Chapter 332: Chapter 331: Apologize to Barcelona and Liverpool in Advance
"GOAL! Deng Kai has scored again!"
"Five to two! Deng Kai completes his first career quadruple in European competition!"
"This is an unbelievable match! Sporting Lisbon has scored ten goals over two legs; their firepower is too strong!"
"The quality of this shot was very high, the football was low and close to the post, extremely difficult for the goalkeeper to save! It was almost an unreachable angle!"
"Of course, the pass was also incredibly comfortable, the power and angle were just right, allowing Deng Kai to shoot directly without any extra touch."
"It’s hard to believe that this high-quality pass came from the foot of Ronaldo."
"The CD connection resounds again, they have been passing and shooting to each other this game!"
"Oh! There’s another thing worth celebrating. Not only is this Deng Kai’s first quadruple in European competition, but it is also the first assist by Ronaldo in all competitions this season!"
"That’s so rare!"
"You know, Ronaldo had already scored nine goals in the UEFA Cup prior to this. He had the chance to score himself this time, but he chose to share."
"This also brings Deng Kai’s UEFA Cup goal tally to nine. The two of them are now tied at the top of the scorer’s chart!"
"At the same time, after assisting Ronaldo, Deng Kai became the first player to reach double digits in assists in the UEFA Cup this season, also putting him at the top of the assist chart!"
"Kaiserslautern is definitely Deng Kai’s benefactor team, facing them in just two matches, Deng Kai has accumulated four goals and three assists, topping both the goal and assist charts simultaneously!"
"If the series against Inter Milan was Viana’s coming-of-age, then this series against Kaiserslautern is when Deng Kai showed his absolute dominance!"
"He’s the undisputed MVP of these two matches!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
"MVP!"
Fans at the scene began chanting the term more commonly used in basketball.
Even the Kaiserslautern fans gradually joined in the chanting.
They didn’t even care that their team had completely lost the possibility of advancing.
Free from concerns of gains and losses, they were better able to appreciate Deng Kai’s sharpness and elegance.
In the 92nd minute, the match was drawing to a close.
Deng Kai, who had won a penalty kick from Quaresma, had been frequently combining with Quaresma in the second half of the match.
The previous pass was a through ball from Deng Kai to Quaresma.
This time, Deng Kai continued to play one-twos with Quaresma, helping him break into the penalty area.
Quaresma certainly felt Deng Kai’s intention.
It must be said, he was moved by Deng Kai.
His decision to give away the penalty was not solely to help Deng Kai; another very important reason was his recent poor form. If he missed the penalty, it would really break his mentality.
His market value could plummet as a result.
His agent had already told him that during this time he could afford not to shine, but he must not drag the team down.
Otherwise, there might be changes at Barcelona.
Quaresma did not want to miss an opportunity to join the mighty Barca.
He wanted to become the next Romario, the next Figo, the next Rivaldo!
However, Deng Kai did not show any concerns for his own stats while continuing to create chances for Quaresma.
This act elevated Quaresma’s spirit in an instant.
Quaresma, who already could have shot on goal from the right side of the penalty area, made a more reliable choice.
Bang!
"Quaresma has reached his favorite area, his outside of the foot shots from this position are outstanding, he... passed the ball!"
"A right-footed cut-back pass!"
"Ibrahimovic! A push shot from just outside the small area! Kaiserslautern’s goalkeeper was completely fooled by Quaresma, almost giving Ibrahimovic an open goal!"
"GOAL! Six to two! Ibrahimovic, coming off the bench, completes the scoring!"
"But the credit for this goal belongs mostly to Quaresma, with his generous cut-back that caught everyone off guard."
"Kaiserslautern can take no shame in their defeat today. Whether it’s Ronaldo or Quaresma, both are finishers for the team, holding the right to shoot at goal. But today, when they both had good chances to score, they chose to assist others."
"The team’s unity is stronger than ever, I even feel that no team can stop them from continuing on their path!"
"Sporting Lisbon is awesome!"
"Attention please! All of Europe please note! The youth of Sporting Lisbon is coming! They’ve swept through Inter Milan, Kaiserslautern, who will be the next team they conquer?"
The commentator was full of passion!
The players of Sporting Lisbon also launched into fervent celebration.
Klose, with his hands on his hips, looked at the smiling Deng Kai, Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, and Quaresma, and suddenly understood a lot more.
At this time last year, the players eliminated by Kaiserslautern in the quarter-finals must have also been enviously watching their past selves, right?
Soon, the football was played out again, and a few minutes later, the referee blew the whistle three times, ending the match.
Trigella and Rehhagel immediately shook hands.
Rehhagel said, "As a coach, I am envious of being able to manage such a team. This team has too many players who will leave a mark in the history of football."
Trigella, rarely meeting someone who appreciated quality, smiled and replied, "Yes, it’s my luck as a coach. I would call this team the dream lineup in my heart!"
