novelraw Chapter 883 - 609: Under the Gaze of 75,000 Fans, Tang Long Shouted Just One Word: Go!
Chapter 883 - 609: Under the Gaze of 75,000 Fans, Tang Long Shouted Just One Word: Go!
"Go!!!"
Under the watchful eyes of seventy-five thousand fans, Tang Long shouted just one word!
No subject, no object, just a massive and powerful verb!
A thousand words, all encapsulated in this shout!
This exhilarating call, like a bombshell, exploded instantly in the vast Cardiff Millennium Stadium, the enormous sound surge seeming to break through the dome of the stadium, reaching the sky!
In the stands, a young Manchester City fan was red-faced with excitement, clutching tightly the back of the seat in front of him. His body trembled slightly from excessive excitement; he couldn't believe his eyes and mumbled to himself:
"It's unbelievable, are we dreaming?"
His eyes were filled with surprise and incredulity, as if he were in a fantastic dream.
"Tang is our God! He challenged the Real Madrid defense solo!"
A fervent fan, wearing a Manchester City blue jersey with the team crest painted on his face, suddenly stood up, fists clenched, raised high above his head, shouting at the top of his lungs;
His voice became hoarse from excitement, yet did not diminish his enthusiasm in the slightest.
Under his lead, the surrounding Manchester City fans also began to shout together, the waves of sound rising one after another, seemingly about to overturn the entire stadium.
"Tang!"
"Tang!"
"China Tang!"
Tang Long's cheers echoed again!
"With him here, isn't a comeback imminent?" An elderly fan with graying hair, eyes flashing with tears of excitement, tightly clasped his hands over his chest, as if fearing his heart would burst from this sudden joy.
He recalled the bits and pieces of his years following Manchester City, those past disappointments and regrets seemed to vanish at this moment, replaced by endless joy and hope, looking at the timer board, he couldn't help but think:
"Could we really be about to win our first Champions League?"
In his eyes, at this moment, Ranocchia and Tang Long were the heroes on the field, the saviors of Manchester City.
…
At this moment, the director seemed to also notice the passion of the fans and deliberately gave a close-up to C Luo.
The camera zoomed in, revealing the rugged face of the Portuguese star, with an expression resembling having truly eaten something foul.
Really, a big, stinky pile of dung!
His brows furrowed tightly, like two small hills, his eyes unwillingly drooping, reflecting endless anger and resentment.
Lips pressed tight, corners slightly downturned, the whole person looking like he wanted to explode but had nowhere to vent.
"What a mess, playing really stinks!" He spat heavily.
C Luo understood in his heart that this goal had completely disrupted Real Madrid's rhythm, turning their advantage into a disadvantage.
Even apart from C Luo, the off-field strategist, Real Madrid coach Zidane, was also burning with anxiety.
Sitting on the coach's bench, he continuously scratched his iconic bald head as if he were going to tear his scalp apart.
He never thought, Ranocchia actually "resurrected"!
In his original plan, Ranocchia's head injury should have long taken him out of action, yet unexpectedly, he made such a brilliant assist at this crucial moment.
Zidane cursed internally, "The situation has changed. If we want to win, we must make adjustments quickly!"
Thousands of miles away, in the studio of the Imperial Capital, the commentator Huang Jianxiang couldn't contain his joy.
Filled with passion, his face at this moment was even more radiant with excitement.
Blood surged through his body, a force bursting forth from his throat, as if he had returned to that scorching summer of 2006, to that exhilarating World Cup stadium!
"The great Italian midfielder Ranocchia has Gattuso's spirit at this moment!"
Huang Jianxiang's voice became loud and clear due to excitement, his hands waving in the air, as if he were a player on the field.
"He uses precise tackles, leaving Modric fruitless!"
"The great Italian midfielder Ranocchia has Pirlo's spirit at this moment!" Huang Jianxiang's voice rose another octave!
"He uses a surgical-like through ball to instantly tear apart Real Madrid's seemingly impenetrable defense!"
"Ranocchia! Ranocchia! At this moment, he is not fighting alone!"
Huang Jianxiang's voice was already a bit hoarse, but he continued to shout without reservation.
All fans in China were watching this game, Huang Jianxiang's enthusiastic calls pushed the momentum of the match to an unprecedented climax.
Roar——
In front of the TV, fans raised their arms in cheers, offering warm applause to the Italian midfielder who sent a brilliant through ball to the Chinese player Tang Long!
However, just as the cheering had not fully dissipated, Ranocchia on the field suddenly stumbled, rotated on the spot, and sat down heavily.
Initially, Manchester City players wanted to run over and celebrate with Ranocchia, Tang Long, who ran fastest, was almost to leap onto Ranocchia.
But seeing this scene, everyone was taken aback, and the smile on their faces instantly froze.
"Andrei, are you okay?" Tang Long braked quickly, ran to Ranocchia's side, squatted down, his eyes full of worry.
Despite wearing thick bandages, Tang Long could still clearly see the bleeding spot on Ranocchia's head, that red dot getting darker, like a blooming blood flower…
Ranocchia's eyes rolled back, sitting on the ground panting heavily, his gaze vacuous.
His body trembled slightly, the whole person seemed to have fallen into an ice cave.
