Team Spirit

Chapter 142 Porto's miracle failed, Chelsea became the substitute.

【Volley Shot - Bronze 2-5】

[Wall Pass - Bronze: Your pass animation has been improved. Your first-time passes are more accurate.]

【B2B·黄金：你是一个B2B球员，当你处在己方禁区和对方禁区之间时个人能力提高百分之三。每个大类中最低的属性得到提高。75以上提升1点，75以下提升3点】

[Ferguson's Hair Dryer: Player Item. Leadership +5. Your serious criticism can improve a player's performance. May trigger a player's rebellion when the player is considering leaving.]

[Volley Shot: 66+3]

[Passing pre-pass animation: 60+2+3]

【Shot Pre-swing: 67+3】

[Ball control: 67+3]

Man-to-Man: 67+3

[Vertical Jump: 69+3]

Before the competition, Lu Kai received his reward for this period of time.

The first two are both part of the basic skills.

【B2B】 means "Box to Box", which refers to players moving between the two penalty areas.

Later, it also came to refer to an all-around midfielder.

In recent years, many midfielders have had clearly defined roles.

Offensive, organizing, dirty work, purely defensive.

However, with the development of football, from an individual perspective, there are more and more players who can only do one type of job. To be competitive, you need to be able to do multiple jobs.

From a team tactical perspective, the tactical awareness of strong teams is about the same, and each team has its own main attacker, but at the same time, they all have ways to defend against the opponent's main attacker.

Therefore, more secondary cores with the ability to orchestrate attacks are needed to break the deadlock.

If the defenders are too far from the forwards, the forwards will be exposed to the opponent's defense, making midfielders the best option.

As a result, many versatile midfielders have emerged.

Yaya Touré is poised to become the world's number one B2B company!

As for the Ferguson hair dryer, it is indeed a good product, but it should be used with caution.

Even someone as well-behaved as Beckham can become rebellious if overused.

Of course, if the team is full of rebellious individuals, there's no need to worry about whether they're treacherous.

……

"Hello everyone, I'm Han Qiaosheng. Today, I'll be joining you for commentary on this UEFA Cup match as well, as you all know, the SMS sales champion... I mean, Jin Buhuan, Huang Jianxiang!"

Han Qiaosheng wiped the sweat from his forehead, realizing he had inadvertently blurted out his true feelings.

Huang Jianxiang didn't care; it was well-deserved, and he was certain he'd win today's sales champion: "First, let me introduce the starting formations for both sides today. Dartford 3-2-3-2:"

Ashley Young, Beckford

"Short Li, Lu Kai, Madeira"

Patton, Touré

"Li Weifeng, Williams, Duff"

Caspar

"After Alf's retirement, Williams and Li Weifeng have been alternating in the starting lineup. I hope Da Tou (Li Weifeng) can win this competition within the team. He is currently the only Asian player still playing in European competitions!"

Who would have thought that Li Weifeng would win the honor he couldn't even win at Everton, at Dartford?

Schalke 04 is using a 4-2-1-3 formation.

"Sander, Mponsa, Asamoah"

Andrés Müller

"Bome, Paulson"

"Van Kirkhoven, Marco, Marant, Heito"

"Rost"

"Among them, Asamoah was the first black player on the German national team, and he is a symbolic figure in German football's absorption of foreign populations."

"Speaking of this, there are also discussions in China about naturalizing overseas players. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Please send your vote of support or opposition to... Your vote could very well determine the grand strategy for the development of Chinese football over the next twenty years!"

Almost instantly, Huang Jianxiang completed his paid SMS task for the day and continued to exceed it.

The concept of naturalized players is highly controversial in the country.

The fans were discussing it intensely.

However, it wasn't until more than a decade later that it was truly implemented in the country.

For those outside of football, naturalization is not uncommon in all walks of life, especially in the high-tech industry.

However, the Chinese football system... doesn't deserve such a green light.

As it turns out, money was given and household registration was granted, but no effort was put in and no sense of belonging was achieved. All that was done was to waste everyone's expectations and make money for a few people, and nothing else.

