Chapter 133: Chapter 132: Deng Kai’s Kiss Smells of Fresh Grass (Vote for Monthly Ticket)
Because the "Caesar" was shown on the big screen by the director.
He waved and signaled to the fans, exuding the aura of a superstar, just as indifferent as he looked when she saw him in the woods.
His gaze was firm, sweeping over the players from Netherlands, like a cheetah ready to hunt at any moment.
This was a ferocity Hathaway had never seen in the humorous, witty, polite, and encouraging Deng Kai.
Strange and familiar.
Caesar and Deng Kai.
This moment infinitely overlapped.
It was him!
It really was him!
Hathaway felt a warm rush through her body.
They had met.
But not in the stands, it was between the stands and the field!
Peep!
The whistle blew.
The match officially began!
"Oh! It’s intense today! The midfield battle between Netherlands and Portugal is especially fierce."
"He who commands the midfield commands the world."
"It’s a struggle between Van der Vaart, Sneijder, Viana, and Deng Kai!"
"Deng Kai is brought down by Sneijder!"
"Deng Kai intercepts Van der Vaart’s pass!"
"With continuous passing errors, the players’ actions are getting rougher. The head referee has warned Deng Kai and Sneijder."
Watching Deng Kai getting knocked down repeatedly on the field, Hathaway’s face turned pale.
She had not thought football matches could be this intense.
Every time Deng Kai fell, her heart ached.
She now loathed the players in orange jerseys from the Netherlands.
When the graceful and humorous little brother stumbled awkwardly onto the grass, but the next moment decisively brought down his opponent, Hathaway was filled with pride and honor.
Netherlands: Isn’t this a double standard?
The seventh minute.
Deng Kai dodged Van der Vaart’s tackle with a ’fried dumpling’ move, then made a long pass to Quaresma on the right.
Quaresma successfully cut inside, shouldering the Netherlands’ central defender and taking a long shot, earning a corner kick.
Viana held up three fingers beside the football, then took the corner kick.
Ronaldo jumped early in the penalty area, suppressing the jumping space of Heitinga and other Netherlands defenders.
Almeida barely tiptoed, and his head made contact with the football.
Whoosh!
Header goal!
One to zero!
Portugal takes the lead!
"Oh! Heitinga is complaining of a foul during Portugal’s corner attack, he believes Ronaldo held him down."
"But the head referee indicates the goal stands."
"Almeida is in great shape, Portugal is using his height to their advantage, and it’s proving effective."
"Even if Postiga is now recovered from injury, he’ll likely have to wait on the bench for a while."
The thirteenth minute.
After Ronaldo’s failed attempt to break through on the left, he passed back to Viana.
Viana switched the play over a wide area.
Quaresma handled the ball on the flank.
Deng Kai made a sudden surge in the rib area.
Quaresma decisively crossed.
The opponent stretched out a leg to block, but this cross from Quaresma was a semi-high ball, just passing beneath the extended leg.
The advancing Deng Kai dove headfirst, making a touch at the near post.
The football changed direction, arcing upwards.
Almeida jumped in the penalty area... he didn’t get off the ground!
Almeida went down in the penalty area.
The head referee immediately blew the whistle, pointing to the penalty spot.
Penalty kick!
At the same time, the head referee showed Heitinga a yellow card.
He had pushed down Almeida.
The young Dutch players gathered around, trying to change the head referee’s decision.
But to no avail.
In fact, it would have been reasonable for the head referee to show Heitinga a red card.
Afterward, Quaresma struck the penalty kick home, changing the score to two to zero.
Portugal gained a huge advantage with a two-goal lead within the first fifteen minutes of the game.
"Netherlands is in agony, they lack tall central defenders in their team, unable to effectively restrict Almeida."
"A center forward of Almeida’s stature is exactly what Portugal lacked; his future looks bright."
"Quaresma’s performance is truly worthy of a superstar."
"But in this attack, Deng Kai’s role was the most indispensable. His leaping touch on the ball is classic, not only does he have a strong sense of positioning, but also a strong ability to handle the ball."
"Such a commitment to launching oneself into the air takes more than just technique and judgment, it also requires immense courage."
The camera was replaying the scene where Deng Kai got up after his leaping touch and spit out green grass from his mouth.
