Chapter 108: Chapter 107: This is Sudden (Seeking Monthly Votes)
Maxa then substituted Marcelino with Wu Xudong.
Putting a right-back in the right wing position was undoubtedly a signal to strengthen the defense.
Because just moments ago, Maxa had received some astonishing news.
That was... Benfica had taken the lead in their match against Guimarães!
If the game were to end at this very moment.
Then...
In the 81st minute.
Oganesyan and Igor coordinated continuously in the middle of the field.
Igor was not bad at dribbling, and he created a very favorable free-kick during his breakthrough.
Igor took the free-kick himself.
Bang!
The football soared over the wall with great quality.
Clang!
Unfortunately, it was just short of luck.
The football struck the crossbar and then bounced downward.
Pilar reacted quite swiftly, immediately raising his right hand to deflect the football.
He meant to knock it outwards, but the ball came down too fast from the crossbar, with spin, causing his deflection to falter.
The football went up but not far, still within the small penalty area.
Players from both sides scrambled for the ball.
In the end, the towering Almeida took advantage of the terrain and, without even needing to jump, headed the football into the goal with his height.
Ronaldo, Veloso, and others immediately raised their hands to signal the opponent was offside.
However, the linesman was unmoved.
Almeida was indeed not offside.
Pilar, lying on the ground, fiercely slapped the turf, angry at his critical mistake.
Just when victory seemed assured, the result was...
Two to two!
The teams were now tied!
Losing a goal in the eighties has a significant impact on the morale of the conceding team.
Many of Lisbon Athletic’s players had mentally accepted the draw.
However, Deng Kai noticed during his run that there were quite a few people moving around near the player tunnel.
There were staff members from the stadium, but also individuals in different uniforms.
And someone was carrying a box.
Deng Kai furrowed his brow.
He looked towards the coach’s bench and the stands, noticing that many people were looking at their phones instead of watching the game.
"Eight points, seven points, seven points, zero points... If we win, it’s eleven points, Porto still has seven points... If Benfica wins against Guimarães, then... three points, Guimarães still only has seven points! Four points behind us, that means..." Deng Kai suddenly realized.
His heart skipped a beat.
Even though the goal had always been the same, when you actually achieve it, it’s still very exciting.
That is... the championship!
If they win this match, Lisbon Athletic U15 could potentially clinch the league championship with a round to spare!
"Champions!" Deng Kai shouted loudly.
The Lisbon Athletic players looked at Deng Kai and it took them a moment to catch up.
It wasn’t that the Portuguese players were bad at math.
It was because, before this match began, Benfica’s situation was so dire that it drew everyone’s attention and made them forget the possibility that they could beat Guimarães.
With the other three teams’ scores being very close, everyone thought it was a battle among the top three contenders.
Nobody expected that there was also a possibility of a "sudden death" in this game!
In an extreme case, the overall champion of this year’s Portuguese U15 league could be decided after this match!
That would be – Lisbon Athletic!
"Champions! Win this match and we are the champions!" Deng Kai clenched his fist and shouted to the sky, "Champions!"
The next moment, Lisbon Athletic’s players all reacted, screaming like banshees following his lead: "Champions! Champions! Champions!"
The commentators were also dumbfounded: "What’s happening? Porto has just scored, but why is Lisbon Athletic suddenly so fired up? What are they shouting? Champions?"
"My goodness! Benfica is now two goals ahead of Guimarães! Is this for real? They’re actually going to win!"
"In that case, if Lisbon Athletic also defeats Porto, they will become the champions of this season with one round to spare!"
"Oh! I’ve been informed by insiders that Portuguese Football Federation officials have already brought the Championship Trophy to the site of the Lisbon Athletic and Porto match. They are prepared to present the trophy to the champions at any moment!"
"However, it’s a pity that Porto has already tied the score; the Federation’s people may have come in vain. Lisbon Athletic is likely to miss this round of awarding and the suspense will be carried into next week."
...
On the field, even though it was past eighty minutes.
The players from both sides played with the intensity of the first ten minutes.
Lisbon Athletic’s players were frenzied, launching attack after attack with unstoppable momentum.
They wanted to win!
They wanted the championship!
The Porto players, too, spared no effort in pressing across the entire field.
In our home ground, you think to take the championship?
Dream on!
Defeating you, we might just be the ones to take the championship next round!
In the 84th minute, Deng Kai made a long pass from the backfield.
