153 Backfired Part 2 (1/2)
Chapter 153: Backfired Part 2
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In the box, Evan Doughty watched the scene unfolding on the field. He suddenly recalled the first time he had gone to the youth team to find Tony. He had seen the kind of training that took place on the training ground—a group of players would form a small circle, and Wood would go back and forth in the middle to intercept the other players' passes. Any player whose pass was intercepted would be made to run laps as a penalty. At that time, many players were punished, and he still remembered a young kid running out and saying to the coach, ”The distance was too close, Wood intercepted the ball before it could even be passed!”
Ah, it's similar to today….
Giannakopoulos stood in the same spot waiting for the football to be passed, while at the same time he adjusted his legs, intending to continue dribbling the ball forward without stopping. This impulsive, silly boy is so easy to fool, he thought.
”George Wood rushes to the opposing half to force an interception!”
Giannakopoulos soon realized something was wrong; he was doomed to fail at receiving the pass. Nolan's passing was not very powerful or swift, and they did not expect George Wood's to be so fast!
Their plan had backfired!
The panicked Greek's intention was to move forward to receive the pass, but Wood was one step ahead of him. He lowered his body to skate past and, using the speed and momentum of his continuous sprint, rushed ahead of Giannakopoulos and intercepted the ball.
Giannakopoulos risked being injured by Wood's tackle, but the football rolled past his foot.
”George Wood's steal was a success!” exclaimed Gray. ”Nolan was too careless! His pass was too gentle... How could he make such an irresponsible pass when his opponent was closing in on him?”
”The Forest team's fighting back! The ball broke through the line of defense... and Eastwood!”
Cheers erupted throughout City Ground again. Their best striker for January received the ball from Wood's interception. Because Nolan's return pass was cut off, the Bolton Wanderers' entire line of defense had no reaction to the seizing of the ball. They just looked on helplessly as Eastwood received the ball without anyone to mark him. He then swung up his right foot as he faced toward the goal...
A legendary manager! A legendary striker! My foot is about to kick open the door to a glorious future!
”What a goal!! A genius strike! This is Freddy Eastwood's second goal in this game, and his fifth goal in three consecutive games since he has joined Nottingham Forest!”
The City Ground was rocking, and Tang En felt as though he was in a volcanic crater about to erupt; he was swaying on his feet.
”George Wood scored consecutive steals from the backfield to the front field, and he finally succeeded in intercepting Nolan's pass! Eastwood shrewdly appeared right where he should be! An eighteen-year-old, a twenty-year-old, plus the nineteen-year-old player, Ashley Young, who made the penalty kick in the first half! Nottingham Forest's young stars are on the rise!”
After the goal, Eastwood had originally planned to find Wood, who had given him the assist, and to take this opportunity to show him friendship. But next to him, Crouch's long legs appeared in front of him as he hugged him tightly. Then, more of his teammates rushed up and surrounded him. He could not see the situation outside. How's Wood? Is he in this group? Or is he standing blankly outside like before?
”Poor Kevin Nolan; his passing mistake in the first half gave the Forest team a chance to equalize the score with a penalty kick. In the second half, it was still his passing blunder that gave George Wood a chance for an assist again! Today is not his day!”
Seeing his highest-valued player continuing to make such low-level errors, Allardyce felt flustered and exasperated. He turned to the Frenchman sitting on the substitutes' bench and shouted, ”Djorkaeff, get ready to play!”
He had decided that Nolan was out of form today. His only question was how his gameplay had taken such a nosedive, even though he had scored in the beginning of the game.
If Kevin Nolan had known that he had been brought off because of this misstep, he would certainly have felt aggrieved. It was not a mistake. His plan was flawless! Just blame it on that number 33; he was too fast! If it had been a different team and opponent, his plan would have surely succeeded!
He stood in the same spot with the annoyed Nigerian next to him. And in front of them was Giannakopoulos, who had fallen to the ground. The Greek had bravely clashed with Wood without any regard for his personal safety, and the result was that he had hurt himself instead. He held his ankle as he lay sprawled on the ground with an expression of agony on his face.
They were rendered speechless in the face of the situation.