When Real Madrid got the penalty, Shania, who was in the Bernabéu VIP box, kept her hands clasped together in front of her chest. She lowered her head and muttered to herself in prayer. Her beautiful face was a little pale and her forehead was full of sweat. Although her eyes were closed, her long eyelashes were still trembling slightly.
"Merciful Almighty Lord, I don't ask you to forgive my sins, and I don't ask you for wealth. I only hope that my husband is healthy, and always healthy … "
She kept murmuring with her eyes closed. As for what happened on the field, she had long stopped caring. She just wanted her husband to finish the game safely. Whoever wanted to be the champion could take it!
※ ※ ※
While Shania was praying, Twain was sitting in the manager's seat. He lowered his head to calm his emotions. He could feel that his heart was beating very fast, and he had to slow it down. He knew that it was impossible to end the match within 90 minutes.
He still had two substitutions in his hands. Now he had to be thankful that he had replaced Şahin with Kompany earlier to form a three center back formation. Even if Pepe was sent off, there were still two center backs. The rear defensive line was not obviously short of players.
Real Madrid still had one substitution left. He was a little better than them in terms of stamina. In the 30 minutes of overtime, should he try to attack and defeat Real Madrid, or defend to the end with Real Madrid and drag it out to the penalty shootout?
Twain did not want to scold the referee now. He did not have the time. Of course, he had to scold. If it were not for the damn referee, he could already start thinking about how to go on stage to receive the award. But he had to scold after the game. He had to scold the referee, no matter if he lost or won. When that time came, he would not give face to anyone. Even if Evan Doughty came to persuade him, he would not acknowledge it.
Twain thought for a while and decided to continue looking for opportunities to score in overtime. He had no intention of retreating. He wanted to let Real Madrid know that Nottingham Forest, even with one less player, was still a tough nut to crack for them!
※ ※ ※
After the equalizer, Real Madrid's morale was high. After the game resumed, they launched a tidal wave of attacks towards the Forest goal. As Nottingham Forest was down by one player, they could only retreat on the field. They even gave the 30-meter zone to Real Madrid. They just wanted to defend to the end of the game.
Nottingham Forest's defense was not just for show. Real Madrid's morale was high, but they did not get any chance to win. Five minutes of injury stoppage time passed in the blink of an eye, and the referee finally blew the whistle to end the 90-minute match amidst the boos.
Both teams only had five minutes to rest before overtime. This amount of time was basically gone by the time they walked back to the locker room. Therefore, everyone stayed in the stadium to rest. The players of both teams gathered in front of their respective technical seats, enjoying a massage to relax while listening to their managers arrange tactics for overtime.
The Nottingham Forest players sat in a circle, with Tang En squatting in the center of the circle. He looked left and right.
The players looked a little tired, but because of the unfair treatment they had suffered, they were still angry, so they did not show it.
"I'm relieved to see that you guys still have such expressions." Twain nodded.
He was right. If he saw a group of dejected players, then it would be difficult for them to play in overtime. He had to come up with another strategy for overtime. Fortunately, there was no need for that anymore.
"We're down one person, but it doesn't matter. This isn't a reason for us to give up. I believe you don't want to give up this game, right? "
"No!" Someone replied loudly.
"Who the hell wants to give up the game? I'm going to show Real Madrid what we're made of! "
"That's right. We're going to show them what we're made of! "Twain clenched his fist and waved it in front of the players. "There's still thirty minutes! I'm asking you not to just defend to the death. Press out appropriately and attack their defensive line. Try to finish them off in overtime! "
"We have to get some fresh players to go up. Bentley, you take a break. "
Bentley, who had his name called, was a little unwilling, but he could not refute the boss's arrangement. He could only nod very lightly.
Moke, who was warming up, was called back. This was his first time playing in a Champions League final. He was a little excited and sat on the ground not very obediently.
"Moke, your task on the field is to harass the opponent's defensive line and create trouble for them. After you get the ball, if there's an opening in front, you can break through. If there's no opening, then pass the ball. Your stamina is better than their Marcelo. This is an opportunity to be used. "
Moke nodded vigorously.
Twain glanced at him and continued, "If Mitchell is in the penalty area, pass the ball to him after you break through. I don't care how you pass it. In short, you have to send the football to him. It's up to you whether it's above his head or below his feet."