On the Schalke 04 bench, young player Mike Hanke looked at Lu Kai with envy in his eyes.

The two also faced off in the U19 European Championship last summer.

Hank even topped the scoring charts at one point.

Almost a year has passed, and he is still that "promising" rising star in German football.

Lu Kai, however, is already a formidable player in the UEFA Cup.

Nine goals and four assists, ranking first on the top scorer list!

When will I be able to exchange my talent for real money?
Hank's thoughts had already drifted away.

He didn't wake up until the eighth minute when Dartford scored.

"Beautiful! That was a well-coordinated play, showcasing Dartford's style."

"Shorry crossed from the left, Schalke's center-back Marco outjumped Beckford to head the ball away, and Madeira received the ball outside the penalty area and chipped it over the goalkeeper to gain possession."

"Duff's right-sided runs have become a killer move. Who would have thought that Duff, one of the three center-backs, would actually penetrate deep into the opponent's penalty area? Only Green Gunner could come up with such a positioning arrangement!"

"Madeira delivered a through ball, Duff played a fancy pass that fooled everyone, then cut the ball back to Madeira, who unleashed a powerful shot into the net."

"Madeira has been on fire lately!"

"This puts Dartford ahead on aggregate."

In the 13th minute, Ashley Young received the ball on the left wing and crossed it, but his cross was blocked, resulting in a corner kick.

Unfortunately, Williams was disallowed by the referee for pushing an opponent during a corner kick.

In the 26th minute, Yaya Touré passed the ball to Madeira.

Madeira was double-teamed and had the ball stolen from her.

But Lu Kai, who had come to provide support, immediately counter-attacked, and the opportunity arose as a result.

Lu Kai made a cross pass.

Toure, who had made a run, delivered a through ball.

Madeira was already prepared, making a high-speed run down the wing and delivering a cutback pass before the ball went out of play.

Beckford pounced on the loose ball and scored.

Two to zero!
Dartford extended their lead.

"Madeira has completed a goal and an assist! He currently leads the list with seven assists! His teammate Lukay and Porto attacking midfielder Deco are in second place, both with four assists."

The Feltens Arena fell silent.

They clearly didn't expect their team to be down by two goals at home.

It's worth noting that they drew 1-1 when playing away from home.

Schalke's head coach stood to the side, looking worried.

Evil door!

This Dartford is so weird!

Their form is getting better with each game. The whole team is playing very aggressively, and the players have a good touch, making passes and shots with ease.

In fact, this situation has occurred in many wealthy families.

It's generally called "being kicked out of form".

In the 37th minute, Asamoah dribbled the ball and knocked down Shory, and was called for an offensive foul by the referee.

In the 39th minute, Ashley Young failed to dribble past his opponent on the edge of the penalty area, and Poulsen sent a through ball down the right flank to launch a counter-attack.

Barton quickly chased back and, before Asamoah could catch up with the ball, made a lateral sliding tackle, sending the ball to Toure's feet.

Toure passed the ball to Sherry on the left flank, and Ashley Young immediately moved to the flank to receive Sherry's pass.

Lu Kai drove forward from the middle, heading straight for the top of the arc.

Sherry swept the ball across the field.

Lu Kai and Marco were going to battle, but Lu Kai lifted his leg and let the ball pass by.

Madeira unleashed a powerful shot from the corner of the penalty area.

Another center-back, Marant, made a timely block, and the ball bounced high into the air.

Beckford leaped high inside the penalty area and headed the ball back.

He passed the ball to Lu Kai.

Lu Kai met the incoming football with a powerful volley!
"GOAL!"

"Three to zero! Dartford have practically blown the game out of control!"

"Are they mistaking the Bundesliga for the English Second Division? No wonder Premier League fans have never taken the Bundesliga seriously; it's really hard to explain."

Han Qiaosheng: "What's so hard to explain? Manchester United even lost to Dartford... That's football, anything can happen!"