Rehhagel asked, "How did you manage to find so many excellent, talented players? It’s incredible, even more incredible than the scores of these two matches."
Trigella, pointing to Deng Kai who was exchanging jerseys with Klose and directing Ronaldo to swap jerseys with Djorkaeff, said, "It all started back in the summer of 1995, I swear, I have never seen a ten-year-old youth player with such a commanding presence."
"Maradona, Zidane, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, Iniesta, Lionel Messi — they all couldn’t compare to Kai at that age! At that time, I told him that I would wait for him to come play football. And three years later, he called me and told me he wanted to play."
Rehhagel showed a longing expression, "That’s truly a legendary story. Your Deng Kai, Kai’s talent..."
After the game, Deng Kai, who was undoubtedly voted the best player on the field, was surrounded by reporters.
The reporters bombarded him with questions, asking Deng Kai how he felt at that moment.
Deng Kai, who had just had a friendly conversation with Klose, naturally wouldn’t rub salt in the wound. He never gloated after a win unless the opponent was too arrogant.
And Kaiserslautern had made a good impression on Deng Kai.
Deng Kai said, "Kaiserslautern is a good team, Klose and Djorkaeff are very excellent players, and Rehhagel is an incredible head coach."
"Of course, I know some will talk about the score, but it’s really hard to explain. I believe neither of us could have predicted this score; it’s crazy."
"Perhaps this means we’re in good form. Ever since the match with Inter Milan, we’ve undergone some indescribable transformation."
"I hope we can continue this great performance in the upcoming matches."
Reporter: "What’s your next goal? For a young team from the Primeira Liga, reaching the semifinals of the UEFA Cup is an impressive achievement. Will you shift your focus back to the league now?"
Deng Kai shook his head: "Why should we shift our focus back to the league?"
Reporter: "Do you really think you stand a chance in the semifinals? Your opponent will either be Barcelona or Liverpool!"
Deng Kai frowned, "Well, that is indeed a pity."
Reporter: "It’s okay, reaching the semifinals is excellent, especially since you’re still young. In time, when you join bigger clubs, there will always come a time to match up against Barça and Liverpool... Keep it up, believe in yourself!"
Deng Kai: "Um... you may have misunderstood me. When I said it’s a pity, I meant... it’s a shame for the fans of Barcelona and Liverpool because Sporting Lisbon will beat one or even both of them and then lift the Bertoni trophy!"
The reporters on scene were dumbfounded.
What was Deng Kai talking about?
Did he mean... Sporting Lisbon’s goal was not only to do their best in the semifinals but to become... champions of the UEFA Cup?
Reporter: "Cough, Deng Kai, you might not be aware. In the history of the UEFA Cup, no team from the Primeira Liga has ever won, so..."
Deng Kai: "So after this year there will be... you’ve given us another reason why we must win this trophy. For Portugal, we will give it our all."
"Oh, and I’m just speaking on behalf of Sporting Lisbon when I say sorry in advance to all the fans of Barça and Liverpool!"
"Thank you for your active participation this year, and better luck next year!"
After finishing, Deng Kai slipped away through the crowd, leaving the reporters standing there, stunned.
Feng Te was sweating as he listened from the side.
Was Young Master Kai this bold?
Being first on the UEFA Cup’s goal and assist charts, had that gone to Young Master Kai’s head?
It had to be said, Deng Kai like this was really... cool!
The reporters had just come to their senses only to realize Deng Kai had already walked away.
Luckily, Ronaldo, who had just swapped jerseys with Djorkaeff, came over. The reporters quickly surrounded him, hoping to hear more about Sporting Lisbon’s UEFA Cup ambitions from Ronaldo.
Deng Kai knew, and Ronaldo must have known too.
Team goals are usually set by the head coach and the upper management, who then inform the players.
Unless Deng Kai was also part of the upper management and had just set this UEFA Cup championship goal on the fly, there’s no way Ronaldo wouldn’t know.
Reporter: "Ronaldo, Deng Kai said he wanted to say sorry to Barça and Liverpool, what do you think?"
Ronaldo frowned, "Why do we have to say sorry to them?"
The reporters, who had just gathered their wits, were left even more dumbstruck.
They had thought Deng Kai was arrogant enough.
But now it seemed Ronaldo was even more brazen than Deng Kai!
Why say sorry to them?
Did that mean they intended to win the championship without considering Barça’s and Liverpool’s feelings?
It certainly fit Ronaldo’s character.
He was always aloof and arrogant!
The ambitions of the Sporting Lisbon team to win the championship were confirmed, and it wasn’t just fluff from Deng Kai.
Trigella and Maxa had set ambitious goals; no wonder they were willing to rotate in the league.
They aimed to create a new record in the Primeira Liga!
There’s this week’s headline!
