Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 108 Falling Behind
Dan Yongzhuo kept rambling on at the dinner table, which Elena found hard to listen to, while Emily looked like a little fangirl and kept cheering him on.

"Shan, you're the best!"

"Inter Milan is nothing! You've scored five goals against them!"

Bala, bala, bala...

As for Marina on the other side, she had a cold face and suddenly said, "Shan, you're going to England next season, right? If you want to hire me to go there with you, I want a raise."

"..."

At this moment, Shan Yongzhuo somewhat understood the feelings of those small business owners in China, but he still decided to give Marilena a raise.

It's really hard to find an assistant like that who can be a driver, bodyguard, and cook, and who isn't gossipy at all.

"You're going to England? Why?" Emily asked in shock and panic upon hearing this.

Shan Yongzhuo didn't intend to hide it, since they wouldn't reveal it anyway. "Um, yes, if nothing unexpected happens, it should be Manchester City."

"Manchester City? Why Manchester City?" Elena was also a little confused and flustered.

"This..." Shan Yongzhuo didn't know how to put it. Should he just say it was for money?

Marina solved his problem, "What else could it be? It must be money. Manchester City is an Arab team. They lack everything, but they don't lack money."

"Okay, that's normal."

Upon hearing Elena reveal her multi-million pound annual salary, both Elena and Emily wore expressions of understanding, leaving Shan Yongzhu somewhat unmoved.

“No, that’s normal. Isn’t the point of playing football to make money?” Elena said with a matter-of-fact expression.

"Isn't it for honor?"

"Honor?" Marilena looked at Shan Yongzhuo with disdain, as if he were an alien. "If you don't have money, would you care about honor?"

"..."

It seems there's nothing wrong with it.

……

Inter Milan and Roma are undoubtedly the two most watched teams in Serie A this season.

In the league, Roma leads Inter Milan by two points, and with two rounds remaining, either team could win the title.

Both teams have reached the finals of the Champions League and the Europa League respectively, and have been hailed by the media as teams representing the glory of Italy.

Now, the Italian Cup final has seen a clash between the two teams, and there are plenty of things to watch.

In their two encounters this season, Roma have a record of one win and one draw, giving them the upper hand. The most watched player among them is undoubtedly Shan Yongzhuo.

In the twelfth round of the league, Shan Yongzhuo scored 5 goals in a single game, helping his team to a great victory over Inter Milan. In everyone's eyes, Shan Yongzhuo's performance will be the key to Roma's victory over Inter Milan.

On the day of the match, a simple warm-up was done in the morning to get the players in good condition. During breaks in training, the players were also allowed to go outside the field to be interviewed by reporters, and Spalletti did not stop them.

After the morning training session ended, Shan Yongzhuo also gave an interview. He, De Rossi, and Totti were the three most popular interviewees.

Totti is undoubtedly the flag of Rome.

De Rossi is seen as Totti's successor, and Real Madrid is currently pursuing him, with rumors swirling about his transfer.

As for Shan Yongzhuo, needless to say, he has been regarded as Roma's biggest gain this season. He is a talented young man who has already secured the European Golden Boot and has the most news to be made about him.

A reporter asked Shan Yongzhuo to talk about the afternoon's match, which was the key point of the interview.

Surrounded by reporters, Shan Yongzhuo could only give an interview: "I'm really looking forward to the final. The Italian Cup is a big stage, and of course I'm looking forward to performing well."

"Everyone wants to win, and so do I, but it's too early to discuss the outcome. All I can do is give my all in the game to score goals and help the team win the championship." A reporter who came from Milan asked a tricky question: "You are the league's top scorer, as well as the top scorer in the Europa League and the Italian Cup. Inter Milan president Moratti has expressed his admiration for you more than once. Have you ever thought about joining Inter Milan next season?"

"I haven't thought about it," Shan Yongzhuo said simply. "I'm a Roma player, and what I need to do now is help the team win the championship."

This remark immediately brought a smile to the face of the Roman journalist standing nearby.

In the afternoon, the Roma team traveled by bus to the Olympic Stadium.

Although he had stepped into this stadium more than once, Shan Yongzhuo still felt a little nervous.

This is also inevitable.

Even though they won the Austrian Bundesliga title last season, the Italian Cup title is more prestigious than the Austrian Bundesliga title.

This is a truly grand stage.

Dan Yongzhuo inevitably felt his heart pounding with excitement.

After the warm-up, the players finally entered the field, with the players from both teams leading their caddies onto the field, instantly bringing the atmosphere of the Olympic Stadium to its peak.

As soon as the match began, Shan Yongzhuo was immediately marked by Inter Milan's tight defense.

There was nothing they could do. That 5-2 defeat left a deep impression on Inter Milan, and Inter players, including Mourinho, knew they couldn't give this guy any chance.

Then, Shan Yongzhuo had a bit of a headache.

In the last match, they relied on sacrifice, but they don't have that skill in this match, so it won't be so easy for them to perform well.

Moreover, Inter Milan adopted a counter-attacking strategy, which they used to defeat Barcelona in the Champions League. Although Roma's strength is not on the same level as Barcelona's, Mourinho still used this tactic when it came to the championship.

In the first twenty minutes, Roma had a significant advantage in possession. Shan Yongzhuo was constantly running around, in front, on the right, on the left, and in the middle, but he couldn't get the ball. So he simply tried to drop back.

However, the area in front of the penalty area was also tightly blocked, making it difficult to have shooting space even when receiving the ball. Even if you used a whirlwind kick or a ghost grappling move, the chances were not great.

Spalletti was completely unprepared for Mourinho's tactical approach, and Roma made no countermeasures.

As Shan Yongzhuo stood in different positions, the defensive players around him kept changing. It might be Samuel, it might be Materazzi, sometimes it would be Zanetti, and he might even encounter Cambiasso after dropping back.

No matter which opponent is around, it's not easy to find an opening.

Rome's attacks all failed, forcing them to resort to long-range shots from the outside, but these attacks posed little threat, and Shan Yongzhuo could only patiently wait for an opportunity.

In the 29th minute, the situation on the field changed.

Pizarro lost possession, and Inter Milan launched a counter-attack from their own half.

Roma's defense was a little slow to recover. Maicon advanced down the wing and then crossed the ball into the middle. Milito beat the offside trap, shook off Mexes, and then pounced on the opportunity to score!

"1 to 0!"

"Milito's goal was a brilliant offside trap!"

"Diego Milito, he's given Inter Milan the lead!"

Amid the commentator's shouts, Inter Milan players excitedly celebrated their goal.

There's not much to analyze about the goal; it's a typical counter-attack goal. However, this goal will make things even more difficult for Roma.

Inter Milan's strategy for this match is to defend and counter-attack, and they have already taken the lead, which will put tremendous pressure on Roma.

Spalletti stood on the sidelines, frowning and shaking his head, but he didn't have any good ideas.

"It all comes down to individual effort!"

(End of this chapter)