Chapter 742: Chapter 741: Give You a CD from the Past to Relive Those Damn Memories
The football flew towards Maniche.
Morientes closed in.
Maniche neatly passed it back to Kilop.
Kilop laterally passed to Pepe, evading the pressing.
Pepe with a super long kick, sent the football directly to the awaiting Ronaldo in the front field midfield.
This long pass truly showcased Pepe’s passing ability.
Porto had clinched the Champions League treble this season, relying on Drogba’s unstoppable frontline prowess.
In midfield, they leaned on Deco’s strategic orchestration.
The defense counted on Pepe’s long passes!
This very kick he practiced at Sporting Lisbon had earned Porto great merit.
Sporting Lisbon: isn’t this just a Minotaur!
Ronaldo pulled to the right flank up front, and by the time a free Bravo caught up, he had already controlled the ball.
Ronaldo, while holding off the approaching Bravo, flicked the football to Figo on the right with his heel.
Bang!
Figo kicked and crossed.
Rui Costa and Deco approached the goal from the front and back, attacking like a duo of ghosts.
Unfortunately, neither of the duo was particularly tall, and their physicality and heading abilities weren’t strong.
The football was headed out of the penalty area by Helguera.
Deng Kai, who had rushed towards the front field right after completing a diving tackle, happened to charge towards the ball.
He glanced around.
Meeting the ball, he lofted a pass without stopping it.
Casillas broke into a cold sweat.
Marchena had even made a flying move to intercept it.
After all, with Deng Kai’s long shots, the midfielder with the strongest goal-scoring ability on the ground, who wouldn’t be afraid?
Bang!
At the far post, Ronaldo, who had just turned around after his heel pass that held off Bravo, entered the penalty area, leaving Bravo no chance to catch this supercar.
He leaped, creating a striking contrast with Helguera, who had just landed and was bending his knees to cushion the fall.
Helguera’s head was probably at the level of his knees.
The football smashed into Ronaldo’s head, and he executed a Lion’s Header.
Casillas could only watch the ball enter the far corner.
Even if he had been at the far corner, it’s possible the ball would have taken him along into the net.
So domineering!
What kind of cannonball-level header was this?
"GOAL!"
"Two to zero!"
"Cristiano..."
All Portuguese fans in the stadium immediately cheered: "Ronaldo!"
The decibels soared to the sky once again!
"A perfect goal! Perfect cooperation! Two years later, the CD connection has returned to Estádio Alvalade!"
"This is one of the most beautiful memories of this stadium!"
"Ronaldo knew that Deng Kai would definitely pass it there, so he kept running, never stopping for even a second!"
"Deng Kai knew Ronaldo would run there, so he kicked the ball at the first opportunity, never hesitating for half a second!"
"CD! This is CD!"
"Here’s a CD from the past for you! Listen to our cheers and celebrations from that time!"
On the field, Ronaldo immediately rushed towards Deng Kai’s position outside the penalty area after confirming the goal had landed.
He had thought many times before this goal happened about what cool celebration moves he should make after celebrating.
He’d told the media more than once that he didn’t like the term CD connection, finding it childish, something from the past.
He was mature now.
But when this moment came.
All fleeting thoughts shattered on their own.
On the other side, Deng Kai was also charging towards Ronaldo.
They had that kind of understanding.
Rui Costa and Marchena between them hurriedly made way.
But Marchena suddenly felt annoyed, why the hell did I make way for them?
Damn!
Everyone thought the two would come together for a hearty embrace.
But the moment their eyes met, in that split-second of eye contact, they both understood each other.
A misstep... the two didn’t embrace.
Instead, as they brushed past each other, they leapt high into the air.
Then spun around 180 degrees in mid-air.
Descending from the sky, they stood facing each other mid-jump.
With their backs exposed.
Portugal’s number seven, Cristiano Ronaldo.
Portugal’s number ten, Deng Kai.
Along with the tens of thousands of Portuguese fans present, they unleashed the strongest shout in the universe:
"Siuuuuuu!"
The cheers at Estádio Alvalade once again shattered the 130-decibel barrier!
Watching the two on the field, Portuguese legend Eusebio couldn’t help but remark, "The once Gemini stars of Sporting Lisbon, one has become the king of Portuguese football."
The Portuguese Football Federation official beside Eusebio thought, and the other?
"The other has also become the king of Portuguese football!"
Lu Xun: ???
In the middle of the pitch, Spain’s midfielders were the first to buckle.
Vicente looked pale.
Alberta’s lips turned blue.
Baraja kicked the turf in irritation.
This damned celebration was exactly like the one Deng Kai made when he scored the sixth goal in the UEFA Cup final, mercilessly thrashing Valencia seven to one!
But it’s only two to zero now!
The memories of the dead began to assault the Valencia players.
Their performance was clearly affected.
In the 41st minute, Baraja brought down Deco and received a yellow card.
In the 43rd minute, Vicente lost control of the ball, handing possession over to the Portuguese team.
In the 44th minute, Deng Kai was brought down in the penalty area, but the main referee did not award a penalty. Instead, he gave Portugal a corner.
His officiating was lenient today.
Deco took charge of this corner kick.
With a whistle blow,
Deco didn’t cross directly but passed the ball to the nearby Deng Kai at his feet.
This was a tactical corner.
The Portuguese team had made arrangements for such a play.
Set-piece training was also the area where the Portuguese team was most thoroughly prepared before the tournament.
It’s also the quickest way to enhance a team’s scoring ability over a short period.
Thud!
Upon receiving the ball, Deng Kai dribbled and surveyed his teammates before launching a cross.
He used his right foot for this kick.
From the right side of the box, crossing with the right foot isn’t as effective as with the left.
A left foot draws a C-shaped curve, providing a wide area for contact, allowing multiple players to pose a threat.
But a right foot results in a reverse C-curve, theoretically offering just one point for effective contact and threat.
The younger Deng Kai preferred the former, one kick that allowed two or three players to attempt a shot.
It was also because his passing ability was insufficient back then, lacking the precision to lock onto a specific target.
But now, his passing had matured.
This kick was aimed directly at Pepe, who was executing his second jump at the far post.
Two years had passed.
The understanding between Pepe and Deng Kai remained unchanged.
Pepe jumped a second time immediately upon landing.
Almost in the same spot Ronaldo had headed the ball earlier, Pepe connected with Deng Kai’s pass once again.
The ball drilled into the goal in the same fashion.
Casillas fully experienced the agony of coming up short.
"GOAL! Three to zero!"
"Pepe! The Pepe from Porto!"
"He’s stronger now than when he left Deng Kai, more stable, but their understanding and friendship remain unchanged!"
Cristiano, in excitement, was the first to embrace Pepe.
Portuguese players gathered around, wildly celebrating.
Three to zero at half-time.
Steady!
