A piece of tape was put on the stitches at the corner of his eye, which was very conspicuous under the washing of the rain and the illumination of the night lights, which made George Wood easily distinguishable on the field.
The injury did not affect Wood's performance on the field at all. Instead, it made him more ferocious. It was like the lion king guarding the pride and territory would only be stimulated by the injury and would not run away with its tail between its legs.
Because when he came off the field for treatment, he clearly saw the situation of the team being suppressed by Chelsea on the field. Without his tireless running in the midfield and his fierce and in place defense, Nottingham Forest was suppressed by Chelsea's ferocious offensive.
Now, he needed to correct the wrong situation.
So, he worked even harder than before the injury.
After he came on, the situation immediately changed. Chelsea would not be able to pass through the midfield without any scruples. Their attack was stubbornly intercepted by George Wood and the others, and it was difficult to move forward.
With George Wood's addition, Nottingham Forest slowly regained the initiative in the game.
Makelele still looked like he had not recovered. More often than not, he stayed at the back to support the work. During this time, the work of the midfield defense was shared by a few other players.
Seeing this scene, people could not help but lament again that George Wood's physical qualities did not belong to this planet.
"He is a gem that any manager dreams of. He has an outstanding body, strict adherence to tactical discipline, good psychological quality, stable state, loyal … and will not get injured! The mover that Tony Twain picked up from the streets makes managers all over the world jealous. With him around, no one will be surprised no matter how good Nottingham Forest's results are! "
※ ※ ※
Nottingham Forest, who regained the initiative, began to instigate a more threatening attack. Twenty-five minutes into the game, there were not many threatening attacks from both sides, and there were even fewer threatening shots. Chelsea took advantage of George Wood's treatment to have one, while Nottingham Forest had not had one — if one did not count the time when Bale's pass was a crooked hit.
Most of the time, the two sides competed in the midfield.
Chelsea's lineup fielded four players who could play as defensive midfielders — Lampard, Ballack, Makelele and Essien. Although Essien guested as a right back, he could sometimes fill in the midfield to assist in defense. Makelele's ability was needless to say. Ballack and Lampard were tough midfielders who could seriously implement tactics when they were needed to defend.
On Nottingham Forest's side, George Wood alone covered almost the entire back half of the midfield, plus there were active running players like Of Ribéry and Lennon. The midfield of both sides were evenly matched and were inextricably of each other.
In the 27th minute, Lennon forcibly broke through Ashley Cole on the flank. The football at his feet was shoveled out of the sideline by Cole, and Nottingham Forest was awarded an out-of-bounds ball.
Because there was no offside foul on an out of bounds ball, Lennon was almost at the end line waiting to receive the ball, and Ashley Cole had to follow him to near the end line to prevent Lin Du from directly hitting behind him.
Of Of of Rafof Rafof of of of of of Of Of of of of of of of Of. of of Chelsea. He threw the football directly to van der Vaart in the middle.
After van der Vaart stopped the ball with his chest, Makelele leaned over. The impact of the collision gradually dissipated, and his ferocity did not diminish at all.
Van der Vaart, who desperately protected the football, quickly observed the situation on the field and gave up his plan to pass the ball to threaten. He passed the football to George Wood, who plugged in from the back. The boss said that the offense in the game was organized by the captain, so he handed it over to him.
Wood did not stop the ball, but met the ball and passed the ball. The football drew an arc in the air and turned to the left side.
Gareth Bale had already appeared in that position. As a full back, his assists were frequent and resolute.
Beautifully unloaded Wood's pass, Bale raised his leg to pass. Van Nistelrooy attracted the attention of Terry and Carvalho in front, but he was caught off guard by Eastwood's sudden attack. He made a powerful dive to the top!
Fortunately, Čech reacted quickly and stood in a good position. He only fell to the ground and swatted the football out.
The football jumped and bounced out, flying to the right side of the goal. That was exactly where van Nistelrooy, Terry, and Carvalho were huddled together.
The three men huddled together, all trying to head the football, but no one managed to head it.
