Chapter 276: Time to master your destiny !
Chapter 276: Time to master your destiny !
After the restart, Inter Milan launched a pressing attack against Barcelona. When Decco and Gully cooperated on the sideline, Cordoba and Mihailovic's active running made them a bit flustered, and finally Decco passed the ball out of bounds.
Inter Milan quickly took the throw-in, and Cordoba swiftly threw the ball to Sanetti, who turned around and sent a long pass trying to pierce Barcelona's defense, but Van Bronckhorst was the first to reach the ball and headed it back.
The ball didn't go far, and Ribery, nearby, successfully grabbed the second ball and controlled it. Despite the interference from Decco and Marquez, he still successfully passed it to Wang Feng in the middle.
Wang Feng swiftly dribbled the ball forward, gently flicking it to the right as he sped up, successfully dodging Puyol and arriving at the edge of the penalty area. Suddenly, he shot from a distance, and the ball flew out from his foot like a cannonball, piercing through Valdes' hands and into the net.
3-3! Wang Feng scored a hat-trick, finally equalizing for Inter Milan!
Watching Wang Feng receiving embraces from teammates and cheers from fans in one corner of the field, Ronaldinho almost bit his lips, finding it incredibly difficult to win against him. Within five minutes, he managed to equalize the score!
No, since he can score a hat-trick, so can I!
As the 80th minute approached, the highly focused attack and defense made both teams' players somewhat fatigued, but Wang Feng and Ronaldinho remained the most active on the field.
This time, Ronaldinho dribbled the ball inward from the sideline, smoothly passing Buldizzo, who replaced Materazzi, with a fake move, then used his heel to flick the ball forward. The trajectory of the ball in the air resembled a rainbow, successfully bypassing another defender, Sebastien.
Rainbow dribble! Ronaldinho dribbled past two players and directly shot from the edge of the penalty area, creating a beautiful arc on the field. The ball spun through its highest point and then sharply descended, brushing against the crossbar and into the net.
Gooooooooooooooal!! Goal!! Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick! Barcelona is once again in the lead!
The Brazilian lives up to the name of the World Footballer! His performance today is no less than Wang Feng's. Both have scored hat-tricks!
With stronger teammates by his side, they are now close to touching the championship trophy, leaving Inter Milan with little time.
Wang Feng was panting heavily, and when he saw Ronaldinho starting to dribble, he felt something was amiss. He wanted to quickly defend, but he was a step too late. His teammates around him looked confused.
He shouted at the top of his lungs, "Pass me the ball!" Upon hearing his shout, his teammates snapped back to reality and looked at him. The determination and perseverance of the Chinese superstar deeply moved everyone.
Yes, Wang Feng hasn't given up yet. He's still seeking our support! Everyone knew what they should do next: defend that damned goal and then pass the ball to him.
Five minutes later, Zanetti intercepted the ball at the back and sent a long pass to the midfield. Wang Feng, who had been running for over eighty minutes, once again exerted all his strength, outpacing two Barcelona players and forcefully heading the ball forward before Marquez.
Then, he overtook the Mexican defender and went for the ball. Seeing the Chinese player getting farther away, Marquez had no choice but to slide tackle from behind and brought down Wang Feng!
Both players were very fast, so the slide tackle couldn't be fully controlled. Marquez's studs hit Wang Feng's shin heavily, causing him to fall to the ground and roll several times due to inertia.
The Inter Milan fans who were excitedly watching Wang Feng's attack in the stands exploded in anger. "Damn scoundrel! Murderer! Go to hell!" Some even threw bottles and fireworks onto the field in rage.
The referee's whistle blew immediately, and Ribery, who was chasing after, didn't hesitate to forcefully push Marquez. "You dirty bug!"
Both teams' players quickly confronted each other. Inter Milan's players were angry, while Barcelona's players looked somewhat ashamed. Puyol held back his teammates who wanted to step forward.
He knew Marquez's foul was too dirty. The main referee, Haug, approached Marquez without hesitation and showed him a red card.
