The Rise of Millwal

Chapter 202: The Beginning of a Legend

The Parc des Princes in Paris was packed, the atmosphere buzzing with excitement and energy.

In the away team's locker room, the Millwall players sat on the bench, poised and alert, each of them sitting up straight, their spirits high. Their gazes were fixed on Aldrich, waiting for a final pre-match motivational speech.

Aldrich stood by the door, hands in his pockets. The youthful commander, usually calm and composed, finally showed a change in expression, softening into a faint smile.

"About three years ago, most of you joined the team around this time: David, Henrik, Pavel, Claude, Michael, Gareth, Bernd, Hans. The rest of you came in two years ago. You might not know what I told those veterans back then, but I will repeat it: your opponents are Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool—clubs renowned across Europe. Three years have passed, and we have conquered England. We've faced off against the traditional English powerhouses multiple times, and they are not to be feared; we've proven through hard work that we are stronger than them! But this is not our destination. Today, I want to tell all of you something new: where do we set our limits? Is it the European Cup Winners' Cup? No. Our limit is not merely trophies; it's history. We want to leave a glorious mark in the history of football. On our road forward, we will encounter a team like Paris Saint-Germain, which has reached the Champions League semifinals for five consecutive years, and in the future, we may meet AC Milan, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or other strong teams. But our goal is not just to defeat them; it cannot be that simple. Beating a certain opponent does not mean we can stop. We must keep winning until the moment you can no longer play, and then we'll look back together at how many classic moments we created on this journey, for others to admire. I believe we can do this. What about you?"

The three captains of the team roared in unison, "Yes!"

Aldrich pulled his left hand from his pocket, opened the locker room door, and smiled softly. "Wild Lions, charge! The outside world is your stage; enjoy the match. Make the world recognize you, treat every game as part of your legend. Maintain this mindset forever, forever, forever—never settle!"

*Clap!*

*Clap!*

*Clap!*

...

Each steadfast player exchanged a high-five with Aldrich as they exited the locker room.

Aldrich closed his eyes and savored the moment; excitement and enjoyment filled his heart for today's match. His promises to the players were constantly being fulfilled.

They had ascended to the Premier League, challenging the giants, and now they stood on the European stage, the spotlight of all Europe upon them!

While previous matches in the European Cup Winners' Cup felt like scrimmages, the semifinals were different.

The two semifinal matchups featured powerhouses clashing sternly: Barcelona from La Liga and Fiorentina from Serie A.

Millwall, the newly crowned Premier League champions, faced off against Paris Saint-Germain, last year's Ligue 1 runners-up and the reigning champions of the European Cup Winners' Cup.

As they reached the semifinals, the significance of the European Cup Winners' Cup surged to unprecedented heights.

Today's clash with Paris Saint-Germain represented Millwall's formal debut on the grand European stage. Previous knockout matches had seen them simply overpowering minor teams, with little to brag about.

As the players stepped onto the field, Aldrich was the last to emerge from the players' tunnel. When he saw the shimmering lights of the stadium, he tilted his head back, surveying the pitch, mirroring the action he took when he first stood at Anfield.

Luis Fernandez, the home team coach, approached him. They had become acquainted last summer in Auxerre when they shared insights on football, yet their relationship remained more professional than personal. It wasn't like Fernandez's connection with Wenger, Fernandez's would sell Anelka to Wenger for a mere ￡500,000.

"Aldrich, I didn't expect to run into you here," Fernandez greeted, a smile on his face as he warmly shook Aldrich's hand.

Aldrich shrugged and replied with a laugh, "I didn't expect it either; I thought we'd meet again in the Netherlands."

Fernandez laughed heartily, "But God only allowed one of us to go to Rotterdam."

"Then I can't wish you good luck today."

"Wish me luck!"

"Ha ha ha."

After their exchange, Aldrich walked to the away team's bench. His expression changed as he gazed sternly at the field, eyes flaring with competitive spirit.

"The first leg of the 1996-1997 European Cup Winners' Cup semifinal is about to kick off at the Parc des Princes. The defending champions, Paris Saint-Germain, clearly have an advantage over Millwall, who are making their European debut. However, PSG still have to balance their focus on the league, as they currently sit second. Meanwhile, Millwall clinched the Premier League title five rounds early just four days ago. Many may not be familiar with Millwall; if you didn't follow English football a year ago, you might not have even heard their name. Yet they are indeed a strong side, having set an 18-game winning streak and remaining undefeated for 31 league matches. Perhaps many will find it hard to believe that the force driving this team from obscurity to the European stage is their young head coach, Aldrich Hall, who is about to turn 21."

The commentator took their time introducing Aldrich, as he had set several unprecedented records. His age alone made his presence on the touchline a striking record.

As the match was about to start, the commentator introduced both starting lineups.

PSG set up in a 4-4-2 formation:

- **Goalkeeper**: Lama.

- **Defenders**: Fournier, Ngoti, Legrange, Domi.

- **Midfielders**: Geylan, Leroy, Koe, Raí.

- **Forwards**: Loko, Leonardo.

From the setup, PSG's midfield formed a large diamond: holding midfielder Geylan paired with attacking midfielder Raí, with Koe and Leroy on the left and right flanks respectively.

The use of two forwards up front wasn't surprising, but their four-defender setup differed from the parallel positioning; center-back Ngoti played higher up while Legrange stayed back—one intercepting and the other disrupting, clearly a strategy against Millwall's strength in threading through balls.

