SWR: Chapter 649/650

Chapter 649: Five Goals

In the stands of Wembley Stadium, England national team head coach Capello and his assistant Galbiati were carefully studying the lineups and tactics of the two teams on the pitch.

Tonight, both teams featured England internationals.

For example, Manchester City had Leighton Baines starting and Sturridge on the bench.

Manchester United also fielded two popular internationals—Rooney and Carrick.

From the start of the match, the national team players from both sides had performed well.

Rooney and Carrick were both highly active, while Leighton Baines faced significant defensive pressure against Valencia.

"Manchester United's Ecuadorian winger is really fast and strong. Baines is physically at a disadvantage," Galbiati said, shaking his head helplessly.

England's left-back stands at only 1.7 meters tall, and he was tasked with marking Valencia, who is 1.8 meters tall, faster, and stronger. The pressure he faced was obvious. Even if it were Ashley Cole instead of Baines, he wouldn't have had the upper hand either.

"But he's held up well," Capello commented.

Galbiati nodded. "Yes, pretty solid."

Leighton Baines' strength lies more in attack than defense.

But tonight, facing Valencia's wing assault, he had failed to pose much offensive threat in the opening ten minutes.

"Gao Shen's use of the two wingers tonight is quite interesting. They've both dropped into midfield," Capello noted with a frown.

Gareth Bale and Robben both have pace as their biggest asset. They are extremely fast.

In the previous goal, Bale's relentless pressing on O'Shea was the key.

This also revealed how Gao Shen was deploying Gareth Bale in his lineup tonight.

He looked more like a left midfielder than a traditional winger, staying close to Leighton Baines and often tracking back to the full-back position to offer defensive cover.

"Gao Shen is clearly experimenting with Gareth Bale's optimal position. As a winger, he's too far forward. As a full-back, too deep. But if he plays as a wide midfielder, it could work. His defensive ability is quite strong after all, considering he was a full-back," Galbiati analyzed.

Capello nodded in agreement.

On the Manchester United side, with the addition of Lass Diarra and Sneijder, along with Park Ji-sung on the left and Valencia on the right, their midfield was significantly strengthened—particularly the two defensive midfielders.

"Ferguson's players still have it. Lass Diarra didn't hold onto the ball too much tonight," Capello said with a smile.

This French midfielder wore the No. 10 shirt at Real Madrid, and his tendency to dwell on the ball had always been an issue. But judging from his performance tonight, that problem seemed to have improved.

Of course, it might also be because he's new to the team and playing more conservatively.

But one thing was clear: Manchester United's midfield had indeed become more solid.

Especially with Fletcher still on the bench.

If necessary, Ferguson could sub out Park Ji-sung for Fletcher and let Sneijder push forward, forming a midfield trio of defensive midfielders. That would make United's midfield even more solid.

"The key for Manchester United tonight is their counterattack. They're playing very quickly and using a lot of long passes," Capello observed sharply.

From the start of the match, every time Manchester United intercepted the ball in midfield, they launched quick medium or long passes toward Rooney or Valencia.

This was clearly Ferguson's strategy.

Manchester City were pressing high and often recycling the ball around the halfway line, leaving large gaps behind their defensive line.

Rooney and Valencia were well-equipped to exploit those spaces.

While Capello and Galbiati continued their tactical analysis in the stands, something suddenly unfolded on the pitch.

Manchester United's midfield sprang into action. After regaining possession, Sneijder immediately sent a long ball over the top, targeting the right side of the attacking third.

In other words, attacking Manchester City's left flank.

Rooney moved quickly, making a diagonal run to the right and using his body to shield Kompany.

The Belgian center-back tried to muscle Rooney off but failed.

Rooney's nickname "Fatty Lu" wasn't for nothing.

He latched onto Sneijder's long ball on the right edge of the box. After a sudden stop, he tried to dribble past Kompany into the penalty area, but by then, Leighton Baines had already dropped back.

Just as the two defenders prepared to close him down, Rooney suddenly played a cutback into the box.

Valencia had already surged in from the right channel, latched onto Rooney's pass, and faced off with Jerome Boateng, who arrived just in time. Valencia feinted and sent the German defender sliding to the ground in a tackle.

But it was only a feint.

Valencia calmly dribbled past Boateng, and as Neuer came off his line, he coolly slotted the ball into the net with his right foot to equalize for Manchester United.

Valencia spread his arms wide and sprinted off to celebrate.

