Chapter 212: Chapter 211: Lose the Game and It’s Over (Peach’s World Cup Ends)
"Four assists! Ronaldo has created a new record in his football career!"
"Schmeichel got up; he was fine. He inquired about Deng Kai’s condition... It seemed that Deng Kai was also fine. Schmeichel pulled Deng Kai up, patted his head, and Deng Kai responded by patting Schmeichel’s jersey."
"Once again, warm applause rose from around, but there were no cheers."
"At this moment, the feelings of Sporting Lisbon’s fans must be mixed. They are proud of Deng Kai and Ronaldo, yet they also regret that their first team has been eliminated from the Portugal Cup semi-finals."
"This was something nobody had expected before the match; Moreirense really made it to the finals."
"Of the top three giants in the Portugal league, they had already faced two!"
"Tomorrow’s match between Porto and Boavista will take place, and Moreirense might very well face all three giants in the Portugal league this season! But can they achieve the feat of conquering all three giants?"
"Deng Kai!"
"Deng Kai!"
"Deng Kai!"
The fans began chanting Deng Kai’s name.
If the previous calls were an expression of friendliness, a joy in seeing one of their own succeed,
then this time, it was an expectation for Deng Kai.
They pinned their hopes of capturing the Portugal Cup on Deng Kai.
Deng Kai, Ronaldo, and other players had started to prove themselves as worthy of the club’s trust and reliance!
But the match was not yet over.
Or rather, the final outcome was something to sigh about.
In the eighty-ninth minute, after Sporting Lisbon kicked off, Viana, Quaresma, and Jia De’er coordinated a series of passes that broke through Portugal’s fully committed defense.
Quaresma executed a brilliant dribble, breaking into the penalty box where he was brought down by Feng Te.
Penalty kick!
Quaresma held the football at the penalty spot with a determined gaze.
As the top talent of the team, his competitive spirit had been thoroughly ignited by his younger brothers, Deng Kai and Ronaldo.
He wanted to show the younger brothers who was the current star of the club!
But the team’s first-choice penalty taker was Jia De’er, who approached Quaresma saying, "Since the team can’t win anyway, let me take it. I’ve already scored two goals."
Jia De’er hoped to complete a hat-trick, which would be a small consolation.
If he had only mentioned his wish for a hat-trick, perhaps Quaresma would have let him take it.
But he mentioned the part about not being able to win anyway.
"What do you mean ’since we can’t win anyway’?" Quaresma was furious.
Young people are characterized by their disbelief in fate.
My fate is mine to command, not dictated by the heavens.
If I score this penalty, with injury time, there are still four or five minutes left. Why can’t we score another goal?
Why concede so early?
Where is your sense of collective honor?
Where is your dignity?
Of course, if Jia De’er had known Quaresma’s thoughts, he would have told him that with this score, there was a 99.99% chance we’d lose.
I was just stating a fact.
But there are no ifs.
The two started arguing.
Quaresma shoved away Jia De’er’s hand reaching for the football; as Jia De’er moved in, Quaresma pushed him away.
The two started quarreling.
This left the fans somewhat stunned.
Importantly, Deng Kai, Ronaldo, Feng Te, and others quickly intervened to separate the two, without treating themselves as outsiders.
Then the rest of Sporting Lisbon’s players stepped in, and the conflict was finally quelled.
Subsequently, Quaresma executed a perfect kick, scoring his second non-open play goal of the match.
Four to five, Lisbon Athletic still had a chance to take the game into overtime!
As long as they could score another goal!
There were five minutes of stoppage time.
Approaching the fifth minute, Viana managed a long shot that resulted in a corner kick.
The head referee granted them one last attacking opportunity, not stopping the match.
Then Viana delivered the corner.
The greater the importance, the easier it was to slip up.
Focusing on defending the superstar forward Jia De’er, Morense allowed Quaresma to sneak a goal at the far post.
Unmarked at the far post, Quaresma rose high and headed straight for goal!
This kick by Viana was meant for him!
It was almost a certain goal, but... Jia De’er’s head appeared in the trajectory of the football, blocking it from entering the goal.
He was held down by Altino’s sly moves, not only failing to jump but also being pushed away.
Altino thus lost his control over Quaresma.
But at the same time, he disrupted Quaresma’s certain goal by moving Jia De’er.
Everything seemed as if it were predestined.
Lisbon Athletic didn’t witness a miracle.
Bang!
Macedo kicked the football out of the penalty area.
Peep peep peep!
Three whistle blows, the match ended.
Morense defeated Lisbon Athletic five to four, advancing to the finals of the Portugal Cup!
Trigella led the substitutes and coaching staff in a rush onto the field.
The camera stayed on Trigella’s face for a long time, as if to express support for Trigella in this manner.
If Trigella became the main coach of the team, would Lisbon Athletic still miss out on the championship this season?
Everything was unknown.
In the post-match interview, Schmeichel was generous with his praise for Deng Kai: "As a thirty-seven-year-old veteran goalkeeper, I’ve faced many special shots, but today, Deng Kai still astonished me."
"That’s a kind of talent, as if he has a special connection with the football."
"I watched as he snatched the football right out of my hands, twice!"
"It’s hard to find a player like him at Manchester United; in fact, it’s hard globally. He definitely has the ability to play in the Primera Liga and, excluding physical factors, he could even play in the Premier League!"
Viana, however, appeared somewhat despondent, "This match gave me a feeling of losing control. We clearly didn’t make too many mistakes, but we just couldn’t get ahead."
"During the entire ninety minutes, there wasn’t a single minute where we were leading, and that’s incredibly suffocating."
"I even wonder if it’s because of me? Am I not strong enough, not good enough, has my comeback become a burden for the team? I really worry that I might be the reason the team lost."
"Honestly, after this match, I feel less confident when I see the football. I even start to doubt whether I’m really cut out for football, especially after witnessing the rapid growth of Deng Kai and Ronaldo."
"They are the true geniuses, whereas I..."
Viana became deeply self-critical.
Just like Kimisi after the Qatar World Cup.
During the interview, Deng Kai also learned about Schmeichel and Viana’s remarks.
He stated, "Those two goals, even I couldn’t replicate them. So, Schmeichel can rest assured, he won’t concede that way in the future."
"Scoring against him is difficult; he still maintains a world-class standard. Coming to the Primera Liga doesn’t mean his abilities have declined."
"He should be able to retain this level for at least three, even five years."
"He deserves to continue winning championships during that time!"
