The perfect center forward: Becoming a soccer king from the corner of Chuanu Chapter 169

When it rains, it pours!

This is the current true portrayal of the White Army.

In the eyes of the fans, the star-studded Galacticos, after two consecutive Champions League titles, were about to follow in the footsteps of the Titanic.

But the players on the field had not given up. Marcelo, wearing the captain’s armband, abandoned his usual playful demeanor and waited calmly.

Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Modric were still making frantic runs and interchanging positions in the midfield.

Isco, active on the right wing, was determined to use his youthful exuberance to school veteran Ashley Young.

Ronaldo and Benzema interchanged positions, frequently switching between the center and left wing.

The Champions League hegemon’s heritage was on full display at this moment. Although Ramos was injured and left the field, and despite being two goals down in the final.

However, the Real Madrid players showed no panic, completely avoiding any signs of impatience.

This was the heritage forged by long-term victories in European competitions; a club that had already won two permanent trophies was truly terrifying.

Toni Kroos sent a long pass, and Isco made a brilliant breakthrough on the right wing, like a butterfly flitting through flowers. The continuous changes in rhythm made Ashley Young somewhat difficult to handle.

His two dogs at home, Figo and Messi, were like divine aids, allowing Isco to move through the Manchester United half as if no one was there.

After going to the byline, he cut back with a reverse pass. Benzema received the ball, faked a shot, then pulled it back and passed it to the far post.

Ronaldo arrived just in time and unleashed a powerful shot. The Portuguese star’s shot was very hard, the ball speed was incredibly fast, and the angle was tricky.

Fortunately, the experienced De Gea had anticipated it in advance and successfully smothered the ball under his body, defusing the danger.

The agile duck quickly got up and threw the ball directly to the political commissar, Herrera.

The Red Devils’ transition from defense to offense was very quick. The latter took two steps before making a wide pass to Alexis Sanchez on the right.

This time, Carvajal made a crucial play, making a precise tackle to successfully steal the ball from the Chilean star’s feet.

The White Army’s fluid attack surged forward. Carvajal transformed into an attacking full-back, dribbling directly into the attack.

After a long run, he played a one-two with Modric. Carvajal, who received the ball at the edge of the box, did not lob the ball into the crowded penalty area.

Instead, he dribbled horizontally and then unleashed a long-range shot from the edge of the box. Both the power and angle were well controlled, but De Gea’s save was even more spectacular.

With a graceful stretch and exquisite technique, he firmly controlled the ball in his hands.

“The Spanish goalkeeper’s recent form has been excellent, with almost no mistakes.”

“If he can bring this performance to the World Cup, he can definitely lead Spain very far!”

Just two minutes later, Real Madrid’s attack came again.

The offensive still originated from the right wing, because the Portuguese king on the left was being tightly marked by the opponent.

Isco received the ball and once again targeted Ashley Young. Smalling, worried that his teammate would struggle, stepped forward to help.

After shifting his center of gravity, Isco suddenly accelerated, determined to go wide and attack Ashley Young.

A reverse ‘elastico’ instantly left Ashley Young on the ground, eating dust.

Then, a cross swept towards the goal. Real Madrid’s main man, despite being marked by multiple players, still found an opportunity through his nimble movement.

Bang!

A header!

Unfortunately, it went just wide of the post, failing to level the score!

“Real Madrid’s attack has picked up, with continuous offensive threats. Can Manchester United withstand the surging tide of the Galacticos?”

“Ashley Young looks a bit pained. From the slow-motion replay, it seems Manchester United’s left-back suffered an injury without contact!”

“The situation is not optimistic. Manchester United also has to make a forced substitution. Darmian replaces Ashley Young.”

“Both teams have had a key player unfortunately injured and leave the field in the first half.”

“Real Madrid has lost their iron-blooded captain who held the line, while the Red Devils’ weak flank has been severely hit again.”

