novelraw Chapter 608 - 415: Eevee Scorpion Tail Makes a Fool of Itself, Cavani Gets Headshot on the Spot!
Chapter 608 - 415: Eevee Scorpion Tail Makes a Fool of Itself, Cavani Gets Headshot on the Spot!
"Iquita! Iquita!!!"
Manchester City’s goalkeeper Caballero shouted, racing from the penalty area to the front field. He didn’t rush towards the scoring Agüero, but instead dashed towards Tang Long, lifting him high up.
Iquita was Caballero’s childhood idol.
Standing at only 1.76 meters, this Mexican goalkeeper, like the 1.83-meter tall Caballero, belonged to the smaller stature goalkeepers in soccer.
In 1995, Iquita performed a legendary scorpion kick against England!
Facing an opponent’s chip shot, Iquita stood on the goal line motionless, waiting for the ball to fly over his head, then jumped backward with both legs, using his soles to send the ball that was about to cross the goal line back out!
Back then, Caballero was a 12-year-old playing midfield. It was this miraculous scorpion kick on the goal line by Iquita that made young Caballero fall in love with the goalkeeper position, planting a seed in his heart that took root and prompted him to switch positions.
However, unlike Iquita, who used both feet to send the ball off the goal line;
Tang Long used a single foot to send the ball into the penalty area, pulling off a fantastic assist!
All of Tang Long’s teammates were thrilled watching it.
No one went to Agüero who scored the goal, instead, everyone rushed towards Tang Long, even Agüero himself didn’t habitually run to the corner to celebrate with the fans, but headed straight to Tang Long!
"How was that pass even possible? Oh my god!"
"I thought for sure you were going to lose control of that ball!"
"Haha, honestly, did you mean to do that or was it just a happy accident?"
Some teammates tugged at Tang Long’s jersey, others patted his head, some ran up to him shouting, and everyone high-fived and embraced him, each saying something.
Pellegrini turned and smiled at assistant coach Rein:
"Did you see that? That’s a master-class moment of brilliance, and we were lucky enough to witness it live!"
Neither Pellegrini, nor assistant coach Rein, nor any of the players on the field realized that although Tang Long’s pass seemed incredible, it wasn’t a momentary flash of inspiration.
Opportunities always arise in fleeting moments!
Two seconds before making the move, Tang Long had already anticipated that only by getting the ball into the penalty area quickly could he form a running and passing connection with Agüero, avoiding offside. The fastest passing speed is not by turning around or controlling and then passing, but by executing a scorpion kick directly without turning.
It’s all about catching them off guard!
Meanwhile, the Paris Saint-Germain players hadn’t yet recovered from their surprise.
When Tang Long used the scorpion kick to send the ball back into the penalty area, these players, who were a bit farther from Tang Long, were all pressing forward with their pre-set tactics, trying to push the Manchester City players out of the penalty area.
So they didn’t notice exactly how Tang Long managed to pass the ball in.
Only Eevee saw it clearly.
Because he was the forward, closer to Tang Long.
Eevee was secretly stunned in his heart!
He hadn’t expected that Tang Long, not even 20 years old, had such exquisite skills.
Even more surprising was that the typical scorpion kick is used for short-distance passes;
But Tang Long’s scorpion kick delivered a pass that spanned over 20 meters, comparable to a standard medium-distance pass!
The most important part was how accurate it was, perfectly forming an anti-offside connection with his teammate Agüero.
Having gone through countless battles in his 35-year career, Eevee saw it very clearly.
Although he didn’t say it out loud, he understood it well in his heart.
This pass, only someone like Tang Long, with an unexpected move, could execute such a surprise. If he stopped to turn around and look into the penalty area, the Paris offside line would have been pushed forward long ago, and Agüero would definitely be offside.
But self-proclaimed as second only to God, Eevee wasn’t about to concede.
He sulkily muttered to himself:
"Tsk, so what, it’s just a scorpion kick. Look how excited you all are, clearly, you haven’t seen the bigger stages. I used this move back at the 2004 European Cup against Italy, nothing too strange!"
Seeing Tang Long perform his signature move right in front of him, the Swede was quite indignant.
He was determined to get back at him!
Even if Paris Saint-Germain doesn’t advance in the end, I, Eevee, can’t lose my dignity, especially not in front of this under-20 youngster still wet behind the ears.
After a series of four or five high-powered shots at the beginning of the game, Eevee quieted down for a bit under the booing at the Etihad Stadium.
But inside, he was simmering, waiting for a chance to unleash his own scorpion kick.
Soon, the moment came!
In the 25th minute of the first half, Paris Saint-Germain earned a corner kick opportunity.
