261 A Show of Genius Part 2 (1/2)

Chapter 261: A Show of Genius Part 2

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Forest team's attack on Old Trafford was a bit monotonous. They could not break through from both flanks, which was what they were best at. Albertini was restrained in the back and the Forest team could not even attack from the center. In that way, the flanks could not break open, the center was a no-go, and the Forest team's two strikers had become completely extraneous, not being seen in action for a long time.

At that point, Twain had a desire to have an attacking midfielder on the team who could share the responsibility of organizing the offense. It did not have to be an attacking midfielder, but it did have to be a midfielder who could organize.

Ribéry dribbled the ball across the flank to break through, but his pass to Eastwood soon after was suddenly intercepted by a figure behind him.

”Cristiano Ronaldo! He rushed back from the front field and cut off Ribéry's pass!”

The impatient kid had actually acted on his own to snatch the ball.

The Forest team's offense was suddenly terminated, and the entire team hurried back to their positions. Ronaldo would not give them time to return to their defense set up. After his successful interception, he turned and broke through along the flank, hoping to use his speed and skills to dribble the ball directly to the Forest team's penalty area.

After poking the football out, he saw a figure appear to his side.

It's that boastful number 13! It's good you're here… block me if you can!

Ronaldo dribbled and charged towards Wood, then made a dazzling scissor move that was fast and lethal. Wood was swayed until his center of gravity became unstable.

This is it!

Ronaldo jabbed the football to the side and accelerated. When he tried to immediately cut inside and use his back to block against Wood, he suddenly felt his body leaning against a barrier.

”Ronaldo wants to make a breakthrough! But George Wood has a tight grip on him.”

After running a few paces alongside Wood, Ronaldo found that it was difficult to rely purely on his speed to break through number 13. It looked like he would need to use his best step-over move to seek a breakthrough.

Ahead of him was the Forest team's center back, Matthew Upson. Ronaldo came up with another plan. His back would push against Wood while he ran, and then he would cut inward to make Wood think that he was going to force a breakthrough; that would cause his opponent to speed up.

Wood was fooled. After feeling that Ronaldo was going to break through, he immediately sped up and raced to Ronaldo's front; he then looked back and saw Ronaldo use his right heel to knock the football on the outside of his foot towards inside of his foot. At the same time, he did a sudden stop and pivot and bypassed Wood.

”Look at that! What a thrilling breakthrough... This is Ronaldo's moment! At the Theatre of Dreams at Old Trafford, a genius play is being staged!”

Seeing how easily Ronaldo shook off Wood, the commentator heaped all the praise he could think of onto the Portuguese player, as though he were in a theater tossing flowers at an actor.

※※※

The Nottingham Forest fans booed loudly in the south stands of Old Trafford.

Skinny Bill took off his headphones and said to Fat John, ”The commentator said this was the moment for Ronaldo's genius performance!”

”Bulls**t! We have a genius too!” John hurled an empty paper cup that he had in his hands. He was fed up with the commentator's nauseating adulation. ”Come on, lads! Don't let those Manchester United bastards look down on us! Sing with me!”

”Wood! Wood! Wood Wood Wood! Grow into a Forest! Wood! Wood! Wood Wood Wood! Let your opponents struggle! If you want to bypass, the ball stays! Stays! Stays! Wood! Wood! Wood Wood Wood! Grow into a Forest! Forest! Forest! Victory! Go, Go, Go! Forest Forest!”

Ronaldo heard the loud cheers coming from the Old Trafford stands. He liked to hear spectators cheering on his performance. This really is The Theater of Dreams.

Matthew Upson was up ahead. When he saw Ronaldo bypass Wood as he knocked the ball some distance away from himself, Upson wanted to rush up and intercept the ball. But he underestimated the Portuguese's speed. He was just a half step earlier than him to touch the football, and then he leaped and did a Marseille Turn, dragged the football, and brushed past Upson!

”Ah! It's beautiful! A genius performance!” The commentator was shouting uncontrollably, as though he had seen the unveiling of a good passing performance by several players, like the scene with Thierry Henry's shot into Tottenham Hotspur's goal. That terrific goal had been exciting enough to repeatedly broadcast as an opening title on the BBC for a year.

Ronaldo, who just used the Marseille Turn to rotate past Upson, thought that he already had a clear expanse ahead of him. But he was suddenly caught unawares and was hit, almost losing his balance. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, and the ball at his foot scuttled to the left flank from the force of the impact.

It was then that he was free to see who had knocked into him. He was startled by who he saw: George Wood!

The Forest team number 13 had taken advantage of the chance to chase him again when he had used the Marseille Turn to rotate past Upson and had had to slow down!

This guy… Is it over yet?

Seeing how he had gone from directly facing the goal to facing the flank with just one knock from Wood, Ronaldo was now competing with Wood. Even if van Nistelrooy was not far behind him and was coming up to assist him, he would not pass the ball. He was bent on fighting it out with number 13.

With a sudden halt, he stopped the football with his heel, turned around, and looked up to see George Wood again!