At halftime, Dartford led 3-0. Time to pop the champagne.

Fifteen minutes later, the second half began.

In the 53rd minute, Toure was protecting the ball in the backfield. Facing a triple-team, he became a bit greedy, thinking that as long as he could get out of the box, he could create an excellent opportunity.

He failed to turn and break through, was dispossessed by Müller and brought down, but the referee did not blow the whistle.

Sand then delivered a through ball, and Asamoah broke through on a half-chance and fired a shot into the net.

One to three!

Schalke has not yet surrendered.

In the 61st minute, Poulsen unleashed a powerful long-range shot, but Kasper was impeccable – except for that last drop.

In the 68th minute, Dartford substituted Valbuena for Ashley Young, who played as a left winger. Sherry dropped to left-back, and Duff moved from right center-back to right-back. The team switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation to strengthen their control and manage the score and the game.

In the 73rd minute, Murray replaced Beckford.

Schalke also made a substitution, replacing the striker Mpenza, who had been largely inconspicuous in the match, with the young Hank.

In the 82nd minute, Hank made a run forward.

Teammates also launched a long pass, preparing for an English-style attack.

However, Li Weifeng leaped high in front of Hank and headed the ball to Barton, who was chasing after him.

Barton turned and launched an attack with a long pass.

Valbuena moved nimbly, trying to create a one-on-one opportunity.

However, Marant reacted quickly and pinned him behind him.

Valbuena was too short to run.

As a result, after Marant took position, he headed the ball back lightly, seemingly trying to find someone, and instead passed the ball to Valbuena.

This action made everyone shake their heads in disbelief.

If you were to say he's confident... this is a typical sign of a lack of confidence in his heading ability. He doesn't dare to head the ball back directly to his own goalkeeper, nor does he dare to pass it to his center-back teammates inside the box. And from that angle, he can't pass the ball to his teammates outside the box.

So the only option is to go back.

But if you say he lacks confidence, the fact that he pointed to a spot two meters behind him clearly indicates that he believed he could use his body to continue pressuring Valbuena and control possession of the ball after landing.

Who knew that Valbuena didn't force a jump, but instead retreated and waited for an opportunity.

Valbuena received the ball and cut inside.

Marco immediately added the missing piece.

Valbuena made several feints, but Marco didn't fall for them and immediately came up and stretched out his leg.

Fortunately, Valbuena, despite his short legs, had a quick pace and managed to poke the ball away first before being tackled to the ground by Marco.

Because of the sensitive position near the penalty area, Schalke players panicked, and Lu Kai, who had made a forward run, dribbled into the penalty area and easily broke through on a one-on-one.

Schalke collapsed without a fight!
boom!
A powerful shot.

The football went into the goal.

"GOAL! Four to one!"

"Then there should be no suspense. Dartford will be the last team to reach the quarterfinals in this year's UEFA Cup!"

"Lu Kai also scored twice, bringing his total to eleven goals and topping the scoring charts!"

“Huh… Valbuena got kicked by Marco.”

The referee issued Marco an additional yellow card.

Dartford have a substitution slot available recently, and they've been using Ten Hag to replace Valbuena.

Barton played as a makeshift left winger.

In the 89th minute, with the game nearing its end, after a series of scrambles around Dartford's perimeter, Hank arrived at the perfect moment, gaining possession as soon as he joined the melee.

He flicked the ball, cut inside, and unleashed a powerful shot from just outside the penalty area.

Dartford's goal has fallen for the second time.

Ultimately, Dartford advanced to the UEFA Cup quarterfinals with this 4-2 victory.

This perfectly fulfilled Lian Xiang's dream of "wealth coming from all directions," and he could receive another £500,000 bonus.

……

Sky Sports: "Datford break another European record, reaching the UEFA Cup quarterfinals for the first time!"

BBC: "Incredible! Green Gunners are in even better form after defeating Liverpool and Manchester United!"

"Valbuena's injury is not serious and he can return to the field in two weeks." Green Gun Voice: "Valbuena's injury is not serious and he can return to the field in two weeks."

