If you are a brother, come and play football

Chapter 225 An Ahead-Than-Expected Victory (Please Subscribe)
Lu Deyang and his teammates flew to Spain.

Zaragoza is a club in the Aragon region.

The team that helped them win the Cup Winners' Cup last year was Arsenal.

Although the professor took over Graham's team ahead of schedule, without any signings or a full season, it's normal that they couldn't beat Zaragoza.

At the time, Zaragoza had a very good squad, with Cafu as a substitute full-back and several key Spanish midfielders, such as Ignacio and Aragon.

On the contrary, Zaragoza's strength has declined this season.

This is the situation for the small team that won the championship.

Especially after Bosman won his case in December, it marked the beginning of a new era for European football.

The days ahead for smaller teams, and even for dominant teams from smaller countries, will only get worse. Ajax, once a European powerhouse, will become nothing more than a star-making factory.

In this scenario, for a smaller La Liga team to win a European title, their opponent would have to be Manchester United, led by Amorim.

Despite losing several key players in the summer, Zaragoza has still maintained a certain level of competitiveness.

To Lu Deyang's surprise, they actually let Cafu go.

Although Cafu's league performance was average, he performed exceptionally well for the national team, clearly demonstrating potential that he failed to realize due to tactical and other reasons.

Cafu is a nickname, mainly because he played like the Brazilian star Caforinga in the 70s.

If you don't know the specifics, it's hard to guess the connection between the names on the back of Brazilian players and their full names. Apart from South America, no one would print someone else's surname on their back just because they're called the new Beckenbauer or the new Cruyff.

While changing his clothes, Lu Deyang felt the enthusiasm of the home fans.

Clearly, Real Zaragoza fans are still hoping for more; the 90s were the last golden age for small clubs, and they still had a chance to compete for European titles.

Ten years later, even teams in major cities like Valencia were starting to struggle. The two Spanish giants took too much of the broadcasting revenue, and player transfer fees kept rising, causing other teams to fall into a prolonged slump if they made a mistake in the transfer market.

A gamble like Crystal Palace's £20 weekly wage signing of Max Meyer, a move aimed at avoiding relegation, will never happen in La Liga.

Even if they wanted to, they wouldn't have the financial resources to support it.

"What a lovely group of fans, we're going to disappoint them again today."

Gary Neville sighed, "I feel like I've killed the whole world's dreams."

"If you can score 5 goals in a season, I'll admit you have a point," Cantona retorted.

Gary Neville blushed and argued, "A full-back is a defender, primarily focused on defense... How can you talk about goals when you're a defender? I also had some assists."

Then they talked about positioning to limit the opponent, positioning to initiate the attack, and off-the-ball movement and coordination.

The locker room erupted in laughter, filling the air with joy.

Lu Deyang shook his head and chose to participate in the lottery.

[Your good brother David Beckham has hardly encountered any setbacks and was scouted from a young age. So, we've selected a player who faced many difficulties in his youth. Ding! You've obtained a single-match trial card for the 33rd round of the 2005-2006 La Liga season, Valencia vs. Athletic Bilbao.]

Calabash Brothers!
We really encountered quite a few difficulties.

He broke his leg while playing at a construction site when he was a child. If he had surgery, he might be disabled for life.

Therefore, conservative treatment was chosen.

It was a complete miracle that he was able to stand up in the end.

Because of a right leg injury, he used his right leg to support his left leg while kicking the ball, even with a cast on. That's how Villa, a right-footed player, developed his ability to use both feet.

During his time with Silva at Valencia, the team's style of play was indeed very attractive.

That team was also quite strong, with many national team players on its roster, and it even won a double championship.

Villa not only has an absurd shooting range, but he is also proficient with both feet.

His passing ability is also quite good.

Moreover, his partnership with Torres is probably the most handsome among top strikers. Historically, only the Italian national team can rival their looks, but Vieri and other strikers didn't even match their national team performance.

"I'll show you what I can do today."

Gary Neville said, sticking out his tongue.

Lu Deyang glanced at Gary Neville.

This guy always has a reason.

After retiring, he was seen by the world as a genius young coach, and his comments were always insightful.

A record of 3 wins, 5 draws, and 8 losses in 16 league matches is quite impressive.

Even considering Manchester United's coaching abilities aren't particularly impressive, this is quite a breakthrough.

Looking back, it's clear that Neville's verbal skills were honed from his youth team days; it's a skill he developed early on, so it's no wonder he can fool so many fans in Europe.

This guy's situation is like something out of a comic book.

Even though his skills aren't that great, everyone thinks he's very strong.