Moke continued to nod. If he stuck out his tongue again, he would simply be a loyal hound.
"On the rear defensive line, our full backs will slightly reduce the number of assists — at least in the first half. Our plan is to continue to defend and counterattack in the first half of overtime. We'll focus on defense. Let Real Madrid attack first to deplete their stamina and preserve ours. We must hold on for these fifteen minutes. We must absolutely not concede a goal. This is the key. You must remember. Next, we'll start attacking in the second half. When it's time to attack, don't hesitate. Boldly put in your forces. The full backs also have to boldly plug in. Although we practiced penalty kicks yesterday … I don't want to see this scene. If we can finish them off in one hundred and twenty minutes, then don't hold back! "
Twain punched the palm of his hand.
"George and Fernando, you guys take turns to participate in the attack in overtime. Nuri has been replaced. The task of organizing the attack can only be handed over to you guys. "
"Yes, boss." Gago responded.
Wood just nodded.
The tactics were basically laid out. Twain paused. There were not many five minutes left.
"Alright, guys. This is the last thirty minutes. The last thirty minutes of the season. We've just suffered unfair treatment. But listen to me, the best way to take revenge on this injustice is not to besiege the referee on the field, but to use victory to slap them in the face! When we win, we can say whatever we want. If you want to take revenge on them, then win the game first! "
"If you're tired, then grit your teeth and hold on! I don't want to see anyone discouraged at this time. You must know that you're a whole, a whole that cannot be left without. If any of you give up first, it will bring a lot of trouble to your teammates … "
At this point, Twain suddenly thought of Pepe, who was sent off because of his impulsiveness. Did that count as him giving up first?
Twain looked at the players in front of him. Some of them were already exhausted from running for more than ninety minutes. Forest had one less player than Real Madrid. In the next thirty minutes of the game, they would certainly be more tired than Real Madrid. He was really worried that the team would collapse at the last moment because of their fitness.
"Uh …" He scratched the messy hair on his head. "Pepe's dismissal was an accident …" He was worried that the players would push the blame to Pepe in their hearts. "An accident that cannot be undone. Remember what I said before the game? Compared to Real Madrid, we're a whole. Now that we're short one player, what do we do? It's very simple. " He spread his hands. "All of you who are still on the field have to run a little more than usual. You have to do a little more than usual. You have to accumulate every little bit of distance and some things!" Twain stretched out his hand as if he had grabbed something, and then squeezed it hard.
"We're still eleven against eleven against them!"
This last sentence made everyone's blood surge. They had just felt that the game was difficult because they were short one player, but suddenly they all regained their confidence. What the boss said was right. As long as each of us ran a little more than usual and did a little more, then wouldn't we be able to make up for the hole of Pepe being sent off?
What was team spirit?
At this moment, they experienced it firsthand.
This was team spirit!
Twain turned back to look at the tunnel. He caught a glimpse of Pepe's figure there. As expected, the kid did not return to the locker room. He was still guarding the sidelines, watching everything that happened on the field.
Although his impulsiveness had caused the team to fall into a predicament, he could not blame him. He also had to prevent the team from pushing the blame to him. The Forest team had to be united. Otherwise, they would not be able to ascend to the top of Europe and achieve the great Treble.
Kerslake came up. "Tony, time's up …"
Only then did Twain stand up from the ground. "Get on the field, guys. Don't forget that you're now eleven … No, twelve … That's not right. " Twain thought for a moment. "The technical area, the substitutes' bench, the fans in the stands, and the Nottingham Forest fans who can't come to Madrid and can only watch this game in front of the television. They're with you. You have far more people than Real Madrid. What's there to be afraid of, guys? The ones who should be afraid should be them! "Twain pointed to the Real Madrid players who had also stood up to prepare for the game.
The players all laughed. They indeed had nothing to worry about. The psychological impact of Pepe's exit had long disappeared without a trace.
"Alright, get on the field and teach them a lesson!" Twain clapped his hands and walked down from the field.
He saw Pepe again. Pepe was sticking his head out to look in his direction. The rules did not allow him to return to the field, not even to the sidelines. He could only stay at the entrance of the tunnel like a thief.