Bild: "Schalke 04 faces a heavy schedule and collapses on three fronts! They will miss European competition next season!"

Kicker: "Amidst a wave of injuries, Schalke 04 has found a rising star, with Mike Hanke becoming the team's youngest ever European goalscorer!"

On March 5th, in the 36th round of League Two, Dartford defeated Peterborough United 3-1.

Lu Kai is suspended for this match.

New signing Jeffers scored a goal.

When Jeffers is on the field, it means that Dartford's rotation has reached its limit.

At this time of year, all teams are entering the final sprint, and March Madness is here!
That's right. Besides the NCAA in basketball, there's also the concept of "March Madness" in soccer. This is because many matches reach their most crucial stage at this point, increasing the pressure on the team.

Every match will be a tough battle.

It's quite possible that you might still have a chance at third-tier status today, but a week later you could end up with nothing at all.

The situation is changing rapidly and is extremely cruel.

March 8th, FA Cup quarter-final.

Dartford can no longer draw weak teams.

Because the remaining teams are all Premier League teams.

Teams invest significantly more in the FA Cup than in the EFL.

This time, Dartford's opponent is Leeds United.

Teams with colors in their names are now very wary of Dartford, because if they're not careful, the white rose can turn into a green rose!

During this period, Leeds United remained a Premier League powerhouse in terms of reputation. Their young squad and continuous signings of star players kept them firmly in the top five of the Premier League for a long time.

But anyone with a discerning eye could see that the stem of this white rose had already withered and was about to fall.

Leeds United's defeat stemmed from their overly optimistic predictions about the future.

This is similar to how Dartford is perceived by the general public.

My youth team has been a regular Champions League contender for years. If we buy a few more star players, wouldn't we be able to make Champions League a realistic goal?

In order to share the revenue from Champions League television broadcasts and high sponsorship fees, Leeds United has made continuous high investments in player acquisitions. However, the star players they bought have not only failed to improve the team's ability, but have also led to an increase in the existing salary structure.

Two years ago, they finished fifth and lost their Champions League qualification, instantly facing a financial crisis.

Subsequently, Ferdinand had to be sold to Manchester United, which caused dissatisfaction among the manager and ultimately led to his dismissal.

But club president Ridsdale was not satisfied and once again attracted a group of veteran stars by using the strategy of free transfers or low transfer fees plus high salaries, thus building a gorgeous lineup.

Unexpectedly, they failed to finish in the top four of the Premier League and thus missed out on a Champions League spot.

The team is facing another financial deficit and has no choice but to put its players on the trading block.

This move also shook the morale of the troops.

This season, their form has plummeted, and they are now struggling to avoid relegation.

Although Sunderland and West Bromwich Albion are already certain to be relegated under the leadership of Marko Foé and Brad.

But the final relegation spot is highly uncertain.

West Ham United, Bolton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Fulham, Birmingham City, and other teams all have a chance.

Therefore, the FA Cup is not a big deal for Leeds United.

The players' morale has completely collapsed.

Young players are flirting with major clubs, waiting to be bought after the season ends.

Veterans, on the other hand, go through the motions but don't put in the effort, especially to avoid injuries, lest they end their careers prematurely like Alf.

So despite Leeds United's seemingly luxurious squad.

Top-tier guard Woodgate.

Bravo, the talented defender on loan from Real Madrid.

Manchester United are eyeing Alan Smith.

High-priced signings or top strikers with high salaries such as Viduka, Robbie Keane, and Robbie Fowler.

Milner, the chosen one.

There is also Lee Bowyer, one of the four notorious villains in the Premier League, who is very capable but can be described as a bomb.

In reality, Dartford won the game with almost no effort.

Two to zero.

Leeds United essentially did not fight back.

The way they played was not much different from how they played against Schalke 04.

This match also made Lu Kai, Alfred, and others deeply aware of the terrifying power of morale.

Leeds United's squad this season is even stronger than last season, but they finished fifth in the Premier League last season and are now fighting to avoid relegation this season.