During the warm-up, Gary Neville was still emphasizing the role of the full-backs.

Lu Deyang acknowledged what he said.

But if you had the ability to dominate the side lanes like Maicon at his peak, you wouldn't need to focus solely on positioning and support, right?

Leaving aside Brazilians, even England has Ashley Cole.

Lu Deyang ran into an old acquaintance in the opponent's half.

Raul's best friend, Morientes.

The two were suspected by the media to be a couple because they had the same ankle tattoos.

However, judging from their subsequent behavior, they should just be good friends.

Young Morientes looked green, but even from a distance, you could feel his positive and energetic attitude. Without the setbacks he experienced at Real Madrid, he was still a rising star.

I am full of confidence in the future.

Today, Lu Qiuwang let him experience setbacks in advance, so that he won't be at a loss when he encounters a real big event in the future.

Villa was one of the best strikers in European football during his peak.

Playing against Zaragoza, who were just nerfed in the summer, is no different from bullying someone.

"The first leg of the European Super Cup is about to begin. Today, Manchester United's opponent is Real Zaragoza, the reigning Cup Winners' Cup champions. Victor Fernandes' team had a very impressive performance last season, but their performance in La Liga has declined quite a bit this season."

"Yes, Zaragoza's biggest problem is their defense on the right flank. Any team facing Manchester United should be wary of Dejan's attacks."

"Both teams' players have returned to the tunnel. Let's take a look at the starting lineups."

Zaragoza's 4-4-2 formation with two defensive midfielders:
Goalkeeper: Juanmi

Defenders: Solana, Aguado, Quartero, Alberto
Midfielders: Gustavo Lopez, Escalada, Mohamed Naim, Iguera

Forwards: Morientes, Darren Garcia.

Manchester United's 4-4-2 formation with two holding midfielders:
Goalkeeper: Schmeichel
Defenders: Irwin, Bruce, Pallister, Gary Neville

Midfielders: Ludjohn, Redondo, Keane, Beckham
Forwards: McClair, Cantona.

"Manchester United's starting lineup is almost always the same. Andy Cole and McClair rotate, and other positions are also rotated. Ferguson makes some rotations every game to ensure Manchester United can compete on multiple fronts."

"Yes, after all, even after the Super Cup, Manchester United still has four competitions to participate in: the Premier League, the FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Champions League. If they rely on the same starting lineup, they definitely won't be able to keep going."

"Manchester United can compete for multiple titles this season, which is both an honor and a challenge. It is worth mentioning that Alejandro Garcia, a Manchester United fan who has just regained his mobility, was also in the stands. It is said that Dejan gave him the ticket."

At 7:30 p.m., French referee Rémy Arrell blew the whistle to start the match.

Cantona passed the ball back to Lu Deyang, who immediately signaled his teammates to push forward.

Zaragoza, a technically gifted La Liga team, is not easy to deal with when they launch a counter-attack.

They can pass the ball to the frontcourt in just a few seconds.

So the goal is to score quickly, forcing Zaragoza to keep pushing forward and playing an attacking game.

Back then, if Manchester United had pressed hard in midfield, they could have easily won the game.

McClair and Cantona both surged forward, directly restricting Zaragoza's midfield and defense, forcing them to maintain pressure on Manchester United's forwards.

Lu Deyang and Beckham used the width of the field to their advantage, along with Redondo and Keane.

In an instant, an irregular hexagonal shape confined the Zaragoza players inside.

Van Gaal's eyes lit up as he watched TV.

This large-circle tactic is quite interesting.

It's true that watching other teams' games can provide inspiration.

Manchester United's ball movement is very fast, which forces Zaragoza to constantly shift their defensive focus and run back and forth with the ball.

This tactic, which isn't exactly passive, but rather involves pushing forward, can indeed effectively wear down the opponent.

Igra and Naim both rushed toward Ludyan, but Ludyan did not force his way through with the ball. Instead, he turned and made a long, low pass.

The ball rolled from the front to the back and found Irwin.

Darren Garcia tried to press, but Irwin held the ball very firmly.

Whether he used physical force or subtle tricks, he couldn't cause any trouble for Erwin.

“Something doesn’t feel right; Dejan is making a forward run.”

Jim Beglin said.

The camera focused on Lu Deyang as he rushed towards the front of the court.

Irwin passed the ball to Redondo.

After receiving the ball in the center circle, Redondo carried his opponent forward a few meters and immediately sent a through ball.

With his back to goal, Cantona quickly passed the ball back, and none of the three defenders could pose a threat to him.

