the training ground were more concerned with how Tang Long managed to lob the ball with a header into the goal guarded by Premier League top goalkeeper Mignolet at a zero angle.

The most curious was the third goalkeeper named Berni.

This bald guy has been mingling in Italian Third Division, Serie B, and Serie A for over 10 years.

Whether on the training ground or in official matches, he’s never seen anyone capable of scoring from such an acute angle with a header.

"Tang, quickly tell me, did you just get lucky?"

"Of course, it wasn’t luck. I had already seen Miliolai’s positioning; he was standing too far forward, so I lobbed it towards the far post." Tang Long said with a smile.

"Not luck? Why don’t you try it again, oh no, with a header, let’s give it a shot."

Once again, it was Gualin playing the role of the left-wing cross.

However, since this was training, unlike an official match with Liverpool players closing in.

Gualin didn’t sprint long-distance, so even using his preferred left foot, the accuracy was decent, almost replicating the landing point from the last game.

And Tang Long, imitating his showdown with Miliolai, tried to head the ball to Berni’s right-hand side, which was the opposite direction to the back post of the goal.

But without exception, Berni steadily caught the ball high in the air.

Tang Long tried 10 times but never scored once.

"Haha, you said you weren’t lucky; I think you were just lucky." Berni started mocking Tang Long.

Gualin teased on the side:

"Such miracle goals are naturally reserved for official matches. If used during training, they won’t be effective in the matches."

Actually, all these professional players of Inter Milan are very clear.

Tang Long scored continuously from overhead lobs just now during training—he definitely couldn’t score!

Because Berni already knew in advance that Tang Long intended to lob him to the far post.

This kind of high floating header, the ball speed is not fast, primarily aims for an element of surprise.

After all, at that time, Miliolai didn’t know Tang Long would directly aim for a lob.

Usually, players either stop the ball to make preparations or head the ball back into the middle of the penalty box for relay, which are more reasonable choices.

Tang Long’s header accuracy isn’t that high, only at 79.

The reason he managed to score such a miraculous zero-angle header lob was because he had already predicted the ball’s landing spot in advance, giving him ample time to adjust his body posture, thus aiming for the far post as much as possible when heading the ball;

more importantly, it was the element of surprise!

The goalkeeper couldn’t expect it, yet he did.

All of this is non-existent during routine training.