The football bounced high on the ground, as if laughing at the three entangled fools.
At this time, Ribéry appeared like a ghost.
He unloaded the football, quickly flashed past Terry, and immediately raised his leg to shoot!
The football drilled out from between the people and suddenly appeared in front of Čech. At this time, even if Čech was a god, he could not do anything — the distance was too close, almost within reach.
Čech did not even have time to swing his hand, and the football whizzed past his side and flew into the goal behind him!
"The ball's in —"
With a "boom," loud cheers broke out in the stands of the Luzhniki Stadium.
"This is Nottingham Forest's second shot in the game, and it penetrated the goal guarded by Čech!"
One must know that the Čech here was not the Čech with the tank helmet in Twain's impression. Today's Čech had not suffered that serious injury, and his state had not been adversely affected. He was still one of the top three goalkeepers in the world.
"In the Champions League final, the defending champion is leading by one goal!"
※ ※ ※
The Nottingham Forest players on the field hugged each other to celebrate the goal.
Off the field, Tony Twain waved his fists and gnashed his teeth in celebration of the goal.
Not far from him, Grant slapped the roof of the technical area behind him. The problem was still on the sidelines.
※ ※ ※
"This is Franck Ribéry's sixth goal in this Champions League. He is only one goal away from Cristiano Ronaldo's seven goals! Last year's Ballon d 'Or has maintained a very high level of competitive condition this year. If he can help the team win the UEFA Champions League again, then this year's FIFA World Player of the Year may not have any controversy! "
Ribéry finally broke away from the embrace of his teammates. He waved his fists hard in the stands facing the Forest fans. Like a conductor of a band, every time he waved, the fans in the stands raised their voices and shouted his name loudly.
"Ribéry! Ribéry! Ribéry!! "
After stirring up the emotions of the fans, Ribéry turned and ran back. When he passed by George Wood, he reached out to Wood and the two high-fived again.
Twain, who had celebrated the goal off the field, stood on the sidelines and curled his hands into the shape of a trumpet. He shouted inside, "Keep the pressure, don't relax! Keep the pressure and attack! "
Nottingham Forest did not intend to be too conservative in this final to suppress the opponent with their offense.
Before last year's Champions League final, some people criticized Nottingham Forest's football as conservative and negative. Even if they won the championship, it was thought to be won by defensive counterattack. This year, Twain wanted to win a championship that would make all the critics speechless — the first defending champion after the restructuring of the Champions League. No one could find fault with the way they clinched the cup!
Chelsea was a little frustrated with the goal concede because the other side had broken through Čech's door with just two shots. In a game like the Champions League final, any goal concede could cause the players' hearts to fluctuate.
Grant stood silently on the sidelines, like a statue. Who knew what was going on in his mind?
At this time, it was his assistant manager, Clark, who walked to the sidelines and loudly reminded the players on the field to pay attention and not let the Forest team take advantage of the victory to pursue.
A minute later, Drogba received the ball in the penalty area and passed it back. Ballack followed up with a furious shot, showing Chelsea's determination not to accept the result. Unfortunately, the corner ball flew straight to the grandstand.
Grant finally snapped out of his contemplation. He whistled and gestured to the team to step up the offense and temporarily press back the opponent's offense. At the same time, he wanted to strengthen the scramble in the midfield and not let George Wood easily pass the ball out when he switched from defense to offense.
Thirty minutes later, all kinds of exciting scenes emerged.
Lampard passed a long pass to Drogba, and Drogba ferried to the back. Piqué almost scored an own goal under Ballack's tight interference. The football hit the goalpost and fell outside the end line, which shocked all the Nottingham Forest people into a cold sweat.
Chelsea seized the corner kick opportunity to break through Nottingham Forest's goal. Terry and Carvalho both rushed to the Forest team's goal.
But after the corner kick was sent out, it was intercepted by Eastwood, who retreated to defend. He took advantage of the fact that the Chelsea defenders had not yet returned to defend. He dribbled the ball to the midfield and did a long diagonal pass to Ribéry, who followed up on the flank.
