Chapter 69: Exceed oneself
Aimee Antonis returned to the dressing room a few minutes before the start of the second half and couldn't find a new tactic to break through Houllier's arrangement, so he could only encourage the players.
But when he saw the determined eyes of the players, he instantly understood what was needed. The prepared words turned into just two: "Come on."
Both sides returned to the field, and the referee blew the whistle to start the second half.
At the beginning of the game, Liverpool's strategy remained the same as the first half, with a tight defense against Wang Feng and leaving a gap for other Genk players, enticing them to attack and creating opportunities.
However, unlike the first half, the Genk players were not fooled. Apart from Wang Feng, who stayed up front, everyone else gathered in the defensive area, forming a solid defensive formation, frustrating Liverpool's attacks.
They didn't panic despite being behind; they defended resolutely and only looked for Wang Feng in attack. If he was marked? No problem, they would pass the ball back and regroup.
Meanwhile, Wang Feng kept running on the field, constantly exhausting his energy. But he didn't mind; he was just waiting for the perfect opportunity.
Finally, in the 87th minute, the opportunity arrived! Sami Hyypi?, 29, showed a hint of fatigue. When Christian Civu passed the ball to Wang Feng, Hyypi? failed to close down immediately, giving Wang Feng a slight opening between two defenders, and he dribbled out.
With a burst of speed, Wang Feng left the chasing players behind and entered Liverpool's half. Defender Jamie Carragher moved in to block, attempting a tackle.
However, Wang Feng's ball control was impeccable, and as Carragher stretched his leg, Wang Feng gently poked the ball away.
Finding space, Wang Feng continued with the ball. Another defender, Stephane Henchoz, rushed to intercept, but Wang Feng deftly shifted the ball from his left foot to his right foot, then feinted to the left, leaving Henchoz stranded.
Chris Kirkland, the goalkeeper, rushed out, hoping to block Wang Feng's shot. However, Wang Feng calmly adjusted his position and struck the ball with his left foot, sending it flying towards the far corner of the goal.
"Goal! Wang Feng, what a fantastic play! In the 87th minute, Wang Feng once again saves Genk!"
"A brilliant solo effort by Wang Feng, dribbling past four players and slotting the ball past Giovanni Scupeco in goal!"
"The score is now 1-2, with the aggregate score tied at 5-5, but Genk holds four away goals, while Liverpool only has two."
"It can be said that time is running out for Liverpool!"
After scoring, Wang Feng roared with joy, as if releasing all the frustration from the game. He had once again surpassed himself!
Bess was the first to reach him, jumping onto his back and laughing, "I knew you wouldn't let us down!"
Other Genk players also gathered around Wang Feng, congratulating him on the hard-earned goal. In contrast, the Liverpool players looked dejected. Carragher covered his face, and Kirkland kicked the ball angrily.
On the coaching bench, Antonis' heart raced as he watched Wang Feng's attack. He knew this was the last chance. When Wang Feng scored, Antonis jumped up and ran along the sideline, celebrating.
Houllier, on the other hand, shook his head in resignation. It was so close; his tactics were logical and effective, but he didn't expect Wang Feng and the Genk players to be so resilient.
And Wang Feng's ability to seize opportunities was remarkable; any slight mistake was turned into a goal.
After the referee's repeated reminders, the Genk players dispersed, focusing on the final minutes.
Leading almost the entire game, Liverpool was overturned at the last moment. This was a huge blow to their morale. Despite their efforts to organize attacks, Houllier's continuous shouts and commands from the sidelines, they couldn't break through Genk's defense again.
With the final whistle, the Genk substitutes and coaching staff rushed onto the field, celebrating with the players. They lifted coach Antonis high in the air.
Watching their excitement, Wang Feng said to Bess beside him, "Look at how excited they are. I wonder how happy they'll be when they lift the Europa League trophy."
Bess replied, "Yeah, let's go make history and lift that trophy together." Wang Feng nodded solemnly.
At that moment, Michael Owen approached them, overhearing their conversation. He said, "Congratulations on reaching the final. I believe you can defeat your opponent and lift the trophy."
"Wang, let's swap jerseys. You beat me this time, but next time, who knows."
The two exchanged jerseys, then shared a brief hug before Owen left the field with the other Liverpool players. The farewell of the losers always carried a hint of regret, but they wouldn't be disheartened. They still had the FA Cup and League Cup to challenge for.
Genk's opponent in the final had already been determined earlier: Alavés from La Liga. They drew with Roma in both legs and eventually advanced through a penalty shootout.
European media outlets described Genk, who reached the final, as a "dark horse" and looked forward to them going all the way. After all, compared to Liverpool, Alavés' overall level was slightly lower.
France Football, the founding media outlet of the Ballon d'Or, wrote that Wang Feng was one of the best young players in the past two years. "His progress and talent are evident, especially in the match against Liverpool, where his dribbling past several players to score reminds one of Maradona."
"In fact, we are discussing a new award, similar in nature to the Ballon d'Or but mainly for young players. We want to provide more support and encouragement to young players."
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