Green Field Eunuch

Chapter 164 A Frustrated Van der Sar
Old Trafford Stadium.

The stands suddenly fell silent. Fans and reporters in the stands, as well as coaches and players on the field, all turned their attention to the Manchester United goal.

The ball went in!
Everyone reacted immediately, exclaiming in surprise as they recalled the goal: Manchester City's number 10 had dribbled past three defenders and scored.

"Vidic has been groined!" A commotion erupted from the stands.

The Sky Sports commentator exclaimed, "Goal! After all, it's only been two minutes since the start of the season, and Manchester United's goal has already been breached!"

"The goal was scored by Manchester City's number 10, Shan Yongzhuo. He skillfully broke through the defense of three people and put the ball in. Van der Sar had no chance to react."

"This goal was unexpected and very fast. Now, Shan Yongzhuo has helped Manchester City complete the goal."

"They've taken the lead over Manchester United at Old Trafford!"

The commentator sounded somewhat helpless. He was a Manchester United fan, and seeing United concede a goal so early left him feeling a bit bitter.

Of course, commentators should try to maintain a neutral stance.

Meanwhile, the surrounding fans also reacted, and Manchester City fans cheered wildly. They were so happy that they had taken the lead in just 2 minutes in this highly anticipated derby.

Manchester United fans, on the other hand, complained:
"What is Vidic doing? He got groined."

"What use are they if even three people couldn't stop him?"

"Van der Sar is getting old; he couldn't even make that save."

They were all gritting their teeth, especially unwilling to see the opponent's number 10 score a goal.

Before the match, Shan Yongzhuo arrogantly stated in the media that he would score at least three goals against Manchester United, completely disregarding the team.

and then?
They scored a goal in just 2 minutes, it's just unbelievable.

Manchester United fans were incredibly frustrated and booed loudly, but their voices were clearly weak because the opponent had indeed scored; even if they booed him, he had still scored.

Courtside.

Mancini was overjoyed, feeling as if he had just had a three-hundred-round battle with a young model.

Before the match, Ferguson's words angered him, but he was helpless. Over the years, he had never gained the upper hand in his confrontations with Ferguson, and he could not win a verbal battle with Ferguson, so he could only swallow his anger.

But what about now?
Manchester City took the lead in just two minutes!
Didn't you say that I only rely on Shan Yongzhuo?
He's enough for me on his own!
Mancini looked at Ferguson with a smug grin, his mouth practically twitching with delight.

Ferguson was also standing on the sidelines. He noticed the Italian's gaze and was furious, very dissatisfied with the team's defense.

"What on earth is Nemania doing?!"

He could only blame Vidic, whose opponent had slipped right through Vidic's defenses while sandwiched between three players, and Vidic hadn't been able to react at all, not even committing a foul.

Carrick and Evra rushed forward, but they couldn't do anything useful; they were like wooden stakes.

Ferguson couldn't help but roar at the top of his lungs: "Get yourselves together, all of you!"

"A bunch of idiots!"

The Manchester United players on the field trembled at the shout, shrinking back. Ferguson was angry, and they dared not express any opinion.

Manchester City, on the other hand, ignored Ferguson and were celebrating wildly.

"That was an amazing shot!"

"The defense of three people was broken through."

"I thought you were going to concede the ball, but you nutmegged Vidic." "Damn, you're amazing."

Shan Yongzhuo said modestly, "Luck, luck."

He used the stickiness effect of his whirlwind ground kick to keep the ball moving; all he had to do was run, and Vidic, Carrick, and Evra were unable to react.

Several teammates stood to the side, secretly thinking, "Couldn't we share some of that luck?"

After the game restarted, Manchester United launched an attack towards Manchester City's half from the kickoff. Their first wave of attack was somewhat conservative, with Nani breaking down the wing before passing the ball to the edge of the penalty area.

Berbatov got the ball and played a one-two with Park Ji-sung, but Kompany intercepted it, and possession returned to Manchester City.

Manchester United quickly retreated to defend, their midfield was well-organized, while Manchester City's midfield lacked creativity in attack, a persistent problem.

Manchester City's attack stopped shortly after crossing midfield.

What followed was a back-and-forth tug-of-war.

Judging from the subsequent course of the game, Manchester United still held a certain advantage, with more possession and a more solid overall connection.

In midfield, Scholes and Carrick are a long-time duo, and with Park Ji-sung frequently dropping deep to sweep up loose balls, Manchester United have a certain advantage in midfield.

However, this also resulted in them only having Berbatov in their attacking line.

Berbatov is not a player who likes to run around much, and Kolo Touré marked him tightly. Park Ji-sung's retreat also left Berbatov isolated and helpless.

On Manchester United's flanks, Nani's old problem resurfaced: once he got the ball, he would just blindly dribble forward, only crossing when he was dispossessed or in dire straits.

Such crosses are hard to describe as high quality. Berbatov was at a disadvantage in each aerial duel and struggled to create any real threat.

In comparison, Manchester City's attacks, though fewer in number, were more threatening.

Milner, in particular, on the left wing, was very active and his combination with Butt was quite effective.

Milner, Butt, and Balotelli formed a decent attacking trio.

Ferdinand was tasked with marking Balotelli, but his age and slow turning speed were exposed, and Balotelli repeatedly attacked behind him, leaving Ferdinand somewhat scrambling.

In the 29th minute, Balotelli finally made progress by repeatedly attacking Ferdinand.

This time it was Berbatov's shot. During a contest for a cross, he unleashed a spectacular overhead kick that nearly went in, but ultimately hit the post.

The stadium erupted in uproar, with Manchester United fans lamenting the goal.

However, while Manchester United fans were still applauding Berbatov's brilliant performance, Manchester City's rapid counterattack had already begun.

Kompany received the ball and passed it directly to Butt. Butt didn't stop the ball; he glanced at Balotelli and Shan Yongzhuo in the attacking third and then launched a long pass forward.

Balotelli turned and shook off Ferdinand, successfully beating the offside trap, and then received the ball, facing Van der Sey directly.

Van der Seymour was speechless at the performance of Manchester United's defensive duo. Ferdinand was like a child, once again being outmaneuvered by Balotelli.

But there was no other way; he was the only one who could fix it.

But this time, facing a one-on-one opportunity, Balotelli didn't display his Oscar-worthy acting skills; instead, he simply volleyed the ball into a low-angle shot.

The ball passed by Van der Said and went straight into the bottom left corner of the goal.

(End of this chapter)