Chapter 504: Chapter 503: Han Qiaosheng’s Cry of Despair
The match quickly got underway.
In the third minute, Deng Kai’s long pass created the first high ball of the game.
The direct CD connection allowed Ronaldo to stop the ball with his chest, but his shot was weak due to the pincer attack of Blanco and Silvestre.
The football was easily caught by Barthez.
In the seventh minute, Manchester United launched a counterattack.
Veron made a long pass to Giggs on the left flank.
Giggs sent a cross.
Scholes moved up, ready to blast a shot.
But just then, Fran also ran to the same position, surely not as advantageous as Scholes’s.
However, Scholes saw Fran’s determination and quickly braked.
In the end, Fran forced a half-turn shot, but the football went wide.
Fran had a strong attacking instinct, but sometimes this was also a disadvantage.
The thirteenth minute.
From the defensive midfield, Veron delivered a diagonal long pass to Beckham.
Previously, everyone thought Veron wouldn’t be very effective in this lineup and strategy.
But Veron showcased his organizational talent, turning from Zidane into Guardiola, and with two highly offensive flanks, he was quite useful.
After receiving the ball, Beckham made a slight adjustment and delivered a high-quality lobbed cross.
Pepe couldn’t defend against Beckham, and naturally, Feng Te was even less of a challenge.
Bang!
Fran went for a header in the central area.
Reina reacted brilliantly, punching the football out.
Bang!
Diego Forlan took a follow-up shot from the right side.
Vidic stretched out his leg and blocked the football back.
Bang!
Scholes followed up with a third strike.
The football drilled into Sporting Lisbon’s goal.
"GOAL! Goal scored! Manchester United takes the lead!"
"One to zero! Manchester United is one step into the Champions League final!"
"Manchester United’s triple strike finally paid off."
"Scholes has not been comfortable playing in the shadow striker position this season, but it has been beneficial for him. His offensive sharpness has significantly improved, especially his sense for follow-up shots."
"The Manchester United players are celebrating, and Estádio Alvalade is silent."
"Though the Sporting Lisbon fans anticipated this outcome, it still came a bit too early."
"Champions League... can hardly help but say goodbye!"
"After this season, who knows how many of these young players will remain."
The nineteenth minute.
Eager to equalize after conceding, Sporting Lisbon stepped up their game.
Deng Kai chipped a pass to Kaka.
After receiving the ball, Kaka played a diagonal pass that cut behind Veron.
Calling Veron Guardiola was actually irresponsible.
Because Veron’s defense was somewhat weaker than Guardiola’s.
And as a defensive playmaker, Guardiola’s defense was already quite lax.
Therefore...
Bang!
Drogba took a long shot, which went embarrassingly wide.
The thirty-first minute.
Kaka dribbled past Veron.
Before Gary Neville could intervene, he made a side pass.
Deng Kai followed up with a long shot.
But the shot was too direct, and Barthez pushed the football away.
Ronaldo rushed over to take the shot first thing.
Unfortunately, Blanco’s defense was spot on, sticking close at the moment Ronaldo took his shot, causing it to soar high over the bar.
The forty-second minute.
Sporting Lisbon’s bombardment continued without letup.
Kaka and Ronaldo swapped positions, which caused some selective depression among Manchester United’s defenders.
Bang!
Deng Kai seized the opportunity to deliver a through pass.
Kaka made a sudden run forward while switching positions and started his run on the right flank, receiving the ball and unleashing a powerful shot from the right side of the penalty area.
But the right side was not his usual area of play, and the difficulty of a right-footed shot from that flank was too high; the football hit the side netting.
The forty-fourth minute.
Sporting Lisbon’s relentless attacks were finally broken up by a Manchester United steal in their own half.
Manchester United didn’t counter-attack immediately; instead, under Veron’s direction, they managed to pass the ball more than ten times.
As a result, Sporting Lisbon’s defensive focus began to slacken.
Eventually, after the tenth pass, Veron suddenly drove forward with the ball.
He made several combinations with Beckham and Fran.
Finally, Veron received the ball just in front of the arc at the top of the penalty area.
Bang!
Veron touched the ball with his foot and threaded a diagonal pass to the left.
Unmarked, Giggs burst into the left side of the penalty area and blasted a shot.
The football went straight into the dead corner of the goal!
"Two-nil! Manchester United has a firm grip on victory!"
"Worthy of Manchester United indeed! After getting a measure of Sporting Lisbon in the first leg, they are playing with ease in the return leg."
"Sporting Lisbon’s attacks are sharp, but Manchester United’s back line has been tested by the high intensity of the Premier League."
"When both Beckham and Giggs are helping in defense, their not conceding goals is no surprise."
"Manchester United just passed the football seventeen times in a row, with Veron involved in eight of the passes, including the final assist."
"Veron has finally proven himself on the most important stage for Manchester United!"
"Such artistic goals may well be the reason Ferguson brought him in; this is the continental strategy Ferguson has been searching for!"
"The process may have been difficult, but the outcome is indeed beautiful."
At Estádio Alvalade, it was as if the fans had been shot through the heart.
Some fans with weaker constitutions had already burst into tears.
On the sidelines, the ball boy B Fee, who had entered the pitch with Deng Kai, was crying with a face flushed red and gasping for breath.
You could see his heartache and distress.
As the match moved into the halftime break, the major commentators began to summarize this round of the series and look ahead to the Manchester United versus Real Madrid final.
...
CCTV Channel 5.
He Wei was discussing Manchester United’s performance in this match and the lineup for the final: "Real Madrid’s attack is too strong, instead of playing Keane to defend, better to play Veron as the main attacker."
"Veron’s perfect performance was fully exhibited in this match. He needs ball possession, needs freedom, and he can coexist with Giggs, Beckham, and Scholes."
"As long as Ferguson gives Veron the same level of freedom at Manchester United as Deng Kai has at Sporting Lisbon, then Manchester United’s continental approach has succeeded."
Huang Jianxiang nodded and said, "You’re right. But may I ask, as a basketball commentator, why are you commenting on football?"
He Wei humbly replied, "Teacher Han Qiaosheng isn’t feeling well; he’s been in the toilet and hasn’t come out, so I’m just filling in for him temporarily. I’ll leave as soon as he returns, after all, I know my views don’t align with the mainstream perspective of our station."
"But I stand by my opinion. I believe that a Manchester United committed to continental play is capable of defeating Real Madrid, because there are actually some quite fatal flaws in Real Madrid’s lineup."
Huang Jianxiang furrowed his brow – is Teacher Han Qiaosheng’s stomach really that bad?
A certain CCTV restroom.
Bang, bang, bang!
"Let me out! Who the hell is so cruel to lock someone in the bathroom?"
"And to boot, there’s not even any paper!"
"Is this some kind of conspiracy against me? Don’t let me catch you!"
"Is there anyone out there? Is anyone there?"
"My phone, I... I think I gave it to that little chubby kid, oh my! What luck!"
[PS: Going home tomorrow, then I can write more]