“However, in terms of score, Manchester United still holds the advantage. I wonder if the Red Devils’ compact defense can withstand the Galacticos’ barrage of attacks!”

Bale was still warming up on the sidelines. Isco, feeling that he was about to be substituted, exerted all his efforts on the field.

Facing Pogba’s interference, the Spaniard chose to continuously shift his center of gravity, creating space before calmly delivering an overhead pass.

The slower Pogba was helpless against such an agile attacking player. However, if the roles were reversed, the Frenchman could also make Isco sigh in admiration.

“Cristiano!!”

“The Portuguese star’s header! De Gea’s concentration is excellent!”

“Benzema, the cat is back!”

“Real Madrid’s number 9 scores on the rebound!!”

“Go…..”

The passionate commentary instantly choked. The assistant referee waved his flag, indicating that Ronaldo was offside, and the goal was disallowed.

The gossipy netizens in the comments immediately blasted Ronaldo for spoiling Benzema’s goal, but after the slow-motion replay was shown, they immediately played dead.

At the moment Isco passed the ball, the Portuguese star was indeed offside.

But even if Ronaldo wasn’t offside, Benzema, who scored on the rebound, was also in an offside position.

And judging by the timing of Ronaldo’s header, Benzema was still in an offside position at that instant.

Both the Portuguese star and the French striker could only shake their heads helplessly. Benzema had to retract a third of his celebration.

The two didn’t complain much and immediately retreated, ready to await the next wave of attack.

Manchester United’s positional attack was quickly defused by the Galacticos, followed by another Real Madrid offensive.

But it must be said, the Galacticos lacked a bit of luck in the first half.

At the peak of their momentum, a dramatic scene unfolded on the field.

Just as Real Madrid launched a quick counter-attack, a fanatical spectator rushed onto the pitch.

The game had to be paused. Ronaldo, who had the ball on the right wing and was about to shoot, kicked the ball away in frustration.

A chance to change the score was ruined. The Real Madrid players looked at the pitch invader with exasperation.

The most crucial thing was that this guy was wearing a Real Madrid jersey.

-[What a fucking idiot, couldn’t he have rushed on when Manchester United was attacking??]

-[He must be an inside agent, the words written on his jersey are even more disgusting!]

-[Maybe he was too slow to rush on. After all, this isn’t a professional stadium. He started preparing when he saw Manchester United attacking, but he didn’t expect his own team’s counter-attack to be so fast.]

-[That makes sense, Real Madrid’s luck in this half is really bad!]

-[If this were a World Cup qualifier in South America, and the team ended up losing, this guy would get shot as soon as he left the stadium!]

The fan, who was successfully apprehended by security, didn’t even get to take a photo and would face penalties of being banned from watching matches and a fine.

Of course, the unluckiest part was that he successfully disrupted Real Madrid’s most threatening attack in the first half.

And he also made the Portuguese star a bit impatient!

Generally, there are two possibilities in this situation: either the ‘Ronaldo with fuel in his tank’ completes a comeback and delivers an iconic moment of resolute eyes.

The other is that he becomes increasingly abstract, the more he wants to score, the more he wants to help the team win, the more ridiculous he becomes.

The fourth official held up 6 minutes of added time on the sideline. Real Madrid’s attack continued.

Cristiano, feeling he had missed a goal and a chance to equal his record of 17 goals, entered a mode of wild shooting in these few minutes.

First, he took a snap shot after receiving a through ball from Isco at the edge of the box.

Then, after a long pass from Nacho in Real Madrid’s half, Ronaldo, whose shooting range extended past the halfway line, immediately attempted a long-range shot.

Finally, a direct free-kick that he couldn’t keep down showed the fans a ‘missile launch’ over the bar.

Real Madrid’s attack surged again. This time, it wasn’t a fan interrupting the rhythm. The referee looked at his watch and blew the whistle, signaling the end of the first half.

Manchester United led the Champions League hegemon by two goals at halftime. Mourinho smiled as he gestured for his players to enter the dressing room.

