On October 21st, the 2004/2005 UEFA Europa League Group Stage began. Sporting de Gijón welcomed their first opponent in the Group Stage at home, Dutch Eredivisie powerhouse FC Utrecht.
In the game, Diego Milito scored a goal, Di Natale and Modric each scored a goal, and the substitute David Lago also scored a goal. Sporting de Gijón's offense was in full bloom, and the team defeated Utrecht by 4: 1.
After the game, Utrecht's manager, Van Dric, said helplessly that they were not playing against a newly promoted team in La Liga. Their opponent was very strong.
The Spanish media was very happy. In their view, a newly promoted team in La Liga had defeated a powerhouse in Eredivisie. Did this not show the strength of La Liga?
Obviously, the Spanish media still saw Sporting de Gijón as a newly promoted team, and did not really realize the uniqueness of this team.
The Gijón media, on the other hand, praised Sporting de Gijón. Including the game against Utrecht, Sporting de Gijón had won three consecutive games in all competitions after losing to Osasuna in the fifth round of the league. They tied their previous winning streak of the season.
Three days later, on October 24th, 2004, in the eighth round of La Liga, Sporting de Gijón faced Real Betis at home.
*****
The game had already gone on for 83 minutes, and the score on the field was still 0: 1. According to international practice, the home team was in front, and the away team was behind.
Sporting de Gijón was temporarily behind Real Betis at home, 0: 1.
The first half of the game was 0: 0. Shortly after the second half began, Real Betis' Brazilian striker, Ricardo Oliveira, scored a goal.
Li Ang stared at Oliveira, who had scored. He knew this Brazilian. This Oliveira was the one who later joined AC Milan for 18 million euros. That's right, he was brought in as Shevchenko's successor, but was later evaluated as the biggest import in AC Milan in recent years.
In fact, Oliveira's performance in La Liga was quite good. Whether it was now at Real Betis or later at Real Zaragoza, he always maintained double digits in goals in a single season.
Li Ang was not too worried about Oliveira's goal. He believed that his team had the ability to equalize the score, or even overtake the score.
However, as time passed, it was already the 83rd minute, and Sporting de Gijón was still behind 0: 1 at home. Li Ang could no longer sit still.
He stood on the sidelines with his hands in his pockets, his expression solemn.
He had already used up the three substitutions he had. Just now, the last substitution had been completed. The veteran, Michael Pihra, had come on as a substitute to replace Diego Milito, who had been in an average state for today's match.
*****
Michael Pihra had been on the field for five or six minutes and had not had a chance to touch the ball.
Li Ang stared at the field. He had instructed his players to play more high-altitude balls and look for Michael Pihra.
He was now betting all his treasures on Michael Pihra. Michael's training condition was quite good, and considering Michael's physical fitness, Li Ang thought that Michael Pihra was still competent as a substitute striker. He was called upon to play in the match in a critical moment.
The game went on for 88 minutes, and Modric's long shot gave Sporting de Gijón a chance for a corner kick.
Albertini's corner kick was driven into the penalty area.
"Michael Pihra — Goooool!! A beautiful header bombing! A heavy bomber! He left the defenders of Real Betis at their wits' end! "The commentator, Dagestino, roared.
Michael Pihra pressed the Real Betis defender, Castellini, and threw a beautiful header at the goal. The opponent's goalkeeper, Contreras, did not have any reaction at all!
The 36-year-old Michael Pihra opened his arms and ran towards the 33-year-old Demetrio Albertini, who had passed the ball to him.
The two veterans hugged to celebrate the equalizer goal!
Li Ang also clenched his fist and waved excitedly on the sidelines.
Michael Pihra did not let him down. He came on as a substitute and was called upon to turn the tide!
Of course, Albertini's pass was also very exquisite. It directly found Michael Pihra in front of the goal.
*****
In the end, Sporting de Gijón and Real Betis tied at 1: 1 on their home ground in this game.
If Li Ang had been asked to predict the result of the game before the game, he might have been dissatisfied with the score of 1: 1. However, the team tenaciously equalized the score at the last minute. At this moment, he was in a better mood to accept the 1: 1 draw.
Their opponent, Real Betis, did not have a high ranking. However, they were the dark horse of this season's La Liga. A score of 1: 1 was not unacceptable.
Sporting de Gijón had obtained a point in this round of the league, and their league points had increased to 13 points.
In this round's focal match, the Galácticos Real Madrid defeated the defending champion, Valencia, 1: 0 at the Bernabéu Stadium!
This hard-won victory made the whole of Real Madrid boil. Marca even shouted that this victory would be the turning point of the season for Real Madrid. The team would start to get back on track and return to their rightful position.
