Chapter 37: Hurt ?
In the second round of the Belgian Pro League, Genk went on the road to challenge Charleroi. In the 11th minute of the game, the home team passed the ball to the front, but without a good opportunity, they had to pass it back. At this moment, Gareth Barry suddenly rushed out to pressurize, catching the Charleroi center-back off guard, who could only turn around to protect the ball and then pass it to the side.
The hurried pass lacked enough power, rolling only halfway before gradually stopping. Another Charleroi center-back was surprised and hurried to the ball, but someone was faster than him. Wang Feng rushed to the ball like a cheetah hunting for prey, and with a flick of his toe, he avoided the opponent's tackle.
"Charleroi's player made a mistake in passing, and Wang Feng successfully intercepted the ball, separating from the defender beautifully! He advances with the ball, very fast! Let's see Genk's counterattack."
"Barry and Bess in the middle are also advancing quickly. A three-on-three situation has formed in the frontcourt. Let's see how Wang Feng handles this ball."
"Wang Feng is preparing to cross. Beautiful! Not a cross, Wang Feng uses a fake to dodge the defender, enters the penalty area, and faces the goalkeeper directly. He shoots!"
"Goooooooal! The ball is in! Genk takes the lead."
"Let's take a look at the replay. Wang Feng's fake pass and dribble were executed perfectly. He pretended to shoot with his right foot for a cross, then, as the defender shifted his weight, he suddenly used the inside of his foot to dribble the ball to the left and broke through."
"The whole move was smooth and flowing, fantastic!"
"In the 11th minute, Genk took the lead. Are they going to replicate last week's big win? We'll have to wait and see."
Just as the entire Genk team was excited, in the 27th minute of the first half, as Wang Feng was about to start with the ball, Charleroi defender Etienne Sibere directly flew in with a sliding tackle. The sturdy cleats did not touch the ball but landed on Wang Feng's ankle.
He felt a sharp pain and fell to the ground, realizing clearly that he was injured! Genk's players angrily surrounded the fouling player, and Barry even pushed him hard, showing great anger. The scene became chaotic. The head coach saw Wang Feng painfully lying on the ground, holding his ankle, and his heart sank. He immediately called for the team doctor.
After the team doctor came to Wang Feng's side and saw his leg grazed by cleats, bleeding, and his ankle swelling up, he couldn't help but feel bad. If the injury was serious, he would be sidelined for at least a month, possibly even the whole season.
The team doctor called for everyone to urgently treat Wang Feng's wound and used a stretcher to carry him off the field, signaling the head coach to make a substitution.
"We can see that the Charleroi defender Sibere who just tackled has been shown a red card, and Genk's Barry, due to an irrational physical action, has been cautioned with a yellow card."
"The coach is preparing for a substitution. It seems that Wang Feng's injury is quite serious. Let's take another look at this foul. Sibere clearly aimed at Wang Feng's foot. This is an obvious malicious foul, and the red card is unquestionable."
At this moment, Wang Feng felt anxious. Could his injury be serious? Just then, a warmth emanated from his treated ankle, and the pain gradually subsided. Instead, there was a comfortable sensation, like soaking in warm water.
The swelling gradually went down, but since Wang Feng's leg was wrapped in layers, it went unnoticed. Feeling the changes in his body, Wang Feng understood that his major injury had healed.
Wang Feng was immediately taken to the hospital for further detailed examination, but the result was surprising. Besides the superficial abrasions, everything else was normal.
The team doctor couldn't help but mutter to himself, "I clearly saw Wang's foot swollen quite a bit. Could it be that I was biased and felt it was serious, so I had an illusion?"
However, Wang Feng was still not allowed to leave the hospital. The club wanted to conduct a comprehensive examination of his foot to prevent hidden injuries. Wang Feng had no choice but to watch Genk's second half game on the TV in the ward.
Without Wang Feng, Genk's defense was resolute, but lacking an attacking focal point, they were pressed back into their half by Charleroi. Finally, in the 77th minute, Charleroi's right winger intercepted the ball in midfield and swiftly broke through Genk's defense line, passing low to the center in the penalty area, where another player slammed the ball into the net.
1-1, the home team equalized!
"This goal is very fatal. Genk should stabilize their position as soon as possible."
"We can see that the coach on the sidelines keeps urging the players to remain calm and not lose their positions."
"Charleroi's players look very excited. This goal greatly boosted their morale. Will they overtake the score?"
When the referee blew the final whistle, the whole Charleroi stadium erupted in applause. Although the score remained 1-1 until the end, the aggressive attack by the home team in the second half surprised the fans.
At the same time in other matches, all the strong teams won. Therefore, with four points from two rounds, Genk dropped to fifth place. The coach was not too concerned about the current ranking; his primary concern was Wang Feng's injury, so he immediately contacted the hospital staff.
Knowing that Wang Feng was fine and would most likely not miss the next game, he breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, with or without Wang Feng on the field, Genk was entirely different. The lineup of Genk this season was somewhat distorted, with the entire offense revolving around Wang Feng. Albert had taken a gamble.
This was an inevitable situation. Logically, Genk, having sent away most of its main players, needed to rebuild. But Wang Feng definitely wouldn't stay in the Belgian Pro League for long. To maximize Wang Feng's value, they chose this strategy.
At the post-match press conference, the main questions focused on Wang Feng's injury. "Wang is fine. We sent him to the hospital for a detailed examination, and the results showed that his injury is not very serious, so he won't miss the next game," Anthony said.
"But that foul was definitely malicious. We cannot overlook the seriousness of that foul just because Wang is physically okay or lucky. We will formally submit an application to the Football Association to request additional punishment for Etienne Sibere."
When asked about the vastly different performance of Genk in the second half compared to the first, Anthony explained: "Wang is undoubtedly the offensive core of Genk, and we also arrange the training in this way."
"After Wang left the field, the other players' offensive cooperation was not good enough. But don't forget, we are still a newly reorganized team. I believe that with some time, the players can do better."
In the interview, Charleroi's head coach denied the malicious nature of Sibere's foul. "It was a mistake. We all know that tackling is to steal the ball from the opponent's feet. And Sibere has already paid for his mistake."
"A red card and a suspension for the next round, this is the most reasonable punishment. I don't think the Football Association will add further punishment. Wang Feng is certainly a difficult opponent, but we played more methodically in the second half. Even if Wang Feng was on the field, we would have had the upper hand."
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