The atmosphere in the Chelsea locker room wasn't very good during the halftime break.

The players were very unhappy about conceding a goal in the first half, but that was okay since Chen Hero was the one who scored. What made them even more unhappy was that they launched a fierce counterattack after the goal, but they couldn't break through Liverpool's reserve team's goal.

But they still didn't think it was because the other side had strength. They thought it was a tactical problem of their own.

Although the counterattack at the end of the first half was fierce, it was only relative to before.

They felt it wasn't fierce enough. To be fiercer, they had to press forward across the board and for a long time.

But tactics didn't allow it.

Advocaat demanded that the four defenders on the back line not move.

This meant that the team's offense lacked support and layers.

Chelsea's players felt this was the fundamental problem.

They were fighting Liverpool as if they were wearing shackles on their feet.

There was no way to exert their full strength.

They hoped the manager could adjust the tactics in the second half.

Advocaat could also understand the players' resentment towards this tactic.

Because when he proposed a cautious tactic in preparation for this final, some players expressed dissatisfaction at the time.

Now that they were still conceding goals in the first half in such a cautious situation, it was only natural for the players to react the way they did.

If he didn't agree to change the tactics, he was afraid that he would encounter a lot of resistance in the locker room, which would not be good for future work.

But if he adjusted the tactics... Chelsea would probably be in big trouble—he really didn't dare to underestimate this Liverpool reserve team. It was simple, because he knew his star pupil Chen Hero's ability too well. He had the ability to turn decay into magic. No matter how不堪 (bùkān, unbearable) Liverpool's reserve team was, as long as they had him, they would have the ability to win the championship.

He was in a dilemma.

Advocaat looked around the locker room. Some players were looking at him, waiting for him to give instructions, while others pretended not to look at him, but were actually glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes.

This was a silent pressure.

It seemed that these people were still not very convinced of him...

And they weren't very convinced of Chen Hero either.

It was a good thing to be proud, but it was not a good thing to use this pride on the wrong opponent, whether it was used on himself or against Chen Hero.

He sighed and made a decision.

"In the second half, we'll adjust the tactics."

He could clearly see the changes in the players' expressions after hearing this sentence.

They were full of confidence and thought they could turn defeat into victory in the second half.

Advocaat also hoped so, but reason told him it wouldn't be that simple.

But did he have any other options at this time?

"Since we've already conceded a goal, there's no point in continuing to defend desperately... We'll attack in the second half, press forward and attack, and put enough pressure on their defense..."

Although he knew that pressing forward and attacking wouldn't end well, Advocaat still had to try his best to salvage the situation. Even if there was only one in ten thousand chance, he had to try to expand it to one percent.

So in the following time, he still tried his best to adjust the tactics for the players in the second half, and you couldn't see at all that he was actually forced to do so...

While listening to the boss's arrangement of the offensive tactics for the second half, Chelsea's players thought to themselves: When we defeat Liverpool and win the FA Cup, we must make the boss truly convinced!

How could Advocaat not see the little thoughts revealed in the eyes of Chelsea's players?

How many teams had he coached and how many people had he seen? What thoughts could be hidden from him?

But he didn't expose it. For him, it was useless to say more now. Only when the results were in front of them... no, the results were useless. Only when they truly felt it in the game would they admit it...

※※※

In Liverpool's locker room, the players were very excited, but they didn't show it. At most, they would clench their fists or pinch their thighs to see if they were dreaming.

Liverpool's reserve team was very restrained. They didn't get carried away by a little achievement as others thought they would.

Their minds were very clear.

They had all been losers in cruel competition, unable to enter the first team for one reason or another.

Struggling in the reserve team for many years, unnoticed and unasked for, had taught them to abandon unrealistic fantasies. To put it bluntly, they had more than enough pessimism and lack of confidence.

So it was impossible for them to be complacent just because they were leading by one goal.

This was supposed to be their weakness, but now it had become their strength.

If it were the first team, they might have already started celebrating the championship in advance.

Martin O'Neill looked at the firm expressions in the eyes of this group of reserve team players and nodded in satisfaction in his heart.

Just based on the eyes of these people, he wasn't too worried about the second half.

Of course, he knew that Chelsea would make some adjustments and might even press forward with all their strength.