Moreover, it was worth mentioning that in the next round of the league, Real Madrid would continue to sit at the Bernabéu Stadium and welcome the Sporting de Gijón led by Li Ang!
After defeating the defending champion, Valencia, in this round of the league, and sweeping away the decline, the Madrid media, who had been tailing them, finally began to act arrogantly.
*****
Marca's reporter, Feldt, who had an old grudge with Li Ang, began to clamor in his column. "… Now is the time to wash away our shame. We will never forget the Copa del Rey final last season. That Chinese man and that team brought shame to us. In the next round of the league, at the great Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, we need a great victory, a crazy victory, to wash away our shame!"
Not only Marca, but AS also recalled the shame of losing the Copa del Rey to Sporting de Gijón in their own report. They gnashed their teeth and said that now that the powerful Galácticos were back, there was nothing more satisfying than washing Sporting de Gijón in the next round of the league to wash away the shame.
Well, just a week ago, when Sporting de Gijón humiliated Deportivo La Coruña 4-1 in the away game, the Madrid media was still praising Sporting de Gijón and making sarcastic remarks about Deportivo La Coruña. Now, the wind had changed. The people of Madrid would not forget the shame that Li Ang and Sporting de Gijón brought to Real Madrid. In the Bernabéu, on their own turf, they were robbed of the Copa del Rey by Sporting de Gijón. The culprits who caused Real Madrid to lose everything last season: Li Ang and his Sporting de Gijón!
Sporting de Gijón was only a newly promoted team in La Liga. In previous seasons, Real Madrid's home game against a newly promoted team would not attract much attention. However, this time was different. The whole of Spain, and even the whole of Europe, knew about the feud between Real Madrid and Sporting de Gijón. Real Madrid's last hope of winning the title last season, the Copa del Rey, was stolen by Sporting de Gijón at their doorstep. In a sense, it was Li Ang and Sporting de Gijón who caused Real Madrid to lose everything and suffer the ridicule of the other powerhouses and the media.
Last season, when Real Madrid lost everything, the Madrid media did not hesitate to make sarcastic remarks and criticize Real Madrid. Now, their tone changed. It seemed that Real Madrid lost everything and everything was Li Ang's fault. It was all his Sporting de Gijón's fault! Anyway, at this moment, it could be said that they were extremely sensational. They infinitely magnified and publicized the feud between Li Ang and Real Madrid to build momentum for this game.
The Madrid media almost described Li Ang as a demon with horns on his head.
*****
Before the league game with Real Madrid, Sporting de Gijón still had a game to play in midweek. It was the first round of the Copa del Rey. They had to welcome the Segunda División team, Elche, at home.
For this game, Li Ang absolutely implemented a rotation. With the current strength of Sporting de Gijón, there was no way to cope with three competitions. In the La Liga, the UEFA Europa League, and the Copa del Rey, Li Ang had to make a choice. He had to choose to give up one competition. There was almost nothing to consider. Li Ang chose to give up the Copa del Rey!
Of course, the so-called giving up here did not mean admitting defeat. In the Copa del Rey, Sporting de Gijón would not send out the main force. They would rotate as much as possible to give the substitutes a chance to play in the game. They would go as far as they could. There were no rigid expectations or requirements for results.
On October 27, the first round of the 20042005 Copa del Rey season, Sporting de Gijón played against Elche at home.
For this game, Li Ang made a large-scale rotation of the team's starting lineup. Compared to the starting lineup in the game against Real Betis, he changed seven players in the starting lineup.
In this game, the young Slovenian goalkeeper, Handanović, who Li Ang had brought in in the summer, was given a chance to start.
In addition, Isma, Dani Borregello, Diego Alegre, Javier Blanco, Rafa Sastres, and David Lago, who had fewer opportunities to play in the league, were given a chance to play in the starting lineup.
Although most of the players were rotated, among the substitutes who were given a chance to start, except for the goalkeeper, Handanović, the other players were players who had been with the team last season. They had a thorough understanding of Li Ang's tactics. In addition, the opponent, Elche, was only a Segunda División team and was not very strong. Therefore, Sporting de Gijón still won the game at home relatively smoothly.
*****
Two to zero!
Javier Blanco's low shot and Isma's header allowed Sporting de Gijón to smoothly pass the game at home and enter the second round of the 20042005 Copa del Rey season.
Including this Copa del Rey game against Elche, after Sporting de Gijón lost to Osasuna in the fifth round of the league, they had four wins and one draw in all the competitions. They were undefeated in five rounds!
Undefeated in five rounds was not a good result for a powerhouse team. However, for a team like Sporting de Gijón, it was a very good result.
And just after the victory of this Copa del Rey game, Li Ang also received a newly generated side quest from the system …
PS: First update. Asking for the support of a monthly ticket.
Thank you everyone.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