They will be relegated next season.

It's true that upgrading is like picking up soil with a needle, while decline is like water washing away sand.

Of course, Dartford doesn't count.

Their upgrade was actually a case of water washing away sand.

Given the current situation, as long as they don't collapse during the March Madness season, there's no problem with them being promoted to the second tier of English football, League One.

Perhaps considering the reputations of Lu Kai and Barton, this match against Leeds United was almost the most civilized game Bowyer ever played.

Both he and Barton were very restrained, trying to prevent the other from resorting to underhanded tactics.

We are indeed kindred spirits.

However, the bad news was that Duff was forced to leave the game injured in the seventy-something minute.

It wasn't Bowyer who did it. He strained his thigh after passing the ball without any contact.

Since it wasn't a serious injury and he would recover in two weeks at most, Alfred didn't pay much attention to it.

But Lu Kai suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, realizing there was a problem.

He then retrieved some recent team data.

In terms of running data, the team has been declining since March. Although the drop is small, it is a real decline, not a normal rise or fall.

In terms of injury statistics, the team has recently lost three players to injury: Ribery, Valbuena, and Duff.

In addition, during training, players such as Williams, Ten Hag, Beckford, and Madeira have also reported minor symptoms such as physical discomfort and muscle soreness.

This is……

"Injury wave!"

Lu Kai confirmed it immediately.

Just like car accidents and terminal illnesses, there are some inexplicable misfortunes, but most of these things don't happen without reason.

They either have poor driving habits, like drunk driving, or frequently drive while fatigued, or they have poor lifestyle habits and are making things difficult for their own health.

In short, the wave of injuries and illnesses has its reasons.

And when they come, it's often a whole area at once.

This is not a curse, but science.

At present, the outbreaks are not frequent, but in the future, with the increase in the number of games and running, the wave of injuries has even become a problem that many teams must face every season.

March Madness is also a period when injuries tend to break out frequently.

This is another kind of madness in March Madness.

"Fortunately, so far all of our players have only suffered minor injuries, which serves as a warning." Lu Kai frowned.

Dartford has always played more games than the average team.

Because there are many lower-level teams, the league has eight more rounds than the Premier League, plus some cup competitions, often resulting in three matches a week.

It didn't matter before, the level of competition was low, and the exertion was minimal.

But after making it through European competitions and the FA Cup this season, this crazy March has become a bit unbearable.

In addition, Dartford has another hidden danger, which is... they came into form too early.

Starting with Liverpool, reaching its peak after defeating Manchester United, and then sweeping away Schalke 04 and Leeds United.

This "flow state" cannot be sustained for long.

If it appears around the middle of March, then it's called a champion's sign.

But starting in February... by April, it's easy to die from exhaustion!

Just one defeat and the team will collapse instantly.

Then overtake the crazy March and the wave of injuries...

"We have to make a choice!" Alfred shook his head helplessly.

This choice doesn't mean giving up any matches, but rather rotating players.

But making drastic changes to the squad is essentially giving up on the game.

Logically speaking, giving up the league would be the best option, since cup competitions are more profitable.

If Dartford were playing in the Premier League, they could simply tank and secure fourth place.

But they are in English League Two.

They must pursue upgrades.

The competition for promotion in League Two is fierce, with the top eight spots extremely close.

Furthermore, the top four teams are very close in points, and only the top two teams can directly advance. Dartford is currently in second place, and if they relax even slightly, they may have to play in the promotion play-offs.

That would be too risky.

“If we don’t lose the FA Cup, there are two games left, and in the Europa League, including the final, there are five. But each Europa League match is much more physically demanding than the FA Cup,” Alfred said.
"Moreover, playing away games involves a lot of travel and will further increase the physical and mental strain, which will affect three or four more games in total."

"If we have two or three players seriously injured, we'll probably have to stay in League Two for another year."

Lu Kai nodded.

The main problem is that luck wasn't on his side this time.

In the Europa League quarterfinals, they only have a good chance of advancing if they draw one of the teams: Lazio.

