SWR: Chapter 730/731

Chapter 730: The Great Van der Sar

Afternoon of May 14, Wembley Stadium, London.

FA Cup Final: Manchester United vs Manchester City.

The match unfolded just as Gao Shen had expected. Ferguson was unwilling to surrender control to Manchester City, so he continued with the midfield trio of Sneijder, Carrick, and Lass Diarra, with Park Ji-sung on the left.

However, Ferguson didn't opt for a high press from the start. Instead, he opened cautiously.

This allowed Manchester City to easily take control of the ball and dictate the tempo from the beginning.

In terms of overall strength, City clearly had the advantage.

Just over two minutes into the game, City created a chance on the left. Gareth Bale broke past O'Shea and forced a corner with a cross from the byline. Yaya Touré followed with a long-range shot from outside the box—City's first shot of the match.

From there, Manchester City continued with a composed approach and created several chances in succession.

United were relatively passive but maintained a tight defensive structure, not allowing City any real clear-cut opportunities.

This was also United's biggest weapon.

As the media predicted before the match, Ferguson would likely tighten the defensive lines, let City take the initiative, and wait for a chance to hit them on the break.

United seemed to be playing just like that.

Every time they attacked, they moved forward quickly, but when they lost the ball, the midfield and back line immediately dropped back just as fast.

This forced Manchester City into a positional attack.

There was no need to explain how powerful the central defensive pairing of Vidic and Ferdinand was. They were among the best in world football.

While City had conceded fewer goals over the season, their centre-back pairing of David Luiz and Kompany excelled in passing and long balls. But in terms of pure defense and stability, they weren't quite on the level of United's duo.

Of course, even if asked, Gao Shen wouldn't make a change. He liked players like David Luiz and Kompany.

…

Yaya Touré was extremely active from the start.

In addition to that first shot, he soon tried another long-range effort from 20 meters.

Later, he even got a header inside the box, but it went over the bar.

In the 11th minute, he went for a shot from nearly 40 meters out.

It was a decent strike, but a little high.

"This kid is pumped tonight," Carlo laughed.

Gao Shen nodded.

Just the night before, after the team arrived in London, the hotel delivered a large pre-ordered cake.

It was specially arranged by Gao Shen to celebrate Yaya Touré's 28th birthday.

The Ivorian had been visibly moved and made a wish in front of the whole team—he wanted to score in the FA Cup Final.

In fact, the afternoon before departure, Yaya had approached Gao Shen to ask about playing in the Champions League Final. He wanted to face Barcelona, but Gao Shen couldn't give him a definite answer.

Javi Martínez had been solid all season. His chemistry with David Silva and Rakitić had been excellent. There was no reason to drop him for the final just to accommodate Touré.

How would the Spanish midfielder feel about that?

Just as there was no way Gao Shen would leave Touré out of the FA Cup Final.

So now, Touré was treating the FA Cup Final as if it were the Champions League Final. He wanted to beat Manchester United like it was Barcelona.

Of course, Gao Shen promised to give him as much playing time as possible.

But nothing could be guaranteed.

While Gao Shen was lost in thought, City intercepted the ball in their own half again.

Sneijder tried a pass to Park Ji-sung, but Zabaleta tackled it and fed the ball to Yaya Touré.

The Ivorian shifted to the right, took a few strides forward, spotted an opportunity, and sent a long diagonal ball straight into United's penalty area.

The pass landed on the left side and bounced into the box.

Van Persie ran in between Vidic and Ferdinand and beat both to the ball.

Goalkeeper Van der Sar came off his line decisively. His timing was perfect. Just as Van Persie stretched out his left foot for the shot, Van der Sar got his hands to it.

The ball deflected off his gloves, looped high, and dropped toward the left side of the penalty area.

Van Persie quickly chased it down, got there ahead of Ferdinand, and sent a return pass to Bale on the left side of the box.

The Welshman cut into the penalty area from the corner, controlled the ball before Vidic could close him down, and went for a left-footed volley aimed at the far post.

Everyone knows how dangerous Bale is in "Bale's zone."

But this time, the shot was saved by Van der Sar.

