novelraw Chapter 853 593: Thunderous Header Sounds the Charge! The Ultimate Golden Boot Showdown! (Part 2)
Chapter 853 593: Thunderous Header Sounds the Charge! The Ultimate Golden Boot Showdown! (Part 2)
Tang Long on the left flank constantly seeking opportunities for breakthroughs, his footwork is agile and varied.
Sunderland players have also opened up their game, engaging in counterattacks against Manchester City!
However, Manchester City, the stronger side, has far superior ability to seize opportunities and judge the situation compared to the Black Cats, who have just managed to stay in the league.
Just 5 minutes into the first half, Tang Long cuts inside from the left; his movements are light and nimble, first a tap and a dodge, a simple feint bypassing a defender;
Then he performed a Marseille Spin, the soccer ball under his feet behaving like a compliant little elf, slipping through another Sunderland defender's legs~
Tang Long rushed into the penalty area, at this time, Sunderland's defense had a brief vacuum, Tang Long was unmarked!
When everyone thought Tang Long was going to shoot, he made an unexpected decision and passed the ball horizontally to Agüero in the middle.
"Ah, why didn't he shoot!" Dilata, sitting in the stands, exclaimed in disbelief with her hand over her mouth.
Dilata knows Tang Long must remember their bet.
Yesterday he shot 6 times, meaning Tang Long had to score 6 goals, meaning he had to surpass C Luo for the European Golden Boot—but why didn't he shoot with such a good opportunity?
Agüero was also stunned in the middle.
Before Tang Long passed the ball, Agüero hadn't even moved, so when the ball came to his feet, he suddenly realized and hastily made a push shot.
Fortunately, the shot still had considerable power, and although the angle wasn't tricky, it nonetheless scored, bringing the score to 1-0.
"There's no need to give me this position, you could've taken the shot yourself." Agüero smiled helplessly at Tang Long and celebrated with a high-five.
"No rush, there's still plenty of time. That position had a relatively narrow angle, just warming up, you can take the shot too." Tang Long replied calmly.
There was no trace of fluctuation on his face, as if everything was under his control.
Tang Long was clearly unhurried, appearing as if victory was within grasp, though Dilata in the stands grew somewhat anxious.
Her hands tightly clenched together, eyes fixed on Tang Long on the field, she silently prayed for him to score soon.
She even started regretting that she had been so fervent with Tang Long last night, worrying it might affect his performance.
"Choosing not to shoot, is he feeling weak in the legs because of me? Oh, had I known I wouldn't have..." Dilata blushed, shyly covering her face with her hand.
But before Dilata's hand could move away, Manchester City immediately launched a second wave of attack.
As Sunderland just kicked off from the center line, facing Manchester City's sudden high press, Sunderland had no choice but to pass back to the goalkeeper, desperately sending a long ball, high but not far.
Ranocchia standing in the center of the field like a high-voltage tower, slightly contracting his waist and abdomen, swung his head, and the soccer ball accurately flew to the right flank.
Sunderland's defensive line hadn't had time to press up, and so Navas, the right-back, didn't become offside.
When everyone thought Navas would control the ball and then pass it, the little Spanish right-back caught everyone by surprise, facing the high ball coming through the air, suddenly used the arch of his foot, directly knocked the ball into the center.
"Ah! Great ball!" Manchester City fans in the stands exclaimed in amazement, instantly waking Dilata up.
She looked up, seeing Tang Long rapidly sprinting from the left flank toward the center, his speed as fast as lightning!
Tang Long then leapt high, his body extending in the air like an eagle soaring.
"He jumps really high!" With Dilata's exclamation, Tang Long's jumping height had his knee reaching the chest of the Sunderland player, fiercely heading the top of the ball.
[Detected the drop point at one meter left of the penalty point, start preparation early!]
Tang Long's header was precise and steady, completely because at the moment Navas touched the ball with his foot, everyone thought he would control it, but Tang Long's AI system was constantly monitoring Navas's body language, quickly transmitting through brain waves the information that he would cross, and had already informed the drop point 10 centimeters when the ball left the foot.
That's why Tang Long was able to dash up from the left flank ahead of time and jump high with the inertia of his body, becoming the brightest guy in the penalty area!
At this moment, the entire world was only him and that soccer ball!
"Bang!"
Tang Long struck a header hitting the ground at the penalty spot!
Tang Long predicted and launched early, the jumping inertia was huge, cleverly using the waist and neck strength, the power was immense, smashing a bounce, Sunderland's goalkeeper Piqueford, even if he had three heads and six arms, was caught off guard, watching the ball smash into his left hand side.
Looking at the ground, a grass pit had already appeared at the spot where it hit!
"It's in, it's in, Tang Long scored!"
As the ball hit the net, Dilata, as if springs were installed in her feet, involuntarily bounced up.
Her face was filled with excitement and joy, hugging an unfamiliar Manchester City fan beside her.
Not only Dilata was so excited, all the Manchester City fans around were embracing and high-fiving each other, many of whom actually didn't know one another, but sitting in this stand, sitting atop Itihad's stands, their hearts were tightly connected.
Everyone had one belief, this closing match of the league not only has to be won, but must be beautiful, with many goals, and crucially Tang Long has to score at least six goals!
Beside, Guardiola instinctively shook his hands at Chiwo and said:
"How is Tang's header getting better and better? Have you given him extra training on this in routine practice? That header just now, such a powerful header in my memory seems only C Luo capable of executing."
Chiwo laughed and shook his head, paused, then shook his head a second time.
"No, I haven't given him special training on headers."
"And, I don't think C Luo can score such a header, the key to this goal is predicting the drop point early, I don't think there's a second person in the global football world apart from Tang Long possessing such magical Prediction Ability."
Guardiola couldn't help chuckling.
"If you say that, surely someone watching on TV would be unhappy."
In fact, the situation was exactly as Guardiola said.
C Luo, having finished his La Liga campaign early, was watching Manchester City's match before the TV.
When Navas received the header pass from Ranocchia without stopping the ball, directly knocking it into the center, C Luo cried "Ah," eyes brightened instantly, the reaction was no different from the Manchester City fans on site, thinking: "Can it be passed this way? This pass is really bold."
And then, Tang Long suddenly appeared at the drop point, scoring a heroic header of great force, C Luo's pupils suddenly constricted, countless words stuck in his throat, despite having numerous cries, it was difficult to express for a moment.
At this instant, the 32-year-old C Luo, gazed far away, saw himself full of 22-year youth.
During that time, he had perfect knees and ankles, and could dash as fast as Tang Long, jump as high.
After a while, when Sunderland had to restart and kick off again, C Luo's thoughts finally returned, but the heart was in the throat.
"This header is indeed too fierce, the current me, even heading 20 times it would be hard to produce one like it."
C Luo felt a secret anxiety, couldn't help worrying: "After this goal, Tang Long's total reached 52, only 4 behind me, would he really catch up?"
His heart was filled with worry, continuously recalling Tang Long's outstanding past performances on the field, feeling uncertain and restless.
He then comforted himself: "Impossible, absolutely impossible! He's never scored more than five goals in a single game; such a scenario is unlikely in the league's final match, he still has FA Cup and Champions League finals to play, he's bound to restrain himself, maybe Guardiola would substitute him off in the second half."