Chapter 375: Chapter 374: The King of Decisive Kills
"On Liverpool’s side, Heskey, who had squandered opportunities, was subbed off. Considering his fitness, this might not have been a substitution meant as a reproach; however, if Liverpool failed to clinch the championship, he would probably face the onslaught of the fans."
"Apart from finishing, Heskey was an almost perfect forward."
"Robbie Fowler was subbed on for Liverpool, a player the fans hailed as ’God’s gifted striker’ and a distinguished product of Liverpool’s youth academy."
"In his second match for Liverpool, he single-handedly scored all five goals, shooting to fame at not even nineteen years old!"
"Three years ago, the English frontline of Fowler and Owen instilled fear in defensive lines worldwide. Unfortunately, Fowler’s cruciate ligament injury abruptly halted his momentum. He could only watch as Owen rose to stardom during that year’s World Cup."
"Had Fowler not been injured, perhaps it would have been Beckham, Michael Owen, and Robbie Fowler lifting the Hercules Cup that year instead of Zidane!"
"The entry of these two players clearly reflected the intentions of both coaches, which was to score! Score! Score!"
However, after these two players came on the field, neither made much of an impression.
It wasn’t until the eighty-sixth minute that Fowler and Owen showed their usual understanding. Fowler provided a wall pass that helped Owen break into the penalty area.
Owen and Feng Te collided, and Owen fell to the ground.
After Feng Te won the ball, he passed it to Deng Kai.
Liverpool’s players signaled for a penalty, but the referee firmly shook his head. He had a clear view and had seen Owen’s entire attempt to dive.
Were it not for the tight schedule, he would have even shown Owen a yellow card.
Bang!
Deng Kai didn’t give Liverpool’s players the chance to argue and took a half-turn to pass the ball without stopping it.
Gerrard didn’t even get a chance to disrupt Deng Kai.
On the left side of the frontcourt, Ronaldo sprinted desperately, nearly catching up with the ball.
Bang!
Babel threw himself at the ball, clearing it past the baseline.
He didn’t dare let Ronaldo get the ball because he wasn’t confident he could stop him.
If it had been earlier in the match, Babel would not have lacked confidence.
But after eighty minutes of play, he had indeed become a bit fearful of this left winger named Chris.
He had too much energy.
While players like Drogba were off the field, Ronaldo was still going as if nothing was wrong.
"Corner kick! The last goal from Lisbon came from a corner kick. Can they repeat the trick this time?"
"This time Liverpool has more players involved in defense; it seems they don’t want to stumble on the same spot twice."
"The referee blows his whistle, approaching Ronaldo and Babel in the penalty area, signaling to the players not to engage in excessive physicality."
"There goes the whistle again! This time it’s Ibrahimovic and Happia. Ibrahimovic really has a fiery temper; he doesn’t seem at all like a player who just came on."
"Okay, Deng Kai is ready to take the corner."
In the corner area, Deng Kai looked at the positions of the players in the box and suddenly conjured a bold idea in his mind.
Just then, Ronaldo turned his head and made eye contact with Deng Kai.
Deng Kai’s eyes moved towards the outer edge of the small box.
Ronaldo understood somewhat but not completely.
He knew Deng Kai wanted him to move out, but what then? Was it play number three or number seven?
Just say it clearly, will you!
Ronaldo slowly moved outwards, but he didn’t escape Gerrard’s notice.
Gerrard followed Ronaldo out unnoticeably.
Happia quickly shifted towards the space vacated by Gerrard, and like dominoes, the positional arrangement inside the box underwent a series of changes.
At that moment, Deng Kai kicked the ball.
Bang!
"Deng Kai takes the corner kick, searching for... who exactly? It’s hard to tell... The trajectory of this ball is a bit too close to the goal... wait, Liverpool’s goalkeeper Westerweld is positioned too far out, and behind him..."
"Shot on goal! This is a direct attempt on goal! Deng Kai has opted to shoot directly from the corner!"
"An outrageous decision! Deng Kai is wasting the team’s last chance! At this stage, every set piece is incredibly precious, how could Deng Kai..."
Whoosh!
Before the commentator could finish, the football, arching in a great curve, precisely drilled into the net.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper Westerweld had managed to get there in time, leapt into the air, and stretched his hand to block the ball.
But it was just enough to push the football from inside the goal net to the side netting.
The ball created a white splash, bouncing slightly after landing, before finally coming to a complete stop.
Yet soon, the stationary ball began trembling once again.
This is...
Earthquake!
At the Westfalenstadion, just over ten thousand Lisbon Athletic fans erupted in earth-shattering cheers.
They couldn’t help themselves jumping on the spot, creating a "man-made earthquake".
The entire stadium seemed about to be overturned by their roaring voices.
"Deng Kai! Deng Kai! My God!"
"It’s in! A last-minute goal! This is a last-minute goal!"
"Incredible! Fantastic! This is the most spectacular goal in the history of the Hercules Cup final! Absolutely!"
"At the same time, Deng Kai has broken the record set by Ronaldo in this match for the youngest scorer in the history of the Hercules Cup final, bringing the age down by a full six months!"
"Four to three! Deng Kai’s last-minute goal puts Lisbon Athletic ahead of Liverpool, leaving them little time left!"
"Leading three-nil at the half, who would have believed that such a Liverpool side could possibly lose the match!"
"Deng Kai is truly miraculous, how is his brain wired? How can he dare to play football like this!"
"How many last-minute goals has he scored this season?"
"I dare say, Deng Kai definitely has the gene for last-minute goals! It’s outrageous! It reminds me of the 1999 Champions League final where Manchester United snatched victory from Bayern! Deng Kai was there, too!"
"He’s like a born finisher! Always able to score the most crucial goals at the most critical moments!"
"Babel has completely crumbled! It was like this at Bayern, and it’s the same at Liverpool!"
"A corner kick goal! A miracle! We have witnessed a miracle! The Westfalen Miracle! This is the miracle of Lisbon Athletic, the miracle of the Portuguese!"
"Deng Kai has started to run; he still has the energy to celebrate!"
On the field, Deng Kai dashed towards the corner flag area, raising his right hand high, twirling his index finger.
All the Lisbon Athletic fans knew what was going to happen next.
They watched as Deng Kai soared high, spinning 180 degrees in mid-air before crashing down like a god descending to earth.
"Everyone" shouted out with Deng Kai: "Siuuuuuuu!"
The Liverpool fans stood there dumbfounded, still unable to believe their team was behind.
deng
kai
These two pinyin characters loomed large before their eyes, and some of the more excited fans even experienced a momentary blackout, a brief dizzy spell.
Looking at the boy who was still two months shy of his sixteenth birthday, a complex taste of discomfort surged in their hearts.
"He’s only sixteen!"
"Devil! He’s a devil!"
"Why! This is the great Liverpool, the treble winners! Liverpool needs this championship! They really do!"
"Has the rise of Liverpool, once the dominant force in England, really been halted by a fifteen-year-old kid?"
"No! Liverpool hasn’t lost yet! Come on, Liverpool!"
"When you walk through the storm..."
In the stands, over forty thousand Liverpool fans began to sing "You’ll Never Walk Alone," the anthem of Liverpool.
Liverpool never gives up!
