167 Penalty Shootout Part 1 (1/2)
Chapter 167: Penalty Shootout Part 1
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
With their confidence boosted by Wood's wonderful performance, the forest team players united to form a stronghold, defending against Middlesbrough's frenetic attack at the last moment. Despite looking like they were dejected and depressed, and battered and exhausted, they successfully kept the score at 0:0, then went into overtime in the end.
This was a watershed moment. Before this game, Middlesbrough did not think this match would be dragged into overtime, and thus, they launched a frenetic offense in the last few minutes of the game. Although Tang En's heart beat wildly, and his pupils suddenly shrank as he watched the game, he sensed the deathbed struggle within the crazy Middlesbrough ranks.
This is their last madness, and when the game goes into overtime, according to my expectations, the Middlesbrough players will not have any strength left to pose a threat to my goal. This is what happens, when you underestimate me and my team!
Because they had expended too much physical and mental energy in the first ninety minutes for the offense, Steve McClaren did not manage to wait for the moment when the Forest team was unable to hold on any longer. Instead, his own players were under more and more pressure, that they kicked the final shot directly into the stands, which only helped the Forest team out of the siege.
There was a five-minute break between the ninety-minute match and the half-hour overtime. It was not too long, but just enough for the players, who had played hard for ninety minutes, to sit down to catch their breath, drink some water, and listen to their manager chatter on about the tactical layout at the same time. Then, immediately, they had to stand up and continue on into battle.
Such little time was not suitable for a detailed tactical arrangement to be launched. Tang En let everyone sit around him together, and then told them, ”In the overtime, we will continue to defend. Once we enter into the penalty shootout stage, we will certainly win!”
Everyone understood the simple and straightforward tactical arrangement that he had explained. He no longer needed to give encouragement. Currently, the team confidence was high, and their morale was flourishing. There was no need for him to say anything more.
After the game went into overtime, as both sides' strength was in deep decline, Middlesbrough could no longer besiege the Forest team, and Tang En intended to delay the time by planning to bring on substitutes. In the first half of the overtime, he brought off the exhausted Crouch, bringing on Rebrov, and at the last moment of the second half, Clint Hill replaced Gunnarsson, who was so physically maxed out that his legs were cramping.
Until the last moment, except for the goalkeepers, only George Wood was still able to sprint back and forth. This was also the most important guarantee that the Forest team had not lost the ball during the overtime. His physical strength was completely astonishing.
McClaren also used his last substitution quota during the overtime in order to try and make a last-ditch attempt. However, Zenden, who had just come on, encountered the same problem as Downing, as he tried to use speed to break through George Wood.
Like McClaren, he thought that Wood, who had run for one hundred minutes already, would not have the physical strength to tangle with them. But, alas, they were wrong. It was as if George Wood was being brought on the same time as Zenden. There was no problem with his physical strength, and his running speed was not affected. He also caused Zenden, who was in front of him, to tumble.
”George Wood, a perpetual motion machine!” In the end, Andy Gray simply gave this indefatigable guy a fitting moniker.
Guided by ”the Perpetual Motion Machine”, the Forest team persisted, until they obtained what they most wanted to see – amidst the loud booing of the Middlesbrough fans, the referee finally blew the whistle to officially end of the 120-minute game!
”The game is over! Of course, it's just the 120-minute game that has ended! After a long battle, both sides entered the penalty shootout stage! This is the moment Manager Tony Twain wants to see the most. But, can his team beat Middlesbrough in a penalty shootout?” Gray was skeptical about this. Among the managers, who deliberately dragged the game into situations which they liked to see, but then realized that the outcomes were not what they wanted, well, these types of incidents were quite common. ”A penalty kick largely depends upon luck to determine the winner ...”