Chapter 85: Reverse to win
Wang Feng's stunning performance in his Serie A debut has spread throughout the entire European continent.
In the locker room of Paris Saint-Germain Club's training base in France, a Brazilian lad with dark skin and always wearing a smile furrowed his brow as he read the newspaper.
Ronaldinho felt extremely helpless. Ever since he arrived in Paris, whether within the team or in the eyes of the fans, he seemed to have become a substitute for that person, that Wang Feng who had just shone brightly in Serie A.
Whether in terms of value or treatment, Wang Feng far surpassed Ronaldinho. Paris once wanted to spend 8 million euros to buy Wang Feng, but failed, and instead spent 5 million euros to buy Ronaldinho himself, which sometimes made him feel uncomfortable.
He wanted to challenge Wang Feng, to prove that his skills were not inferior to his!
In the first game against Auxerre, Ronaldinho came on as a substitute and his performance was lackluster. This was quite normal; new players needed time to adapt to the new environment and establish understanding with their teammates.
But when the game ended, bad news came: Wang Feng scored twice in his debut and contributed two assists, leading Inter Milan to a 4-1 victory!
"Is this guy cheating?" Ronaldinho thought grimly. "How can a player just step into a top-five league and deliver such incredible performance?"
At this moment, his teammate, French defender Milo Grimes, walked into the locker room and saw Ronaldinho staring at the newspaper, his brow furrowed, and instantly understood what was going on.
He patted Ronaldinho on the shoulder and said, "Ronnie, don't mind what others say. Your performance is impeccable. Just give it a little time, and you will surely shine too."
Grimes, a Frenchman of Brazilian descent, had been quite close to Ronaldinho since he joined the team, and they often looked out for each other in training and daily life.
"I know," Ronaldinho said with a wry smile. "In Brazil, I was also the darling of the media, praised as the next Ronaldo. But when I came to Europe, I realized there are plenty of talents out there."
"That guy Wang Feng is even younger than me. How did he seamlessly adapt to the top-five leagues?"
"I don't know," Grimes said, "According to media reports, he's a training maniac. Apart from matches, he spends most of his time training, which is quite frightening."
"Do you want to give it a try, Ronnie?" Grimes teased.
"No way!" Ronaldinho shuddered and shook his head. "If I have to train like a monk, I'd rather not play football!"
"I knew it. Tonight, let's go to the nightclub together and lighten up a bit, ease the frustration," Grimes suggested. Ronaldinho nodded, and gradually, his brow relaxed, and his face regained its iconic smile.
The second round of Serie A would take place in a week. The club granted the players two days off before assembling for training and flying to Parma on Friday to challenge the formidable Parma team.
The morning mist enveloped Lake Como, the rising sun shining on the water's surface, forming concentric halos. The wooden path along the lake was dampened by the mist, with few people passing by, giving a sense of tranquility, a departure from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Wang Feng jogged along this wooden path, carrying the latest Samsung MP3 player in his pocket. He thoroughly enjoyed the fresh air of nature, admiring the lake view, listening to music, and then slowly running.
Therefore, both in the morning and in the evening, Wang Feng would take some time to jog by Lake Como. Occasionally, when tourists recognized him, he would enthusiastically take photos and sign autographs with them.
It wasn't until the sun had fully risen that he arrived at Pinetina and continued his extra training.
Extra training during holidays had become a habit for Wang Feng. However, he couldn't find any teammates in Inter Milan who trained with him. Even his best buddy, Matrazi, declined Wang Feng's invitation to train, citing accompanying his wife.
There were only a few staff members left in Pinetina, along with Wang Feng and his personal trainer, Abel Le Goff. Le Goff and Wang Feng renewed their contract because both sides were very satisfied with continuing their collaboration.
On Saturday night, the lights of the Tardini Stadium were brightly lit, indicating that a heavyweight match was about to take place. Parma had been quite strong in recent years, winning the UEFA Cup in '94-'95 and '98-'99, and often ranking high in Serie A.
Last season, Inter Milan had suffered a setback against Parma. Therefore, the match between the two teams this season was seen as a test for Inter Milan's new lineup.
Another highlight was the "Asian Derby". Parma's midfielder, Hidetoshi Nakata, was one of the team's key players. Last season, the club acquired him from Roma for a high price of 18.5 million euros, completely different from Perugia's substitute, Ahn Jung-hwan.
So, the Japanese media extensively publicized this match. They depicted the strength of the two players in exaggerated comic style hexagons. Unlike the arrogant South Koreans, most Japanese believed that their own Hidetoshi Nakata was slightly inferior to Wang Feng.
However, one was a midfielder and the other was a forward. Their positions on the field were different, so it wasn't appropriate to directly compare their goal-scoring records. Their contributions to the team had to be considered.
Both sides played back and forth. In the 29th minute, Parma got a free-kick opportunity. Defender Fabio Cannavaro took a direct shot, breaking Torrado's grasp.
As the first half was coming to an end, Wang Feng orchestrated an attack in the front court, and Konsicco equalized with Graysco's assist.
After the first half, Wang Feng scratched his head in frustration. He had created some good opportunities, but faced with tight defense, he always fell short.
"Wang, don't worry. Let's continue to play steadily in the second half and secure three points," Matrazi comforted Wang Feng. "Yeah, sometimes the more anxious you are, the harder it is to seize opportunities. My goal in the first half was just a fluke," Konsicco said.
Wang Feng smiled bitterly and patted the backs of the two before walking into the players' tunnel and returning to the locker room.
In the second half, the two teams continued to perform evenly. In the 71st minute, Di Biagio in the front court sent a through ball to Parma's defense, and Wang Feng quickly chased after it.
At this moment, the Parma defender was closer to the ball, but Wang Feng, relying on his speed, managed to reach the ball ahead of the defending player, arriving in the right area of the penalty area.
When Wang Feng received the ball, the angle for a shot was already very small, with a defender closely chasing from the side and the goalkeeper coming out to block the near post. If he wanted to cross, there were no Inter Milan players in front of the goal to contest.
In the blink of an eye, he saw that the defending player's leg span was a bit wide, so he attempted a low-angle shot past the defending player's legs, evading the oncoming goalkeeper, and rolling into the net from the far post.
"The ball's in! Goooooooooooooal! In the 71st minute, Wang Feng helped Inter Milan complete the comeback!"
"A brilliant goal! Whether it's the late first goal or the low-angle shot under pressure from the defense and the goalkeeper, Wang Feng's performance is outstanding."
Even Wang Feng himself hadn't expected this goal to go in. The timing of the shot was just right; any earlier or later, and it would have been blocked.
After scoring, he went to the stands where Inter Milan fans were located, celebrating with them. At this moment, some of the Inter Milan fans had already been won over by Wang Feng's performance, waving handmade nameplates and chanting Wang Feng's name.
In the end, Inter Milan won 2-1 against Parma.
This so-called "Asian Derby" was also a victory for Wang Feng. He orchestrated an attack and contributed a goal to help Inter Milan secure all three points, while Hidetoshi Nakata had an average performance, with no standout moments throughout the game.
This chapter is updat𝓮d by fre(e)webnov(l).com