Football: Starting from the 05 World Youth Championship

Compared to previous years, there weren't any major upsets in this year's Champions League knockout stage.

Just as Real Madrid defeated CSKA Moscow to advance to the semi-finals, Barcelona also defeated Arsenal away from home, advancing to the semi-finals with a strong aggregate score of 6-2.

In the other half of the bracket on the second day, Chelsea, playing at home, defeated Bordeaux 3-1, eliminating their opponents with a 3-2 aggregate score and becoming the third team to advance to the semi-finals.

The highlight of this round of the Champions League is the Manchester derby between Manchester United and Liverpool. The two teams have a deep historical rivalry and are the least affected by the Icelandic volcanic eruption in this knockout stage.

The outside world was anticipating a clash of titans between them, and their performance did not disappoint.

At Anfield, Liverpool were in red-hot form, taking a 2-0 lead over Manchester United with goals from Torres and Gerrard in the first half.

Including the score of the first leg, the overall score between the two teams is now 3:2.

Liverpool not only have a large lead, but also hold an away goal advantage.

At the end of the first half, almost everyone predicted that Liverpool would advance to the semi-finals.

Even the Reds themselves felt the same way, and their substitutes celebrated happily in the locker room.

However, opening champagne at halftime can be a bad thing, and Liverpool fans should know this!

After the start of the second half, Manchester United launched a desperate counterattack.

First, Kaka made a solo run, charging all the way from midfield into the penalty area during a counter-attack, bringing the score to 2-1.
Then Rooney stepped forward as well.

In the 74th minute of the second half, Rooney received a cross from Giggs and completed a difficult bicycle kick inside the penalty area, scoring the goal!

The score became 2-2, and the aggregate score was 4-3, with Manchester United regaining the lead.

Moreover, they have scored more away goals than Liverpool!

The situation suddenly turned against Liverpool, and they needed to score two goals in the next ten minutes to advance to the semi-finals!
This is too difficult; even if the Liverpool players give it their all, it will be hard to accomplish.

However, fate seemed to be playing tricks on these two teams. Manchester United, who had just equalized, soon had a player sent off due to a foul.

This red card has made the situation even more unpredictable.

Seeing a glimmer of hope, Liverpool launched a desperate attack on Manchester United in the final moments of the match.

However, the ten-man Manchester United defense was extremely tenacious, with even Rooney, the main striker, dropping back into the penalty area to block shots.

After 80 minutes, the score was 2-2.

After 85 minutes, the score was still 2-2!

The constantly spinning second hand, like a death knell, suffocated countless Liverpool fans.

However, the Reds' die-hards at Anfield did not give up; they suddenly began singing the team's anthem in unison.

The song "Never Walk Alone," which has resounded countless times at Anfield Stadium, was played again.

The Liverpool players, who were already exhausted, seemed to be injected with boundless energy after hearing the song, and launched another fierce attack on their opponents.

The 90th minute, the last minute of regular time.

Torres, like a bull, shook off the defenders who were pulling him away, received a long pass from his teammate, and went one-on-one with the goalkeeper, helping his team change the score to 3-2.
The moment Torres scored, the entire stadium erupted in cheers. Liverpool fans seemed to have seen a glimmer of hope again, and they were overwhelmed with excitement.

However, no one noticed that Torres' expression was unusually serious after taking the shot, and his walking posture was also somewhat strange.

At this moment, the fourth official on the sidelines raised the electronic board – the stoppage time for this match is 5 minutes!

Upon seeing the length of the added time, Manchester United fans around the world collectively unleashed a torrent of profanities, using the most elegant language to curse the refereeing team's loved ones.

Liverpool fans, however, were secretly cheering:

There's still time!

still have a chance!

They haven't lost yet!
At this moment, both Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez stood nervously on the sidelines, clenching their fists and staring intently at the pitch.

The two men were both seasoned veterans who had seen all sorts of big events, but at this moment, they still felt incredibly tense.

Time seemed to be stretched out, passing very slowly.

Every touch of the ball and every attack by the players from both sides sent the hearts of the fans of both teams soaring like a rollercoaster.

