Chapter 323: Chapter 322: The Only Striker with Zero Assists in World Football
Manchester United’s Class of ’92 was already a youth team miracle, but the truly top players in that team were only Beckham and Giggs.
Scholes and Gary Neville were also stars, but they were a bit short of the highest level.
And in Rehhagel’s eyes, the football legends that made up his team were no less remarkable than the sun-like Beckham of the past two years.
You heard it right, Rehhagel believed that within the opposing team, Sporting Lisbon, there were five to eight players whose future achievements could compare to Beckham’s.
Even taking into account various chances of decline, three to five of them were still likely to make it.
Outrageous, right?
Outrageous indeed!
But that really was what Rehhagel thought!
Bang!
As Deng Kai delivered the corner kick, Barzagli, overpowering Klose, leaped high and executed a Lion’s Header, successfully breaking the goal!
"GOAL! Four to zero!"
"Barzagli’s header was powerful and heavy; this center-back from the Apennine Peninsula has continued the glorious tradition of Italian defenders, combining a robust defensive presence with a significant set-piece threat!"
"I think this is a result nobody anticipated, and although there are still twenty minutes left in the match, it seems we can already announce that Kaiserslautern’s journey in the UEFA Europa League ends this season."
"They made it to the semi-finals last year, but this year, they seem to be stopping at the quarter-finals."
"Perhaps it’s the pressure from domestic league competition; Kaiserslautern hasn’t prepared sufficiently. But I believe that the scoreline is more likely due to Sporting Lisbon themselves."
"They are just too strong! I’m even seeing a royal aura in this youth team!"
"In the first half of the season, I thought it was Matthaus, Deschamps, Quaresma, and Viana who brought this to the team."
"But now, it seems more like it’s Deng Kai and Ronaldo who have brought this since the start of the season with consistently stable performances. They rarely have standout moments, but if you take their performances in most matches and put those on other players, those are standout moments!"
"Especially Deng Kai!"
Isn’t that why they say commentators know the game?
After this goal, the commentator heaped praise on Sporting Lisbon for about ten minutes.
Then, in the 81st minute, Djorkaeff bypassed two defenders and sent out a slick half-volley pass.
This made it very difficult for Feng Te to handle.
But Klose possessed all-around ball-handling abilities.
Facing the half-volley, Klose lifted his thigh high, tightened his calf, perpendicular to the ground.
He used his calf to forcefully knock the football into the net.
"This... four to one, Klose pulls one back for Kaiserslautern. In the past ten minutes, Kaiserslautern has had more of the advantage."
"If they can pull back one or two more goals in the time left, then they might still have a chance. After all, the next match will be on their home ground."
"I think Kaiserslautern can do it. This is a team coached by Rehhagel after all; they’re naturally imbued with the attribute of rising against adversity!"
Today, the commentator was really on fire.
He jinxed whoever he praised.
He hadn’t even finished expressing his expectations for Kaiserslautern when, in the 83rd minute, Deng Kai split Kaiserslautern’s defense with a through pass.
Ronaldo made an off-the-ball cut, catching up with the football near the baseline of the large penalty area.
He faked a few moves in an attempt to dribble past defenders, but in the end, chose to deliver a sweeping pass right in front of the goal.
Recently, in several matches, Ronaldo has been consciously trying to assist.
Because so far, Ronaldo is the only forward with over ten goals this season in the world of football who hasn’t made an assist!
It’s almost embarrassing to say out loud.
Bang!
The crowd is chaotic, Ibrahimovic and Quaresma are both charging in the penalty area.
A Kaiserslautern defender gets to the ball first, but then... the ball pierces through the net, their own net.
Five to one!
Lisbon Sporting scores a goal within a minute after conceding one.
With such dominance, it essentially crushed the newly kindled dreams of Kaiserslautern fans to even the score.
But on the pitch, apart from the Kaiserslautern goalkeeper and the center-back who scored the own goal, lying on the grass covering his face is also Ronaldo, the biggest contributor to the goal.
He’s on the verge of crying.
Is assisting really that hard?
Deng Kai walks over and helps Ronaldo up.
Ronaldo, puzzled, asks, "Is an assist the hardest thing in this world? What exactly do I need to do, I’m literally going to cry myself to death!"
Deng Kai shakes his head: "Assists are easy, look at my assists in the European competitions this season, I even have one more than your goals."
Ronaldo currently has eight goals in European competitions, ranking second on the Europa League’s scoring chart.
But Deng Kai has nine assists in European competitions, solidly in first place on the assists chart.
The second place is Quaresma with seven assists.
This also reflects the team’s strong ability to create opportunities.
In the end, the score stayed at five to one.
Lisbon Sporting claimed an overwhelming victory over the visiting Kaiserslautern with a remarkable scoreline.
This was also their best result in European competitions this season.
After the match, the news in both Portugal and Germany was explosive.
"Viana injured and out, Deng Kai continues to deliver, Lisbon Sporting shows no difference in performance before and after!"
"Lisbon Sporting officially announces that Viana has suffered a thigh strain, will be out for three to four weeks, it’s not a big issue."
"Inter Milan fans can relax and urge Viana to rest more, no need to participate in the remaining fixtures, to ensure he joins Inter Milan in top condition!"
"Moratti calls Lisbon Sporting’s top management to confirm Viana’s injury status, Inter Milan is determined to secure Viana!"
"Five to one! The Portuguese league’s second best vastly outperforms the Bundesliga’s seventh!"
"Lisbon Sporting’s youth team explodes with power, diverse attacks, a multiple core strategy is the biggest reason for their rise!"
"Trigella: We cannot take it lightly, Rehhagel is a coach who is good at creating miracles, in the next game, we will give two hundred percent to win!"
"Maxa: Klose’s versatility is terrifying, it’s incomprehensible that such a forward isn’t signaled by the German team. Deng Kai’s performance is faultless, he has always been this kind of player, he doesn’t mind others sharing the glory because he knows his own is endless!"
"Deng Kai: Viana’s absence is a huge blow to us, but fortunately, his injury isn’t serious. We look forward to his return... Winning the treble is an elusive dream, we will try to dream, but we will not be obsessed with dreaming. In critical moments, we will make the necessary choices!"
"Djorkaeff: Deng Kai’s performance is incredible, this team doesn’t seem like one that’s just been rebuilt. Their cohesion is strong, they play in harmony and selflessly, like a seasoned team that has played together for several years."
"Klose: Lisbon Sporting’s defense is terrifying, it made me feel like I was running out of breath. Even though I scored, for the most part, I was at a disadvantage. We need to figure something out in the midfield, their possession rate is a bit too high, that’s the biggest reason why we had such a tough game."
