Chapter 150: Chapter 149: Make Up for a Triple Crown Winner
Iniesta had already scored a "killer" goal against Portugal in this match.
This time he...
Bang!
Deng Kai slid to the ground for a shot.
Iniesta fell to the ground in response.
The football was kicked away by Deng Kai, not resulting in a shot on goal.
The referee blew his whistle and showed Deng Kai a red card.
That was the third red card of the match.
This time, the players did not clash again.
With Deng Kai sent off, what was there left for the Spanish team to fight for?
Similarly, with a red card issued, there was nothing left for the Portuguese team to fight for either.
After all, Deng Kai already had a yellow card.
In the face of tension, the feeling of sadness was diluted.
"Line up the wall, though Iniesta is good with both feet, from this position, he can only choose to shoot with his right," Deng Kai said as he walked, entrusting the others with the task, "Get the tallest players in the wall, Ronaldo, you too, jump as high as you can."
"If I could, I’d sacrifice your face, second only to mine in football, to block this shot."
"Of course, if I were you, I would choose to keep my eyes open because it’ll help us see the direction of the football."
Ronaldo’s previously sad emotions instantly turned into fear.
Damn!
He didn’t want to be in the wall.
Especially since Feng Te had already been concussed by an Iniesta blast.
Who the hell would dare try again?
"Quaresma, you get down, prevent any Ground Cutters," Deng Kai also gave Quaresma some instructions.
Without him speaking up, nobody in the team dared to order Quaresma around.
Quaresma nodded.
Afterward, Deng Kai walked towards the players’ tunnel, and at the entrance, he saw Bosingwa, who had been hiding in the shadows, looking at the goal.
Portugal’s wall was lined up perfectly.
Ronaldo stood on the outermost side.
Iniesta stood in front of the football, breathing deeply again and again.
A whistle blew.
Iniesta started his run-up.
His right foot lifted.
He shot!
The football soared into the air.
The curve was excellent.
If nothing unexpected happened, it would bend past the wall.
It was an incredibly impressive free-kick attempt.
But...
Bang!
The football hit Ronaldo’s face.
It flew out of bounds.
After Ronaldo fell to the ground, his ears rang and his vision turned white.
To him, it felt like only a moment had passed.
But in reality, he lay there for a full minute or more.
The Portuguese players were nearly scared stiff.
The instigator, Iniesta, was also exceedingly anxious, for the first time disregarding the outcome of the match.
He really didn’t want to be a murderer.
In the slow-motion replay, everything was too clear.
The moment the Portuguese wall jumped, almost everyone instinctively closed their eyes.
Ronaldo was the only one!
His eyes fluttered for a moment before he seemed to remember something, and with an effort, he fought against his drooping eyelids and saw the football about to curve past his head.
He tilted his head to the left.
It was a close call, but he blocked the football.
Then, blood sprayed everywhere.
His left eye rapidly reddened and swelled.
But after regaining consciousness, Ronaldo quickly completed a concussion test.
He was fine.
He could continue to play in the match.
As Arteta took the corner kick, Angelo headed the ball out of the penalty area.
The main referee’s whistle blew long and loud.
The game was over!
"Ah!!!"
Deng Kai and Bosingwa burst out from the players’ tunnel.
They, along with the substitutes, rushed towards where the players were on the field, everyone hugging each other, overcome with emotion and tears.
Quaresma was already a professional football star.
He thought he wouldn’t be moved by a competition of this level like the U21 Championship.
But when they stood at the top of Europe, he cried nonetheless.
He knew this championship would become a very important part of his memory.
Not only because of the weight of the championship itself but also because of the teammates on this team.
And to the side, the young players from Spain’s U16 team hung their heads one by one.
Even from the moment Deng Kai scored the decisive goal, they had a premonition of doom.
But when reality hit, their hearts ached, and they couldn’t accept it.
It all felt like a dream.
"Champions! Portugal team are the champions!"
"They are the strongest national team in this age group!"
"Each and every one of them has done well!"
"They’ve defeated the formidable Spanish team, they’ve overcome the evil possession tactics! This spirit of triumph against the odds, this indomitable fighting spirit, is the best motivation for Portugal!"
"If the Portugal national team, currently second in the European Championship qualifiers, can learn from this spirit of Portugal’s U16 and stabilize their performance, there’s no doubt they could qualify for next year’s European Championship proper!"
"Portugal’s U16 has set a great example for the European Championship!"
"Let’s congratulate them, let’s congratulate Deng Kai, Ronaldo, Quaresma..."
The atmosphere at the venue was electric.
Deng Kai scored twice, earning one red and one yellow card, and was named the best player of the match.
He moved into the media zone for interviews.
Behind him, UEFA was setting up the podium.
Compared to the fledgling Youth Champions League, the U21 Championship had a much greater impact.
Reporter: "Deng Kai, you’ve won the championship, what would you like to say?"
Deng Kai: "There’s so much to say: thanks to my teammates, coaches, and every staff member at the club. Thanks to our fans, and those who’ve supported us throughout. Thanks to Hathaway, thanks to The Princess Diaries, thanks to Record Report, thanks to Sports Weekly, and thanks to my Chinese fans thousands of miles away..."
Reporter: "You achieved an incredible last-minute victory, reminiscent of the recent Champions League final. Manchester United scored two goals in one minute under your guidance to snatch victory from Bayern Munich."
"Now, you’ve scored twice in three minutes, disregarding the time the opposing goalkeeper Reina was substituted, your two goals were also scored within a minute."
"Does this coincidence signify a kind of fate?"
Deng Kai shook his head: "I wouldn’t say it’s fate, I merely applied what I taught Beckham, Solskjaer, Sheringham and others on the sidelines to reality."
The reporters were bewildered.
What an irrefutable pretense.
"Haha, of course, I’m just joking," Deng Kai added. "Manchester United and I, along with Ronaldo, have always inspired each other. The Treble started as a simple prediction but became something bigger as the media amplified it over and over. Perhaps after enough repetition, a lie can turn into truth."
"That’s the power of belief."
"Previously, I said Sporting Lisbon’s U15 and Manchester United were the strongest teams this year, and the only reason we were one trophy short of the Treble is simply that we played one less tournament than Manchester United."
"Many people thought I was bragging, but now I’ve secured this championship. I dare not say the value of the U21 Championship rivals that of the European Championship, but for players our age, it’s more than sufficient compared to the FA Cup."
"Let Manchester United take the advantage and be considered as part of the ’peerless duo’ along with us, Sporting Lisbon U15 and Portugal U16!"
