Chapter 140: Sad Cassano
Three days later, Inter Milan hosted Chievo at home. In this match, Cooper attempted to use Wang Feng partnering with Calon in the forward line.
Just three minutes into the game, Wang Feng received a through pass from Dibiaggio on the right flank. He skillfully dribbled past Chievo defender Moro and delivered the ball into the penalty area before the defense arrived.
Calon attempted a header in front of the goal, but unfortunately, the ball flew over the crossbar due to excessive force. Frustrated by the missed opportunity, it was Calon's first start of the season, so he was eager to make an impression.
Seeing Calon's frustration, as he ran back to defend, Wang Feng quickly said, "Bro, don't worry, there will be plenty of opportunities in this game. I'll pass to you more."
Calon looked at Wang Feng with gratitude, wanting to say something but too excited to articulate. Having long been at lower-tier clubs and serving as a substitute for Inter Milan for several years, he had never experienced a star player personally creating opportunities for him.
Wang Feng understood Calon's thoughts very well. He intentionally said this to help Calon overcome his inner fears and take courageous shots, even if it meant wasting many chances.
In the subsequent game, Wang Feng indeed often attracted the attention of numerous defenders and then passed the ball to Calon's feet, allowing him to complete the final attack. However, Calon seemed to be possessed by the "happy football" spirit, repeatedly missing the target with seven or eight shots, either shooting too high or straight at the goalkeeper.
Each time, Wang Feng would come to Calon and offer encouragement. In fact, Calon's awareness and technique were not the issue; he often found himself in the right positions to shoot. The only problem was his poor shooting accuracy.
In the 41st minute, their efforts finally paid off. After a failed attempt to break through in the frontcourt, Lecce passed the ball to Wang Feng on the right flank. Wang Feng received the ball, dribbled past Moro who was pressing him, and then made a ground pass.
The ball traveled along the grass, avoiding Chievo defender Lelotale, and went straight to the left side of the penalty spot. Calon, unmarked, poked the ball into the net with his toe.
After scoring, Calon immediately rushed to Wang Feng and embraced him tightly, shouting, "I did it! I did it!"
"Inter Milan's Calon opens the scoring for the team! The Sierra Leonean striker, who started his first game of the season, scored his first goal of the season with an assist from Wang Feng."
"Wang Feng is undoubtedly a bomb on the opponent's defensive line. All of Chievo's defensive attention was focused on him, leaving Calon unmarked at the far post."
The first half ended with Inter Milan leading by one goal. In the second half, Chievo, like a second-year student, showed strong fighting spirit. In the 51st minute, Chievo midfielder Passoni broke through on the wing and crossed.
Forward Marazzina broke through Matracci and Cordoba's double-team in the center of the penalty area and headed the ball from 11 meters out, sending it into the net from an angle Toraldo couldn't reach.
Chievo equalized!
They continued to create dangerous situations. In the 57th minute, another cross from Passoni, the Inter Milan goalmouth was chaotic, and Marazzina won the aerial duel against Kos, clearing the ball out of the penalty area.
Unexpectedly, Marazzina's follow-up shot from outside the penalty area was blocked by Kos inside the penalty area, preventing a goal.
While Chievo launched an all-out attack on Inter Milan's goal, Wang Feng was not idle. In the 67th minute, Inter Milan launched a quick counterattack. After bringing the ball to the frontcourt, Lecce sent a through pass, and the ball came to Wang Feng on the edge of the penalty area.
Facing Chievo defender Lelotale's block, Wang Feng dribbled quickly, while making a fake move to cut inside to the right, but actually broke through to the left.
Due to his convincing shoulder feint and footwork, Lelotale was deceived and moved in the wrong direction. When he realized his mistake and tried to turn back, he stumbled and fell to the ground, watching helplessly as Wang Feng entered the penalty area and scored.
Inter Milan once again took the lead!
And it didn't end there. In the 77th minute, Inter Milan launched another quick counterattack. Wang Feng and Calon formed a two-on-two situation in the frontcourt. Chievo's defensive line was once again distracted by Wang Feng, allowing Calon to easily slot the ball into the net after receiving a pass from Wang Feng.
Second goal! The 23-year-old was ecstatic, unable to contain his joy. As he celebrated the goal, he continuously expressed his gratitude to Wang Feng. At least for the second goal, Wang Feng could have taken the shot himself, but he still gave this goal to Calon.
The "Flying Donkeys" once again failed at the Meazza Stadium. They lost due to their inability to balance attacking and defending. Whenever they needed to go all out in attack, their defense would face significant problems.
Youth, enthusiasm, and energy were the team's strengths, but sometimes they also caused problems.
Inter Milan narrowly passed the test, securing their third consecutive league victory. However, the other three giants of Serie A were not so lucky. AC Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Lazio in this round, with two wins and one draw in three rounds, they accumulated 7 points and ranked second on goal difference.
Juventus, on the other hand, drew 2-2 with Parma, also with 7 points and ranked third.
The most unfortunate was Roma. They won 3-2 against Brescia in this round thanks to the brilliant performance of "Prince" Totti. However, with only 3 points from three rounds, they ranked 12th.
Although head coach Capello claimed that Roma's poor performance was due to playing in multiple competitions, they also suffered two consecutive defeats in the Champions League, a statement that did not satisfy the fans.
Since Ronaldo introduced Casano to Wang Feng, the two players of similar age have exchanged contact information and occasionally chatted.
Recently, Casano's communication with Wang Feng has been quite frequent. He often called Wang Feng to complain, "Wang, you don't know how difficult my situation is now. In the last two seasons, when the team was doing well, everyone didn't think of me. Instead, they praised the performance of the front trident."
"Now that the results are declining, I've only played a few more games, and my playing time hasn't increased much. As a result, the fans put all the blame on me for the losses, saying I'm not capable and can't replace the front trident."
"I've become a real scapegoat. If it weren't for Coach Capello constantly encouraging me and believing in me, I would have wanted to leave."
Listening to Casano's incessant complaints, Wang Feng also felt a little scared. If he hadn't performed well enough at the beginning, he might have also been considered a scapegoat for Inter Milan's poor results. After all, rising to fame as a youngster makes one more susceptible to expectations.
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