Chapter 325: Chapter 324: Tell a Joke, Deng Kai Became Invisible
Lisbon Athletics’ big win in the first leg of the Europa League match against Kaiserlautern quickly spread across all of Europe.
The new dark horse took down the old dark horse, with one generation proving blacker than the last.
Deng Kai’s performance in that match was remarkable, displaying absolute midfield leadership.
Many people started paying attention to Deng Kai because of this.
Some of these people were supporters of Deng Kai.
Others were there to "inspect the goods."
They wanted to see with their own eyes whether Deng Kai was as astonishing as Viana.
On March 19th, the 26th round of the Portugal championship kicked off.
Trigella boldly used a complete reserve lineup.
Not a single starter or important rotation player appeared on the pitch.
The message was simple, prioritize Europa League, let go of the league championship!
Many people didn’t understand this approach.
Maxa was one of them initially; he believed that as the second-placed team in the league, they could totally strive for the league championship and there was no reason to let go at this point.
On the contrary, the unpredictability of the Europa League was stronger; meticulous preparation didn’t necessarily result in favorable outcomes.
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
But Deng Kai expressed his support for Trigella.
"The next round is at Kaiserlautern’s home ground, and their home atmosphere is excellent. It’s one of the birthplaces for miracles, and anything can happen there," he said.
"Being in the best state, without giving the Germans any illusions, will not only allow us to firmly step into the top four of the UEFA Europa League but also prepare us well for the upcoming challenges."
"Otherwise, if we really get tangled up in battle, even if we win, we will be drained for what follows."
"As for the league... after all, we still have a direct confrontation with Porto, so even if the gap is as large as three to five points, we still have a chance. There’s no need to rush right now."
After Deng Kai finished speaking, Maxa immediately applauded, "That’s truly visionary! If we’re aiming for Europe, we can’t set our target as merely defeating Kaiserlautern. Young Master Kai’s vision is already on the outcome of the next round. We have much to learn from his far-sightedness!"
Deng Kai’s expression darkened; that phrase didn’t sound very auspicious.
Realizing that Deng Kai was not very happy, Maxa pondered which part of what he said could have been wrong.
Was it the use of the idiom about being far-sighted?
Did it seem too old-fashioned?
Indeed, the Chinese language is profound and intricate; he still had much to learn.
Subsequently, in the league match, Lisbon Athletics, fielding an all-reserve lineup, lost the game. Their opponents, though not strong, were fighting to avoid relegation, and thus the possibility of them fighting fiercely was there.
At the very least, they were capable of causing injuries to players.
Lisbon Athletics played it safe by sidestepping the limelight, and the choice wasn’t wrong.
Fortunately, their direct competitors, Porto, were held to a draw by their opponents, and the gap between the two teams came down to three points.
The situation hadn’t reached the worst-case scenario.
Furthermore, on the other hand, Lisbon Athletic’s rivals Benfica and Boavista faced each other this round; after an intense competition, they also ended in a draw.
This resulted in them missing the best period to catch up, leaving them at seven and eight points behind Lisbon Athletic, respectively.
Essentially, they have both bowed out of the race for the league championship and the Champions League qualification.
In terms of the situation, Trigella’s move can’t be called spectacular, but at the very least, it’s worth some points.
However, in the eyes of ordinary fans, especially those of other teams, this move is incredibly stupid.
If they had won the league game, wouldn’t they have reclaimed the top spot?
Missing this chance, who’s to say Lisbon Athletic haven’t missed their final shot at the championship?
"Is Lisbon Athletic dumb? It’s so easy to score points against relegation-threatened teams, and they fielded an entire bench?"
"Relegation-threatened teams are not easy to get points from; Porto just got a draw too, and they even lost a key midfielder to injury. What happens next is uncertain!"
"Oh come on, Lisbon Athletic lost their match, let’s not talk about uncertainties."
"Speaking of which, Lisbon Athletic really can’t afford any more injuries, especially Deng Kai. Right now, he’s practically carrying the team on his shoulders."
"Pah! Another Kai fan? How is he carrying the team on his shoulders? Do you think Golden Ball winner Matthaus is a pushover? Or do you think Deschamps is dead weight on the national team? These are top international players!"
"Exactly, this group of Kai fans is truly annoying; bumping into Viana was bad enough, and now they don’t even regard the other midfielders of Lisbon Athletic. If I were Deschamps, I’d give little Kai ’a piece of my mind’!"
"Matthaus is so dominant in Bayern and the national team; why doesn’t he show Deng Kai some tough love?"
"People are still hyping Deng Kai despite the loss? I watched the league match, and Deng Kai was completely invisible, nowhere near the spirit that Viana had!"
"To the Inter fan above, you really went to great lengths, but next time you slander Kai, please do your homework. This round, Lisbon Athletic fielded a full reserve team. It would be weird if my Kai didn’t ’disappear,’ since he didn’t play at all, alright?"
"Can’t hold it in anymore, the Inter fans have become delusional; they don’t have to worry about getting eliminated in the Champions League group stage next year. Because most likely, they’ll start off in the European Union Cup."
"That’s a bit harsh from above. But it looks like Lisbon Athletic has a good chance of playing in the Champions League next year. The Portuguese league has two spots, and Lisbon Athletic is seven points ahead of Benfica, so it’s pretty stable."
"Not necessarily. As you can see from this round of the league, Lisbon Athletic is heavily invested in the European Union Cup. If they advance to the semi-finals, they will inevitably go all out. Then, due to schedule conflicts, there is a high likelihood of being forced to give up the league."
"Yeah, let’s not forget that they’re also into the semi-finals of the Portuguese Cup. If they really make it to the final, they have no choice but to fight hard."
"If I were Lisbon Athletic, I would have let Moreirense through in the last round of the Portuguese Cup. It would have been respectful to the reserve team and also would have rid themselves of a burden. Now, whichever side they let go is a huge loss."
"Guys, have we all lost our pride? Only children make choices, can’t adults have it all?"
"Hahaha, the one above really made me laugh. Take it all? A little triple crown? Do you think that’s possible? How many years has it been since the Portuguese league had a team win a European treble? Very few in all of Europe. The pressure of the schedule is no joke; if you don’t play football, you won’t understand how terrifying the physical crisis at the end of the season is."
"I heard that the fans from Kaiserslautern have prepared an atmosphere matching that of a devil’s home ground, aiming to help their team overturn the game at home. Once Lisbon Athletic arrives, they’re going to have a tough time."
"The last round’s tactics from Kaiserslautern against Viana were quite sound, and once Viana was substituted out, Deng Kai, with a completely different style, caught them by surprise. Deng Kai played well also because he faced fewer restrictions."
"This time, Rehhagel has been studying thoroughly for a week, and he must have developed a plan to limit Deng Kai. In this match, Lisbon Athletic is likely to face huge trouble!"
"Football sellouts, seaside villas. Though the score might be ludicrous, the gap in strength between the two sides isn’t that big. Rehhagel has the advantage in acting later, and without a midfield, Lisbon Athletic is like lambs to the slaughter. Klose and Djorkaeff are not the type of forwards who waste chances; I believe they can pull off a miraculous comeback, continuing the dark horse legend and advancing to the semi-finals of the European Union Cup for two successive seasons!"
The fans argued back and forth, with their opinions forever divided.
On March 22, the entire Lisbon Athletic team flew to Germany, arriving in Kaiserslautern.
On March 23, the quarter-finals of the European Union Cup continued with the second leg.
Apart from Viana’s absence due to injury on the side of Lisbon Athletic, there were virtually no changes to either team.
