Greatest Of All Legends - Chapter 634

Chapter 634: The Match or The Tie? II
After giving a makeshift motivational speech, Pirlo returned to the tactical aspect of the meeting.

“Our plan of attack is the flanks,” Pirlo began.

“Marcelo and Dani have a habit of moving upfield to help with the attack,” Pirlo said, pushing the two magnetic pieces that represented the two players up the field and then pushing the piece that represented Marcelo further back.

“When that happens, Casemiro here usually drops back to help the two center backs with defending,” Pirlo said, referring to the movement of Casemiro’s magnetic piece.

“Sometimes, Sergio Ramos also goes up to join the attack, but this only happens when they’re pressing hard and are looking for a goal,”

“Jason, Kulusevski, I want you guys primed and ready to take advantage of any spaces in our opposition’s defense,”

“Stay ready to burst forward on the counter, and whenever you get the ball, try to move it upfield as soon as possible before they can shut us down,”

“If there’s space down the center, you can try cutting in, but if there isn’t, then try to get a cross into the box,” Pirlo said to Jason and Kulusevski, who nodded affirmatively in response.

“As for the rest of you guys, I want you to stay solid and make interceptions your priority. Don’t commit too early and don’t get too close to Hazard when he’s with the ball,”

“Give him a healthy amount of space and try to push him outside,” Pirlo said, tapping violently and circling the magnetic piece that represented the former Chelsea player.

“When we get the ball, I want the ball moving upfield as soon as possible. Try to get the ball to the two wingers and let them do the running. The rest of you who can get upfield should position yourselves appropriately to receive a pass,”

“Dybala, if any of the wingers cannot cut in and it looks like crossing is his only option, I want you moving to support the winger, while Mckennie will get into the box and play as a striker, giving us an extra advantage in numbers should a cross come in,” Pirlo said, expounding further on the tactics.

“Defenders, do your best to stay solid and try to predict any incoming passes. Our best chance of stopping our opponents is intercepting any dangerous passes before they reach their target, otherwise, we’ll suffer for it,”

“Do you guys understand what I need from you?” Pirlo asked his players, a bit tired after explaining so many things at once.

“Yes coach!” the players responded vibrantly, heating up the mood.

“If everyone does his part well, then we just may be able to coast through this game with a comfortable victory, but if the game gets tough, remind yourself of this. It’s just the first leg, there’s plenty of time to come back… however, don’t let off even if that were the case,” Pirlo said.

The players responded positively to the manager’s words, but now that he was mostly done, the players returned their focus to getting into their sports wear.

Players who would be starting the game put on their full jerseys, but wore a bib over them as they would still be going out to do a pre-match training session before the game to warm up.

As for the players who weren’t in the starting line-up, they put on their jerseys as well, but wore a training vest over it.

With their preparations fully complete, the players began marching out of their locker rooms and out onto the pitch.

As the Uventus players ran out to the pitch to begin their warm-up exercises, Jason glanced around at the stadium that was already more than halfway filled and with more people swarming in and taking their seats.

On the sidelines, Jason saw the all too familiar CBS crew and the Champions League Tonight’s show hosts talking into their mics.

The show seemed to already be in full swing.

After a bit more glancing around, Jason returned his attention to what he was supposed to be doing and began to do warm-up exercises while Ronaldo, who had left their group earlier to have a chat with his former teammates came back after a few minutes.

After doing a few stretches, Jason took up a ball and began to juggle it, checking his reflexes and his coordination, but somewhere between all that, he began to have a little too much fun with the ball, and he began to do a few tricks.

Spotting Ronaldo at the corner of his eye doing a few stretches, he called out,

“Old man, think fast!”

Ronaldo looked up sharply, and what appeared in his view was Jason doing a no-handed backflip and kicking the ball at him while upside down.

Before the words ‘What the fu*k?’ could appear in his head, the ball was already flying at him powerfully while Jason landed on his feet.

Reacting quickly, Ronaldo caught the ball on the side of his foot, causing it to bounce upward while taking most of the power out of it, and then he began juggling.

“So, what do you think?” Jason asked him in English.

“I think that you are crazy,” Ronaldo replied immediately while still juggling the ball, his focus unwavering.

“Not about me, about our opponents… You know, your former teammates,” Jason laughed as he added.

“Oh… well, it will be tough game,” Ronaldo replied, still speaking in English.

“They are good, no, great players, and Madrid is great team,”

“They play beautiful football… but we can win,” Ronaldo said as he kicked the ball back at Jason.

“The match or the tie?” Mckennie asked, having been drawn over into the conversation.

“…” Ronaldo paused and didn’t answer immediately, seeming to be deep in thought.

“Why can’t we win both?” Jason’s question came as a response to Mckennie’s question while Ronaldo remained deep in thought.

“Well, for one, this is the Bernabeu,” Mckennie replied immediately.

“He’s not wrong,” Ronaldo said before Jason could respond.

“When Madrid plays at the Bernabeu, things happen… I used to be a part of it, so I know,”

“But still, who says we can’t win both?” Ronaldo said with a confident smirk.

He wasn’t a fool and knew that games could be tough, but did that mean he would ever back down from a tough opponent?

Not in a thousand years.