McClair, standing in the middle, lobbed the ball directly into the penalty area without stopping it. The ball was perfectly timed, and Cantona, who had made a forward run, received it behind the defense and volleyed it over Aguado's head to the left side of the penalty area.

click -

Lu Deyang shifted his weight backward and passed the ball down the court, leaving Alberto with no chance to react.

The full-back tried to get around Lu Deyang on the right, but before he could get into position, Lu Deyang had already swung his left foot out.

boom--

This was not a conventional shooting motion. In order to prevent the ball from hitting the ground, Lu Deyang was unable to exert full force to swing the ball out. However, at such close range, Juanmi had no way to do anything. After diving to the near post, he found that the ball was flying back to its original position, and he knew that the ball was lost.

boom--

"Deyang!"

"Deyang!"

"Deyang!"

The away fans cheered wildly in the stands.

Manchester United fans had flushed faces with excitement.

Football is a great way to get fans' adrenaline pumping, especially when Manchester United scored such a brilliant goal.

They admire Lu Deyang's individual heroism, and they also appreciate the team goals scored with Lu Deyang as the leader.

Manchester United's biggest uncertainty is that they never know how the next goal will come.

Lu Deyang smiled and pointed at Cantona.

This goal not only drew the defense but also allowed Cantona to pass the ball to them.

It can be said that he made a great contribution.

Cantona was about to speak when he saw a figure rush past him.

Gary Neville!
With his arm around Lu Deyang's shoulder, Big Neville cheered towards the stands and shouted in Lu Deyang's ear, "See? I told you so! Although I didn't participate in the goal this time, my positioning put a lot of pressure on the opponent."

"Yeah."

Lu Deyang said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

If you're talking about credit, all the players on the field definitely deserve it.

After all, even if you just run a few steps, it will affect the opponent's defense.

However, the specific percentage of impact varies greatly. Fans can argue that their shouts put psychological pressure on the opponent, causing them to fail to defend.

"Goal!!!"

"Dejan Goal!"

"Just four minutes into the game, Manchester United scored a team goal with their excellent organization. From the kickoff, Manchester United controlled the ball for four minutes, passing it 22 times before launching an attack from Redondo's position."

"Throughout the entire process, the Zaragoza players didn't even manage to touch the ball. Just looking at this goal, it makes us feel that the two sides are not even on the same level."

"There might be teams that could pose a threat to Manchester United, but it's definitely not Real Zaragoza!"

Martin Taylor deliberately emphasized the word "royal," his sarcastic tone practically overflowing the screen.

Furthermore, this is combined with his repeated emphasis on Arsenal playing well.

This is to say that Premier League teams are very strong.

However, Manchester United's goal did indeed shock many fans.

Powerful control!

They kept the ball under their control from the start.

This style of play is usually only seen in Dutch teams, or the Catalan team.

Another thing is constant running.

When passing the ball, the off-the-ball movement of Manchester United players is the key to why the opponent cannot intercept the ball.

The constant running made Manchester United's squad appear to have more players in certain areas.

Ferguson stood on the sidelines, smiling and applauding.

Brian Kidd chimed in, "The players did a great job today, and we'll be able to finish this game soon."

"I can only feel at ease if Dejan is replaced sooner."

Ferguson said.

Ideally, the victory should be secured in the first round.

In the second round, we'll return to the Theatre of Dreams to await the awards ceremony. This will give us some flexibility in the remaining matches.

As the League Cup progresses, the FA Cup begins.

In addition, the Champions League has resumed.

These are all reasons why Ferguson is worried.

If Lu Deyang gets injured, Manchester United will be in trouble for a while.

……

Senseless.

Manchester United's goal after gaining possession left Zaragoza's players somewhat bewildered.

The main force composed of Spanish players and South American players represents technical skill.

But Manchester United's goal made them wonder, who the hell is the real technical player?

After the restart, they were immediately pressed by Manchester United.

Such intense pressure is rare in La Liga.

Darren Garcia quickly passed the ball back.

Escalada passed the ball to the wing, and Lopez had just gotten past Beckham when he was pressed by Keane.

Gustavo Lopez quickly pulled back and passed the ball out.

Mohammed Naim took two steps in the middle lane and then sent a long teleport away.

The ball headed straight for the edge of Manchester United's penalty area. Morientes chested it down, but when he turned to shoot, Steve Bruce blocked the ball with his foot.

The ball hit Bruce's shoe sole and bounced in the opposite direction.

Redondo got into position first and immediately turned and made a through pass.

Unexpectedly, Aguado anticipated his pass, made a sliding tackle, and sent the ball to the left wing. Lopez crossed the ball at a 45-degree angle towards the goal, but Schmeichel reached out and blocked it out of bounds.