Tang Long knew that the recent tackle and through ball, which seemed smooth and elegant, actually took all of Ranocchia's strength to execute.
It's important to know that he suffered a serious head injury within the 90 minutes, and being able to persist until now is nothing short of a miracle.
Tang Long quickly waved, signaling the medical team to come onto the field.
The medics swiftly rushed onto the pitch with a stretcher, carefully placing Ranocchia on it, then hurriedly carried him off to the sidelines.
Seeing Ranocchia lying on the stretcher, looking almost like a dead man being directly taken to the ambulance, a fierce flame ignited in the hearts of the Manchester City players.
"Fight for Ranocchia!"
Everyone thought to themselves in unison.
They knew that Ranocchia had sacrificed too much for the team, and they could not let him down!
The entire team must carry Ranocchia's spirit forward, continuing to fight.
Seeing this scene, Zidane clapped his hands, smiling with delight.
While he also hoped that the Italian midfielder would be out of life-threatening danger, with the team trailing 2:3 in extra time, the opponent forced to play 10 against 11, now was the time to equalize or even take the lead, wasn't it?
Real Madrid's opportunity had arrived!
With little time left, the only option was to attack fiercely.
He quickly stood up, walked to the sidelines, loudly calling to the players on the field, directing them to adjust their tactics.
Isco, one of the players left on the field, was in poor condition, and Zidane finally played his last card, subbing in Spanish striker Morata!
"They're going to switch to four forwards, Pep, we're in for a tough time next,"
Manchester City's assistant coach Chiwo said with a frown, filled with a foreboding sense.
"No worries, we'll hold on with ten men until the end of extra time!"
Manchester City head coach Guardiola crossed his arms firmly.
The dialogue between Chiwo and Guardiola beside him highlighted the brutality of the remaining 20-plus minutes of this match.
After Ranocchia left the field, Manchester City was down a player, and it was still extra time, where everyone's stamina was already depleted, including Tang Long.
Guardiola was forced to involve the players in a defensive retreat.
All the forwards collapsed inwards!
Especially Tang Long, although he started as a left winger, having played as a defensive midfielder for quite a long period during Pellegrini's tenure, he was no stranger to the defensive midfielder position.
He unhesitatingly took over Ranocchia's position as the defensive midfielder.
Except for the speedster Sane slightly advancing to draw out the opponent's last center-back Varane, almost all Manchester City players on the field except the goalkeeper formed a small block in the middle.
They watched Real Madrid's players with vigilant eyes, intent on protecting the central defense as much as possible.
"We can do it, boys, you have to hang in there, today you are the most handsome boys in this world!"
On the sidelines, team doctor Gracie's hands trembled continuously.
Her chest heaved violently as she was extremely nervous, making it difficult even to breathe.
Her eyes were fixed on the players on the field, silently praying for them in her heart.
She recalled her memories of joining the Manchester City medical team, those days of struggling alongside the players, which filled her with emotion for this team... She hoped the players could hold on and win this match!
A fellow doctor noticed Gracie's emotional change, walked over and patted her shoulder, gently saying, "Gracie, go to the locker room to drink some water and rest. We'll handle things here."
Gracie shook her head firmly, saying, "No, I want to sit by the sidelines and watch the entire extra time. I want to witness the club I work for winning their first historical Champions League trophy at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium in Wales."
The Manchester City fans at the Cardiff Millennium Stadium belted out songs, their voices loud and passionate, aiming to ignite the entire stadium.
They waved flags in their hands, lifting their fan scarves high above their heads!
Meanwhile, the Real Madrid fans could no longer contain themselves, and using their numerical advantage, they erupted with greater noise than the Manchester City fans, creating a momentum for their team;
"Brothers, if you've got it, shout it out!" The Real Madrid fans shouted until their voices were hoarse, trying to suppress the Manchester City fans' momentum!
Though Manchester City's players were united, Real Madrid wasn't an easy opponent either, especially with a richer pedigree and far more Champions League experience than Manchester City.
Many players on the team like Marcelo, Ramos, C Luo, Benzema, were all veterans in the Champions League and knew exactly how to handle such crucial moments.
Real Madrid took full advantage of Manchester City's burden of covering the pitch's width with one less player, frequently sending the ball to C Luo and Bell on either flank.
C Luo and Bell, like two sharp swords, traversed back and forth on the sides of Manchester City's defense, seeking scoring opportunities.
Their speed was incredible, leaving Manchester City's defense players exhausted.
As the first half of extra time reached 14 minutes and 52 seconds and was about to end, Bell forcefully surged down the wing!
His body, like a fierce beast, instantly broke through Kolarov's defense!
After storming past Kolarov, he immediately took a powerful low shot.
This low shot had great force and speed, resembling a shot and a pass simultaneously, with the soccer ball roaring like a cannonball towards Manchester City's box!
Manchester City's defenders flung themselves in an attempt to intercept this ball.
The ball, however, fortuitously slid through the legs of two defenders, finding its way to the center.
Benzema didn't even have time to react before the ball hit his ankle, as he forcibly knocked it into the net!
3 to 3!
In the 15th minute of extra time, Real Madrid finally equalized, bringing both teams back to square one!
(Still haven't finished two chapters, exhausted on the last day of the holiday, owe one chapter, will find time to make up these days)