After Ribéry unloaded the football, he raised his leg to pass the ball.
The football drew an arc in the air and bypassed Essien, who was on the passing route. Van Nistelrooy gained the upper hand in the battle with Makelele. He leaped high for a powerful header!
This time, Čech did not let the football slide past his hand. He struggled to save the ball.
The football was hurriedly cleared by Ashley Cole, who rushed back, but it did not kick far. It just flew to the top of the arc and was intercepted by another Nottingham Forest player.
"Aaron Lennon!"
Lennon observed that Čech had just gotten up and his center of gravity was still unstable, so he did not hesitate to directly lift his leg for a long shot!
The football went straight to the right goalpost. Although Čech had just gotten up, he still made a quality save. He leaped and flew out, using his fingertips to rub the football out of the end line!
"Čech!! A great save! An incredible save! He proved his strength and kept the goal from conceding! "
Terry, who had just run back, hugged Čech as he got up from the ground and patted him hard on the back to thank him for the two crucial saves.
"If Nottingham Forest had scored another goal, this final would have been very difficult for Chelsea to play. Nottingham Forest's morale is quite high during this period, and the situation is very favorable to them. Chelsea, who is trailing, must press out to find a way to score. Nottingham Forest, who is good at defensive counterattack, has more room to play at this time. Look at this counterattack. It can almost be written into teaching materials! "
This counterattack was almost a microcosm of the entire first half. Chelsea tried very hard to equalize the score, but Nottingham Forest's solid defense and sharp counterattack made them always timid and unable to do their best. The offensive effect was greatly discounted.
On the contrary, Nottingham Forest completely grasped the rhythm of the field and led Chelsea to run.
The neutral commentators certainly did not want to see a one-sided game, but they also had to admit that this was Nottingham Forest reflecting the temperament of the defending champions. "They are calm and unflustered, as if everything is under control. In comparison, Chelsea, who lacks the experience of the Champions League final, is a little more immature. Tony Twain has injected his own temperament into this team, allowing this team to possess a unique soul. This soul is — — they yearn for any championship title, any victory. "
※ ※ ※
It looked like the first half of the game would end with Nottingham Forest having the upper hand. Chelsea's offense was no threat to the Forest team.
In the 42nd minute, Ribéry broke through from the flank into the penalty area and passed a low ball. Van Nistelrooy clearly did not expect Ribéry to choose to pass after the breakthrough and not directly hit the goal. His follow-up was a little slow. Although he used the technical action of a shovel shot, he still did not touch the football. The football flew past the goal amidst the Chelsea fans' exclamations.
Twain was annoyed that the ball did not go in. He jumped off the field and held his head in his hands. If he could score two goals, Chelsea would have no chance. That was what he thought.
Judging from the first half, Nottingham Forest deserved to win the title. Chelsea could not pose any threat to Edwin van der Sar's goal. If Chelsea won instead, it would be unfair.
A minute later, Lampard dribbled the ball into the thirty-meter zone of Nottingham Forest and was brought down by George Wood. The referee, Mitchell, awarded Chelsea a direct free kick. The decision caused a small protest from the Nottingham Forest players and boos from the Forest fans. The position was too dangerous. It was about twenty-five meters away from the goal, which was a very suitable shooting range. Lampard and Ballack both had the skills to take free kicks.
The entire Chelsea team was excited. This was a great chance for them to equalize the score. Seeing that the first half was about to end, they could not go into the locker room with a score behind!
Ballack stood in front of the football. He was going to take the free kick.
The Nottingham Forest players formed a five-man human wall according to the instructions of the goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar. Everyone was on guard.
After a whistle, Ballack kicked the ball high.
"Judging from the first half, Ballack's form is really not flattering …" The commentator sighed.
Twain clapped his hands and laughed.
It was not easy to get a chance. The entire team's hopes were on one person, but that person kicked the chance away. This was really a necessary way to break the team's morale …
※ ※ ※
Twain got up from his seat. Seeing that the first half was about to end, he began to think about what to do during the halftime interval. Did the tactics need to be adjusted? How could he maintain his mentality?
