Chapter 193: We are still strong
At the end of the China tour, Inter Milan rushed non-stop to New York, USA, where they would compete with AC Milan for the Italian Super Cup at the MetLife Stadium.
This time, Wang Feng's sister and Lu Yao didn't accompany them but stayed at home to spend quality time with their family. Lu Yao and Wang Feng had just established their relationship, so naturally, they felt reluctant to part, but thinking that they would see each other in Milan after a while, the sadness diminished.
Since Inter Milan won the league championship and cup championship last season, AC Milan, as the cup runner-up, was invited to participate in the Italian Super Cup.
The match was scheduled for August 3rd, still a long time before the start of the league, so Inter Milan would stay in New York and play friendly matches against several Major League Soccer teams.
After the friendly matches with Chinese clubs, coach Mancini gradually finalized the starting lineup for Inter Milan for the new season. The formation mainly adopted a 4-4-2 pattern, with Torlodo as the goalkeeper.
Defenders Civu, Mazzarri, Zambrotta, Cordoba and Coco had recovered from their injuries and returned to the team, but Coco clearly didn't receive the new coach's approval and was placed on the bench.
In midfield, Sannetti, Maclayley, Ribery, Dalmat, and Recoba were still undergoing recovery training and were not given permission to play.
The forwards were Vieri and Wang Feng.
With all eyes on them, the Milan Derby unfolded in New York. Both teams fielded their strongest lineup, with Inter Milan striving for victory to start the season off on the right foot, while AC Milan sought revenge for last season's "double runner-up."
Both teams hadn't fully recovered their best form, but AC Milan seemed to be in slightly better shape, having assembled earlier and played several friendly matches against other teams, unlike Inter Milan, who only played two easy friendly matches during their China tour.
However, Inter Milan's defense appeared much stronger than last season, with the additions of Civu and Maclayley, which improved the stability of the team's midfield. Although AC Milan had the upper hand on the field, they couldn't breach Inter Milan's defense.
Inter Milan opened the scoring in the 23rd minute through a counterattack, with Ribery providing a brilliant assist for Wang Feng to score.
In the 52nd minute of the second half, Wang Feng dribbled the ball forward and passed it directly to Vieri in front of the goal, who easily slotted it home.
Although AC Milan's coach Ancelotti made adjustments to strengthen the team's attacking front, they couldn't find the net.
2-0! With Wang Feng providing an assist and scoring a goal, Inter Milan once again won the Milan Derby and successfully defended the Italian Super Cup! They were the first team to successfully defend the title since AC Milan's triple crown in 1994.
After lifting the trophy, Inter Milan began their warm-up matches. Their first opponent was the New York Red Bulls. In this match, Ribery's performance was outstanding, as he provided three assists, completing a hat-trick of assists.
In the end, the team won 4-0, with Wang Feng scoring twice, and Vieri and Mazzarri each contributing one goal.
Under Mancini's coaching, Ribery's attacking prowess and passing ability improved significantly, and he also demanded that Wang Feng attempt at least five shots per game. Consequently, Wang Feng's goal-scoring tally soared.
Their second warm-up match was against the San Jose Earthquakes. Mancini rotated nine key players for this match, including Wang Feng. Facing the new Major League Soccer runners-up, Inter Milan's substitutes still maintained a high level.
Players like Emre and Caron showed these young Americans just how big the gap between European and American football is, as Inter Milan won 3-0.
In the following warm-up matches, Mancini continued to adjust the lineup, giving almost every player a chance to play. He analyzed each player's characteristics and techniques, preparing for possible replacements for the main lineup in the future.
Mancini didn't originally want to take over Inter Milan's coaching position because the previous coach left after winning five titles, elevating the team to the highest level. If he couldn't maintain such results, he would face criticism from everyone.
However, he was moved by Moratti's sincerity and persuasion: "Don't you want to coach a miraculous player like Wang Feng?" Indeed, all Serie A coaches hoped to have Wang Feng under their wing. He was like an endless treasure waiting for coaches to unearth.
After the consecutive warm-up matches, the Inter Milan team didn't return to Milan but flew directly to Monaco. Before the league began, they would face the Union Cup champions, Porto, at the Stade Louis II to compete for the UEFA Super Cup.
Under the leadership of Mourinho, this Portuguese powerhouse had made significant progress, winning the Primeira Liga, the Portuguese Cup, and the UEFA Europa League consecutively last season.
The epic clash between Inter Milan, the five-time champions, and Porto, the three-time champions, attracted the attention of all European media in recent years.
"The Special One" Mourinho said in an interview before the match, "Inter Milan is formidable, but Porto's goal is to win the Champions League this year, so we won't fear any opponent."
Once the match began, Inter Milan indeed felt the difficulty posed by Porto's rising stars. They adopted an unconventional 4-3-1-2 formation, willingly giving up possession and focusing on counterattacks.
Defensively, Ferreira, Costa, Cavaleiro, and Valente compressed space, not allowing Inter Milan's forwards much depth in their attacks. On the offensive end, Porto utilized Deco's passing, with Alberto and Delley launching quick counterattacks. If it weren't for Maclayley's outstanding performance, Inter Milan would have conceded.
Porto also had a killer move - set-pieces! In the 27th minute, they earned a free-kick in the front court. Deco lofted the ball into the penalty area, and Marchini made a surprising run and slotted the ball home from a narrow angle.
Inter Milan trailed!
Mancini looked at the "Special One" Mourinho on the opposing coach's bench, hands in pockets, and silently admired him. Indeed, he had great coaching skills to mold young Porto into this formidable team.
But the outcome was still uncertain. After several matches, Mancini's offensive coaching for Wang Feng had begun to show results.
During one of Inter Milan's attacks, after Ribery failed to penetrate from the wing and passed to Wang Feng on the side, Wang Feng suddenly took a long shot from the right corner of the penalty area.
The ball flew across the entire penalty area and went straight into the top left corner of the goal. Porto's defense was still focused on Wang Feng's passing and dribbling. No one expected him to suddenly shoot, catching them off guard and equalizing the score.
Excited, Wang Feng ran around the field. It seemed he had begun to feel what Mancini had described - the freedom to do as he pleased on the field, unstoppable!
In the following match, Wang Feng tirelessly experimented with new attacking strategies. It was like trying out a new toy. When defenders thought he would shoot, he passed, and when they thought shooting was impossible, Wang Feng suddenly took a shot, turning the game upside down.
In the end, he contributed another assist and goal, helping the team win 3-1 against Porto and successfully defend the UEFA Super Cup!
In an interview, an excited Wang Feng declared to reporters, "Inter Milan is still very strong!"
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