Lazio has a strong squad, but they are aging significantly. They can use their youthful energy and high-speed movement to outlast the older players and then steal a victory.

If we draw Liverpool, we have a 50% chance of winning!

First, they have an advantage in terms of their track record.

Secondly, the players are familiar with Liverpool, giving them a tactical advantage.

Thirdly, Liverpool is aiming for a top-four finish, facing the same dilemma as Dartford.

If Dartford are drawn against Celtic, they will have virtually no chance of winning; it would be the worst possible draw.

Because the Celtics are quite strong this year.

Ultimately, Dartford were drawn against Porto!
This is a sure-fire death sentence!

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Porto will become the UEFA Cup champions this year, with the emergence of a legendary manager like Mourinho, while also winning the domestic league and cup titles.

Even a minor treble is still a treble; having a league treble means three things – dominance!

This is a level of dominance that even Liverpool's five-time champions couldn't achieve.

In fact, if there was any regret about Liverpool's five cup titles back then, it was the lack of the league title, which required the most dominance.

Otherwise, Kyrie Irving's success wouldn't be limited to just the Ballon d'Or.

This Porto team shouldn't be here at all; they should be under the car!

The Champions League is their true stage.

The following season, they actually won the Champions League and also won the league title again, becoming double champions.

These two league titles demonstrate that their cup victories are not accidental, but inevitable.

At least look at Liverpool, even when they won five league titles and the Champions League, their performance fluctuated a lot in those years. You can say they had luck and explosive power to win titles, but you can't say they were dominant.

Although few rankings include this Mourinho-led Porto team among the strongest teams in Europe.

But this Porto team is at least the strongest team in Porto's history.

With Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bayern Munich, the three giants of Serie A, the three European champions of the Premier League, plus the rising Chelsea and Manchester City, apart from the peak lineups of these nine teams, this Porto team is the strongest in Europe in the last thirty years!
If Dartford is currently at the Golden Core stage, but his methods are extraordinary, he can defeat a Nascent Soul stage cultivator across realms.

Porto is the primordial spirit at the Great Perfection stage.

There's nowhere left to cross!

"We'll play at home first and away second, so let's settle this with a single match!" Lu Kai ultimately wanted to experience the strength of this Porto team firsthand.

After all, this Porto team existed for too short a time, like a flash in the pan.

You were born when I was still an amateur, and I was born when you were already old. Before Green Gun could rise to prominence, Porto was about to disintegrate.

Whether it's the other Premier League giants, or the giants of Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1, Dartford will have to face them sooner or later. If they don't succeed this time, they can try again next time.

Porto, however, lost their appeal when they faced them again after two years.

Of course, Chelsea will have an even better time then.

That was the real London derby!

……

March 12th, League Two, Round 37.

Dartford made rotations.

Lu Kai went on the field and drew a yellow card.

We need to prepare for the upcoming European competitions.

With the first leg played at the Riverside Stadium, Dartford will not have to travel far and will be qualified to test the strength of Mourinho's Porto.

In addition, Ribery returned from injury in this league match.

However, the result was not as expected.

Scarface's condition has visibly deteriorated.

This is the troublesome thing about injury waves. Even if no one is seriously injured, their condition will fluctuate after minor injuries. With each minor injury, the condition will fluctuate.

Therefore, it's very difficult for players who get injured for two or three consecutive seasons to succeed. What's the point of ending a season before they even get into their stride?

Ultimately, Dartford's winning streak came to an end, with a 0-0 draw securing only one point and missing the opportunity to top the league.

This is the price of making way for the European war.

On March 15, the first leg of the UEFA Cup quarter-finals kicked off at Riverside Stadium.

Dartford fielded their strongest lineup, and the team was still in a "flow state."

But ninety minutes later, the Portuguese left satisfied.

Zero to two.

Dartford lost.

The score difference wasn't significant, but the match was actually quite difficult.

Mourinho's Porto 4-4-2 diamond midfield formation has reached its pinnacle, a perfect combination of tactics and players.

