Chapter 322: Chapter 321 More Talented Than Manchester United’s Class of ’92?
Everyone knew that it was time for Deng Kai to step up.
But that sharp passing of Deng Kai’s did not reappear.
Because the defensive formation of Kaiserslautern had no flaws showing.
At this point, more players needed to join in the direct attack.
Like Viana, driving forward with the ball and increasing the number of offensive players in the front.
But did Deng Kai have that ability?
Bang!
Just when everyone thought Deng Kai would find a way to drive the ball forward, he suddenly dribbled and entered the top center of the penalty area from the right flank towards the left.
This spot is the most tightly defended by any team and is also where the most goals are scored in world football.
Bang!
It seemed that Deng Kai was about to engage in close combat with the opponent.
Deng Kai, dribbling to the left, suddenly followed with his right foot, another opposite-direction outside-of-the-foot pass.
And just like last time, Deng Kai added a bit of flair to his outside-of-the-foot pass.
Last time it was a delayed run after a dummy, half a beat off for those expecting him to use his left foot and half a beat ahead for those anticipating right foot control.
This time, Deng Kai’s right foot feinted a shot but made a true pass instead.
The initial part looked like he was preparing to take a direct right-footed shot while dribbling.
In recent matches of the league, Deng Kai has shown multiple long-shot attempts, with more than one resulting in goals.
Naturally, Kaiserslautern had picked up on this, they were on guard specifically for Deng Kai’s shooting.
Who could have predicted that the latter half of Deng Kai’s leg swing would change, transitioning from a shot to an outside-of-the-foot pass.
To the right of the goal, Quaresma, who made a run without the ball, stretched out his leg to control the ball, and though it was difficult, his high level of control allowed him to shoot with the outside of his foot just before the ball crossed the baseline.
Fortunately, it was Quaresma who is proficient with the outside of the foot, as the ball would have definitely gone out of bounds mid-air with a normal pass technique.
Two kings of the outside-of-the-foot pass took turns in succeeding.
The ball soared high, crossing over the goal, flying towards the far post.
Bang!
On the other side, Ronaldo, making an inward run, leaped high,
Heading towards the goal.
By the time the Kaiserslautern goalkeeper turned his head, the ball had already flown into the net.
He made a desperate dive, hitting the ball into the inside netting, but could not prevent the goal from happening.
"GOAL! Ronaldo scores with a header!"
"Three to zero! Unbelievable! Sporting Lisbon is truly worthy of the team that eliminated Inter Milan, and now it seems that it really isn’t just good luck."
"They have the strength of a dark horse. Kaiserslautern is a top-ranked team in the Bundesliga, yet they have conceded three goals to Sporting Lisbon!"
"The injury and exit of Viana seemed not to bring any significant negative impact to Sporting Lisbon. Deng Kai has perfectly taken on the role of the offensive core in the front, and although his approach differs from Viana’s, the effect is equally good."
"Of course, Ronaldo’s goal would not have been possible without Drogba, whose movement drew two defenders away, clearing the left side of the penalty area and creating a huge space for Ronaldo."
"Drogba is gasping for air, and so far, he’s covered the most distance on the field. When Drogba is on the pitch, the team’s leading runner is either him or Deng Kai."
"However, so far this season, Deng Kai tops the overall running distance for Sporting Lisbon because he often plays the full match, while Drogba is usually substituted by Ibrahimovic around the 70-minute mark."
"This further explains why fans in Portugal regard Deng Kai as the team’s core. His playing time leads the team, and with an almost perfect attendance, he is never subbed off and is rarely absent due to injury."
"But for this reason, fans of Inter Milan believe that in terms of efficiency, Viana is not at all inferior to Deng Kai, given that Viana has had quite a few occasions this season where he’s been out with small injuries or subbed off."
"Alright, Trigella is making a substitution. Ibrahimovic is coming on for Drogba, posing yet another tough challenge for the back line of Kaiserslautern."
"Don’t be fooled by Ibrahimovic’s tall and strong appearance; unlike Drogba’s traditional pivot-forward style, Ibrahimovic’s style is more about flair, and while sometimes it may seem soft, he always manages to create unexpected trouble for the opponents."
At the 72nd minute, Ibrahimovic created trouble for Kaiserslautern.
He dropped back to link up with Deng Kai, but after Deng Kai made a forward run, Ibrahimovic himself dragged the ball and pushed forward in another direction, charging toward the penalty area.
The defenders of Kaiserslautern had been keeping a close watch on Deng Kai.
One player was chasing Deng Kai, and another prepared to intercept the pass meant for him from Ibrahimovic—how would they know Ibrahimovic would go it alone?
Facing the center-back, Ibrahimovic performed a "fried meatball."
He was not fast, but his long legs were an advantage.
The "fried meatball" didn’t completely get past the opponent, but it did easily create a shooting opportunity for Ibrahimovic.
Bang!
Before the "fried meatball" move had even finished, Ibrahimovic kicked and took the shot while the opponent’s center-back clung onto him.
However, the defender’s interference mattered.
Ibrahimovic didn’t put his full force into it, resulting in a shot that wasn’t fast enough.
The Kaiserslautern goalkeeper leaped and deflected the football out for a corner.
The entire Kaiserslautern, both on and off the field, broke out in a cold sweat.
Rehhagel was especially stern-faced.
It was outrageous.
Not the score, nor the match situation.
But the fact that Sporting Lisbon had so many talented players was simply outrageous.
Not to mention Viana, who was pretty much set on joining Inter Milan with a price tag around twenty million.
Same for Quaresma, according to Rehhagel’s inside sources, Barcelona was certain to secure him this summer, with the deal estimated to also near twenty million euros.
Both players were born in 1983, just eighteen years old this year, bonafide future stars.
But these, at least, had been groomed for many years by Sporting Lisbon itself.
A den of talent scouting and development like them naturally had promising apprentices.
The key point was, where did this goal-sniffing, super-fast, and reliable shooter Ronaldo come from? And Deng Kai, who was no less talented than Viana and, from the perspective of a playmaker, even superior?
They were not even sixteen yet. Dominating in the youth squad was understandable, but wreaking havoc in the Primeira Liga... The most crucial aspect was, in two years’ time they might well become players nurtured by Sporting Lisbon themselves.
But for now... they had only played at Sporting Lisbon for one year before being loaned out for half a year, with Ronaldo even spending half a year on a sickbed. Playing at this level now, it was as if Sporting Lisbon had stumbled upon a fortune.
Even that wasn’t the end of it—who doesn’t step in dog poop once in their lifetime?
Ronaldo: "???"
Deng Kai: Scowls indignantly!
But one can’t always be stepping in dog poop, right?
The diligently improving, physically explosive, and increasingly intuitive shooter Drogba.
Ibrahimovic, who possessed a perfect physique, with almost limitless potential within this team.
Pepe, somewhat rash but with defensive abilities already at eighty percent of Matthaus in his later years.
Terry and Barzagli, young center-backs with physical and speed advantages, far exceeding their peers in defensive awareness.
This team had too many monsters.
Perhaps in the future, looking back, most of the players from this team could become football legends?
The thought scared Rehhagel.
He shook his head vigorously.
That’s impossible.
There couldn’t possibly be a more monstrous squad than Manchester United’s Class of ’92 in this world.