If Pepe had calmed down back then, he would be the one doing this now.
※ ※ ※
After the start of overtime, the morale of the Real Madrid players was high. They launched a siege on the Forest goal. It looked like the excitement of equalizing the score had not passed. Twain was not in a hurry. He watched Real Madrid besiege the Forest goal from the sidelines.
It was all within his expectations. Overtime basically went this way — you attack half of the field, I attack the other half.
In the first half, Nottingham Forest stubbornly defended. They had to withstand Real Madrid's offense, no matter how ugly the situation was.
During this period, Real Madrid's offense was like a tidal wave. There was one time when the football was kicked onto the goalpost of the Forest goal and almost entered the goal.
There was another time when Ronaldo chose to shoot directly from a small angle after breaking through Rafinha. The football hit the side netting, causing the television broadcast and fans to think that the ball had entered the goal. There were loud cheers from the stands. The commentator also blurted out, "The ball's in!"
At that moment, Twain could feel his heart stop beating. Fortunately, he soon found Ronaldo holding his head in his hands, looking very upset.
"Damn it …" Twain cursed weakly. "Why are you so excited about hitting the side netting …"
It was difficult for Nottingham Forest to break into Real Madrid's half of the field in the first half. Real Madrid pressed on with all their might. Amidst the shouts of the home fans and the cheers of everyone, they launched wave after wave of attacks towards the Forest goal.
In the stands, the Real Madrid fans collectively shouted, "La la la! The amazing Juanito! La la la! The amazing Juanito!! "
This was a chant that should only be heard in the seventh minute of every game. It rang out again in the seventh minute of overtime. The Real Madrid fans had clearly let go of their previous arrogance and thought that it would be easy to deal with Nottingham Forest. Today, they needed the help of Juanito's spirit.
Juan Juanito used to be Real Madrid's number seven. During Real Madrid's relatively low seventies and eighties, Juanito's fighting spirit was the symbol of Real Madrid's spirit at that time. He always fought until the last moment and never gave up. In order to win, he dared to kick the linesman and punch Matthäus … Later, he died in a car accident in 1992. The Real Madrid club held a regal funeral for him. In the history of the Real Madrid club, only the great president, Mr. Santiago Bernabeu, had enjoyed such a funeral treatment.
At this moment, the Real Madrid fans felt danger. They knew that the enemy in front of them could not be defeated by showing off their footwork, heel passes, and the temperament of an artist. The English Premier League teams always had a fighting spirit that could make their opponents feel fear.
The Real Madrid fans wanted to let Nottingham Forest know that we don't only have artists and only know how to play with fancy footwork. We also have guts and we also know how to fight!
After Gago took the ball in the midfield, he was a little slow and was immediately pulled down by Higuaín from behind.
Gago, who fell to the ground, raised his hands to the referee to signal that the opponent had fouled. Higuaín had already run back quickly. That background reminded people of George Wood — — he also always ignored the opponent's protest after fouling and turned to run away.
It seemed that the good boy Higuaín was also in a killing frenzy.
The Spanish commentator also completely abandoned the position that a commentator should be fair and just, and kept cheering for Real Madrid in his commentary.
"Go Madrid! Nottingham Forest has made a passing error! This is a good chance … Oh, it's too big! It's a pity that Akinfeev directly hugged it! "
"There are still five minutes before the first half of overtime … Real Madrid is now besieging the Nottingham Forest goal … This is a handball! Why didn't the referee give a penalty? This is clearly a foul! "
"George Wood knocked down Ribéry, he should get a red card! Even if it's a yellow card, he should be sent off the field! The football that Nottingham Forest plays is so ugly! "
"If the Forest team really wins the championship, I can only say that this kind of championship is absolutely not convincing. Look at their performance in these ten minutes! All of them retreated into the penalty area to defend. Is football supposed to be like this? And the constant fouls … If you ask me to describe this final, I can only say, 'Kicking ankles, kicking ankles, kicking ankles!' What else? Nothing else! "
"Intentional injury, attacks on the assistant referee, dirty and vulgar tactical arrangements. If such a team wins the UEFA Champions League, it's really an insult to the highest honor of the Champions League!"