Later generations only know that Mourinho's defensive counter-attack and bus tactics were unparalleled.

Few people know that Mourinho's Porto and the early Chelsea were both all-around super teams that combined attack and defense!

Most importantly, Mourinho broke through the pincer movement that Dartford's 4-3-3 formation made against the lone defensive midfielder!
Mourinho has something to offer; at least at this point, he was one of the best managers in the world.

He revitalized the entire field by having Deco, the Brazilian midfielder who was naturalized by Portugal at lightning speed, drop back.

"Damn Manchester United!" Alfred knew his team's key tactic had been thwarted.

It can be said that Manchester United was both their strength and their weakness.

Dartford's victory over Manchester United in the EFL Cup was largely due to their use of the two wingers in their 4-3-3 formation to clearly separate Manchester United's attacking and defensive midfield.

That match was a classic, exceeding almost everyone's expectations.

Mourinho must have studied that match carefully and found a way to break the "double pincers" defense.

Sure enough, after the match, Mourinho said, "Alfred may be the best coach in England, but I am the best in the world!"
In addition, the intensity of this match was extremely high, and both sides suffered casualties.

For Dartford, Madeira has a minor injury, but if he insists on playing, he can continue to play in the next match between the two sides.

Porto's striker Jankoskas is injured and will miss the next match.

But it was no use; they had two other players in that position who were just as effective as Jankoskas.

On March 19th, Dartford fielded their full starting lineup in the 38th round of League Two.

We won the match 3-1!

Many people are curious about Dartford's plans after this.
When Dartford's plane landed in Porto, everyone was stunned.

Madera, Williams, Beckford, Barton and other key players did not come at all.

Even Ribery and Valbuena, who were just recovering from serious injuries, did not come.

Lu Kai brought along players like Kyle, Daniel, Scott, and Jefferson Lewis, who were perennial substitutes, and even academy graduate Vardy got a starting opportunity.

They're just using this opportunity to train the players.

This move has greatly displeased both the fans at Porto's Estádio do Dragão and Mourinho.

They felt they were being looked down upon by Dartford.

Even if Dartford field their strongest lineup, they will still win. What's the point of playing against such a weak lineup?
Where can I, Mourinho, prove my ability?
Porto took a 2-0 lead within the first 20 minutes and dominated Dartford.

Judging from Mourinho's excited commands on the sidelines, he's preparing to create a massacre to prove his invincibility.

Kasper, watching on TV, understood why Lu Kai had chosen Scott as the starting goalkeeper for this match.

It's probably because they're afraid their Daoist heart will be shattered.

Even though it's the same experience as playing a game, the goalkeeper is different from everyone else.

It was a trash match that they never intended to win. Everyone else could gain experience by playing, but the goalkeeper would only shorten his lifespan if he went up there.

Lu Kai then committed two consecutive hard fouls, putting some pressure on Porto.

Mourinho angrily berated Lu Kai on the sidelines and got into an argument with him.

Mourinho spoke first, and thus received a yellow card.

In the 35th minute, Porto launched a long pass. Deco, wanting to stand up for Mourinho and also in good form, took off early, drifting gracefully in mid-air, intending to limit Lu Kai's space and win the header.

It's like when you're driving and the car in front of you deliberately tries to cut you off, betting that you'll brake.

Normally, Lu Kai would just stop.

But having just argued with Mourinho, how could he possibly indulge Deco?

Lu Kai floored the accelerator, forcibly lifting off into the air.

It collided violently with Deco in mid-air.

If you don't take your own health seriously, then I have even less reason to take yours seriously.

Many small players who are not physically strong play aggressively, risking their lives, seemingly brave but actually shameless.

They're just taking advantage of someone's kindness, without actually doing anything to them.

Take Barcelona's Gavi for example. If someone really wanted to take him down, he could get seriously injured in no time. Even if no one did, he would injure himself.

Deco is now in a frenzy and has become Gavial.