In the third minute of stoppage time, Kaká intercepted the ball in the middle and was about to launch a counterattack, but he was brought down by Gerrard's vicious tackle after only a few steps.

However, the referee did not blow the whistle, deeming it a clean tackle.

The hot-tempered Ferguson immediately protested loudly to the fourth official on the sidelines, but the situation on the field suddenly changed.

Liverpool midfielder Maxi Rodriguez, who joined the team during the winter transfer window, saw Torres' run and suddenly launched a long pass, sending the ball to Torres' feet.

Tens of thousands of fans at Anfield held their breath at that moment, all eyes fixed on Torres, who was sprinting across the pitch, and the Manchester United goalkeeper who had rushed out of his goal.

Faster, faster!
Both sets of fans are praying in their hearts!

Although Van der Sar was closer to the ball, Torres was faster.

As Torres was about to make contact with the ball, Manchester United fans closed their eyes in anguish.

However, at that moment, a gasp suddenly rang out from Anfield Stadium.

Torres, who was sprinting at full speed, suddenly had his knee buckle and stumbled, falling to the ground.

Seeing him fall to the ground, clutching his knees in agony, Liverpool fans' hearts sank to the bottom.

Injuries sustained without contact or confrontation are often more severe than those sustained after confrontation.

Judging from the location of Torres' injury, it appears to be his knee.

For a player who relies on speed and explosiveness, a knee injury can ruin his career.

Torres' sudden injury cost Liverpool a chance to win the game.

Manchester United narrowly secured the final spot in the semi-finals on away goals.

After learning of Torres' injury, Lin Feng immediately called him to offer his condolences after the match.

Despite his injury, Torres was an optimist and not at all discouraged. Instead, he comforted Lin Feng, telling him not to worry.

"Don't worry, it's just a minor injury. A few weeks of rest will do the trick. What are you worried about with my ox-like body?" Lin Feng was speechless after hearing this, and adopted the air of an older brother, instructing him:

"You better behave yourself. If you want to play in the World Cup, you need to reduce your activity and rest more during this period. You should also have your knee checked by a famous doctor. If you don't know anyone, I can introduce you. Don't think you can take things for granted just because you're young!"

"That's great! I'm going back to Spain this week to recover from my injury, and I'll be coming to you then. Brother Lin, you can't abandon me!"

"Yue, stop disgusting me!"

"It's good to come back and rest. The weather in England is unbearable. I just don't understand why you would do something like going there to play football?"

"Hey, it's because nobody wants me. I'm an Atlético Madrid player, so I can't go to Real Madrid. It feels a bit strange if I go to Barcelona and be your opponent, Brother Lin. The Premier League is pretty good. Liverpool seems to be fine except for the weather being a bit bad, the prices being a bit high, and the food being a bit unpalatable."

Lin Feng was speechless. If your standards are this low, what can I say?
……

Real Madrid's easy qualification for the Champions League allowed them to temporarily shift their focus from the Champions League to the league.

In this round of league matches, Real Madrid will host Barcelona at home.

This is the most important match of the second half of the La Liga season, and it could very well determine who wins the league title!
In preparation for this match, Mourinho ignored the objections of many news media outlets, declined all interviews, and conducted a closed training camp for the team.

Is Mourinho preparing something big? Why is he being so mysterious?

What's the use of last-minute cramming? Barcelona is in red-hot form, having won five consecutive league matches, while Real Madrid is experiencing their longest losing streak of the season!

[Wow, Barcelona fans are really good at playing word games! Real Madrid just had their key players absent and strategically gave up two matches, but you guys make it sound like they're terminally ill and beyond saving!]

[Playing word games? Aren't I stating the facts? Isn't Barcelona on a five-game winning streak, while Real Madrid is on a losing streak?]

In the past two years, the relationship between Real Madrid and Barcelona has deteriorated further, and the fans of the two teams have become complete enemies. When they meet online, they can't even exchange more than a few words before they start arguing.

However, no matter how fiercely they argue, it won't affect the outcome of this match.

Ultimately, to win the game, both teams need to fight tooth and nail on the field.

Time flies, and the day of the competition arrived in the blink of an eye.

Before the match began, Real Madrid finally announced their starting lineup.

The roster was largely in line with expectations, but Mourinho's formation was somewhat perplexing.

