Chapter 296: Chapter 295: The Instep Shows Its Might Again
This is also the biggest difference between Drogba and Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic likes to control the ball at his feet. No matter when you pass it to him, he can then assist, dribble back, turn to create a threat, and look for ways to shoot. He can play to his heart’s content.
Drogba isn’t that intelligent. When you give him the ball at his feet, he can only play to his strengths as a fulcrum... holding off defenders, passing back, setting up plays, and so on.
If you want Drogba’s shooting ability, when you give him the football, you have to let there be some distance between him and the ball.
He isn’t a poacher, but he is formidable at poaching!
...
The sixtieth minute.
Deco took it wide with a teammate, then suddenly kicked in a cross.
His cross wasn’t aiming inside the penalty area, but rather to the back post, on the edge of the big penalty box where Postiga was positioned.
This vision... was nothing short of extraordinary.
Bang!
Postiga volleyed in mid-air, resulting in a high-quality shot on goal.
Unfortunately, the football hit Jia De’Er, who didn’t manage to dodge it in time, and deflected out for a goal line clearance.
Postiga clearly swore.
Jia De’Er also looked speechless, thinking, I let you pass the ball to me, and you shoot instead?
Inside the small box, getting the ball to me, Jia De’Er, isn’t that equivalent to a goal?
Do you know who’s leading the Primeira Liga’s top scorer chart right now?
Idiot!
The sixty-third minute.
Sporting Lisbon was slowly orchestrating an attack.
Quaresma and Deng Kai were playing a one-two on the right wing.
Quaresma drew the defense before passing it back to Deschamps.
Deschamps made a through ball, helping Deng Kai to break through the opponent’s flank.
Deng Kai managed to control the football before it went out of bounds.
Although he wasn’t a master dribbler, he was confident holding the ball at the baseline.
He dribbled along the baseline into the big penalty area, shook off his opponent, and delivered a backward triangle pass with the outside of his foot.
It was almost identical to Quaresma’s previous pass.
The only difference being that Deng Kai’s pass this time was slightly closer to the goalkeeper,
Instead of providing a pass for his teammate inside the penalty area.
"Drogba accelerates!"
"Fuchs is being pushed behind by Drogba!"
"Costa is tugging Drogba’s jersey but then quickly lets go, otherwise he would concede a penalty!"
"Drogba’s height and long legs!"
"The Porto goalkeeper comes out!"
Bang!
While being tugged by two central defenders, Drogba still managed to stretch his leg for a poke shot, despite being half a step behind.
The Porto goalkeeper’s charge just served Drogba an open goal.
"GOAL! One to two! Eleven rounds into the Primeira Liga, and Drogba finally scores a goal!"
"Assisted by Deng Kai! They’ve pulled one back, keeping the suspense alive in the match!"
"Little Rubens has had some real problems with defense today. Earlier, Quaresma had broken through him, and now Deng Kai has almost passed from the same position; and this time, God didn’t continue to favor Porto."
The sixty-seventh minute.
Deco almost single-handedly orchestrated a goal.
However, in a sequence of passes that were exquisite from start to finish, the most critical last pass... Postiga’s pass to Jia De’Er had issues.
It was a soulless pass.
Postiga didn’t make any feints before passing, doing so in a perfunctory manner.
In the end, Matthaus easily intercepted it.
Matthaus admitted he took a gamble. He felt that even an idiot could intercept such a pass. Were Postiga and Jia De’Er playing him for a fool?
But in the end, he couldn’t help it; even if he were to be treated as a fool, he took it.
And then... Hahaha!
Matthaus, elated by the good news, sent a long pass to Cristiano Ronaldo on the left flank.
Cristiano Ronaldo directly knocked the football ahead by more than ten meters, clearly wanting to outpace his opponent with speed.
As a result, Ronaldo effortlessly outplayed his opponent in this round.
He began to cut inside.
When he spotted Drogba at the top of the box, he sent a half-volley pass to Drogba and then surged into the penalty area himself.
He was ready for Drogba to pass it back to him.
Without the ball at his feet, Ronaldo could enter the penalty area more easily.
But Drogba was not without his own ideas.
With his back to goal and watching Viana approach, Drogba’s chest trembled.
The ball bounced toward Viana’s feet.
During his time off the field, Drogba had watched plenty of Deng Kai and Ronaldo’s past game footage. While understanding the core techniques of the team’s key player, Deng Kai, he also learned about the playing styles of other players.
Not Ronaldo, but Anderson from Moreirense.
This player’s style of play suited Drogba well, and Drogba could execute it even better than Anderson.
Bang!
Viana took a long shot.
Everything was in prime condition.
Added to his recent unobtrusiveness, after playing for an hour, some Porto players even forgot about this most talented Portuguese left winger.
Whoosh!
Viana’s long shot took off, earth-shattering.
The ball cleanly entered the net.
Only Ronaldo was left with a question mark over his head.
Wasn’t this supposed to be the coordination between him and Drogba?
How did their partnership suddenly include a third person?
This...
In the face of Ronaldo’s inquiring look, Drogba’s expression was one of awkward embarrassment.
"You know, Kai told us blue-collar players many times, we need to pay more attention to cooperation with other players during the game. For a player like you, Ronaldo, it’s best to just let you play freely."
Ronaldo: Are you isolating me?
Kai: No, you’re just so strong that you don’t need cooperation! No one else is even qualified to work with you!
Ronaldo: Get me!
Two to two!
Drogba assisted and scored, helping the team to equalize the score.
Both sides’ morale shifted as a result, with Sporting Lisbon launching a major offensive.
Even during the Exhaustion Period after seventy minutes, their attack did not stop.
In the eightieth minute, Ronaldo’s long shot earned the team a corner kick.
Quaresma took the corner.
Drogba headed towards goal; the ball hit the post and bounced out.
Postiga cleared the ball with a big kick, sending it flying to Deng Kai outside the penalty area.
Deng Kai’s left foot swept across...a Flying Immortal Outside Heaven!
The ball was blocked by Sasso’s body and came back again.
Facing the ball again.
This time, Deng Kai switched to his right foot, a Beckenbauer-style shot-pass, using the outside of his boot to curve the ball over the defenders and into the net.
"Beautifully done!"
"What a killer shot! Deng Kai has absolutely nailed it!"
"Three to two! Porto was leading for so long, but in the end, they lost to Sporting Lisbon!"
"Deng Kai didn’t waste the chance, the whole of Sporting Lisbon was the more efficient side today!"
"Another goal with the outside of the boot! I am now fully convinced of Deng Kai’s title as the King of the Outside-of-the-Boot!"
"King of the Outside-of-the-Boot! King of the Outside-of-the-Boot!"
Fans started chanting Deng Kai’s nickname repeatedly.
This time, even Quaresma had no resentful reaction.
He began celebrating with his teammates early on.
When the team honor is significant enough, it can make any player forego their concern for individual glory.
And within the Portuguese league, no player can resist the feeling of success that comes from defeating Porto.