This was the Dutch keeper's last match for Manchester United. He showed incredible determination. After coming off his line, he scrambled back into position and managed to save Bale's powerful strike.

The entire Wembley Stadium erupted in applause.

It was a stunning, perhaps even legendary save.

Had that gone in, Manchester United would've been in serious trouble!

Even Gao Shen on the touchline couldn't help but applaud Van der Sar's effort, though he was also frustrated his side hadn't taken the lead.

Everyone knows how lethal Bale is from that area.

"Van der Sar is really…" Gao Shen kept shaking his head.

There wasn't much more he could say about a player like that.

Gao Shen stepped to the sideline and signaled his players to stretch their attacking width more.

City had attacked too often through the middle or with long balls. It was time to utilize the flanks and bring out the best in the two wingers.

The central area was too crowded. Continuing to force play through the middle wouldn't create much.

They needed to stretch the defense wide and then come back inside.

"Arjen, demand the ball more!" Gao Shen shouted to Robben, who was closest to him.

He felt Robben had been a bit quiet tonight.

Maybe that was due to Yaya Touré being so active.

Whether it was long shots or long passes, Robben hadn't gotten many chances.

…

Time kept ticking.

Manchester City remained in control, pressing United constantly.

United weren't completely toothless, but their two or three counterattacks failed to create real danger. It looked like City were overwhelming them.

But that wasn't necessarily a good thing.

The dominance was too obvious, yet the scoreline hadn't moved. That's always risky.

Gao Shen watched the pitch carefully. If anything started to go wrong, he was ready to tell the players to slow the tempo and tighten their defense.

In the 34th minute, City intercepted the ball again in their half and pushed forward. But by the time they reached United's half, the Red Devils had regrouped and were back in shape. City's players looked frustrated.

Yaya Touré got the ball and Gao Shen signaled for him to hold it.

Moments ago, he had attempted another long ball into the box. It was dangerous but hard to convert.

And realistically, could Van Persie beat Vidic and Ferdinand in the air?

Hearing Gao Shen, Touré carried the ball forward and passed to Hazard.

Hazard, playing in the attacking midfield role, controlled it laterally, took a couple of steps forward, dribbled past Carrick with a feint, then passed it right to Robben, who was hugging the sideline, and followed up with a forward run.

His role wasn't just link-up play but also shadowing Van Persie during attacks.

Robben brought the ball inside, accelerated, and cut past Evra while continuing his dribble across the pitch.

At that moment, Robben was still outside the box and not in a shooting position, so United's defense stayed composed. Sneijder moved in to contain him, giving Evra time to recover, and Carrick was back in the middle.

Sneijder went in for a sliding tackle but mistimed it.

Robben adjusted his stride with quick touches, tricking Sneijder into going to ground. He neatly skipped past and found a brief moment of space. He glanced at the box and sent a long diagonal cross with his left foot.

The ball curled from the right side of the box toward the edge of the six-yard box.

Van Persie made a quick run, got behind United's two center backs, and just before Van der Sar arrived, volleyed the ball back into play.

The Dutch striker, a natural left-footer with superb control, used his body to shield the ball from Van der Sar.

Though the keeper had use of his hands, it would've been hard to win the ball unless he fouled Van Persie.

But Van Persie didn't try to control or shoot. Vidic was already closing in fast.

Van Persie made a quick decision. Realizing he'd missed the best chance to shoot, he swung his left foot and played the ball back into the space Vidic had just vacated.

Hazard arrived right on time and smashed a one-time shot at goal.

There was no goalkeeper in front of the Belgian now, and he drilled the ball into the Manchester United net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

"34th minute, Hazard! Eden Hazard opens the scoring for Manchester City!"

"A brilliant attacking sequence!"

"Robben cut inside from the right and whipped in a diagonal pass with his left. Van Persie volleyed the ball back, and Hazard arrived from deep to strike it home. Manchester City's attack was well-organized, fast, and precise. United's defenders couldn't touch the ball and had no way to stop it!"

"One-nil!"

"This goal is huge. It breaks the deadlock that had held for over half an hour."

"If Manchester City lift the trophy at Wembley today, Hazard's goal will be priceless!"

