Chapter 293: Chapter 292: Outside Instep with a Cap
For instance, if Ibrahimovic took a dive in the box without even colliding with anyone, the referee might ignore him, and Ibrahimovic could likely respond with an awkward smile.
Or if Ibrahimovic actively fell to the ground under a weak challenge, outsiders might think it was a cast-iron penalty, but if the referee didn’t award it, Ibrahimovic wouldn’t make a fuss.
Generally, unless it’s the final moments and a player absolutely needs a penalty, the player’s reaction is very telling... except for those whose emotions tend to exaggerate, whose reactions don’t fall into this category.
So, if Ibrahimovic was furiously demanding a penalty, it meant that, at least in his eyes, it was definitely a penalty.
Conversely, a few minutes later, a similar incident occurred inside Sporting Lisbon’s penalty area.
Barzagli, as the opponent received the ball, put his body and hands on him, squeezing the opponent down from the side.
The key point was that the opponent hadn’t yet touched the football, nor had he gained absolute control over it.
In the Premier League, this wouldn’t be an issue.
But the referee decisively awarded the yellow-card penalty package!
The intention to punish Sporting Lisbon was clear for all to see!
Soon after, Rosenborg pulled a goal back through the penalty kick.
The score changed to three-two.
The match seemed to regain its suspense.
Deng Kai began to run extensively in the backfield, constantly receiving and passing the ball. At the same time, he gestured to his teammates to keep the football flowing quickly, leaving no chance for the opposition to commit a foul.
The Large Circle Tactics didn’t have many advantages, but with Deng Kai, operating as a free man, running hard, it was very difficult to lose the ball when playing out from the back.
If they really got stuck on the left flank, Matthaus could just hoof the ball to the right side, and Rosenborg would have to regroup and press all over again.
This period of time passed quickly.
Despite no goals or even significant attacking threats appearing, the suspense captivated everyone.
By the seventy-first minute, Sporting Lisbon’s defenders were visibly tired.
In the seventy-sixth minute, after a long-range pass from Deng Kai, his right leg cramped.
But Rosenborg thought Deng Kai was playacting, and the players rudely urged him to get up.
This nearly sparked another confrontation between the two sides.
As Deng Kai’s condition deteriorated, Rosenborg’s attacks began to look threatening.
The seventieth minute.
Matthaus used the last drop of oil in his aging engine to make a crucial interception.
Otherwise...
"Over here!"
Matthaus heard the call from deep within his soul.
Matthaus decisively passed the ball.
Bang!
After Deng Kai received the ball, he performed a Marseille Turn to shake off the defender beside him. Without even looking upfield, he swung his foot for a strike.
Then Deng Kai slipped to the ground, his right leg cramping up again.
But this time, no Rosenborg players gathered around him.
Because upfield, Ronaldo was accelerating.
"Ronaldo, he’s past him! Beautiful!"
"With control and dribble, Ronaldo breaks into the box!"
"Goalkeeper’s out!"
"Ronaldo gets by the goalkeeper!"
"It’s a goal! Four-two! Ronaldo has put the game to bed!"
"CD connects once more, playing the final note of this match!"
"Look at his expression, I even think Ronaldo is taunting the referee! That’s a risky move, thankfully the referee didn’t notice it."
"You can see, the Sporting Lisbon players feel they’ve been treated unfairly."
"Deng Kai seems to be alright; he should be able to continue the match."
The eighty-first minute.
Sporting Lisbon stepped up their intensity spontaneously, becoming more aggressive in their challenges.
Rosenborg felt the hardness of the defense and opted for a long-range shot.
The football was caught by Schmeichel, who daringly didn’t hit the ground, but instead launched a quick counter, throwing the ball out to Pepe.
Pepe had space and started to accelerate after a flick-on.
Bang!
A Rosenborg player brought down Pepe.
But Pepe passed the football to the incoming Deng Kai just before he hit the ground.
Deng Kai watched Quaresma and Ronaldo running ahead, and with a kick...
The head referee blew his whistle.
He called a foul on the Rosenborg player.
The players from Sporting Lisbon simply couldn’t understand.
The ball was already in their possession, and they even had the momentum to catch Rosenborg off-guard.
Yet, the head referee stopped the game, allowing Rosenborg to get back into position and set up their defense, and then he handed the football over to Sporting Lisbon... it was clear who he was helping.
It’s just like now.
In more than ten years, this kind of deep intervention by the head referee to control the game will be commonplace.
By then, they will use even more innovative methods.
Beep beep beep!
Deng Kai quickly took the free kick, and Rosenborg clearly didn’t expect it, showing a huge defensive lapse at that moment.
However, the head referee still stopped the game, firmly denying Sporting Lisbon any opportunity.
It seemed although his primary goals to have Rosenborg win or at least draw were unachievable now, his third task must be to ensure Sporting Lisbon didn’t score another goal.
Possibly, the boss behind him wanted a scoreline of four to two or four to three.
In the end, Matthaus stepped forward to take the free kick.
The eighty-third minute.
Quaresma dribbled along the right side, his cross didn’t lift off and was blocked by the opponent.
But the football was still at his feet, and he chose to pass it back.
Deng Kai, on the right flank, took the ball and moved slightly toward the center, slowly approaching the penalty area.
Rosenborg players rushed out to pressure Deng Kai.
Deng Kai nudged the ball to the left with his left foot and faked a left-footed shot.
The opponents closed in.
Deng Kai touched the ball with his left foot and continued to the left, feigning a shot and then a pass.
The Rosenborg players, seeing Deng Kai move both his left and right feet, thought he would start to speed up horizontally, so they quickly abandoned their blocking stance, ready to shift horizontally at speed.
Bang!
Deng Kai’s right foot wasn’t used to accelerate but to kick the football.
A Beckenbauer-like pass-shot!
After a fake shot with the left foot, he followed up with an instep shot.
This sequence of motions was outrageously smooth.
The key was the shot came from behind the defending player.
If that defender hadn’t accelerated sideways, his body would have blocked the shot.
This...
Whoosh!
Because it wasn’t hit very hard, this instep shot didn’t fly very high.
It wasn’t a very unstoppable shot.
But the suddenness of it had already been executed.
The football drilled into the net at the near post, just perfect!
"GOAL! Deng Kai! It’s Deng Kai again!"
"Five to two! Deng Kai has really been astonishing! He’s achieved a hat-trick!"
"Let’s congratulate him!"
"Sporting Lisbon welcomes another glorious victory, though the journey was somewhat tough."
"I believe they have a lot to say after the match. Especially about the head referee’s performance today, many of his decisions are up for debate!"
"Oh! Deng Kai rushed to the corner flag area, but he didn’t celebrate with his traditional ’siu’. Instead, he pointed to his right foot and shouted... ’King of the Instep’?"
"What a bold declaration! Claiming to be the king at such a young age, huh?"
"But you can’t deny that his instep shot today was outrageous! All three of his goals were scored with the instep!"
