Chapter 583: Chapter 582 Really Cried
Ferguson: "Can’t you f*cking take the game? Where’s the promised offense?"
I even subbed out Scholes and brought on Solskjaer, and now you’re telling me you’re backing out?
You have a way out, but I don’t, dammit!
The 78th minute.
Manchester United took the opportunity to substitute Veron for Keane.
They were going to go all in with their offense.
Teams that switch from attack to defense on the fly often don’t fare well.
Defense is mainly about a change in mentality, not just about having one more player.
Manchester United naturally took control.
In the 81st minute, Ronaldo got a chance for a shot outside the penalty area, but his long shot flew over.
Ronaldo was very annoyed.
In fact, his fitness was struggling to keep up.
He had sprinted out wide too many times today.
If Ferguson had used Forlan to replace Ronaldo earlier and kept van Nistelrooy on, it might have been a better choice.
But considering Ronaldo’s dazzling performance today, it was impossible to substitute him.
The 83rd minute.
Forlan showed his difference from Ronaldo, delivering a brilliant through ball while dribbling.
Solskjaer made his run.
Unfortunately, Solskjaer was a bit too slow, and Lehmann managed to secure the ball before the baby-faced assassin could.
The 86th minute.
Beckham delivered a cross, his trademark curler once again on the attack.
Forlan feinted at the near post.
Ronaldo shoved Hierro and then collided with Thiago Silva, single-handedly disrupting two players who might have reached the ball.
Bang!
Solskjaer came up from the back and headed the ball toward the goal.
The ball found the net.
Hierro and others immediately raised their hands, signaling an offensive foul by Ronaldo.
But the main referee, adhering to Premier League’s intensity, didn’t call it.
Manchester United’s goal stood.
Five to four!
Manchester United was just one goal away!
They had to take at least a point from this!
Manchester United fans had completely lost the ambition they had come with.
At least this time, they hadn’t conquered Maine Road Stadium.
Before their next encounter, there would still be two Manchesters in the city.
After ninety minutes.
The fourth official showed the board, indicating seven minutes of extra time.
Considering the number of goals, celebrations, and conflicts in the second half, this amount of time was not unjustified.
Even Ferguson thought it was too short.
According to ’Fergie Time,’ it should have been ten minutes.
This duration was cause for concern among Manchester City fans.
Could Manchester City withstand another seven minutes of storm-like attacks?
Then, in the first minute of injury time, there was a shift in the tide.
Beckham took the corner kick.
But the beautiful curve, the ’Bend It Like Beckham’ couldn’t cut down the Blues for the third time.
Adriano leaped high, heading the ball clear.
Deng Kai, after receiving the ball outside the area, dodged Veron’s sliding tackle with a swift twist and launched a counterattack.
By Deng Kai’s side.
Lahm and Maicon flew out to his left and right.
With Ribery up ahead, they formed a triple threat on the attack!
Ronaldo ran headlong towards Deng Kai from behind, closing the distance rapidly.
As the two drew nearer.
Bang!
Deng Kai passed the ball through.
Bang!
Ronaldo, almost simultaneously, chose to slide tackle from behind.
Then he rolled over on the ground, embracing Deng Kai.
Both men sat up from the pitch, looking forward instantly.
Because of O’Shea’s defense, Deng Kai didn’t pass to Maicon, but instead slightly to the left.
The ball was a bit behind, Ribery could reach it, but... he leaped with agility.
Behind Ribery, Lahm caught up with the ball and faced off with Barthez in a one-on-one.
Barthez had no choice but to advance; otherwise, with Ribery coming up, it would become two against one.
Bang!
Lahm went for a curved shot to the far post, oh no, to the acute angle.
There was nothing Barthez could do.
The football struck the side netting from the inside.
The scoreboard jumped again.
Six to four!
"GOAL! Lahm’s shot was beautiful! You could hardly imagine this is a full-back’s shot!"
"Ribery’s lay-off was very clever!"
"But we have to say, the most crucial presence in this attack was Deng Kai with that incisive through pass!"
"With that, Deng Kai’s assists have also become three, a hat-trick of assists!"
"Three hat-tricks in one game! Deng Kai completes the double hat-trick of goals and assists!"
"This is the most spectacular Manchester derby in thirty years! No contest!"
Manchester City ended the suspense in the first minute of stoppage time.
Boom!
Maine Road Stadium exploded in an instant!
The fans went completely mad!
They won!
They really won this time!
They actually knocked off the Premier League leaders!
So Manchester City really could defeat Manchester United!
It wasn’t just them getting ahead of themselves!
It was real!
Whistle!
The referee blew his whistle, indicating the goal was valid, while charging towards Ronaldo.
He then showed Ronaldo a red card.
Deng Kai proactively got up and then extended his right hand.
Ronaldo subconsciously grabbed Deng Kai’s hand to stand up, only to realize that it wasn’t a teammate but Deng Kai helping him.
His eyes reddened.
Whether it was because of the loss or because it was Deng Kai who pulled him up, Ronaldo’s feelings were extremely complicated.
He felt wronged.
Yet, he found some relief in it.
At least... this time, it was Kai who defeated him.
Deng Kai pulled hard with his right hand and brought Ronaldo close for a hug.
At that moment, the stadium fell silent.
Everyone watched the two embracing figures.
Deng Kai patted Ronaldo’s back and said, "You played brilliantly, you almost had us."
"You’re a Manchester United hero!"
Ronaldo shrugged his nose and fought back tears, patting Deng Kai’s back in return, "Damn it! Next time I’ll definitely beat you!"
Deng Kai nodded, "Yeah, definitely next time."
The two men separated.
Ronaldo turned around proudly.
Then his tears could no longer be held back and started to stream down.
He walked towards the players’ tunnel, glaring and frowning, letting tears streak down his cheeks.
It wasn’t so much because of the loss.
It was just that he remembered the past.
When he lost or got a red card, the first to come up and comfort him was always Deng Kai,
And this time was no different.
This despicable guy!
Did he think that by doing this, he wouldn’t smash them next time they clashed?
Just you wait!
A hat-trick isn’t enough, next time it will be a super hat-trick! Or a five-goal haul!
I’ll definitely thrash you!
As the tears increased, Ronaldo had to lower his head to hide them.
But Deng Kai’s head suddenly appeared upside down from below.
Deng Kai peeked up at Ronaldo with the posture of someone sneaking a look at a deskmate crying over her desk, then cheekily said, "So you really cried, huh?"
Ronaldo completely lost his composure.
He burst out laughing.
Ronaldo, crying and laughing, turned around and charged at Deng Kai, aiming a flying kick at him.
But Deng Kai, anticipating this, swiftly dodged away.
The fans at the scene were also amused by this scene.
Even the Manchester United fans felt speechless.
This damn Deng Kai.
Too much of a joker.
Turning the usually cool Ronaldo into a mix of tears and laughter.
Keep in mind, whether it’s either of these two expressions, they’re rare sights on Ronaldo’s face for Manchester United fans.
In the end, Deng Kai, caught by Ronaldo, pushed Ronaldo off the pitch.
Then he explained to the approaching referee that he and Ronaldo were just joking, and Ronaldo’s actions didn’t have any aggressiveness.
