Chapter 109: Vs PSG
Next training camp, the atmosphere within Inter Milan's team became somewhat strange. Head coach Cooper deliberately ignored Ronaldo in tactical arrangements, even excluding him from group confrontations.
On Ronaldo's side, he conducted individual training under the guidance of a personal trainer, showing no intention of participating in collective training, which left other players somewhat bewildered.
During ball possession drills, Materazzi approached Wang Feng and whispered, "What's going on with this weird atmosphere? Do you know any insider info?"
Wang Feng dared not gossip, only shook his head indicating he didn't know, then focused on his own training.
Until the Europa League knockout match against Paris, there were still no signs of reconciliation between the two sides.
On match day, the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium was almost full. Inside the player tunnel, both Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan's starting lineups were lined up, ready to enter the pitch. It's worth mentioning that Conchiao, who had recovered from a muscle injury, would make a comeback in this game.
Standing next to Wang Feng was a young man with disheveled long hair and dark skin, who was sizing up Wang Feng's Asian face. Sensing the gaze, Wang Feng turned to him.
The young man flashed a bright smile. "Hello, Wang Feng, I finally get to meet you."
Wang Feng realized he was Ronaldinho, the 22-year-old Brazilian prodigy hailed as the successor to Ronaldo.
As Wang Feng didn't make it to Paris, the Parisian media often compared Ronaldinho and him in their reports, and he had heard about it.
So, he smiled back and responded, "Hello, I've heard Ronaldo speak highly of you."
Ronaldinho replied, "Compared to you, I still have a long way to go, but I'll give my all in this game."
Wang Feng nodded with a smile. After a brief exchange, both teams officially entered the field.
"Ladies and gentlemen, good evening. This is the Italian Broadcasting Corporation's sports channel. I'm your old friend, Damien Grant. Today, I bring you a Europa League showdown, Inter Milan against Paris Saint-Germain."
"In this game, whether it's the clash between Wang Feng and Ronaldinho, the rising stars of the top five leagues, or the Brazilian derby between the big Ronaldo and the little Ronaldo, there's plenty to look forward to."
"Both teams have lined up on the field. Let's take a look at their starting lineups. Inter Milan is still deploying a 3-5-2 formation, with Ronaldo on the bench. It seems the head coach sees him as a secret weapon."
"Paris Saint-Germain, on the other hand, is using a 4-4-2 formation. Ronaldinho is still starting upfront. This is his seventh consecutive start, indicating he's won the coaching staff's trust with his performances."
"The main referee, Hoyte Harris from the Czech Republic, has blown the whistle to start the match. Inter Milan kicks off, Di Biagio passes to Recoba, who returns it to Cordoba."
"Inter Milan controls the ball in the back, while Paris Saint-Germain players maintain their formation."
"A long pass from Materazzi finds Wang Feng in the forward area. Wang Feng didn't win the first ball, and the Paris defender heads it back. The ball is at Inter Milan's feet in midfield."
"Conchiao grabs the ball, reorganizes the attack, a through pass, beautiful! Wang Feng's timing for the forward run is just impeccable. He's fast and successfully gets the ball."
"Wang Feng dribbles into the penalty area. At this moment, there's only one defender left inside the penalty area! A feint, he bypasses the defender! A shot, it's in! Goooooooooooooal!"
"Only two minutes into the game, Wang Feng breaks through Paris's defense. His form is just exceptional."
"Inter Milan continues to attack. From the start until now, Inter Milan has been dominating Paris Saint-Germain. It's clear they have absolute superiority in the midfield and attacking areas."
"Look at this, Di Biagio receives the ball in the forward area, passes to Recoba, Recoba with a wide cross to the right, to Wang Feng's feet."
"What will Wang Feng do? A beautiful feint, he bypasses left-back Simon Boury, crosses into the penalty area."
"Vieira shoots!! Oh, what a pity, his shot hits the crossbar. It had too much power. We can see Vieira giving Wang Feng a thumbs-up, indicating a good pass."
Because Paris often loses possession in midfield, Ronaldinho constantly runs back and forth in both attacking and defensive transitions, and less than ten minutes into the game, he's already slightly out of breath.
At this rate, the team will definitely lose! Little Ronaldo thought to himself. Although he was somewhat playful and unwilling to train hard, deep down, he still had the blood of a football champion flowing through him. He didn't want to lose to Wang Feng, nor did he want the team to be eliminated so early!
Under the various miraculous saves of Paris goalkeeper Emery Jacobs, they managed to maintain a one-goal deficit for a full forty minutes.
During this time, he at least saved three certain goals from Inter Milan, including a long-range shot from Wang Feng at the edge of the penalty area. Wang Feng felt confident with that shot, and the ball was flying straight to the corner, but unexpectedly, Jacobs managed to use his fingertips to tip the ball over the crossbar.
As the first half approached its end, Paris Saint-Germain finally got a chance. Ronaldinho initiated a quick counterattack with the ball. First, he bypassed Zanetti with a change of direction, then used his speed to evade Cordoba's pressing.
From a distance of thirty-five meters from the goal, he suddenly shot. The shot caught everyone off guard, even the other Paris Saint-Germain forward who was still making a run forward didn't anticipate it.
Inter Milan goalkeeper Toldo was positioned a bit forward, so he was caught off guard by the shot and fell awkwardly while backpedaling, only able to watch as the ball dropped into the net.
1-1, Paris equalized just before halftime!
This was their third shot of the game and Ronaldinho's first shot, successfully piercing Inter Milan's goal.
After scoring, Ronaldinho excitedly sprinted to celebrate at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium, repeatedly making the bullhorn gesture with his hands.
During halftime, the Inter Milan players were all very frustrated. They had absolute dominance but allowed the away team to equalize, and even conceded an away goal, which was absolutely unacceptable.
Captain Javier Zanetti was comforting Toldo, who was at fault for the goal. It was his momentary lapse that put the team in a disadvantageous situation, and he felt extremely guilty.
Ronaldo called Coach Cooper outside the dressing room, trying to communicate with him about letting himself onto the field. He was also anxiously watching from the sidelines.
But Cooper was a very strong-willed coach. He flatly rejected Ronaldo's suggestion, bluntly stating that if he couldn't meet his demands, Ronaldo shouldn't even think about returning to the field!
Ronaldo was furious, stormed back into the locker room, changed into his regular clothes without saying a word, and left the stadium directly.
The other Inter Milan players were stunned, including Wang Feng. He didn't expect these two to have such a public falling out. Seeing Ronaldo leave, Cooper said nothing, but continued to prepare tactics for the second half.
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