Unfortunately, Ronaldo was continuously blocked by the opposition’s physical defense and ultimately failed to catch up to the football, which rolled out of bounds.
In the 86th minute, Porto launched a dangerous counterattack. Almeida dropped back to provide support and sent a through ball, but Igor’s shot from the edge of the penalty area missed the goal by less than half a meter.
In the 88th minute, Deng Kai once again initiated a long pass, finding Wu Xudong.
Wu Xudong sprinted madly down the right flank.
He was a substitute, full of energy.
In the end, Wu Xudong’s cross was blocked, and Sporting Lisbon gained a corner kick.
Deng Kai took the corner kick.
Almeida, the tallest man on the field, easily headed the football out of the penalty area over Ronaldo.
Luckily, Semedo controlled the ball outside the area, not daring to delay and immediately passed it to Araujo on the left flank.
Porto’s players quickly closed in with their pressing.
Striking back now, they could potentially secure a last-minute victory over Sporting Lisbon.
Araujo knew the ball was hot and quickly tapped it to Veloso, who had just run out from Porto’s penalty area to return to his defensive position.
All Sporting Lisbon players were moving towards their own half, giving Porto no chance.
But amidst this movement, Deng Kai suddenly turned around.
At the same time, Veloso, carrying the ball towards his own half, also suddenly nudged the ball sideways, then sent a long pass directly into Porto’s penalty area!
A backfire!
Veloso’s passing skills, at this moment, were utilized to 200% efficiency!
Deng Kai slipped past several people like a slippery eel, with no one able to intercept him in time.
He broke through for a superb one-on-one with the goalkeeper.
However... Veloso made the pass from the left side of the pitch, and with his body half-turned, the angle for the pass was limited, so the football flew from the left side of the penalty area towards the right inside the area.
And Deng Kai had just made a run from outside the right side of the penalty area towards the left.
There was only one intersection point for the two paths.
But because Deng Kai had to shake off his defender, he had charged a bit too strongly.
The ball’s landing spot was behind him.
Porto’s goalkeeper Vale was less than two meters to the side of Deng Kai.
Obviously, Vale wouldn’t give Deng Kai the chance to turn and receive the ball.
And... if the ball really hit the ground, it would almost be at Vale’s feet.
Vale could easily clear it in advance.
Deng Kai’s only chance was while the ball was still in mid-air...
Bang!
Deng Kai’s head suddenly plunged forward, executing a forward somersault motion.
His head pointed down, his legs slicing through the air one after the other.
Among them, his left leg, which he had lifted from behind, made perfect contact with the ball.
The ball’s trajectory changed.
It miraculously went over the unprepared Vale and nestled into the far corner of the goal.
A scorpion flick!
Just like van der Vaart’s!
"Ah!!!"
During the somersault, Deng Kai saw the ball hit the net.
After rolling on the ground as he landed, he smoothly got up, stripping off his jersey as he ran towards the corner flag area.
The wind whipped his hair up one by one, brimming with the essence of youth.
"Champions! Sporting Lisbon are the champions!"
Deng Kai flung his jersey into the sky.
He placed his arms akimbo, his back slightly arched, striking a pose to show off his muscles.
Though he didn’t have muscles, it didn’t affect his imposing appearance in front of the camera at that moment.
Ronaldo was the first to rush over, grabbing a camera from an unknown journalist in the corner area and hoisting it toward Deng Kai, "Kai! Beautiful goal! You’ve created a miracle, do you know that? From second-last to the champions! It’s a miracle! A miracle!"
Deng Kai, not bothered by Ronaldo’s close-up shots, excitedly hugged the lens and roared, "Yes, a miracle! No, no no no, this is just the beginning, just a start, it’s not over yet, we’ve got so much more story to tell, brother!"
Then, Deng Kai also propped up the camera with one hand, joining Ronaldo in front of the lens.
Behind them, the rest of the Sporting Lisbon players all rushed in, including the goalkeeper Pilar.
"Everyone, shout with me!" Deng Kai counted, "One two three... Lisbon miracle"
"Is setting sail!!!"
A group of green and white youths celebrated wildly in the corner flag area.
Leaving behind a classic and eternal scene.
The camera-snatched journalist was caught between excitement and slight embarrassment, hesitating with a hint of guilt.
Are you... for the love of... turn it on!
If you don’t turn it on, what’s the rush!