Next to him, the fourth official walked forward with an electronic bulletin board and raised it high. Four minutes of injury stoppage time in the first half!
Due to the collision between George Wood and Makelele, as well as the conflict between the players on both sides, the first half of injury stoppage time exceeded three minutes, which somewhat caused the dissatisfaction of the Nottingham Forest fans. Seeing the number, most people chose to use boos to express their opinions.
The Chelsea people were overjoyed. This was the last chance in the first half. If they went to the locker room with a score behind, it would be a heavy blow to the team's morale.
In the 46th minute, Essien, who had been active in the full back position, showed his all-round side. After receiving Makelele's pass, he suddenly dribbled the ball forward and quickly passed through the midfield to directly close in on George Wood's defensive line.
George Wood certainly could not tolerate the other party acting rashly under his eyes. He rushed up to try to stop Essien from continuing to break through.
At this moment, Essien directly made a long shot!
Long shots were almost the only way Chelsea could threaten Nottingham Forest's goal in the first half. Drogba was firmly pinned down by Piqué and Pepe in the first half and had no room to play. He even disappeared at one point. Therefore, when Chelsea attacked, the players who most often appeared in the close-up on the television were Lampard, Ballack, Essien, Joe Cole and other good long shots, while Drogba could only be a tactical center forward responsible for attracting Nottingham Forest's defensive firepower.
Seeing Essien take a long shot, Piqué dropped Drogba and put his body in the long shot route, hoping for a little luck and the football could be blocked by him.
But this time, the situation was a little different …
The football that Essien shot out did hit Piqué's body, but it was not directly blocked. Instead, it changed direction and bounced in the opposite direction of Edwin van der Sar's pounce. Seeing that it was about to fly into the goal, Pepe stretched out his leg to block. The football hit his knee and refracted again. It did not bounce to Edwin van der Sar's side. Instead, it landed directly in an unattended area!
The penalty area was only so big, but after the football refracted twice, it actually found a landing point with no one at all. Was it a coincidence?
What was more coincidental was …
"Franck Lampard — —" The commentator roared excitedly.
Along with his roar, the Chelsea fans, as well as the Chelsea manager, Grant, jumped up from their seats.
There was no one marking at all. The goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, lost his balance and fell to the ground. Such an opportunity … Such an opportunity …
Lampard stared at the football leaping in front of him. There seemed to be a blazing flame burning in his eyes.
How could he let go of such an opportunity!!
"Lampard lifts his leg and shoots — —!"
"What a powerful shot — — GOOOOAL!!"
"Franck Lampard!!" All the Chelsea fans at the scene roared loudly.
"He did it! This is the first Champions League final goal in the history of Chelsea Football Club! It came from their steely midfielder, Franck Lampard! He just lost his mother not long ago … With such a goal, can he comfort his mother's spirit in heaven? "
After the goal, Lampard's face did not have the slightest excitement of making history. He pointed his hands to the sky and looked up, letting the cold rain hit his face. The water droplets converged into a stream and slid down his cheeks from the corners of his eyes. Was that rain or tears?
The rain was cold, but the tears were hot.
Did you create such an opportunity for me, Mom?
The Blues teammates rushed up to hug the tearful Lampard and pointed to the sky with him. All the Chelsea players had a black veil tied around their left arms. As teammates on the team, they mourned the mother with Lampard in this way.
※ ※ ※
In the face of such a goal concede, Nottingham Forest really did not even have the temper to be angry. On the one hand, the ball was really strange. Who would have thought that after two refractions, it would fall into a dead corner where there were no Forest defensive players at all? What was even stranger was that Lampard would appear in this dead corner! Did anyone see where he was before?
Twain stood in front of the technical area in a daze. The adjustments he had just thought of were all nullified in this second. The rain was getting heavier. What did it mean to "ruin the plan"? This was called "ruin the plan"!
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