“Damn bastards, if you give the enemy another chance, I’ll show you what the wrath of an ace spy is!” Schmeichel shouted.

Upon hearing his roar, Gary Neville felt a dull ache in his arm.

My arm got punched a lot during the last dinner party.

"This guy really thinks his father is some kind of big spy. In a few years, he'll probably surpass James Bond in his mouth," Neville quipped.

puff-

Pallister couldn't help but laugh.

This was just a sarcastic remark, but Neville's tone was quite quirky.

He has a natural talent for manipulating other people's emotions.

“Be careful not to let Peter hear this, I don’t want to hear him cursing Gary either.”

"Pariste reminded me in a low voice."

After all, he and Ouchi are both named Gary.

Every time Schmeichel criticized Neville, he felt like he was being criticized as well.

"Don't worry, our Gary is the strongest."

Gary Neville said with a laugh, "People named after saints like Peter, Paul, and Kevin are usually not very capable."

Pallister laughed even harder.

This guy cursed at several people as soon as he opened his mouth.

That means Scholes didn't start today.

Otherwise, that seemingly dull little guy would probably play another prank on Neville.

Zaragoza took this corner kick very seriously.

However, they don't have much of an advantage in terms of height or physical strength.

With only Morientes as a tall player in the attacking third, Keane and Bruce sandwiched Morientes from both sides before the kickoff, giving him no chance to make a move.

Seeing this, Lopez had no choice but to make a short pass and take a tactical corner kick.

Escalada was immediately pressed by Irwin upon receiving the ball, and he quickly passed it back to Lopez.

Lopez immediately turned and delivered a cross.

The ball was delivered quite close to the goal line, making it difficult for the goalkeeper to handle.

The close-range battle was intense. Aguado rushed forward and headed the ball on, but Redondo immediately jumped up and blocked it.

The ball wasn't headed far enough; it remained inside the penalty area, leading to a chaotic scramble between the two teams.

Keane and Igra swung their feet almost simultaneously, but Igra was clearly no match for Keane, and he fell in the penalty area after the exchange.

A Zaragoza player raised his hand to indicate a penalty, but the referee shook his head and ran out of the penalty area.

The ball went out of the penalty area, and McClair immediately turned and pushed it. Cantona saw Lu Deyang making a run forward and smoothly chipped the ball with the inside of his foot.

The ball was passed too far, heading straight for the center line.

Lu Deyang and Aguado, who was chasing back, both went after the ball, leaving only Quartero in Zaragoza's backfield.

This situation made the home fans worry, fearing that Lu Deyang might get the ball and be one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

Aguado had tried his best, but he could only stay half a body length behind Lu Deyang.

There's simply no way to catch up.

The ball bounced off the ground and crossed the center line.

Aguado tried to reach the ball from behind to get a better touch, but he misjudged the situation.

Instead, Lu Deyang seized the opportunity.

Lu Deyang rushed ahead to get behind the ball, raised his right foot and tapped the ball with the inside of his foot.

Aguado then jumped up and pounced on Lu Deyang, but even if he wanted to interrupt Lu Deyang with a foul, he was a step too late.

boom--

The ball didn't have much power, but Lu Deyang kicked it very high.

Zaragoza goalkeeper Juanmi remained inside the six-yard box.

This relieved the home fans; they had anticipated the position and should be able to block it.

Tens of thousands of people in the stadium looked up, watching the ball's trajectory.

The ball kept rising, making it seem like it could fly into the stands. But once it entered the penalty area, it started to plummet, sending Zaragoza fans into their throats once again.

退，

Retreat again.

Juanmi adjusted his footing and retreated to the goal line.

There's no way to retreat from this position.

As the ball dipped, the goalkeeper jumped up.

However, he soon realized that his takeoff height was insufficient.

There was still some distance between his hands and the crossbar. Although he judged the direction correctly, the ball still brushed past his hands, skimmed the crossbar, and went into the goal.

Juanmi also fell awkwardly into the goal.

This kind of backward diving save makes it difficult to control the center of gravity.

However, as a professional goalkeeper, he turned to the side in advance to protect himself from injury.

This is an essential course for every goalkeeper.

Although he was not injured, Juanmi lay in the goal and refused to get up.

A lob shot from 50 meters out breached his goal, leaving the goalkeeper deeply hurt.

The thought of the taunts from Osasuna fans, his arch-rivals, made him feel like his life was bleak.

"Are you okay?"

Chu Qiao Solana came over and asked.

"fine."

Juanmi took Solana's hand and stood up, saying...