"What's going on with this center-back? Why did he suddenly go to ground for a slide tackle?" Capello asked in confusion.

It didn't make any sense.

"Probably his habits. I heard that he used to pick up cards for fouls in the Bundesliga and often played rashly. What he did just now was really…" Galbiati sighed and shook his head.

It was hard to even describe!

If this had happened in Italy, a defender would probably be benched for a tackle like that.

"I really don't understand why Gao Shen would use him as a center-back," Capello said, puzzled.

Putting such a reckless player in the key position of central defense was a huge risk.

Just like the goal United had just scored—it should never have happened.

If it were a mature and composed center-back, he would've just used his body to block Valencia.

"Gao Shen will regret this!"

…

In fact, Gao Shen didn't regret it.

He had anticipated that Jerome Boateng might make a mistake.

It wasn't because he didn't take this cup match seriously, but rather because he placed greater importance on getting his players accustomed to the Premier League's tempo, especially in high-intensity matchups like this.

Besides, it was still only the first half.

So after conceding the goal, Gao Shen walked to the touchline, clapped his hands loudly, and encouraged the players to keep going.

"It's alright. Stay patient, stay focused, and keep pushing!" Gao Shen shouted.

Captain Kompany and the others also rallied the team's morale.

…

With both teams having scored, the game began to open up.

Especially for Manchester City.

As the match progressed, the young new players gradually settled in. After scoring and conceding, they shook off their nerves and began to fully engage in the game.

Although they conceded in the 23rd minute, just four minutes later, Manchester City created a threat with a corner.

Yaya Toure's header went just over the bar.

But Manchester United weren't backing down either. They quickly counterattacked and earned a corner of their own, also taking a shot.

As both sides relaxed, the attacks started to come more freely.

The game became much more exciting.

Manchester City held more possession, while Manchester United pressed them through intense running and launched rapid counterattacks after winning the ball.

In the 39th minute, after United lost the ball in midfield, Lass Diarra tried to drive forward, but Rakitic won it back and played a diagonal pass behind Evans.

Van Persie had already made a sharp run from deep. Despite Evans trailing closely and trying to pull him back, he couldn't stop the Dutchman, who charged down the left side of the box, met Rakitic's pass, and fired a left-footed volley into the top right corner of the United goal.

"Goalllllllllllllll!!!!!!"

"Van Persie!!!"

"Manchester City take the lead again! This time it's Robin van Persie with the goal!"

"Robben assisted his earlier goal, and now he's netted one of his own."

"Looking at the replay, Evans clearly tugged his shirt, but the ref let it go. Van Persie looks fired up tonight."

"2–1!"

…

Just three minutes later, Manchester City launched another attack.

After Robben received the ball on the right, he faced young Brazilian full-back Fabio, made a sharp stop and cut inside, shook off Fabio, and dribbled across the top of the box. Before Lass Diarra could arrive to help, he whipped in a curling cross with his left foot.

The ball dropped toward the far post.

Gareth Bale streaked into the United box like a bolt of lightning, bullied his way past O'Shea, and leapt high in front of the left post to head the ball.

Van der Sar was already moving left, but Bale deliberately sent his header to the right side of the goal.

3–1!

"Goallllllllllllllll!!!!!!"

"Two goals in three minutes!"

"Gareth Bale's run was explosive. United's defense simply couldn't react in time."

"Of course, he should thank Robben. That brilliant cut-in and curling cross with his left foot created the perfect scoring chance."

"3–1. Manchester United are in real trouble now!"

…

No one expected both teams to play with such abandon toward the end of the first half.

In stoppage time, Manchester United won the ball in their own half. Carrick picked it up and launched a long diagonal pass, sending it behind Manchester City's left-back area.

Valencia and Leighton Baines were in a foot race down the wing. The Ecuadorian winger used his strength to shove Baines aside, got to the ball first, and drove down the right side of the box. After drawing Kompany, he sent a low cross into the center of the six-yard box.

Rooney darted into the middle, got in front of Jerome Boateng, and slid in to poke the ball into Manchester City's goal.

2–3!

Wembley Stadium erupted in chaos!

The crowd was in a frenzy.

No one had expected such an intense first half.

Especially toward the end, both teams played with total freedom, going all out with nothing held back.

Five goals in one half!

It made for a wildly entertaining first 45 minutes.

Despite both teams missing key players for various reasons, everyone on the pitch gave it their all.

Particularly on the attacking end, both sides were outstanding, unwilling to fall behind.

