Chapter 414: Chapter 413: Ren Mi, if you have any other requirements, just mention them
However, "All-knowing Football Emperor" believed that this exploration maximally satisfied football fans’ viewing experience, allowing fans to witness the peak showdown of two teams in their complete form.
They even called for other competitions with the same winner-takes-all format as the European Super Cup to introduce this system.
Jiang Yunzhu deeply analyzed in the "All-knowing Football Emperor" column, "It’s normal for events with multiple rounds to accumulate red and yellow cards, which tests the team’s long-term combat capability and the depth of their roster."
"This can give rise to more diverse tactics, creating suspense where winning first doesn’t mean victory, and losing first doesn’t guarantee defeat."
"Yet the Super Cup is just a single match and, as the opening game at the start of the season that attracts much attention, it shouldn’t be marred by incompleteness."
"If we want the various Super Cups to gain more significance, generate more economic value, and have their competitive worth recognized by more players, then they should be turned into an all-star event!"
"Due to the unique nature of football, it’s hard to organize a true all-star game, which is why the Super Cup should be given more importance by the football associations!"
New media versus authoritative media.
Media with an oriental background versus the dominant media of Germany.
The final outcome was surprising.
Over ninety-five percent of football fans actually supported the opinions expressed by "All-knowing Football Emperor."
Including German local fans and Bayern fans, at least eighty percent believed that "players from the teams participating in the Super Cup should not be penalized by bans."
People could accept suspensions acquired during the Super Cup carrying over to European competition or the league, but not the other way around.
At the end of the day, "All-knowing Football Emperor’s" proposal was completely from the perspective of the fans.
There isn’t a fan who doesn’t want to watch the most exciting matches.
Perhaps during the Champions League finals, extreme fans of both sides wish for the complete annihilation of the enemy team.
But if even the Super Cup can’t deliver one hundred percent joy, then football is too rigid.
Of course, German fans and Bayern fans support this reform with a precondition, which is that they never thought that Lisbon Sporting, currently struggling in the league, could actually beat them.
...
August 24th, Manchester, Maine Road Stadium.
The European Super Cup is about to kick off.
The players from both sides appeared early on the pitch for warm-up.
When they landed in Manchester, they had already felt the enthusiasm of the English fans.
They were fully familiar with the formation and players of both teams.
Bayern lined up in a 442 formation.
The two forwards were Bayern’s Sword—Giovane Elber.
And the Andes Bomber—Claudio Pizarro.
The midfielders included Jeremies, Effenberge, Scholl, and Salih Hamidzic.
The defenders were Lizarazu, Sarno, Roberto Kovac, and Kuffour.
The goalkeeper was the Lion King, Kahn.
Among them, Roberto Kovac was new to Bayern this season, joining alongside his older brother, Niko Kovac.
The latter would become the head coach of teams like the Croatian national team, Frankfurt, Bayern Munich, Monaco, and Wolfsburg in the future.
On Lisbon Sporting’s side, they continued to use the 433 formation they had employed before.
Ronaldo, Drogba, Ronaldinho
Deng Kai, Guardiola, Matthaus
Evra, Vidic, Barzagli, Maicon
Schmeichel
Feng Te took on the role of waterboy, responsible for leading the morale on the bench.
Among them, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, and Drogba were referred to by fans as "The Three Ronaldos"!
In this lineup, Matthaus replacing Kaka in the starting lineup was something many media outlets had predicted before the match.
Kaka’s recent performances had lacked highlights.
And with the opposition being Matthaus’s old club, which has many stories, how could the media continue without him playing?
With the sound of the whistle, the match officially began.
And right from the start, there was a contentious atmosphere between the two sides.
The instigator was Matthaus, who got into a fierce tussle with Effenberge right from the get-go.
It was evident that the old master had a considerable grudge against this old tiger.
But in turn, Effenberge and Lizarazu also took their chance to hit back at their opponents.
Lizarazu knocked down the flashy Ronaldinho.
Effenberge knocked over Deng Kai, who was trying to hold him off with his back to the goal.
Deng Kai: MMP!
