Chapter 64: Losers Cup

　　 Dundee United eliminated the Paks village team from Hungary and successfully advanced to the UEFA Europa League qualifier play-offs this season.
　　 According to the previous lottery, Dundee United’s opponent is the loser of the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualifying round between Benfica and Turkey’s Trabzonspor.
　　 To be honest, this lottery is not good. Both teams are participating in the Champions League level. No one is easy to mess with.
Especially Benfica, which is almost capable of reaching the knockout rounds in the Champions League every year. Even if it falls to the level of the Europa League, it is a strong contender for the championship. Last season, Benfica reached the Europa League semi-finals before being in the civil war. Lost to opponents in the same league.
　　 Even if it is the Turkish team Trabzonspor, it was also the second place in the Turkish Super League last season. It is absolutely strong.
　　 In fact, after Dundee United's 4-0 victory in the first round, the Scottish media is considering a play-off opponent for Dundee United.
　　 The media agreed that if Benfica loses and falls, Dundee United will be basically cool. If Trabzonspor sports falls, Dundee United still has a chance, but the chance is definitely smaller than the opponent.
　　 In fact, Li Chenglong still quite agrees with this statement, mainly because the current problems within Dundee United have not been resolved.
If Dundee United can handle the problems of team integration after the personnel change, then Lee Chenglong feels that even if it encounters Benfica, Dundee United can still fight the opponent, but now the team is still in pain. Really can't even do Trabzonspor sports.
　　 The UEFA Champions League matches are played earlier than the UEFA Europa League, so when Dundee United went to Hungary to play, the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualifiers had all ended.
　　 The stronger Benfica easily eliminated Trabzonspor with a score of 3:1, so Dundee United’s opponent in the qualifying play-offs was the Turkish team.
It is worth mentioning that this season's only Champions League team Wanderers in the Soviet Premier League, they lost 1:2 to the Swedish team Malmo in the third round of the UEFA Champions League qualification, and also fell to participate in the Europa League. Play-offs.
So currently there are three teams participating in the UEFA Europa League play-offs. According to the previous draw, Dundee United will play against Trabzonspor in the Turkish League, the Celtics will play against Sion in the Swiss League, and the Glasgow Rangers will play. Maribor in the Slovenian League.
　　 In the three-group duel, Dundee United is at a small disadvantage, and the Rangers are a 50-50 situation. After all, the opposite is the Slovenian League Banba team, and the Celtics are the only strong match.
"As long as the Celtics succeed in qualifying without accident, the Rangers and Dundee United can score in the Europa League main match, then the Soviet Super League should continue to maintain two Champions League places should be no problem. "The Scottish media is again calculating the ranking of the European War.
Last season, thanks to the efforts of the Rangers, the Scottish League barely overwhelmed the Swiss League, allowing the champions and runners-up of the Soviet Premier League this season to participate in the Champions League next season. However, because the lead is very small, if this season's European War points are again Overtake, then the Su Super League will become only champions to qualify for the Champions League next season.
　　 And very coincidentally, the Celtics actually ran into the Swiss team Sion directly in the play-offs, so the Celtics defeated the other party not only to advance on their own, but also to make the Swiss League one less team enter the European Championship.
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　　 After going to Hungary to play away games, Dundee United will have to rush back to Scotland non-stop to participate in the weekend league.
　　 As far as the current situation is concerned, the level of attention of the Europa League is really not very high. Many teams come to participate in the Europa League as a formality. Among them, Premier League teams and Serie A teams are more typical.
However, Italians are the most poisonous. They only pay attention to the Europa League when they are called the "Little World Cup". After the light of the "Little World Cup" fades, the Italians not only do not pay attention to the Europa League, but also take the Europa League. One of the ugly names of China has been carried forward-Losers Cup.
As early as the era of the three major cups, Beckenbauer said that the Europa League was a loser's cup, but at that time, Beckenbauer said this on the premise that all domestic league champions are going to participate in the Champions League and cup champions. To participate in the Cup Winners' Cup, only those losers who are second and third in the league will participate in the Europa League.
　　 However, this title was not carried forward in the early days. After all, there were few places in the European war in that era, and every European championship was very gold.
Later, after the restructuring of the European War, the number of places in the European War was no longer so strict, and the gold content of the Europa League was also seriously reduced. At this time, the Serie A team not only did not pay attention to the Europa League, but also found a good reason, because it was a failure. The cup.
　　The third place in the group stage of the Champions League is to fall to participate in the Europa League knockout round, which means that you can no longer participate in the most watched Champions League knockout round. What is it that is not a loser?
　　 Losers go to participate, naturally it is the Loser Cup.
　　 Of course, the Europa League is unwelcome. It is caused by a combination of various reasons, and one of the bigger ones is the competition every Thursday.
　　 The UEFA Champions League matches are scheduled every Tuesday or Wednesday night, but all UEFA Europa League matches are scheduled on Thursday, which will make the participating teams very rush.
Only played in a distant foreign away game on Thursday night, and had to rush back to China non-stop to participate in the league on Saturday or Sunday. Not only did the team have no time to prepare for the league, but it was also very easy to run around. Affect the state of the team.
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　　 On August 6, Saturday, the third round of the Soviet Premier League, two days after the Europa League match, Dundee United met the challenge of St Mirren at home.
The Dundee United Club originally thought that Hungary’s away game was just a formality and would not waste too much energy, so it didn’t apply to postpone the game until Sunday. After all, if you get into the Europa League main match, in the future There may be more games to be postponed until Sunday.
　　 But after a lap in Hungary, the team's state was still affected.
　　 On the main scene, Dundee United has been unable to start the situation against the relegation professional St Mirren who has not improved much in strength.
And in this game Peter Houston promoted people from the youth team to adjust the lineup. On the front line, the youth team forwards Ryan Dang and Joan Daley started as partners, and the starting right back also became a youth. The team's promotion of newcomer Keith Watson, the team's cooperation has also been affected to a certain extent.
This is the case with a small team like Dundee United. Every season, the transfer is stuck to death. In most cases, the head coach will go to the youth team to pick and choose. If there is suitable, you can use it. There is no way.
　　 In the first half, the two teams met with a goalless draw. Ryan, who was promoted by the youth team, was not necessarily better than Russell when his performance was not necessarily better. During the intermission, he replaced Vardy.
　　 Peter Houston does not seem to believe in a forward from a regional league, and has always been very cautious about using Vardy.
　　 Keith Watson was far from satisfactory. At least he didn't make any mistakes in the first half, but Lee Chenglong didn't get much help from the full-back.
　　 In the 64th minute, Conway made a free kick in the frontcourt. The position was good, but it was a bit too close to the penalty area.
　　 In such a position, Li Chenglong pulled out a standard arc and spind the ball into the upper right corner of the goal.
　　 "Bruce Lee scored another wonderful free kick, helping Dundee United to break the deadlock."
　　 "Since the beginning of the new season, the overall state of Dundee United has not been very good, but fortunately, Lee's state is very good. He used consecutive goals and assists to push Dundee United forward."
　　 Lee Chenglong's goal helped the team break the deadlock and also disintegrated St Mirren's defense. So in the 79th minute, Joan Daley received a pass from the Moon brother and went back to help Dundee United secure the victory.
　　 In the end, Dundee United won St Mirren 2:0 at home and avoided a rollover at home.