Real Madrid's starting left-back Marcelo surprisingly played as a left winger in this match, not as a left-back.

Cristiano Ronaldo, who should have been in this position, was placed in the striker position by Mourinho, which is quite in line with his jersey number (9).

This arrangement has sparked much speculation, with many wondering what Mourinho's true intentions are.

“Marcelo is strong in both attack and defense. Moving him forward can effectively support the attack in the frontcourt, and in the transition from attack to defense, he can also use his defensive ability to intercept or slow down the opponent’s attack.”

The commentators weren't really sure what Mourinho was trying to do either, so they could only guess based on Marcelo's personal characteristics.

On the Barcelona coaching side, Guardiola had no such questions.

Upon seeing the opponent's arrangement, he confirmed that it was a setup made by Mourinho to strengthen the attack.

When Cristiano Ronaldo was at Manchester United, he had unlimited shooting rights and a lot of possession of the ball.

In addition, Manchester United lacks a top-class midfielder, so most of their attacks come from the flanks.

Therefore, keeping him in the winger position will maximize his effectiveness.

But things changed when he got to Real Madrid.

Cristiano Ronaldo doesn't have as much possession on the wings, and his shooting opportunities have also decreased; at least he doesn't have as many chances to waste shots.

With fewer shots on goal and less possession, Ronaldo needs to improve his scoring efficiency; staying on the wing is no longer a good option.

Perhaps the correct way to utilize Ronaldo is to switch him to center forward and continuously supply him with passes, taking advantage of Real Madrid's world-class midfield.

In the past few matches, Ronaldo had already begun this transformation, and it was very effective, resulting in a number of goals.

So Mourinho's arrangement today was probably to use Barcelona's strength to test the effectiveness of Ronaldo playing as a center forward.

Thinking about this, Guardiola suddenly felt a little envious.

Logically speaking, a superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo shouldn't be so unambitious as to willingly come to a team as the second-in-command.

On the Barcelona side, even though Ibrahimovic's fame and ability are inferior to Messi's, he is still ambitious and wants to replace Messi as the leader of Barcelona!
But Ronaldo did it anyway, and it seemed like he did it willingly, with no sign of dissatisfaction on his part.

What methods did Mourinho use to make Ronaldo so obedient?
If we could find out this method, I wonder if there would be a chance to try it on Ibrahimovic?
Forget it, this kid's got a rebellious streak. Let's get rid of him this summer. Barcelona can't afford to keep this god.

Guardiola was lost in thought when the match had already begun.

Marcelo, who was chosen as a surprise weapon, certainly lived up to expectations.

Shortly after the start of the game, he used his speed to break through on the left wing and help Real Madrid win a corner kick.

Watching Lin Feng intently strategizing for the corner kick, Guardiola shifted uncomfortably, looking somewhat nervous.
Real Madrid's set pieces are quite something!

Will they concede a goal so soon?
Corner kicks actually have a relatively low success rate, sometimes even lower than free kicks.

But this game is all about luck. You might as well try your luck a couple of times, and who knows, you might just guess right.

"Referee, isn't that a foul?"

Seeing seven or eight burly men crowding into his penalty area, Barcelona goalkeeper Valdes shrugged at the referee, somewhat speechless.

He felt like he had almost no room to move. If the opponent passed the ball in front of him, how could he come out to catch it?

Upon hearing this, the referee frowned and went into the penalty area to check. Although the Real Madrid players were crowded together in the six-yard box, they had not actually committed a foul.

The referee racked his brains but couldn't find any precedent for such a ruling.

Therefore, they had no choice but to ignore the protests of the Barcelona players and signal for the game to continue.

At the corner flag, Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the referee leave the penalty area.

This corner kick tactic is Arsenal's infamous "siege the goalkeeper" tactic.
By using players' positioning to disrupt the goalkeeper's vision and attacking routes, the team can create favorable conditions for winning headers and scoring opportunities in the penalty area.

This tactic may seem a bit vulgar, and it is indeed quite obscene, but it works really well!
Real Madrid might have some reservations when facing other teams, but against Barcelona, ​​they have no inhibitions.

Valdes will have to make do for now! (End of Chapter)