Chapter 127: Unstoppable Wang Feng
In the Dortmund coach's seat, their head coach Sammer stood on the sidelines early, watching the players entering the field with a nervous and worried expression.
As a newcomer with little experience coaching in major tournaments, he felt immense pressure. He had heard of Wang Feng's reputation before, scoring 34 goals in the defensively renowned Serie A, which spoke volumes about his terrifying attacking ability.
Could the defensive midfield duo of Vorns and Koller stop Inter Milan's sharp attacks? Sammer was somewhat uncertain. Koller was a veteran, and this Europa League final would likely be his farewell performance. Sammer hoped that Koller could use his rich experience to contain Wang Feng.
As the whistle of the Frenchman Perrin-Ballardini sounded, the final began.
In Dortmund's half, Wang Feng skillfully received Zanetti's long pass. Faced with the defensive duo of Vorns and Koller, Koller directly approached Wang Feng, while Vorns stepped back for support.
Wang Feng protected the ball at his feet, using his left hand to shield against Koller's approach. As Koller extended his leg to tackle, Wang Feng deftly shifted the ball to his left foot and then poked it forward. With a twist of his body to the other side, he forcefully pushed past Koller's defense.
Vorns was taken aback and hurried to chase after the ball, but Wang Feng had already reached it first. With a wide swing, he effortlessly deceived Vorns, easily passing him on the left.
"On this attack, Wang Feng broke through two defenders and rushed to the right side, crossing!!"
"Vieri in front of the penalty area!! Oh, what a pity, he didn't kick it with enough force, and the goalkeeper has collected the ball."
"Wang Feng's pass after the breakthrough was perfect, there was no one around Vieri at the front post, this should have been a goal."
Vorns and Koller, who were broken through, frantically chased back, but they couldn't stop Wang Feng's pass. Fortunately, Vieri failed to seize the opportunity, or else they would have been at fault for conceding.
Koller glared fiercely at Wang Feng. He hadn't expected his technique and physicality to be so strong. Next time, he must not let him have it so easy.
Inter Milan's attack ignited the atmosphere in the stadium. The fans in the stands waved their flags excitedly to cheer for the team. Lu Yao's father, Lu Xuexing, also joined the crowd, cheering excitedly and singing along with everyone.
Lu Yao's mother supported Lu Xuexing from the side, preventing him from getting too excited and falling over. Initially puzzled by why a simple football match could evoke such excitement, she now felt the blood boiling within her. The football atmosphere here was just too good.
She glanced inadvertently at her daughter Lu Yao beside her and realized something. The admiration and affection in her daughter's eyes, unable to be concealed, made her understand. Wasn't this how she felt about Lu Xuexing back then? Why did Lu Yao insist on going to Italy to learn Italian instead of the more popular option of the United States? Everything suddenly made sense.
"I see," Lu Yao's mother's feelings were complex at this moment. She was somewhat gratified that her daughter had grown up, yet also somewhat annoyed. How could her precious daughter easily give her heart away like this, even if it was just unrequited love? As someone who had been through it all, how could she not see that Wang Feng did not have any special feelings for Lu Yao?
On the field, Wang Feng was completely unaware of what was happening in the stands. He had focused all his attention on the game. Seeing Inter Milan organize another attack, Wang Feng received the ball on the right flank. Faced with the double-team from Koller and Vorns, he skillfully dribbled past them, leaving both defenders behind.
Approaching the ball on the right side of the penalty area, Wang Feng suddenly accelerated and crossed to the far post, where Rekoba made a direct shot without stopping the ball.
The German goalkeeper Lehmann dived to save, blocking the ball flying towards the bottom left corner out of the baseline.
The fans in the stands let out sighs of regret. Rekoba also scratched his head in frustration, then gave a thumbs-up to Wang Feng nearby, indicating that his pass was excellent.
Vorns gasped for breath, looking at Wang Feng in disbelief. He had heard that Wang Feng was fast, but he hadn't expected him to be so astonishing. In just a few seconds, Wang Feng had dribbled past him, leaving him and Koller a step behind. Even if they wanted to foul to stop him, they couldn't touch his body.
Coach Sammer in the coaching seat broke out in a cold sweat. From these two attacks alone, the defensive strategy of Vorns and Koller seemed ineffective against Wang Feng. He shouted loudly from the sidelines, instructing Evanilson and Dedé to pay attention to double-teaming, while Royce should retreat to take care of the defensive line.
Inter Milan's excellent attacking organization finally paid off. In the 34th minute, Grassko's long pass from midfield found Wang Feng on the right flank.
Wang Feng and Vorns both contested for the ball, but Wang Feng's positioning was better. He chested the ball, pushing it away, then accelerated to catch up with the ball, shaking off Vorns and cutting inside towards the penalty area.
Faced with the double-team from Koller and Dedé, Wang Feng first shifted the ball to the right, drawing Koller to tackle. Then he flicked the ball back to the left, catching Koller off guard and causing him to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
Before Dedé, who was nearby, could press him, Wang Feng shot with his raised foot. The ball flew towards the near corner of the goal, grazing the crossbar and post before entering the net.
"Gooooooooooooooal!! The ball is in!! In the 34th minute of the first half, Inter Milan has broken the deadlock."
"French referee Ballardini blew the whistle to confirm the goal. In a situation where Inter Milan had been unable to score, Wang Feng decisively stepped up and personally scored the goal."
After scoring, Wang Feng turned and ran straight to the area where the Inter Milan fans were seated, raising his arms to signal to them. Even though he couldn't see his relatives and friends among the tens of thousands of people, he knew they must be watching him at this moment, feeling proud of him!
"Dortmund has fallen into a disadvantageous situation. Obviously, their defensive strategy against Wang Feng has backfired. Koller and Vorns in the defensive line simply cannot stop the full-force Wang Feng. Sammer needs to carefully consider how to contain this young warrior in the coming time."
"Of course, Inter Milan's attack hasn't been smooth sailing either. Other players have missed many opportunities. Does Cooper need to make some adjustments to improve the overall attacking efficiency?"
"There's still a long time left in the game, and everything is still uncertain."
Inter Milan's players celebrated for a long time until the referee urged them to return to their positions and restart the game with Dortmund.
Vorns, who had been played multiple times, had a major mental breakdown. In the 41st minute, he received a back pass from Licken and, under Wang Feng's pressure, made a mistake, kicking the ball to the opponent.
Helpless, he had to slide tackle, but he missed the ball and viciously nailed Wang Feng's shinbone.
The referee's whistle sounded immediately, pointing to the penalty spot while walking towards Vorns, taking out a red card from his pocket to show him.
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