"Of course, this goal also owed much to Robben's incisive cut-in and Van Persie's intelligent lay-off."

"City's attack was dynamic and fluid. Despite United's solid defense, they couldn't hold on."

"This was textbook attacking football!"

(To be continued.)

Chapter 731: This Old Man Is Tough

Cough!

Standing in front of the technical area at Wembley Stadium, Ferguson watched the game unfold and let out a long sigh.

Another Manchester United corner had just been headed wide by Vidic.

It was United's sixth corner of the match, yet only two of those had resulted in shots, neither of which hit Manchester City's goal.

Ferguson could clearly sense Manchester United's disadvantage and the growing pressure on the pitch. He knew his players had given everything, but still couldn't break Manchester City down.

Ultimately, it was a matter of strength.

Manchester City not only dominated possession and tempo, but also clearly held the edge in overall squad quality.

Ferguson had anticipated this scenario long ago.

One of the reasons he often chose to attack right from kickoff was because he knew that once City took control of the game, United would be left chasing shadows, reduced to playing on the counter.

But that kind of passive game was never what Ferguson wanted.

Still, the facts showed that even if they played on the front foot, winning was not guaranteed.

This is what it means to have strength.

Having it doesn't guarantee victory. But without it, defeat is inevitable.

"I'm afraid the Premier League will belong to Manchester City from now on," Ferguson muttered with a sigh.

It reminded him of something Gao Shen had said at the very beginning.

He had declared that his most important task in the Premier League was to knock Manchester United off their throne.

Those were Ferguson's own words once, said when he took aim at Liverpool. Now, Gao Shen had thrown them right back at him.

Each generation has its own talents, and Ferguson had to admit, he was getting old.

Young people often fail to understand the mindset of their elders—just like the young Ferguson once failed to understand those who came before him.

And by the time you finally understand them, you've become someone young people no longer understand.

Now, Gao Shen looked seasoned and composed, just as Ferguson himself had back then.

No, Gao Shen had done even better.

Ferguson's heart was filled with melancholy, but for some reason, a flicker of frustration and resistance burned inside him.

He had once sworn he would never become like the old managers he used to despise. He had vowed that even in old age, he would remain as driven and ambitious as ever. He had promised himself...

Gradually, Ferguson's clouded, weary eyes regained their determination.

He didn't want to live the way he once hated.

He wanted to be different.

Because he was Ferguson.

With that thought, he drew a deep breath, cast off the distractions in his mind, walked straight to the bench, and scanned the players.

His eyes landed on Scholes.

"Paul, warm up. You're going on!" he commanded.

Then, without hesitation, he turned and headed back to the touchline.

…

"Manchester United will make the first substitution."

"We're now into the 65th minute of the second half, and we see United preparing to bring on veteran Paul Scholes."

"Scholes is the creative heartbeat of United's midfield. By bringing him on now, Ferguson clearly wants to push for an equalizer and add more attacking flair in the final third."

"But let's not forget, United's defense hasn't exactly been solid tonight. If the Red Devils push too high, City's counterattack could become even more dangerous. It'll be interesting to see how Ferguson manages this."

"It's O'Shea!"

"Scholes is replacing O'Shea."

"Oh my God, is United switching to a back three?"

"Ferguson's substitution is risky. This is definitely a gamble."

"We see Ferguson making adjustments. Valencia is dropping back into the defensive line to play as right-back. It's a bold decision to move a winger into the back line while bringing in an attacking midfielder to increase creativity and ball retention in the final third."

"This move shows Ferguson's determination."

…

Gao Shen didn't need to hear the commentators to understand the decision. It was exactly what he'd expected.

At the same time, he was even more impressed.

Trailing on both the scoreboard and in performance, making such an attacking substitution by replacing O'Shea with Scholes was a bold decision. But it fit Ferguson's character perfectly.

The godfather of Manchester United was never one to back down. What he hated most was being passive.

If he had to go down, he would go down swinging.

"This old man is tough," Sarri said admiringly.

No doubt about it.

To make this kind of change in a final, under pressure, was admirable.

What's more, after the substitution, United's midfield noticeably improved.