Hathaway in the stands couldn’t help but be curious, was the taste in Deng Kai’s mouth... the flavor of fresh grass?
But she immediately realized what she was thinking.
Her face turned red, and she felt shy.
Matarazzo, sitting beside her, commended, "He is truly brave. Nowadays, when young male actors film a scene where they are shot and have to fall down, it’s harder for them than risking their lives."
"Without a twenty-centimeter-thick sponge mat, they definitely won’t go down."
By comparison, this Caesar is a real man."
"Eh? Hathaway, did you drink the beer I hid in the cola can? Why is your face so red?"
Hathaway shook her head.
Please stop talking about anything related to "drinking, eating, licking, mouth, tongue."
That damned image of the green grass flavor came back again.
...
But fate played a joke on the Portugal team.
Just as Almeida had the Netherlands’ defense in a fluster,
In the 28th minute.
After a clash of heads with Heitinga, Almeida twisted his ankle upon landing.
The obvious distortion was enough to make one’s scalp tingle.
Even the Netherlands’ goalkeeper, who had witnessed the scene, immediately raised his hand, franticly gesturing for the medics to come onto the field.
The Portugal team doctors entered the pitch, and as soon as they arrived, they immediately called for a stretcher.
It was a visibly severe injury to the ankle!
Almeida was unable to continue the match and had to be carried off due to injury.
Lorenzo came on as a substitute from the sidelines.
Lorenzo is the starting forward for the Sporting Lisbon U15 team, but he is not as tall as Ronaldo, nor is he a pivot-type forward. He is a forward who operates between speed and seizing opportunities.
Portugal thus lost their aerial presence in the forward line.
In the 33rd minute, having adapted to the Netherlands’ defense, Quaresma began to shine.
He elegantly flicked the ball past the Dutch defender with a rabona and then swung in a cross.
But where was Lorenzo to challenge for the header?
The football was easily cleared by the Netherlands’ central defender.
In the 39th minute.
Ronaldo received the ball and coordinated with Lorenzo who had pulled away, but their play was too simplistic and the wall pass intended for Ronaldo was intercepted right away.
The ball came to Sneijder’s feet.
Deng Kai immediately rushed towards Sneijder.
Bang!
Sneijder preemptively completed a long pass, not hesitating, giving Deng Kai no chance.
Robben advanced with the ball on the right flank, combining with Van der Vaart to outmaneuver the opposition.
Both were masters at dribbling past defenders, and if they were willing to pass the ball to each other, they would really be unstoppable.
Despite being in a perfect position to take a long-range shot, Van der Vaart dribbled an extra touch, forcefully pulling away the Portuguese center-back Feng Te, then made a diagonal pass.
Fan Peixi was almost unguarded inside the penalty area.
He shot directly without taking a touch, effortlessly sending the football into the net.
One to two! The Netherlands started to make up ground.
In the 43rd minute.
The Netherlands controlled the ball during this time.
Van der Vaart pushed forward in the middle.
Deng Kai and Meireles both failed to take the ball from his feet.
Fan Peixi dropped back to offer support, Van der Vaart passed him the ball, but continued his forward run.
Fan Peixi received the ball and immediately made a diagonal pass to Robben on the right flank, then turned and continued his run forward.
For a moment, both Van der Vaarts made a dash for the goal!
The Portuguese penalty area became a place of intense anxiety.
However, Robben while on the run feigned a pass, then with a nudge of his toe, he sneaked the ball under Portuguese left-back Jorge Ribeiro’s legs.
Robben instantly accelerated, cutting into the penalty area beside Ribery.
Feng Te could only go over to block Robben, knocking him down in the process.
The main referee immediately blew the whistle, pointing to the penalty spot.
Feng Te held his head and approached the referee to argue, believing it was a normal challenge.
But the referee stood by his decision.
In a situation where Feng Te could not possibly touch the ball, he forcefully knocked Robben over with a lateral move.
This was not a challenge for the ball; it was a charge at the person.
As a result, Feng Te received a yellow card.
Subsequently, Van der Vaart stepped up to take the penalty created by Robben.
Van der Vaart did not disappoint Robben, successfully converting the penalty.
Just before halftime, the Netherlands scored two consecutive goals and evened out the score.