While giving Liverpool a chance for a big counterattack, it also increased the pressure on Liverpool's defense.

But he believed these people could withstand it.

They had worked hard on defense for the past month. In the scrimmages with the first team, they could even make it difficult for the first team without Chen Hero to score when attacking.

Confidence didn't come out of thin air, but grew slowly through guiding them in training for a month.

※※※

Everyone was talking about the first half during the halftime break. Liverpool was actually leading Chelsea by one goal in the first half, which surprised many people.

Everyone wasn't surprised that Chen Hero scored, but what surprised them was that Liverpool's reserve team's defense really blocked Chelsea's first team's offense. In the second half of the first half, Chelsea's offense was much fiercer than before, but they didn't concede a goal.

"...But this situation will change in the second half. I think Chelsea will definitely make adjustments during the halftime break, and their offense will be even fiercer. Limited by tactics in the first half, their offensive firepower was not fully unleashed. But the second half will be different... So although I admire Liverpool's reserve team's performance in the first half, I don't think they will have such good luck in the second half... They will definitely concede a goal. Then the moment to test Hero will come—to see if he can compete with the entire Chelsea team by himself..."

What this commentator said during the halftime break could represent the views of most people—although they applauded and cheered for Liverpool's reserve team's tenacious performance in the first half, they also rationally felt that Liverpool would not be able to continue this excellent performance. Once Chelsea put more pressure on their defense, then this team would inevitably collapse!

At the beginning of the second half, just as these people thought, Chelsea used the opportunity of the kickoff to launch a tsunami-like offensive against Liverpool's defense.

The formation that was originally four lines was compressed into two lines by Chelsea—one of which was Chen Hero alone...

Under such a strong offensive, Liverpool's counterattack was basically declared suspended.

What surprised everyone next happened little by little...

※※※

"Hulk's shot! Brad Jones—a wonderful save! World-class!!"

Liverpool's reserve team's main goalkeeper, Brad Jones, fell heavily to the ground, but he quickly jumped up from the ground, and then he raised his arms and shouted.

His actions aroused the cheers of the Liverpool fans in the stands.

Just now, he used a difficult save to scoop Hulk's shot out, almost on the goal line!

"Hulk can't believe his eyes... He holds his head in his hands! He must have thought he was going to score this goal... He finally got a chance to shoot in the penalty area, and the football he shot was fast and tricky, but Jones saved it!"

……

"Evans used his body to block Mikel's long shot! Chelsea players signaled to the referee that it was a handball... But the referee saw clearly that Evans didn't handball, he really blocked the football with his chest! Evans's defense is just a microcosm. In fact, all the players in Liverpool's reserve team are defending so desperately. Under Chelsea's fierce offensive, the forty-five minutes of the second half seem so long... Can they last until the end of the game?"

……

"Jay Spearing, as a defensive midfielder in the second half of the game, has been under a lot of pressure, because he is an important member of the central defense. If Chelsea wants to attack strongly from the center, they have to get past him first! Hazard... is really flexible! He got rid of Spearing... No! Spearing chased up, he grabbed Hazard's jersey, but quickly let go, and then he from the side and rear... a——tackle!! A very precise tackle! No foul! You know he has a yellow card! But it seems that this yellow card has not affected his defense at all!"

……

In this way, five minutes passed, Chelsea's offense was like a tide, Liverpool defended in a mess, but the score was still 1:0, Liverpool leading.

Ten minutes passed, Chelsea's offense did not decrease, Liverpool defended in a mess, the score was still 1:0, Liverpool leading by one goal.

Fifteen minutes passed, Chelsea's offensive rhythm slowed down slightly after fifteen minutes of continuous bombardment, the momentum weakened, Liverpool's defense was still a mess, but the score did not change, it was still 1:0, Liverpool leading by one goal.

No matter what the previous process was, the final result was the same. Liverpool was defending in a mess, but they just didn't concede a goal.

If you only look at their embarrassed appearance when defending, many people would think this way: Next time, next time Chelsea attacks, they will definitely not be able to support it and collapse, Chelsea's goal will definitely come in the next attack...

But, next time and next time, how many next times are there, Liverpool just doesn't concede a goal.

Their goal stands tall in the face of Chelsea's offensive frenzy!