Chapter 372: Chapter 371: A Bloodshed Caused by a Misunderstanding
"Alright, returning from the halftime break, we can see... Oops, why is Ronaldo’s right hand wrapped in a bandage? Could he have been injured during the halftime break?"
The camera immediately focused on Ronaldo’s right hand.
Faint bloodstains could be seen seeping through.
The camera moved up to Ronaldo’s face, which was very serious, his eyes fiercely intense.
"Could it be that a brawl broke out in the Sporting Lisbon locker room during the halftime?"
"It seems the 3-0 scoreline has completely shattered the psychological defenses of the Sporting Lisbon players, causing internal conflict after being overwhelmed."
"It must be Ronaldo who criticized their own defense line, causing dissatisfaction among the defenders, thus..."
As the camera panned across the entire Sporting Lisbon team, the commentator began to speculate.
But with all members of Sporting Lisbon, including coach Trigella and assistant coach Maxa, looking ready to devour someone, it was hard to determine with whom Ronaldo had clashed.
Could it be... he had clashed with the entire team?
It wasn’t impossible, after all, rumours said Ronaldo was arrogant and did not get along with the team.
News of internal strife within Sporting Lisbon quickly spread among the fans.
Liverpool’s fans were quite delighted.
Although they already had a firm grip on the game, with Ronaldo, as a left-winger, needing to frequently tussle with defending players using his right hand. An injured right hand would definitely affect his state of play, probably reducing him to half of his capability.
If Sporting Lisbon’s original somewhat threatening two-winged attack turned into just Quaresma flying solo, it’d be even less likely to penetrate Liverpool’s defense.
However, just a few minutes into the game, Mr. Moratti, the president of Inter Milan, excitedly stood up and waved his arms.
Because Hugo Viana, their blue and black army’s next midfield linchpin, had erupted.
"Viana! It’s Viana again! That’s his third successful dribble in a short time!"
"Gerard, who scored in the last phase of the first half, completely failed to guard Viana... Gary McAllister! Viana dribbles past two players, charging into the central field!"
"Happia moves out... Viana passes horizontally to Deng Kai, Deng Kai immediately passes it wide to the cutting-in Quaresma, this is the area where Quaresma is known for his outside-of-the-foot shots, Quaresma shoots... crosses!"
"It’s not a shot, it’s a cross!"
"Drogba is in a good position, Drogba... falls down!"
"Drogba has fallen behind the penalty spot, Happia raises his hands high trying to prove his innocence, but the referee still blows his whistle and shows Happia a yellow card!"
"Sporting Lisbon has earned a precious penalty kick!"
"Viana’s dribbling was spectacular! Quaresma’s play was filled with intelligence... Liverpool symbolically discussed with the referee for a moment, they can afford to concede a goal."
"Quaresma stands at the penalty spot, Sporting Lisbon’s first-choice penalty taker, but from the data we have at hand, Quaresma’s penalty record is hardly impressive."
"Out of his last nine penalties, he has missed four, with a success rate of only 63.3%, which is fifteen percentage points below the average penalty conversion rate in the Portuguese league!"
"His most recent penalty was also missed, which was in the Portuguese championship... Oh! My goodness, Quaresma has missed the penalty again! Liverpool goalkeeper Westerweld guesses the right direction, successfully saving Quaresma’s shot!"
"Follow-up shot! Ronaldo scores on the rebound!"
"Close call, but no harm done! Sporting Lisbon hasn’t missed this valuable opportunity! Ronaldo has rescued Quaresma, it seems that the one who fought with him definitely wasn’t Quaresma, otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such an eager rebound."
"Gary McAllister slapped Ronaldo’s injured right hand while chasing him, Ronaldo’s expression was one of pain, but he still endured it and rushed into position to finish the shot."
"One to three, Lisbon Athletics pull one back. Considering that the second half just started five minutes ago, they seem to have another chance now!"
"Those fans who were about to change the channel must stay tuned, the game ahead could be even more exciting!"
Huang Jianxiang, prompted by the director, reluctantly made the prediction to retain viewers.
In fact, Liverpool was certain to win this game.
If they can’t win even with a three-nil lead, one would really have to consider if the bookies had kidnapped the players’ families.
Up in the stands, Barcelona’s coach Rijkaard was scribbling in his notebook: "Quaresma, explosive on the wings... key play style... poor at penalties..."
In the fifty-sixth minute.
After a period of ball circulation, Gerard, who was relatively relaxed, initiated a through pass.
This was a risky move; in a tense match, Gerard would never dare do such a thing.
But when the team had a significant advantage, shouldn’t the players show off their skills?
Gerard, with his audacity matched by his skill, sent the football straight to... the feet of Deng Kai.
Liverpool’s players were quite astonished; several of them were still positioning themselves up front, waiting for the ball to arrive.
But the football would never arrive.
By the time Gerard lunged at Deng Kai, Deng Kai had already completed a long pass for a counter-attack.
Schmeichel’s counter-attacks were fast because of his speed.
Deng Kai’s counter-attacks were fast because of his passing.
He was a turbocharger that could instantly shift the team from first gear to fifth.
"Ronaldo accelerates! Babel holds up Ronaldo... there’s intense tussle between the two... he’s past him, Ronaldo is past! So fast! The Portuguese supercar just outpaced the German in an instant! He now has a clear path ahead!"
"Sir Alex Ferguson in the stands has risen to his feet! He’s extremely excited, and I believe at this moment all Manchester United fans know why Ferguson is so thrilled."
"Everyone sees Giggs’s shadow in Ronaldo! Manchester United’s left wing hasn’t aged, they’ve already found a worthy successor! This is truly blissful!"
"Happia is forced to leave his position to cover."
"Ronaldo crosses! Who says Ronaldo can’t pass, the quality of this cross is very high!"
"Drogba leaps high, a Lion’s Header... the ball is in!"
"Too quick! This was a super counter-attack, from Deng Kai intercepting the football to Drogba scoring, it took no more than seventeen seconds!"
"Two to three! The game really has become suspenseful now, Lisbon Athletics’ scoring pace is too fast!"
"It’s magical! It’s rare as a blooming iron tree, and to think, this is only Ronaldo’s second assist in the current UEFA Cup, and it came at such a critical moment!"
"Ronaldo’s assists for the entirety of this season don’t add up to more than five."
"Lisbon Athletic’s decision to bring in Drogba this season was absolutely right. Just this goal alone is worth far more than his transfer fee!"
"Before the match, some fans mocked Drogba as the bankrupt version of Heskey, but now that Drogba has scored, where are Heskey’s goals?"
"Gerard needs to take responsibility for this conceded goal, losing possession too easily with him."