Both players came through Real Madrid's youth academy and were teammates before.

"That guy is tough to deal with, so don't be too upset about conceding a goal," Solana said.

He had previously encountered Lu Deyang at Real Madrid, where Real Madrid suffered a crushing defeat in both legs.

It's normal that they can't beat a team of Zaragoza's caliber.

Giggs has already started warming up on the sidelines.

Some Manchester United fans protested towards the coaching bench.

Damn it, they need to change players in less than ten minutes.

Did they come to the Iberian Peninsula with the team just to watch Giggs play?
Even in the realm of playboys, Giggs is no match for the team's Lee Sharpe.

Sharp changes girlfriends as often as he changes clothes.

Giggs does prefer long-term relationships, but after a while, he'll start dating someone else without breaking up with his ex. This habitual infidelity is so bad that even The Sun doesn't bother reporting on it anymore, since Giggs's taste isn't exactly great.

……

After the restart, Zaragoza simply passed the ball back all the way.

They became noticeably more negative.

However, McClair and Beckham pressed very aggressively, putting considerable pressure on their backline.

Quartero passed the ball forward to Escalada, but Redondo intercepted it with a single tackle and turned to pass it to the onrushing Irwin before the opponent could win it back.

After receiving the ball, Irwin made a slight adjustment and then crossed with his left foot, sending the ball to the left side of the penalty area.

Lu Deyang powerfully lifted the ball high with his left foot, and Alberto headed it into the goal again.

"Deyang!"

The Manchester United players are going crazy.

Eight minutes in, the final, a hat trick.

These three phrases combined are almost equivalent to a championship trophy.

Although the final is a two-legged affair at this point, how could Manchester United, back at home, possibly lose to Zaragoza?

As soon as Lu Deyang stood up, he was surrounded by his teammates, with excited Manchester United players shouting continuously.

"It's Deyang again!"

"Everyone's eyes were on the goal; an eight-minute hat-trick is truly incredible."

"But we forgot something even more terrifying: Dejan's first volley inside the penalty area was with his left foot, followed by a 51-meter long-range shot with his right foot, and then this header—that's a perfect hat-trick!"

"Perhaps Dejan wasn't intentionally showing off, but he just has that ability—heading with no weaker foot, handling the ball perfectly every time, and easily scoring a perfect hat-trick!!!"

"Yes, that's really scary. I wouldn't have noticed it if you hadn't pointed it out. But with Giggs standing on the sidelines, is Manchester United preparing to make a substitution?"

Giggs looked at Ferguson.

"Wait a minute, Ryan."

Ferguson reassured him, "Patience is a virtue; we just need to wait for another goal."

His experience in the Champions League final taught him that three goals do not guarantee victory.

So Ferguson decided to wait a little longer.

Giggs didn't have any objections.

Scoring goals is not difficult for Lu Deyang; he won't stand on the sidelines for too long.

Zaragoza kicks off again.

Beckham and McClair rushed up to press the ball.

Morientes quickly passed the ball across, and Darren Garcia tried to do a fancy dribble past him, but he couldn't control the ball properly, and it bounced right in front of him.

Cantona reacted quickly and stretched out his foot.

Garcia attempted a foul to prevent Cantona from getting the ball.

The Frenchman hooked the ball in front of him and was shoved, but he still managed to pass the ball out the moment he fell to the ground.

Beckham received the ball and charged forward on the right wing, inevitably drawing the opponent's defensive attention.

Solana and Escalada rushed towards him at the same time, and Beckham quickly passed the ball back.

Keane had only one passing target when he got the ball; he didn't even dribble forward before making a diagonal pass to Redondo.

Redondo stood not far from the top of the arc, turned around, and swung his left foot.

Upon seeing this, several Manchester United players ran into the penalty area almost simultaneously.

The ball was passed to the left side of the penalty area near the byline. McClair, who had run into position, turned and headed the ball. Alberto was a step too slow in his sliding tackle to block it, and the ball was passed to him.

Lu Deyang, who had just started his run into the penalty area, immediately swung his right foot and struck.

boom--

Juanmi fell to the ground but remained a mere backdrop as the ball quickly slipped past him and into the goal.

4: 0!

The Zaragoza players were all stunned.

Four goals in ten minutes was completely unacceptable to them.

The home fans stared blankly at the field, unable to believe their eyes.

Is there really such a big difference between the winner of the Cup Winners' Cup and the winner of the Champions Cup?
Ferguson smiled at Giggs, shoved him toward the sidelines, and said, "Ryan, I told you, patience is a virtue..."

(End of this chapter)