The 85,000 fans in attendance were spellbound.

Everyone was now eagerly looking forward to the second half, hoping for another explosive offensive battle.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 650: Sturridge, Are You Still Human?

"That was a beautiful goal!"

During the half-time break, when he saw Robben walking off the pitch, Gao Shen walked up to him with a smile, hugged him, and praised him.

Robben had long gotten used to the head coach's "enthusiasm."

He greeted the players like this every half, and he would always stand on the touchline during matches.

According to the media, Gao Shen did this to convey to the players that he was fighting alongside them.

Strangely enough, once the players got used to seeing their head coach on the sidelines, they genuinely felt more at ease.

"It was mainly a good pass," Robben said, in a good mood after scoring.

Gao Shen nodded with a smile. "Then you should return the favor and give him a few more good passes."

Robben looked slightly surprised, glancing at Gao Shen as if searching for something, but in the end, he just gave a soft "hmm" and walked into the player tunnel.

Gao Shen watched Robben leave, secretly chuckling to himself.

Young players are always competitive.

As the saying goes, there's no number one in literature and no number two in martial arts.

When Robben, Van der Vaart, and Van Persie first rose to fame, they were hailed as the new "Three Musketeers" of Dutch football and carried the hopes of many.

At the time, Sneijder hadn't yet emerged.

Because of this, the three of them couldn't help but compete, each unwilling to concede to the others.

Who would've thought Van der Vaart would be the first to fall behind due to injury, while Van Persie kept running into trouble. After moving from Feyenoord to Arsenal, he struggled with constant injuries. Robben also dealt with recurring injuries, but whether at Chelsea or later Real Madrid, he remained a star.

This inevitably led to friction between Van Persie and Robben.

At the recent World Cup in South Africa, Van Persie criticized Robben for being too selfish, reluctant to pass, and missing many scoring chances. Robben fired back, accusing Van Persie of trying to control everything.

These tensions might be manageable in the national team, where internal strife is practically a Dutch tradition, but in a club setting, they can become a real issue.

Gao Shen wanted to take advantage of the situation and lend a subtle helping hand.

In his past life, the two of them reconciled quickly. After all, youthful competitiveness was no big deal.

As he was thinking, he saw Van Persie coming off, and Gao Shen went to greet him.

"Arjen was just praising your great assist," Gao Shen said with a smile.

Van Persie paused for a moment, clearly surprised. "He… really said that?"

"Of course. He also said he'd try to give you more good passes if he got the chance," Gao Shen replied casually.

Van Persie looked slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Robben to take the initiative to show goodwill.

"You should show some sincerity too. Work well together and give it your best," Gao Shen encouraged him.

Van Persie nodded, still a bit puzzled.

As they walked down the tunnel toward Manchester City's dressing room, Van Persie entered and immediately felt several eyes turn toward him, including Robben's.

Normally, even in the national team, they didn't interact. He always felt Robben looked at him coldly, and he wasn't willing to suck up to him either, so their relationship was frosty.

But for some reason, Robben's gaze tonight didn't seem so distant.

In a foreign country, fighting side by side, maybe they should get along better.

Especially after remembering what the head coach had just told him, Van Persie realized Robben might not be as difficult as he'd imagined.

So he smiled slightly and gave a small nod.

Robben, who had just looked up out of habit upon hearing movement, noticed Van Persie's smile and nod. He immediately recalled what Gao Shen had told him earlier.

He passed the ball to me on the pitch, and now he's even greeting me with a smile. It would be too much to stay cold.

Robben nodded and smiled back. A simple greeting.

Gao Shen saw their brief exchange and knew exactly what was happening. He chuckled inwardly.

These young men sure know how to put on a show.

…

At half-time, Gao Shen made three substitutions.

Felipe replaced Leighton Baines, David Luiz came on for Kompany, and Sturridge replaced Gareth Bale.

Manchester United made no changes.

When the second half began, both teams continued to go head-to-head. Manchester United continued to apply pressure in Manchester City's final third.

In the 52nd minute, Park Ji-sung tried to thread a ball into the box, but Jerome Boateng got there first and slid in to clear it, with the ball landing at Yaya Toure's feet.

The Ivorian midfielder stopped the ball, looked up, and launched a long pass toward the left channel.

Sturridge quickly broke forward and reached the ball before Vidic.

Facing Vidic, Sturridge stayed cautious and pushed forward with the ball. But once O'Shea got back in time, Sturridge played the ball back from the left side just outside the box.