"Oh! Deng Kai furiously slaps the turf!"
"He’s actually quite aggrieved! It was Matthaus who started it, but he’s the one to bear the consequences."
"One can’t help but say, Effenberge is somewhat bullying."
In the stands, Bayern fans even let out a laugh.
They were mocking Deng Kai’s impotent rage.
What’s the use of slapping the turf?
If you’re capable, knock over Effenberge as well!
Score a goal if you’re so capable!
After getting up, Deng Kai walked towards the front field, "the lawn hammered by Babel" successfully triggered.
Guardiola took the free kick from the backfield.
Matthaus received the ball and immediately passed it to Ronaldo, who had dropped back to ask for it.
A big part of the reason for Kaka’s poor performance was that he was unclear about whether he should pass to Ronaldo or not.
He could feel the restrictions Deng Kai placed on Ronaldo.
But Matthaus didn’t have that issue.
Even at his age, the old man had a level of freedom on the field.
And given his sense of the game, his passes were definitely reasoned and of an excellent standard.
If even he got criticized by little Deng Kai, then the old man would really have had to lose his temper, huh.
Retire on the spot, believe it or not?
Bayern obviously had studied Sporting Lisbon’s recent matches, and they didn’t expect Matthaus to pass to Ronaldo.
So after Ronaldo received the ball and turned around with it, he immediately managed to make a substantial advance.
By the time Lizarazu reacted and moved to cover, Ronaldo had already cut inside a step ahead.
Effenberge tried to knock Ronaldo off from the side, but Ronaldo, agile as a fried meatball, dodged the collision and charged directly into the penalty area.
Sarno came off his line to try to intercept.
Ronaldo, however, tapped the ball and turned the cut inside into a run to the bottom line, moving closer to the end line along the edge of the box.
Bang!
Ronaldo crosses!
In the top position of the penalty area, the light brightened before Deng Kai’s eyes.
His suppression and guidance had paid off.
It was a very beautiful cross!
Ronaldo wasn’t stubborn; he was making adjustments according to Deng Kai’s demands.
Who let this team be named after Kai, right?
Deng Kai: ???
Ronaldo: The name on the back of your jersey, Deng Kai.
Feng Te: Hehe, Ronaldo, would you please step out, you fake fan! Go repeat my seven-character quatrain ten more times!
Bang!
Drogba followed the play with a jump, outmuscling Kovac to head the goal.
But the King of the Jungle Kahn lived up to his name, incredibly saving such a close-range header.
This reflex in front of the goal was really outrageous.
Drogba personally believed, with that save alone, Kahn was indeed better than Schmeichel.
However, Bayern’s crisis in front of the goal did not abate.
The football bounced to the penalty spot.
Deng Kai happened to be very close to the ball.
But so was Effenberge, right next to him.
Both men pushed against each other as they advanced, each with a bit of shoving with their hands.
Considering this was in his own penalty area, Effenberge held back to thirty percent of his strength, to avoid being penalized for being too aggressive.
But he was confident that seventy percent of his strength would be enough to overpower Deng Kai completely.
Because he had already sized up Deng Kai’s weight...
Huh?
Effenberge’s body uncontrollably toppled to one side.
In his shaking pupils, Deng Kai raised one hand and pushed with the other, even leaping a half-step from exerting too much force.
Effenberge was pushed away.
Bang!
Deng Kai took a shot at the left side of the goal with a push-kick.
Kahn, who had just fallen on the right, rolled and crawled on the ground, not yet fully upright, as he lunged to the left, but the football was at least half a meter away from him.
For a moment, all of Bayern’s tigers and the King of the Jungle were down on the turf.
Only the Emperor Kai stood tall in the penalty area, unyielding!
After scoring the goal, Deng Kai did not celebrate; he even raised his hand immediately to stop his teammates like Drogba and Ronaldo from coming over to celebrate together.
He lifted his head, surveying the Bayern fans in the stands who had been mocking him.
Although he said nothing, his eyes and demeanor said it all:
Effenberge, I’ve overcome you!
The goal, I’ve scored it!
Do you have any other requests?
Go ahead and make them!