Millwall's starting lineup had only two changes:

- **Goalkeeper**: Butte.

- **Defenders**: Schneider, Elguera, Southgate, Capdevila.

- **Midfielders**: Makelele, Ballack, Nedved.

- **Forwards**: Larsson, Trezeguet, Shevchenko.

After Stam's showdown with Aldridge, Aldridge made it clear to him: "Since you decided to leave, I need to prepare your successor for the team. Therefore, for the rest of the season, Unless we face a shortage of players, you will be left out of the squad."

Although Stam felt some dissatisfaction, he knew he had chosen to leave. Millwall was a young team, and he should understand how much it would hurt to lose a key center-back. Aldrich's actions were reasonable, as they were preparing for the future.

They both agreed to give some ground; Aldrich wouldn't stop Stam's transfer, and Stam just had to wait for the transfer window to open.

Thus Aldrich chose to promote Elguera, officially partnering him with Southgate. By seniority, Materazzi would have been next in line, but since Materazzi was still a bit rash on the pitch, Aldrich opted for the calm Spaniard who had shown rapid improvement over the past two years. Besides, Materazzi would still see plenty of playing time, and he understood the decision—it was clear he wasn't the type to cause a fuss. Everyone could see where their strengths lay; it wasn't as if the head coach was making choices based on preference. If that were the case, Materazzi would undoubtedly be the first pick.

As for Pirlo, given it was a European away match, Aldrich naturally opted for a stronger defense first, making Ballack's start a sensible choice.

The referee blew the whistle to start the first half, and the much-anticipated clash quickly unfolded.

Paris Saint-Germain burst onto the scene with a lightning attack, their players revved up like fully charged engines. In the offensive zone, Raí received the ball and cleverly deceived Ballack with his footwork, getting past him. But as he tried to move past another midfielder, the suddenly appearing Makelele made a precise tackle to win the ball.

Ballack glanced warily at the thirty-something veteran Raí, Socrates' brother, a Brazilian, whose footwork was delicate. He had been easily outmaneuvered.

Aldrich didn't mind that Ballack had been beaten.

Millwall had been invincible in the Premier League, but now faced a radically different style on the European stage. The young players needed to adapt and open their eyes.

French football is one of the representatives of the European Latin school; since the era of Platini, they established a Latin style, which has long been a tradition in their league. Their football style is intricate and elegant, combining rapid attacking and cutting combinations—free-spirited yet crafty.

However, this football style tends to over-rely on star players, needing exceptionally skilled playmakers to tear through defensive lines. Aldrich firmly believed that, after a period of adaptation, his team's robust and straightforward team football had every reason not to lose to their opponents. What they lacked was experience—the heart in big matches, which they absolutely possessed!

Paris Saint-Germain's offense was aggressive, but their dominance didn't translate into goals.

Like many teams Millwall had encountered, PSG's formation was very reasonable during their attacks, but often attacking players would get into position too early, causing them to become stationary. By the time the ball reached their feet, defenders were tightly marking them, leading to a reliance on individual skills to create openings.

Millwall's defensive structure was likewise well-organized; Trezeguet dropped back to disrupt near PSG's holding midfielder, while Larsson and Shevchenko fell back halfway to break up the opposition's wide play. Nedved roamed, working with Ballack to outnumber Raí in midfield. If Raí chose to take on a defender, Makelele would certainly not give him a second chance.

After ten minutes, PSG's pressure eased as they began to slow the tempo, attempting to wear down their opponents' patience through passing and movement.

It was precisely this shift in rhythm that caused Millwall's players to instinctively push forward, leaving gaps in the backline.

Legrange cleared the ball from the back, which landed at Leroy's feet. He made a forward pass to Raí, who received it with his back to goal and lightly redirected the ball away from Makelele, allowing the ball to roll past him. Leonardo, who had dropped back, took possession, made a lateral step, and rapidly changed direction. Southgate stayed calm, lowering his center of gravity to pressure the opponent's space.

Suddenly stopping with the ball, Leonardo found an opening and sent a pass through Southgate's legs, reaching Loko, who made a rapid stop and then accelerated away from Elguera, receiving the pass from Leonardo. With barely a turn, he shot at goal with a clean strike.

The shot was taken suddenly—without stopping the ball or turning to face it head-on. Butte guarded the near post but soon realized the ball was headed for the far corner. He quickly dove to intercept but couldn't get a fingertip on it, watching helplessly as the ball struck the inner side of the far post and bounced into the goal.

"Sixteen minutes in, Paris Saint-Germain has scored! The goal comes from Loko, who combined splendidly with Leonardo. Raí exquisite pass and Leonardo's through-ball assist led to Loko's deft finish at the far post. What a delightful combination! Paris Saint-Germain has taken a crucial step towards defending their title!"

After conceding, Aldrich called Ballack over and calmly said, "Don't put pressure on yourself; just play your game. Today, you need to drop back a bit deeper to cover our penalty area, then relay that to Pavel; he knows what to do."

Ballack nodded and returned to the pitch to relay the plan to Nedved, who immediately understood.

Aldrich had overlooked one point.

The Latin players in Paris Saint-Germain possessed exceptional individual skills, with their ability to create opportunities in one-on-one situations being stronger than the teams they faced before. Thus, merely restricting Raí would not suffice. If the two forwards targeted Southgate and Elguera in a 2-on-2 situation, Millwall might find themselves in significant trouble. While not every attempt would be successful, two or three chances capitalized during a match could spell disaster.