Chapter 711: Genuine Respect (Second Perspective)
"Congratulations!" After the match, Ashley Cole passed by Huang Hu and spoke in Chinese, which surprised the young Chinese player. They chatted for a bit and Huang Hu learned that Cole had learned some simple Chinese when he was teammates with Wang Feng.
"The days fighting side by side with Wang were the most glorious period of my career," the British man exclaimed. This made him develop a strong interest in China, and he even traveled there several times.
Not only him, many players who had dealings with Wang Feng would have similar thoughts. They would have genuine respect for the Chinese superstar and his homeland.
This made Huang Hu somewhat envious and longing. Chinese superstars not only conquered the football world with their skills but also spread the unique culture of their country to the world.
Next, in the Europa League quarter-finals, SV Werder Bremen will face a challenge from Dynamo Kyiv of the Ukrainian Premier League.
The highly anticipated UEFA Champions League quarter-finals have also been determined. Real Madrid easily crossed Schalke 04 to advance, while Atlético Madrid and Barcelona also defeated their respective opponents.
With glory in abundance, the Bundesliga, which had four seats in the round of 16, suffered heavy losses. Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen were both defeated, leaving only Bayern Munich to uphold the league's reputation.
The lone representative from Serie A, Juventus, remains strong. Ligue 1 unexpectedly showed outstanding performance, with both AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain defeating their opponents.
The last quarter-final spot was secured by FC Porto from the Primeira Liga, hoping to replicate their past feat of reaching the final.
Overall, La Liga remains the strongest force in the UEFA Champions League. Surprisingly or not, in the subsequent draw ceremony, Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, these arch-rivals, were drawn to face each other in the quarter-finals.
The grudges from last season's Champions League final are still fresh. The Rojiblancos are united, determined to keep their rivals out of the semi-finals and break the Galacticos' consecutive title record.
"Whether it's for revenge from last season or for historical reckoning, we are the best candidates to defeat Real Madrid," declared Diego Simeone confidently.
Ancelotti admitted that Atlético Madrid is a difficult team to deal with, but they have experience in beating them.
"Countless teams have boasted of stopping us from winning the championship in the past, only to become the stepping stones on our path to glory," he said.
The comeback victory at the opponent's home ground not only pleased the players but also the club's management. Klaus, the CEO of Werder Bremen, waved his hand generously and chartered a plane to bring everyone back to Germany.
This was a luxurious treatment. It's worth noting that, in order to save costs, teams often travel to away games by bus or even commercial flights, with little time to spare.
Since only club members were on the plane, everyone could celebrate freely, singing and playing around. Coach Schaaf didn't bother them. This celebration boosted morale.
Fritz led everyone in singing "Green and White for Life," which is a hymn dedicated to Werder Bremen. In some ways, it's more memorable than the current team song.
These historically significant clubs may not have the financial might of the giants, but countless players and fans have dedicated their lives to them.
There was no time for much rest after returning to Bremen. Three days later, the team faced Mainz in the 26th round of the Bundesliga.
Coach Schaaf firmly used a rotational lineup, and the home team inevitably fell into a disadvantageous situation. In the second half, Japanese forward Shinji Okazaki broke the deadlock with a long-range shot from outside the penalty area.
Seeing others scoring goals while he sat on the bench, Huang Hu felt anxious. Finally, in the 75th minute, the coach sent him on to find his rhythm.
As soon as he came on, he showed a strong desire to score. He created threats by breaking into the penalty area twice in a row, especially the second time when Bartels passed to him, and he found himself in a one-on-one situation. Unfortunately, the referee raised his flag for offside.
"Damn, so close!" Huang Hu kicked the grass in frustration. Bartels ran up to him and patted his shoulder. "Hey Huang, why are you so impatient? Aren't you leading the league's scoring chart? Just relax, I'll keep passing to you later!"
Huang Hu was taken aback by this reminder. Indeed, thinking too much would only hinder his performance. Following the usual rhythm might yield results. After realizing this, he nodded to his teammates, indicating that he had calmed down.
As expected, with only three minutes left in the game, Bartels dribbled the ball forward. Using a clever move, he easily bypassed the defenders.
As he reached the edge of the penalty area, the German midfielder made a diagonal pass behind him. This time, Huang Hu seized the opportunity to start quickly and successfully beat the offside trap!
Receiving the ball just outside the small penalty area, Huang Hu saw Mainz goalkeeper Karius rushing out. In a critical moment, the Chinese youngster chipped the ball forward. Karius managed to touch it, but the ball slipped past him and flew over his head.
Then, Huang Hu volleyed the ball into the empty net as it descended.
On the sidelines, the Mainz coach couldn't help but sigh with regret. They were so close to taking three points from Weserstadion. Karius, oh Karius, if you're going to rush out, why couldn't you control the ball?
He knew in his heart that the blame for the goal couldn't be solely placed on the goalkeeper's shoulders, but it was still a pity.
With this goal, Werder Bremen drew 1-1 with Mainz. After losing to Augsburg and drawing with Mainz, Werder Bremen practically declared their chances of winning the league title over. With 8 rounds remaining, they still lagged behind Bayern Munich by 10 points.
Therefore, the team's focus this season is on the Europa League and the DFB-Pokal. In Coach Schaaf's mind, the domestic cup competition is probably more important than the Europa League.
The primary consideration is the difficulty. There are many strong opponents in the Europa League quarter-finals, such as defending champions Sevilla, Napoli, Zenit Saint Petersburg, and the upcoming opponent, Dynamo Kyiv.
In the DFB-Pokal quarter-finals, only Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich pose a challenge. But according to the competition format, only one of them can advance to face Werder Bremen, so one of them will surely be eliminated.
Steady progress in the domestic cup, strive in the Europa League - this is the general framework that Schaaf has set for the upcoming competitions.
The club hasn't won any honors for 6 years. Regardless, they must fill up the trophy cabinet once again.
While the coach is making decisions, Huang Hu doesn't have too many complicated thoughts. Instead, he is giving his all to pursue his first league golden boot, in the Bundesliga, one of the top five leagues in the world!
Currently, he has scored 21 goals, but Eintracht Frankfurt's Alexander Meier is still close behind with 19 goals. Following them are Lewandowski with 15 goals and Robben with 14 goals.
It seems that the top scorer will emerge from the top two. The two-goal difference doesn't allow Huang Hu to completely relax. Although Lewandowski won the golden boot last season with only 20 goals, there's no guarantee it will be the same this season.
For Huang Hu, it's pressure; for Meier, it's agony. He's giving his all to catch up with the Chinese youngster, discussing with teammates and coaches the most efficient attacking tactics, monitoring data after every game, but still, the gap remains.
At the age of 32, he has only played for two Bundesliga clubs, Hamburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, since his debut. He hasn't won any team or individual honors, so perhaps the league golden boot is the only award he can compete for.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l