These indignant Spanish commentators were just short of directly scolding Tang En for being a bastard son of a b * tch.
On the other side, the English commentators were worried about the future of Nottingham Forest. Real Madrid's offense was too strong, and Tang En was blindly defending. If he could not hold on and the team fell behind, it would also be extremely damaging to the team's morale.
"I always feel that the Forest team should fight back appropriately, but look at them now, they can't even get past the midfield …"
"After all, this is the Bernabéu. Tang En should not underestimate the power of Real Madrid in this stadium. Now that Real Madrid has been forced to a dead end, listen to the cries of the Real Madrid fans in the stands … What are they shouting? Juanito! This is the famous tough guy in the history of Real Madrid! "
"I'm worried about Tony Tang En's heart. In the face of this kind of offensive, can he still stand? "
In fact, not only could Tang En stand, but he also stood very steadily. Although Real Madrid's offense was fierce, Tang En was keenly aware that the number of times their offense could really threaten the goal were not many. As the saying goes, 'loud thunder, but small raindrops'.
Seeing that the first half was coming to an end, if Real Madrid could not score, then they would be unlucky in the second half. They had used up too much energy, and their momentum was gradually waning.
Tang En had a sneer on his face. He finally heard the referee's whistle.
"The first half of overtime is over, and Tony Tang En's heart can finally rest for a while! Both sides did not rest, and directly went into the second 15 minutes of the contest. In a sense, this is the last 15 minutes to decide the winner of the championship. If both sides can't score, then it will be a penalty shootout! Before the game, Real Madrid was thought to be stronger than Nottingham Forest, but the final, which should have won, was dragged until the 105th minute. I admit that I'm a little surprised. "
"I'm still not optimistic about Forest. After 15 minutes, how much energy does Forest, who is down a player, have left? This is a very important question to pay attention to. Michele clearly saw it as well. In the first half of overtime, every Forest player was running with all their might to make up for the disadvantage after Pepe left the field. Nottingham Forest has not conceded a goal so far, and this has to do with the efforts of their players. But after all, humans are not machines. How long can they last in such a high-intensity confrontation? Five minutes? Ten minutes? I bet that as long as Real Madrid continues to bite the bullet and strengthen their offense in the second half, Nottingham Forest will definitely collapse! "
The commentators made their predictions for the second half of overtime. Not a single person was optimistic about Nottingham Forest, who was down a player and exhausted.
Even a man of steel like George Wood took advantage of the time when both sides changed sides to run to the side of the field to ask for water. He looked like he was unbearably tired. His jersey looked like it had just been fished out of the water. He panted heavily and kept pouring water into his mouth.
"George." Tang En moved closer. In order not to attract attention, he did not stay very close.
Wood heard his manager's soft call. He turned his head to look at Tang En.
"Uh …" Tang En grabbed his hair. "I've always had a question. It's been bottled up in my heart for 10 years."
Wood tilted his head and looked at Tang En in confusion. He did not understand what the question was, nor did it have anything to do with him or the match.
"That … Do you still remember? You were the one who returned my wallet to me. We also met through that wallet. What I want to ask is, the guy who bumped into me on the street the day before and stole my wallet in passing, was it you? "
The expression on Wood's face changed. The doubt was gone, and instead, there was some vigilance.
Twain grinned and looked at Wood, looking forward to his answer.
The main referee must have noticed this. Wood glanced at the referee, intending to turn and run onto the field. But before he left, he did not forget to answer Tang En's question. "Yes."
With that, he ran off.
Tang En was left looking at his back and smiling. The back view of the person running onto the field overlapped with the back view of the person who stole his wallet back then. That running posture really could not change even after 10 years …
If you had not stolen my wallet back then, would I have missed out on a genius, and also missed out on the next 10 years of my exciting life?
Hero Robin Hood, a thief who stole a wallet … Tang En realized that what the media outside said was not wrong — this was a team of thieves.
Alright then, let us openly steal that trophy in front of 80,000 people, in front of billions of television viewers!
Tang En cast his gaze to the sparkling silver Big Ear Cup at the exit of the tunnel.
His eyes sparkled. It was the glow of greed.
※ ※ ※
PS: Today's first update, and the last update at 6 p.m.
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.
