Chapter 108: Contradictions are growing
Midweek, the Italian Cup held the quarterfinals, with Inter Milan facing off against Roma in a showdown. Wang Feng didn't make it to the starting lineup; Coach Cooper opted for the striking duo of Ronaldo and Vieira for the first time.
However, as the game progressed, the situation on the field favored Roma. The synergy between Ronaldo and Vieira upfront lacked, failing to pose a threat to Roma's defense. Roma, on the other hand, backed by Tomasi and Emson's midfield organization, constantly supported their attacking trident, pressuring Inter Milan's goal.
In the 25th minute, Emson and Totti utilized a wall-pass combination on the flank, evading Inter Milan's defenders, and then delivered a diagonal pass into the penalty area, where Batistuta broke the deadlock for Roma.
After halftime, in the 60th minute, Totti again exploited his speed to break through Inter Milan's defense, then forced a cross from the byline. Although the ball deflected off Cordoba's left leg, it still redirected into the penalty area. Montella's follow-up extended Roma's lead.
0-2! Since the Italian Cup quarterfinals are single-elimination matches, Inter Milan found themselves on the brink.
Just five minutes later, Inter Milan launched an attack. Ronaldo dribbled on the flank, using a feint to get past Candela's defense and then took a direct shot from a tight angle. The ball hit the post and bounced out of bounds.
Ronaldo squatted down, pounding the turf with his fist, full of frustration and regret.
Just two minutes later, Coach Cooper made a substitution, with Wang Feng replacing Ronaldo. As Ronaldo left the field, he hugged Wang Feng and whispered, "Bro, keep going!" Then he walked straight towards the player tunnel, not even sparing a glance at Cooper.
After Wang Feng came on, he couldn't quickly change the game's momentum. Roma even employed a desperate time-wasting tactic, leading to a yellow card for their goalkeeper.
In the 88th minute, Inter Milan won the ball in midfield. Di Biaggio passed it to Wang Feng on the right, who sprinted down the flank. Upon reaching the edge of the penalty area, he used a Cruyff turn to evade defenders, then passed it to the far post.
Vieira, who quickly inserted himself, didn't waste the opportunity this time, slotting the ball into the net.
Unfortunately, the goal came too late. Inter Milan still lost 1-2 to Roma, failing to advance to the Italian Cup semifinals.
In the 22nd round of Serie A over the weekend, Inter Milan faced Bologna away. Bologna had performed well this season, currently sitting seventh in the standings, with a home win rate of 70%.
Coach Cooper fielded the same lineup as the start of the league, with Ronaldo sitting on the bench.
At the start of the match, Bologna launched a wave of attacks, and in the 8th minute, Cruz breached Toldo's goal.
Although Inter Milan tried their best to equalize, Bologna's defense was stubborn. Coupled with fatigue from the midweek match, their offense seemed lacking. Until the 70th minute, the score remained 0-1.
Ronaldo, on the bench, looked anxious, occasionally glancing at Cooper, who still didn't send him onto the field.
In the 85th minute, Recoba carried the ball forward and sent a through pass into the penalty area. Wang Feng received it successfully but was met by the Bologna goalkeeper, Pagliuca, who rushed out.
Wang Feng feinted, avoiding the goalkeeper's dive, then maneuvered with the ball in the penalty area, eluding several defenders and the goalkeeper's pursuit with subtle footwork adjustments.
Then, he spotted an opening and sent a lob with his left foot, the ball flying towards the top left corner of the goal.
As the goalkeeper came out, there was only one defender in front of the goal. Using the goalpost for leverage, he tried to jump and deflect the ball out of the crossbar, but the angle of the shot was too tricky. Eventually, he failed to reach it, and could only watch as the ball went into the net.
Inter Milan equalized!
Leading almost the entire match, Bologna's players inevitably showed signs of mental struggle after being equalized in the final moments.
After the restart, they made a midfield passing mistake, intercepted by Zanetti, who then passed it to Wang Feng on the right. Wang Feng dribbled past the defense, with Falcón chasing desperately, but he couldn't catch up and had no choice but to pull Wang Feng down. Unfortunately, his timing for the foul was poor, as Wang Feng had already crossed the penalty area line.
Referee blows whistle It's a penalty + red card combo! Bologna's coach on the sidelines raised his hands in frustration, clearly dissatisfied with Falcón's performance.
To secure victory, Wang Feng let Vieira take the penalty. He didn't disappoint his teammate's trust and easily scored.
Ultimately, thanks to Wang Feng's goal and a penalty he earned, Inter Milan won 2-1 away against Bologna.
Back in Milan, the club gave everyone a day off before starting training to prepare for the Europa League match against Paris.
Early in the morning, Wang Feng went to Pinetina for extra practice. At noon, as he passed by the coach's office on his way to the restaurant, he was attracted by the arguing inside.
He only heard Ronaldo yelling, "You don't trust me at all. Your training plan is just a pile of crap!" Coach Cooper retorted defiantly, "How can I trust you? Is it based on your careless attitude or endless night outs, parties, and revelries?"
The two couldn't see eye to eye. Ronaldo angrily stormed out of the office, slammed the door shut, and then saw Wang Feng in the corridor.
Wang Feng felt awkward and stuttered, "I... I was just going to practice... um... and now I'm going to eat. Just passing by here."
Ronaldo smiled bitterly, shook his head, and said, "Wang, care to have a drink with me?"
So, Wang Feng's afternoon training plan was scrapped. The two went to a bar near Lake Como, a popular spot for tourists. After a few drinks, Ronaldo began to pour out his grievances.
"That Cooper guy is targeting me. He's drawn up an overly long training plan for me but doesn't arrange for me to play unless I meet his benchmarks."
"But I know my body. While completing a full game might be a bit precarious, playing for 70 minutes is absolutely no problem. If I train according to his demands, I'll only waste my energy in training and risk getting injured."
"He's just upset seeing me often socialize with everyone, but that's how I've been since I started playing football. I've never heard anyone else complain."
Ronaldo was a social butterfly. His gatherings not only invited Inter Milan players but also many other famous players from different teams and even movie stars, often lasting all night.
Sometimes, Wang Feng would attend, but he wasn't comfortable in such social settings and would leave by evening, usually avoiding staying up late.
Facing the growing discord between Ronaldo and the coach, Wang Feng didn't dare say much and could only be a listening ear.
Ronaldo drank a lot and talked a lot, eventually passing out completely. Wang Feng had to call Melanie to pick Ronaldo up and take him home.
The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on fre(e)webno(v)el.𝒸𝑜𝘮