The club’s senior management and Ferguson, sitting in the stands, were all smiles. One was thinking about the dividends from the increased club valuation.

The other was more pure, delighted to witness the Red Devils, whom he had personally created, once again ascend to the pinnacle of Europe.

By keeping Lu Xia, this excellent powerful center-forward, and building tactics around him, Manchester United would be a top team in Europe for the next fifteen years!

A top platform, one of the most commercially successful clubs, plus a willingness to give status and high wages – who could possibly poach this strongest new-generation center-forward?

Ferguson chewed his gum with satisfaction. The old man’s next task was to take good care of his health and witness how many trophies Manchester United would win.

Ferguson, sitting in the VIP box in the stands, had already popped open the champagne.

It was fine for the retired former manager to let loose. In the dressing room, Mourinho’s thoughts were still very clear.

Real Madrid, this club, this group of players, should not be underestimated. They needed to be fully prepared for the next forty-five minutes of the second half.

Their advantage in the first half was mainly due to Lu Xia’s unstoppable world-class goal and Ramos’s injury.

With the Real Madrid captain off the field, the relatively conservative defensive pairing pulled the entire defensive line too far back.

And because the Galacticos’ entire line was too deep, it gave Manchester United space to sprint on the counter-attack.

The corner kick that led to the goal was due to this reason; a slightly larger space gave Lu Xia room to maneuver.

A clever wide pass, followed by the Chilean striker creating danger in the box, highlighted Real Madrid’s defensive issues after Ramos’s absence.

But they wouldn’t be like hot-headed youngsters entering a final, dwelling on such emotions for long.

“David, in the second half, pay attention to the opponent’s long-range shots and cuts from the wings. Real Madrid will definitely focus on the flanks!”

“All players must defend immediately, be strong, even stronger!”

“Don’t let the opponent get the ball easily. Let them feel your anger, your desire for the championship!”

On the other side, in the White Army’s dressing room, the psychological master Zidane appeared. After sorting out and comforting the entire team, he also arranged a private session for the Portuguese star.

This was the Frenchman’s strongest trump card: he could command the room and had extremely high emotional intelligence.

Zidane not only had absolute control over the dressing room but was also very low-key. Coupled with his status as a legendary superstar in football, this allowed the Frenchman to build good relationships with the team’s big names.

Low-key and pragmatic, and willing to give players opportunities to perform—this could be seen from Zidane’s photos after winning the Champions League twice in the 16/17 season.

Therefore, Zidane’s status in the dressing room was extraordinary, and even Real Madrid’s main man, the Portuguese, greatly admired him.

A dose of motivational talk injected strong confidence back into the two-time defending champions Real Madrid. The Galacticos never lacked the courage to stage miracles.

In the time that followed, they had to unleash their true strength!

“Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the second half of the 2017- 18 Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester United.”

“In the preceding forty-five minutes, Red Devils striker Lu Xia scored two goals, giving Manchester United a two-goal lead over their opponents.”

“He also increased his Champions League goal tally to an astonishing 19. I wonder if the previous record holder, Cristiano Ronaldo, can respond in the second half!”

The Red Devils fans in the stands were in a good mood, drinking beer heartily while continuing to enjoy the match.

Champions League final, two goals ahead, at least everyone’s mindset would be relatively relaxed.

Moreover, this was Mourinho’s coached defense. Although Ashley Young unfortunately left due to injury, the problem shouldn’t be too big.

Pinto, who liked to cheer for his son with the fans, was not in the VIP box but waving a flag in the hardcore fan section.

Listening to the opponent’s incessant “Hala Madrid” chant, the Italian old man had a bad feeling.

It wasn’t a stress reaction from an old injury, but based on the following two reasons.

Firstly, the Real Madrid players’ aura on the field didn’t look like they were two goals down at all.

The second reason was Bale coming on as a substitute. The BBC trio was reunited, with Bale on Real Madrid’s right wing, facing the substitute Darmian.