The corner taken by Di Maria sped towards the near post, where the tall Rabiot managed a header flick-on before Toure.
The ball flew towards Eevee in the center.
"It’s here! Now’s the time!"
The strong desire to perform made Eevee, despite having the option for a powerful header, twist his body to execute a scorpion kick instead!
In that moment, with his large frame leaping high, his leg raised for the scorpion kick, Eevee’s thoughts traveled back to 2004...
Twelve years ago, back when Eevee was just 23, in his prime.
Back then, my physique was still tall, but my figure had become much more slender, with youthful energy radiating all over.
"Tang actually dared to call me old? Haha, let him see what a real Scorpion Tail is!"
In Eevee’s heart, his Scorpion Tail was stronger than anyone’s; Tang Long’s was impressive, but at most it was just an assist, whereas mine is meant to score.
Thud!
Cavani clutched his head and fell to the ground!
"Ahhhhhhhhh——"
The miserable cries pierced the night sky of Etihad Stadium, leaving everyone stunned.
Eevee froze on the spot, turned to look, and saw the football securely held in Caballero’s arms while the referee promptly blew the whistle to signal a pause in the match.
It was then Eevee realized, instead of hitting the ball, his Scorpion Tail had kicked his teammate Cavani’s head.
"Damn, I was wondering why my foot hurt so much!" Eevee laughed indifferently.
The live broadcast room burst into laughter~
-[Tang Long’s Scorpion Tail aims at the opponent, Eevee’s Scorpion Tail aims at his teammate!]
-[Is he crazy? I think he could’ve headed the ball, why bother scorpion tail?]
-[Scorpion Tail? More like a pig’s tail flick!]
-[Look at his disdainful eyes, even touching his chin, probably still blaming Cavani for interfering with his trajectory in his mind]
-[No surprise, that’s just how Eevee is.]
-[I still prefer Eevee from Pokémon~]
-[If I were Cavani, I’d definitely give Eevee a beating!]
Sadly, poor Cavani.
His brow bone got broken from Eevee’s kick, staining the field with blood instantly!
Under the doctor’s bandage, he felt dizzy, showing signs of mild concussion, eventually unable to continue the match, and was hurriedly substituted.
As he was helped off the field by the doctor, Eevee stood coldly on one side without a word of concern;
Instead, Manchester City’s old Serie A rival Ranocchia stepped up and patted Cavani’s shoulder, giving a few brief words of solace.
The entire Paris team, seeing Eevee’s reckless kick, was furious but dared not speak out.
"Someday this guy will ruin us, he clearly could’ve headed the ball, insisted on showing off with his footwork, and what happened?" Di Maria whispered to Motta.
"He even laughed just now, damn it, no wonder he can’t win the Champions League, serves him right!" Motta muttered angrily.
Without Cavani tirelessly pulling and running in the front, Paris’s attack completely extinguished.
Eevee still carried on, immersed in his solo performance.
He saw himself as God, yet at Etihad, behaved ridiculously like a clown.
Just as the second half began, outside Manchester City’s penalty area, he attempted a bicycle kick!
At the moment of rising in mid-air, his mind was full of the bicycle kick goal against England in 2012 from outside the penalty area.
All the Paris teammates moved aside, staying far away, fearing a replay of Cavani’s fate.
But now Eevee was 35, far less flexible than four years ago, his body weight of 200 pounds incapable of supporting his leap.
This time with the bicycle kick, not only did he miss, but severely strained his thigh muscle!
Amidst the "friendly" boos from Manchester City fans, Eevee angrily threw his headband to the ground, cursing as he left the field.
Afterwards.
Manchester City deliberately slowed their attack.
Changed tactics to keep possession firmly at their feet.
Tang Long, Delph, Toure, and others took turns in passing, wearing down the opponent’s morale.
In the end, Manchester City narrowly defeated Paris 1-0 at home, winning 4-1 on aggregate to advance to the Champions League semi-finals!
...
"Useless, all a bunch of useless!"
In the visiting team’s locker room.
Paris CEO Nasser stomped his foot in rage!
He kicked over the neatly stacked 20 million euros;
With a crash, an avalanche of euros fell, leaving all Paris players in the locker room wide-eyed.
"What are you staring at! Shut your eyes, none of you deserve to see this wealth, you’re all together not worth Tang’s sole!"
Furious, Nasser even wanted a lighter to burn the pile of scattered euros, had it not been for the staff’s intervention, claiming the smoke detector would go off, he wouldn’t have felt a hint of remorse.
Witnessing this bizarre drama, Paris manager Blanco kept shaking his head and sighing.
He finally couldn’t hold back, fired at Nasser:
"Mr. Nasser, if you really want the Champions League, save this money as Eevee’s termination fee!"