119 The Hard-Nosed Millwall Part 2 (1/2)
Chapter 119: The Hard-Nosed Millwall Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Walker also stood up to protest. Just as they were all dissatisfied with the referee's decision, Millwall started a speedy offense on the field.
Wise passed the football to Cahill ahead of him. Then Tang En saw Cahill dribble the ball straight along the wing, very close to the sideline and past Gareth Williams. After entering the 30-meter area of the Forest team, he made a feint and suddenly changed to cut through to the inside!
This move deceived the right back, John Thompson, from the Forest team who came up to defend against him. Next, he dribbled the ball across, and Eugen Bopp came up to tackle. He put his hands up to block the German teenager and continued to dribble towards the middle zone.
At this point, the Millwall strikers were crossing into the penalty area and interweaving inside. They broke through the Forest defensive line.
Upon seeing this, the scene that Tang En saw in the 2006 World Cup suddenly appeared in his mind. Tim Cahill, who also wore the number 4 jersey, was at the arc in the penalty area, ran up in an assist, and almost lifted his leg…
”Don't let him shoot! Foul! F**king foul!” yelled Tang En. But his voice was soon drowned out by the loud cheers.
Cahill, number 4, had suddenly ran across to kick the ball into the goal!
The football entered through the small gap between Michael Dawson and Wes Morgan! With a gust of wind and brushing across the grass tips, it flew into the net past the hands of the Forest goalkeeper, Darren Ward.
”Goooooooooooal! Tim Cahill! What a beautiful long shot, he alone defeated the Forest team's entire defensive line! The twenty-three-year-old new star! Such unparalleled momentum! The home team, Millwall is in the lead!”
The Millwall players hugged together to celebrate the goal, and Tang En and his assistant, Walker, complained to the fourth official about Muscat's foul.
”That was obviously a foul! You don't even blow the whistle for a slide tackle from behind, what are you doing?! Do you have to wait for that damn Aussie guy to break my players' legs before you do something about it?” With his mouth wide open, Tang En sprayed spittle at the fourth official as he yelled.
Millwall's center back, the deputy captain, Kevin Muscat was considered ”notorious” in England. He even had the title of ”The First Butcher.”
Not long ago, he broke the leg of a player from Charlton. Although he received £750,000 pounds of retirement compensation, he would never play ball again.
There was a long list of names who had fallen under the feet of this 1.8-meter-tall center back: Craig Bellamy, Dugarry, Lazaridis...
Luckily, Johnson dodged at the critical moment, otherwise his name would have immediately been on the list.
When Tang En was badgering the fourth official, the Millwall manager, McLeary decide to come up and butt in. He said sarcastically to Twain, ”Mr. Twain, you'd better look into your own problems and not trouble the referee.”
Tang En widened his eyes and stared at the other man, ”You are a b*stard who has just gotten off lightly, and you have come to gloat?!” He really wanted to pounce on the nasty jerk and give him a punch, but unfortunately if he did that, he would also have to leave—McLeary, naturally, would be sent directly to the hospital.
The Millwall fans who saw this scene from the stands naturally booed at Twain, and the fans who were closer in distance loudly hurled abuse at Tony Twain, their voices clear and audible.
The fourth official, who was sandwiched between the two managers, had no choice but to give them a slap on the wrist and issue a warning to each of them, ”Both of you, return to your area. Whoever leaves his technical area again, I will have the referee issue you a penalty to go to the stands! Go back now!”
He waved his hands. The Millwall manager raised his head as if he were a victorious rooster and marched back. And Tang En, who was still swearing, went back to the technical area unwillingly. In fact, he knew in his heart that as long as the referee decided to count the goal, no matter how much noise he made, he could not change the result. This was not the 1982 World Cup in Spain, the absurd era whereby the referee could be made to change the score when the crown prince of a small West Asian country threatened to leave the match.
They still could not hold in the end! The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable. With a goal in hand, Millwall could completely withdraw and defend their half of the field, and then they could make use of their brutal defense and home ground momentum to block the Forest team's counterattacks and maintain the score of 1:0 to the end.
This was the scenario that Tang En did not wish to see the most.
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When the match resumed, Millwall's performance seemed to confirm what Tang En had in mind just now. They deliberately reclaimed their defensive line and then used vicious and brutal defenses to stop the Forest team's counterattacks.
David Johnson was twice violated by Muscat again within 15 minutes. When he stood up with a limp, the punishment for the perpetrator was merely a verbal warning from the referee.