It would be quite difficult for the technically and predictively gifted full-back from the Italian youth academy to single-handedly defend the physically strong and incredibly fast Gareth Bale.

This made the old father feel uneasy. He could only quickly wave the battle flag in his hand, hoping his beloved son wouldn’t pay homage to his favorite club in a final where he had already scored a brace.

…

The second half began, continuing the trend from the latter part of the first half: Real Madrid attacking, Manchester United defending.

The substituted Welshman was in excellent form. After receiving a pass from Modric on the right wing, he instantly dashed like lightning towards the byline.

After a sudden stop and a dribble, followed by a fake pass and a real shot, Benzema had a direct chance in the center.

Unfortunately, the French striker’s shooting boots had some issues this season, having only scored 11 goals in 40 appearances for the team.

This volley continued his previous “good form,” flying directly towards De Gea’s head.

This was the difference between a superstar and a super-superstar. The Frenchman couldn’t consistently maintain a high level of combat effectiveness.

The “Pie King” directly wasted the excellent opportunity created by Gareth Bale after coming on.

Facing the sudden danger, De Gea stood still and endured the opponent’s critical hit.

-[Damn, I’m done, Pie King!]

-[Was that shot intentional? To knock the opponent’s goalkeeper out and then have a chance to turn the game around?]

-[No wonder Deschamps doesn’t take you to the national team, you’re too much of a liability!]

-[Brother, calm down, not being in the national team isn’t because of Benzema’s ability, but that shot was indeed too bad!]

-[Damn it, Spanish fans are feeling it, lost a starting center-back, and now the goalkeeper got hit in the head, hope there’s no problem.]

De Gea shook his dizzy head. Lindelof in front of him had already controlled the ball and initiated a quick counter-attack.

But the ceremonial midfield trio’s pressing was very aggressive. Pogba, slightly relaxed, had the ball stolen from his feet by Modric.

Real Madrid’s attack surged again. This time, it was Ronaldo dribbling on the left wing.

The Portuguese king, whose physical condition was still good, was incredibly fast. Against Lindelof, he made a delicate backheel flick.

Then, he completed a brilliant one-two with Benzema. The Portuguese king, who had just stepped onto the edge of the penalty area, unleashed a snap shot.

De Gea blocked the powerful shot with his foot, then immediately dived to smother the ball, preventing Benzema from pouncing on the rebound.

At the same time, De Gea, who had three assists this season, had tasted the sweetness of a goalkeeper initiating a counter-attack and was already observing his teammates’ runs.

He quickly got up, intending to throw the ball to Valencia in the left-side area in front of him.

His posture was set, his body power was ready to unleash. The moment the ball left his hand, a ghost story happened!!

How could there be a white-clad number 9 player in front of him?!

His eyes closed and then opened again, still there, and this foot seemed to be about to touch his rolling pass.

Cringe

The Spanish goalkeeper’s eyebrows furrowed, feeling his head ache even more.

The French striker must have done it on purpose. That powerful shot earlier had given him a slight concussion.

Otherwise, how could his vision have a blind spot, leading to such a dangerous situation!

He strained to move to the right, but it was too late. The French striker didn’t miss this time.

He exerted all his strength to extend his right foot, successfully making contact with the ball with the top of his foot.

The Manchester United fans, who had just been cheering De Gea’s miraculous save, instantly wore the same expression.

Cringe!!

Zhang Lu in the commentary box burst into laughter, and Zhan Jun also smiled as he chimed in.

“Hehehehehe”

“That goal went in!”

“That goal is definitely valid!”

“Goalkeeper De Gea made a huge mistake!”

“A huge, huge, super, super low-level mistake! De Gea gifted the opponent a goal!”

“From the slow-motion replay, Benzema was not in an offside position.”

“De Gea might have been affected by the earlier blow to his head. Benzema stuck out a foot when he was throwing the ball to