At that moment, Van Persie sprinted up from midfield and raised his hand, calling for the ball.

Sturridge passed it across.

The Dutchman controlled it on the left side of the box and immediately cut into the area, just slipping past Vidic and O'Shea. Evans was closing in, and Van der Sar had already rushed out.

Van Persie stopped the ball on the left side of the six-yard box. Just as he slipped past Van der Sar, he clipped the ball with his left foot toward the far post like a shot-cross hybrid.

Robben, who had sprinted nearly the entire length of the pitch, arrived at just the right moment and met Van Persie's pass with a clean header.

The ball hit the back of the net.

"GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!"

"Robben! A brace!!!"

"4-2!!!"

"Manchester City strikes again!"

Robben ran to the touchline in celebration, turning and waving toward Van Persie along the way.

The truth was, both of them knew the other was a top-class player, but neither wanted to admit it. Over time, and with the media constantly stirring up comparisons, especially over who was the team's real star, their once-promising relationship had grown distant and cold, to the point where they felt like strangers.

But in reality, there had never been any real conflict between them.

And if there was, it was just on-field disagreements.

Van Persie hesitated for a second, but then quickly joined the celebration with the rest of the team.

To his surprise, as soon as he got close, Robben opened his arms and hugged him.

"That was a great ball to the far post. Thanks, Robin!"

Van Persie froze for a second, then quickly hugged him back. "You timed the run perfectly!"

Then the two turned together to receive congratulations from their teammates.

…

"Yes!"

Gao Shen was thrilled as he watched his two key players reconcile on the sidelines.

In his past life and in this one, he had always believed that those who love football don't carry narrow minds.

Now, he was even more convinced that although top players may have their differences, they're not the kind to plot and manipulate behind the scenes.

Besides, there really wasn't any serious conflict between Van Persie and Robben.

Now that they were on the same team, things couldn't stay awkward forever, right?

He also clearly remembered that Van Persie once kissed Robben on the pitch, which showed that they actually had a strong bond.

Now, seeing them put aside the past and work together, Gao Shen was genuinely pleased.

…

After the goal, Manchester City made another wave of substitutions.

Giroud came on for Van Persie, Fernandinho replaced Robben, and Adam Lallana replaced David Silva.

With all six substitutions used, Manchester City switched to a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield.

Sturridge and Giroud played as the two forwards.

In midfield, Lallana played at the tip, with Rakitic and Yaya Toure in the middle, and Fernandinho as the holding midfielder.

Manchester United also made four substitutions, bringing on Berbatov and Hernandez.

As a result, in the 63rd minute, Berbatov laid the ball off, and Hernandez found the back of the net, cutting the deficit to 3–4.

The game remained fiercely competitive, with both sides attacking relentlessly.

But starting from the 70th minute, after adjusting to the new formation, Manchester City began to take control.

Sturridge, in particular, was extremely lively, constantly creating danger.

With more freedom now, Yaya Toure unleashed his attacking instincts.

He dribbled through the midfield, broke past a triple-team from United's midfield, then laid it off behind him to Giroud, who found himself one-on-one. But the Frenchman's shot was calmly saved by Van der Sar.

Still, Manchester City had seized control of the match.

Yaya Toure became the team's midfield general, orchestrating the attack.

Rakitic, Lallana, and Fernandinho provided support and balance, allowing City's midfield to regain dominance and forcing Manchester United into another change, bringing on Fletcher and switching to a three-defensive-midfielder system.

Even then, they couldn't stop Manchester City's offensive momentum.

In the 86th minute, Yaya Toure combined with Rakitic and Lallana in a smooth series of one-twos, then carried the ball to the edge of the arc and lofted a perfect pass into the box.

Giroud used his body to shield Evans and chested the ball down to the left side of goal, preparing to turn and shoot.

But just as he pivoted and lifted his left foot, someone got there first.

Sturridge, full of energy, had somehow ghosted into position on the left side and smashed the ball past Van der Sar.

It looked like Giroud had assisted him.

The entire team rushed over to celebrate the goal, everyone except Giroud, who stood there dumbfounded, on the verge of tears.

Damn it, I've been waiting for this chance for so long, and you just snatched it?

What does this feel like?

It's like I finally got the girl, had the wedding, and just as I was about to enter the bridal suite… you went in first!

Despite his heartbreak, Giroud still ran over and congratulated Sturridge on his goal.

Even if he didn't get the goal, at least he got the assist.

(To be continued.)