736 St. Georges World Cup (1/2)

A day had passed since the game. It was possible that the Spanish fans were unwilling to accept the fact that as the predicted champions, they were knocked out by England's most incapable shooter.

This game boosted George Wood's fame in world football. Even pseudo-fans now knew his name.

After the game against Spain, George Wood passed the urine test without any problems. He was then named the most valuable player on the spot. FIFA's official website comments on him were, ”Impeccable defense and game attitude, last-minute elimination of the favorite Spain, and embodies the full value of a central midfielder.”

Motson's new nickname for Wood was also widely spread along with the goal. England fans had a new moniker for George Wood, St. George. After the game, on England's streets, public squares, echoed the sound of, ”St. George protects England!”

The English media said that George Wood's stunning shot was perfectly comparable to David Pratt's last-minute shot against Belgium in the quarter-finals of the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Pratt's goal saved England and helped the team reach the top eight. Two decades later, George Wood's screamer helped the team reach the top four.

Fàbregas looked frustrated after the game. In an interview, he still praised George Wood's performance. ”I tried to intercept the ball, but he was too fast. Maybe I should have fouled earlier, but that's football. A second of hesitation cost us the game. He did well and deserved to win the game. I wish him good luck.”

Capello rarely praised a player individually, but this rule did not apply to George Wood. He was very emotional after the game and took the initiative to mention Wood to the media. ”He's a great player, and I'm happy to have one of those players on the team. Yes, he played beautifully, but what I valued most was his performance in the 119th minute before the goal. It was perfect. He completely contained Xavi and Fàbregas, and not losing the ball was the best affirmation of his efforts.”

Bosque was calm after the World Cup loss. When he was asked about George Wood, he replied, ”Capello's three fullbacks were successful, but without George Wood, the three fullbacks were not as strong as people think. He is the core of the midfield defense. Yes, I think he is the best defensive midfielder in world football in recent years. Maybe in a few years, I'll have to get rid of the 'defensive' aspect. That was a beautiful goal. I have nothing to say after being beaten by a goal like that.”

Twain, who trained George Wood, was also the subject of media pursuit after the game. He was not surprised at Wood's success. ”I knew he would succeed. If Eriksson had been as clever as Capello, England might have gone further in Germany. If McClaren had a clearer head, England wouldn't have had to be spectators in the summer of 2008. You see, anyone who looked down on Wood had a miserable ending. Do you think Nottingham Forest's two European Champions Cups and one league title in two years were due to luck? What is there we can't achieve with St. George?”

At this point, Twain laughed with pride. He liked Motson's new nickname for Wood in the live stream. It was a lot better than ”monster,””artificial man,” and ”future soldier.”

Many people complimented George Wood, but what did he think of himself? ”I'm happy to get into the top four. I'm just playing as I usually do.” He said he was glad, but there was no obvious smile on his face.

The reporter who interviewed him said, ”If he's just playing normally, I really want to see what his extraordinary play looks like.”

In short, George Wood had established himself as a god in the football world.

From before the World Cup began, all the way to the group stage. The English media was still trying to debate whether Lampard and Gerrard or George Wood and Gerrard should start. There were people who supported Lampard, but there were people who supported George Wood. Capello's arrival did little to solve England's ”double German.” On the contrary, the issue was exacerbated.

Now, all the arguments disappeared overnight. Some media even said, ”Capello should not think about whether George Wood or Lampard should start, but instead who should start with George Wood?”

It seemed like St George's World Cup journey was just beginning, but he still had time to write his own legend. Thanks to Wood's excellent display, England's fans were even starting to look forward to the finals and him lifting the Champions Cup.

”Since 1966, we have never gotten close to that trophy. Every World Cup, we say we're the strongest English team in history, but are we in reality? This World Cup may have a different ending. Capello is a coach who prioritizes defense. In the World Series, defending means champion and victory. Now with St. George, we have the power to dream big!”

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But, St. George's World Cup trip ended. In the semi-finals, they encountered the Italian team led by Silver Fox Lippi.

It was a contest between the two Italian coaches and a direct conflict between a conservative person and another who was even more conservative. In the end, Italy's reinforced concrete chain-link defense beat England. In the face of Italy's shrinking defense, England lacked the means to break the deadlock. Revealing their weakness in the lack of a deciding midfielder, Gerrard and Lampard both acted more like scoring midfielders and were slightly inferior in passing.

On the Italian side, Pirlo sorted the team's midfield in a well-organized way. Threatening England's goal with a defensive counterattack kept England from full-out attacking.

In the end, the game was dragged into a penalty shoot-out. In fact, England was exhausted by the time they entered the overtime period. Playing 120 minutes against Spain consumed too much energy. Now, they had played another 120 minutes against Italy. With that in mind, the mindsets of England's players began to collapse.

Only George Wood and Gerrard were exceptions. They were both still running tirelessly in the hope of breaking the deadlock for the team. Wood wanted to repeat history by scoring from the back. In fact, in the last minute of the game, England's fans and the media all wanted that. But, their opponent this time was not Spain, which did not guard its midfield. It was the defending footballer's forerunner, Italy.

George Wood was focused on the defense, and the Italian players were more willing to foul early. They would not give Wood a chance to step in. There were times when Wood rushed to shoot, but it was way off. Despite England fans shouting, ”May St. George bless England,” St. George had no energy left. He could no longer watch over England.

The game was dragged into a penalty shoot-out. The England players had completely lost their confidence, even though it was not the first time they had fallen in penalty. During a penalty shoot-out, almost everyone would have an inexplicable psychological shadow.

George Wood was not put on Capello's penalty list. Although his psychological state was good, his shooting skills were really not reassuring.

The result was indisputable. The world's best goalkeeper, Buffon, who dived and blocked a penalty shot, ”frightened” away another penalty shot. The Italian side made four penalties. England's fifth man did not even play before the game was over.