Sneijder had already been a dynamic presence in both attack and defense since joining. Scholes, though aging, still had exceptional passing vision and creativity. Once the two linked up, Lass Diarra was pushed out to the right.

Clearly, this was meant to help protect Valencia and contain Gareth Bale.

In Ferguson's view, Bale was every bit as dangerous as Robben.

After the change, Scholes and Sneijder's combination brought more fluidity to United's midfield, and they soon mounted a direct threat.

In the 72nd minute, it was Scholes who played a brilliant through ball. Rooney lost Jerome Boateng and fired a shot from the edge of the area. Neuer charged out to block it heroically.

Sneijder's follow-up effort was also blocked in time by Fernandinho.

That was easily United's most threatening attack of the match so far.

Realizing the danger, Gao Shen made his first substitution, bringing on Henderson for Hazard.

This was actually Manchester City's usual cup lineup.

Henderson had performed well and progressed steadily in this role.

With Henderson forming a midfield trio with Fernandinho and Yaya Touré, it might have looked like Hazard had been sacrificed, but in reality, it freed Yaya Touré.

This configuration gave Touré more license to push forward, especially in his trademark late runs into the box.

…

Gao Shen's substitution seemed conservative on the surface, but it stabilized the midfield and quickly quelled the threat that United's attack had begun to pose.

But Ferguson wasn't done yet. He immediately made another bold move, replacing Park Ji-sung with Berbatov and switching to a 4-4-2, pairing Berbatov and Rooney up front.

This was the very definition of a gamble.

After the change, United's formation became even more aggressive and unpredictable.

In attack, Sneijder and Scholes pushed forward. In defense, Carrick and Lass Diarra dropped deep, often lining up just in front of the back four. Scholes and Sneijder were the only ones left in midfield, with Rooney frequently dropping back, creating a midfield trio, leaving Berbatov up top.

On the break, Valencia surged down the right, using his pace to exploit space on the flank.

This style did pose a threat to City, but Gao Shen quickly responded.

In the 84th minute, Valencia made a run down the right and had just received a pass from Scholes. Before he could accelerate, he was immediately challenged by Henderson.

The two battled for the ball on the wing, and it went out of play.

Valencia thought it should be a United throw, but the referee signaled otherwise—City's ball.

Felipe stepped up quickly, grabbed the ball, wiped it, and threw it to Gareth Bale.

Bale shielded the ball from Lass Diarra, laid it off to Felipe, who passed inside to Henderson, then on to Fernandinho.

Fernandinho saw Robben dropping back and passed to him on the right.

Robben received the ball on the wing, turned, and began driving towards the penalty area.

Van Persie had drifted to the right side of the box arc, using his body to pin Vidic, and signaled for the ball.

Robben passed it to him, then immediately darted forward into space.

Van Persie understood and, without hesitation, played a quick return pass into Robben's path, letting the Dutch winger burst into the box past Vidic.

But Ferdinand had already tracked the move. He stayed close, preventing Robben from facing goal directly. Robben had to stop and lay the ball back.

Van Persie had already turned and stepped into the box. He met the pass and fired a first-time shot.

But Vidic read it well, diving in front to block the shot.

The ball deflected off Vidic and bounced toward the penalty spot.

Chaos erupted in the box.

It all happened in a flash. Carrick was still searching for the ball when Yaya Touré surged in from deep and reached the spot first. Without hesitation, he smashed the falling ball.

Van der Sar spread his arms and dived, trying to close the angle, but the shot was too powerful.

Yaya Touré had unleashed everything into that strike, sending the ball flying into the back of the net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!"

"84th minute, another goal for Manchester City!"

"Yaya Touré! It's Yaya Touré again!"

"All the City players have rushed forward to celebrate. Yaya Touré pulls up his jersey to reveal a white undershirt with the number 28 written on it."

"This is his birthday gift to himself, just one day late!"

"Yesterday, Yaya Touré celebrated his 28th birthday with the entire squad. Today, he scores a thunderous goal at Wembley to help Manchester City win the FA Cup!"

"Two-nil! There should be no more suspense now!"

(To be continued.)