As for Ribery, who pushed someone, Haug hesitated for a moment and gave him a yellow card. Some Barcelona players wanted to protest, but the Norwegian said fiercely, "Shut up, or you'll also get off the field with Marquez!"
As the conflict unfolded, Wang Feng lay on the ground holding his leg, feeling intense pain accompanied by a familiar warmth filling his wound. The team doctor quickly entered to diagnose him.
"Fortunately, it's not a broken leg. I was really scared just now. Under such a malicious foul, there's no serious injury. You're the first person I've seen in so many years."
"But your calf muscles are strained and need further examination. I don't recommend continuing the game, but it seems like the team has no more substitutions left. What should we do?"
Wang Feng said while holding his leg, "Give me ice and spray some medicine. I can endure it." Helpless, the team doctor finally agreed to his plan.
After a few minutes of treatment, Wang Feng returned to the field, and the stadium erupted into applause like a tide. Inter Milan obtained a free kick from a position of forty meters.
He decided to take it himself, and the Inter Milan players crowded into the penalty area, while Barcelona urgently arranged their defensive strategy. With one player down, the forwards also had to participate in the defense.
With his calf still aching, Wang Feng looked at Oleg and Iniesta forming the two-man wall in front of him, slowly stepping back. The distance between him and the ball on the ground grew farther and farther.
The Barcelona players in the penalty area gradually felt that something was wrong. The commentators in the live broadcast room said at this time, "What does Wang Feng want to do? From such a distance, he should be lofting the ball into the penalty area. Why is he stepping back so far?"
Taking a deep breath, Wang Feng endured the pain, accelerated from slow to fast, and as he approached the ball on the ground, he used all his strength to kick it. "Bang!" Iniesta felt a gust of wind passing by.
"Gooooooooooooooal!! Goal!! Wang Feng, Wang Feng used a direct free kick from forty meters, piercing through Barcelona's goal!"
"The ball passed through the crowd and hit the net fiercely. Goalkeeper Valdes had no reaction to this shot, which had a speed of over 200 kilometers per hour!"
"A miracle, this is a real miracle! Just a second ago, we were worried that Wang Feng might leave the field due to a serious injury, but the next second, he responded to everyone with a powerful shot. He's in great form!"
"Now both teams are tied 4-4. I didn't expect this final to turn into a goal-scoring battle. Wang Feng scored four goals for Inter Milan, Ronaldinho scored a hat-trick. It's so exciting. In recent years, Inter Milan's Champions League finals have become classic matches that people talk about."
With only a few minutes left, although Inter Milan had one more player than Barcelona, they failed to create good opportunities. Barcelona also used up their last substitution, with the well-rested defender Belletti replacing Oleg.
It seemed they intended to defend the score until the penalty shootout. If he were in perfect condition, Wang Feng would definitely have the ability to tear apart the defense, but now, every step he took, his muscles felt aching, directly affecting his dribbling and speed.
The 90 minutes of regular time ended, the first half of extra time ended, and the second half was nearing its end. Would the final championship really be decided by a penalty shootout, which relied mostly on luck? Wang Feng was very unwilling, but he didn't have any good options.
Just as the referee was about to blow the final whistle, another tragic incident occurred. Inter Milan's goalkeeper Tordo was injured.
The 35-year-old veteran obviously had some high-intensity activity in this game. He made great efforts to save various threatening shots from Barcelona, and the four goals conceded couldn't be entirely blamed on him.
Mancini had already used up his three substitutions. Who should guard the goal in the upcoming penalty shootout? The Italian coach was sweating profusely, but Wang Feng realized that this was an opportunity!
This was the moment he could take control of his own destiny! In fact, his keen senses could be used not only in attack but also in defense. He could judge the angle of the shot based on the players' body movements, thus choosing the correct route to save.
The only problem was that he hadn't undergone systematic training, and his saving movements were not standard enough. However, penalty shootouts were a one-time deal; as long as he blocked the ball, it would be enough.
Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated and solemnly said to the head coach, "Mr. Mancini, let me do it!"