After more than 30 minutes of observation, Zhao Zhao discovered that Swansea's players were indeed feeling a bit out of their depth.
The stalemate on the field required players to put in a lot of running and confrontation, which obviously consumed a lot of physical energy.
Swansea players only had two days of rest before traveling to the away game and playing such an intense match, and the consequences of this gradually became apparent on the field.
Why do goals in football matches often concentrate in the final stages of the first and second halves?
This is because when players' physical energy declines, both their technical movements and their concentration levels are far inferior to what they were at the beginning of the match.
At this point, a player's error rate will increase, and if players on either side seize such an opportunity, they might be able to break the deadlock.
Zhao Zhao also noticed that Swansea's two flanks, especially left-back Olsen, were showing clear signs of fatigue.
Modern football places increasingly high demands on full-backs; they are required to defend well and attack effectively, almost demanding that they sprint up and down the entire sideline without stopping.
This has also turned the full-back position into a "consumable position," where player wear and tear is significant, and many people actually dislike playing it.
For example, Bayern's Kimmich or Lucas Hernandez, as well as Barça's Kounde, Araujo, and others, have all explicitly stated that they dislike playing as full-backs.
Today, Swansea as a whole looked tired, and the two full-backs who played a full 90 minutes against Manchester United were so exhausted that their legs seemed unable to lift.
So Zhao Zhao decisively made his first command of the match:
"Pick up the tempo, faster! You guys in the front, press their defenders more fiercely, force them into mistakes!"
The Sunderland players, having had ample rest, were clearly different from their opponents; their physical condition was still excellent!
Upon hearing Zhao Zhao's command, they immediately executed it, and the tempo on the field instantly became faster!
Consequently, Sunderland's offensive gradually began to build.
Swansea immediately felt the pressure, and the momentum on the field began to shift towards Sunderland.
Then, Swansea Coach Clement also unconsciously walked to the sideline.
He, too, started to feel nervous!
He found that when these Sunderland players truly started to sprint, this high-pressing was almost suffocating!
They counter-pressed immediately after losing the ball, and counter-attacked as soon as they won it back, playing at a lightning-fast tempo.
Under such a fast tempo, his players seemed to be struggling to keep up, frequently losing possession.
Clement couldn't help but glance at Zhao Zhao, who was also standing in the Coach's technical area.
"So, for the first 30 minutes of the match, he was just toying with me? Only now is he truly starting to exert himself?"
But before Clement could figure out how to respond, Swansea's passive situation on the field had already yielded a negative outcome.
In the 38th minute, Sunderland broke through Swansea's goal first!
This came from a dribble by Tunisia right winger Khazri, who used his speed to forcefully break through Swansea left-back Olsen's defense, rushed to the right side of the penalty area by the byline, and then crossed the ball in front of the goal.
Defoe, who had followed up quickly in the center, took a step ahead and got his foot to the ball before the opposing center-back Mawson, sending it into the goal guarded by Lukasz Fabianski.
1-0, Sunderland took the lead at home!
"Beautiful!" James Jun roared.
"Sunderland have scored! The goal for Sunderland is once again by the England homegrown striker Defoe!"
"His movement is very active and nimble, and his speed is also very fast; he appeared precisely in the most dangerous area inside the box!"
"Defoe did not play in the previous match against Chelsea, and he still did not play in the match before that against Leicester City."
"After getting sufficient rest, it seems Defoe was really itching to play today! His form doesn't seem to have been affected at all; instead, it has exploded!"
"Of course, half the credit for this goal must also go to winger Khazri! His sharp breakthrough on the right wing successfully earned him an assist!"
"Looking at the slow-motion replay, Khazri's speed is too fast! Olsen hadn't even had time to turn before he was left five meters behind!"
At this point, Zhang Lu also said, "This goal, it also shows the physical gap between the two sides."
"As the first half is nearing its end, Sunderland can still speed up under Coach Zhao Zhao's command, while Swansea clearly struggles to keep up."
"Now perhaps we can see the wisdom in Zhao Zhao's decision to forgo the previous match."
"An away game against Chelsea is obviously very difficult to win, whereas a home game against Swansea, especially a tired Swansea, clearly offers a greater chance of success."
"For a small team with limited personnel, under such a dense schedule, it is essential to make choices to maximize the team's interests!"
James Jun chuckled, "Coach Zhao Zhao is, after all, our fellow Chinese; he plays this 'Tian Ji's Horse Racing' strategy brilliantly."
"Of course, specifically for this match, Zhao Zhao is still performing consistently as usual."
"Although from my feeling, he seems less composed today than in the previous few matches, his on-the-spot command is still very strong."
"It's clear that Sunderland's tactic today was to first wear down the opponent, and once Swansea's physical energy started to decline, Coach Zhao would wave his flag, ordering the team to full speed ahead!"
"Indeed, Sunderland scored first. Zhao Zhao's command has once again proven effective!"
"Director Zhang, do you know that among our Chinese fans, Coach Zhao Zhao already has a new nickname: Zhao Liying."
Zhang Lu: "Ah? Zhao Liying? Isn't she an actress? What does she have to do with Coach Zhao?"
James Jun burst out laughing: "Our Chinese fans believe that Coach Zhao's on-the-spot commands always have an immediate effect, so they shorten it to Zhao Liying."
Zhang Lu also smiled wryly: "So that's what a Zhao Liying is? Fans are truly talented, hehe."
"But speaking of which, if the entire Premier League season is likened to a war, Zhao Zhao's control over this war can be said to be top-tier. He dares to fight and also has the courage to abandon local battles with high casualties!"
"Coupled with his specific command of each battle, it can be said that Zhao Zhao is truly an exceptional commander! …"
At this moment on the field, after a simple celebration with hugs, the Sunderland players quickly returned to their own half.
This was because their "commander" Zhao Zhao was actually urging them to return to their positions, preparing for a new round of attack!
Because Swansea's physical energy had plummeted, and having conceded a goal, their morale was certainly unstable; now was the time to press the advantage and give the opponent no chance to breathe!
This was Zhao Zhao's tactical philosophy today:
Strike while they're down, finish them off!