Chapter 115: Ronnie outburst
In the second half of the match, the mentality of the Chelsea players was clearly unbalanced. They could play brilliantly when things were going their way, but once they faced setbacks, they seemed to be on the verge of collapse.
In the first half, Inter Milan's rapid counterattacks organized by Wang Feng dealt a severe blow to their morale. Coach Ranieri on the sidelines continuously directed the players' positioning and tactics, appearing very tense.
This coach has previously coached several Serie A teams, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Parma, and even Juventus. However, he gained fame by bringing Valencia's defensive counterattack tactics to Serie A, laying the foundation for their subsequent UEFA Champions League runner-up finishes.
The current Inter Milan coach Cooper took over Valencia after Ranieri's departure and led the team to two UEFA Champions League finals.
As for Ranieri himself, he stumbled at Atletico Madrid, leading the team to relegation in the 99-00 season. Consequently, he was rightfully dismissed by the club and remained idle for six months before receiving an invitation from Chelsea.
It can be said that Cooper might have some "peach-picking" suspicions regarding his achievements at Valencia.
With this background, Ranieri was even more determined not to lose to Inter Milan. Therefore, during halftime, he provided a lot of psychological guidance to the team. However, the players' performance on the field still did not meet expectations.
In the 55th minute, a through ball from Recoba reached the edge of the penalty area, where Wang Feng quickly inserted himself. He lightly touched the ball forward with the tip of his foot and then accelerated past Chelsea defender Le Saux.
At this moment, Chelsea goalkeeper Cudicini decisively chose to come out and dive to intercept the ball. Before he could reach it, Wang Feng shot with his foot, avoiding the goalkeeper's hands and sending the ball towards the bottom left corner of the goal.
Wang Feng also urgently jumped to avoid colliding with Cudicini, as both of them would have been injured otherwise.
Le Saux desperately chased after the ball, trying to block it before it crossed the goal line, but he failed.
2-1! Inter Milan took the lead!
In the 71st minute, Zanetti sent a diagonal long pass to find Dibiagio on the left side of the field. He made a brilliant control to bring the ball down and then crossed from the baseline.
Vieri, lurking in the penalty area, failed to reach the ball first, allowing it to reach the far post. Wang Feng and Chelsea defender Gallas were both contesting for the ball.
Wang Feng's position was somewhat unfavorable, unable to use his head to challenge for the ball. So, he instinctively turned sideways and jumped, using his right foot to volley directly!
Gallas, who thought he could defend against the ball, did not expect Wang Feng to twist his body to the extreme in mid-air, beating him to the ball.
With a "bang," the ball quickly flew towards the top right corner of the goal. Cudicini never expected Wang Feng to shoot in this manner, his reaction was half a beat late. Only after the ball crossed the goal line did he attempt to save it.
"Goooooooooooooal! The ball's in!! Wang Feng scores his second goal!"
"Wang Feng has secured the victory for Inter Milan! In a very unfavorable attacking position, he created a valuable goal with a side volley!"
"Let's take a look at the slow-motion replay. Wang Feng almost completely turned sideways in the air, allowing him to beat Gallas to the ball before shooting. This move is truly exquisite!"
After the shot, Wang Feng fell sideways to the ground, feeling a slight pain in his left arm due to the impact. However, he ignored it, immediately looking up at the goal. When he saw the ball go in, he excitedly got up and rushed towards the sidelines.
He slid all the way to the corner flag area, pointing to the sky in celebration. He was greeted by the thunderous cheers of the home fans and the warm hugs of his teammates.
When the referee blew the final whistle, the score on the scoreboard was 1-3, with Inter Milan winning. They secured a spot in the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals.
The Inter Milan players, who had fought two consecutive matches, had to immediately rush to Turin, Italy, to prepare for the challenge against league leaders Juventus in three days. Their exhaustion was evident.
Especially for Wang Feng, who had played full 90 minutes in the previous two matches and had taken on a significant offensive role. Coach Cooper found him to confirm his physical condition.
"No problem, Mr. Cooper," Wang Feng said confidently. Although the consecutive high-intensity matches had strained his body, he hadn't reached the point of fatigue or injury yet. Faced with the current tense situation, he also wanted to take on more responsibility.
Cooper nodded, not saying anything further. He believed Wang Feng was definitely suited to be a qualified team leader—hardworking, humble, and responsible. If all his players were like him, coaching would be much easier.
On the Juventus side, technical director Harilal Branda's situation felt similar to that of AC Milan's former coach Terim because he had previously denied the talents of Jan Koller and Wang Feng, who came from the Belgian league.
As a result, Jan Koller joined Borussia Dortmund and immediately took off, forming a formidable attacking trio with Brazilian forward Amaruso and Czech compatriot Rosicky, helping the club surpass Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen to top the Bundesliga.
Wang Feng's performance in Serie A was even more explosive, leading the top scorers' chart and directly threatening Juventus' championship aspirations.
Although Branda would not be dismissed like Terim, club president Kiusano had already begun to feel dissatisfied with him.
Facing two consecutive draws and the relentless competition from Inter Milan, Juventus started a fierce battle against them at the San Siro Stadium.
However, the protagonist of this match was not Juventus' Trezeguet and Del Piero, nor Inter Milan's Wang Feng and Vieri, but Ronaldo, who came on as a substitute in the 40th minute!
Continuous injuries and conflicts with the coaching staff had made this season extremely difficult for him. Many times, he seemed invisible on the field. But in order to leave no regrets at Inter Milan, he would give his all whenever he could play.
In the 43rd minute, Inter Milan launched a rapid counterattack. Consi?ao carried the ball into the opponent's half and passed it to Ronaldo on the left flank. After entering the penalty area, he dribbled past a defender with a feint and scored.
In the 65th minute of the second half, Dibiagio crossed from the left, and Ronaldo, on the edge of the small penalty area, made a spectacular scissor-kick motion. His right foot touched the incoming ball, deflecting it into Buffon's goal.
With Ronaldo's brace and their strong defense, Inter Milan defeated Juventus 2-0, once again equalizing points and reclaiming the top spot with a better goal difference!
In a luxurious box in the stands, Branda watched with a grim expression as the club lost to their championship rivals, undoubtedly a huge blow for them.
The only consolation might be that Wang Feng did not shine in this match, temporarily avoiding President Kiusano's disapproval. However, the team's excessive focus and vigilance towards Wang Feng were also one of the reasons for Ronaldo's breakout.
"Fortunately, Ronaldo and Cooper don't get along. He'll probably leave after the end of this season," Branda thought silently, knowing that some Spanish media outlets had already begun to speculate about Ronaldo's arrival at the Bernabeu.
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