As a result, he lost his balance in mid-air, landed headfirst, and was forced to reach out to brace himself, resulting in a shoulder injury that appears to be quite serious.

A large-scale standoff ensued between the two sides.

In the end, Lu Kai only received a yellow card, and that was because he hit the tough guy Maniche who came looking for trouble.

Because of that play, the referee didn't call a foul on Lu Kai, but rather an offensive foul on Deco.

Mourinho was furious and berated Lu Kai, which enraged Alfred, who rushed over and kicked Mourinho to the ground.

Both sides were stunned by Alfred's skillful maneuvering, while stadium security seized the opportunity to take control of the situation.

Mourinho and Alfred were sent off with red cards.

Porto's offensive then slowed down.

They scored another goal in the 70th minute of the second half.

The Dragon Stadium was filled with joy.

Porto's players were triumphant, able to taunt Dartford during their celebrations.

Lu Kai did not argue with them.

Because only Lu Kai knew what Porto had lost.

Even Deco and Mourinho themselves haven't fully realized it.

Ultimately, Dartford suffered a 3-0 defeat, losing both matches to Porto and being eliminated from European competition.

The Portuguese thrashed Dartford 5-0 over two legs.

The last time they were thrashed like this was against Chelsea!
In a way, this could be considered a kind of fate.

After the match, although the two sides had a falling out over this incident, UEFA did not pursue the matter of Alfred assaulting someone further. After all, he was so old, and Mourinho was not entirely wrong to anger him like that.
A week later, in the UEFA Cup semi-final, Porto faced Lazio.

Liverpool were drawn against Celtic.

Porto, missing both their head coach and key players, were thrashed 0-3 by Lazio.

In the second leg, although Mourinho returned, Deco still failed to play, and the match ended in a 1-1 draw with Lazio, resulting in their elimination.

After the match, Mourinho angrily cursed Lukay and Dartford: "They are criminals! They should be in jail! We should win the UEFA Cup!"

"Lazio is no match for us. They're so old they can barely run anymore. If I were on the field directing them, if we had Deco, we could kick their shit out of them!"

"Never let me see Dartford and Lu Kai again, or I will kill them!"

"Damn it! Damn it! Fuck!"

Mourinho looks like a madman in front of the camera.

People thought he was crazy.

Porto is just a Portuguese powerhouse, a strong team in the second division. In the context of European competitions, whether it's the Champions League or the UEFA Cup, Porto would only be considered a round of 16 team.

What makes you so sure you can win the championship?

Arrogant!
This is the "save the world paradox".

When you save the world, you haven't actually saved the world.

When Porto isn't the champion, they essentially lack the ability to win the championship.

But even Mourinho, who was full of confidence in himself, still did not realize that what he lost was not just a UEFA Cup, but the Porto miracle of winning the UEFA Cup treble for two consecutive years and the Champions League double!
This is completely different from simply winning the Champions League!
Mourinho's most amazing achievement is his double European title win.

But now it's gone!
Moreover, when many media outlets reported on Dartford and Porto this time, they mentioned "Lu Kai and a certain coach in the Portuguese league", "the 100-goal boy and a certain non-famous coach", "the King of Green Guns and the former Barcelona translator"... The former Barcelona translator was the most famous label attached to Mourinho during this period.

They didn't even know the name of the Porto coach.

……

After being eliminated from European competition, Dartford won four consecutive league games.

They successfully reached the top of League Two.

The first team they faced after being eliminated, the team they had just returned from Porto, was Wigan Athletic, the top team in League Two.

This is a game worth six points.

Only after Dartford won did some media outlets acknowledge Dartford's rotation strategy in European competitions.

After Dartford won their next league match, they overtook Wigan Athletic to take the top spot in the standings.

Now, no one in England has a bad word to say about Dartford. Instead, they praise them for not being blinded by temporary glory and for not making the same mistake that Leeds United made.

The league is the key!
With slight adjustments to the starting lineup during this league season, two players were rotated in each match.

After mid-April, Dartford's overall performance improved significantly.

They sacrificed the pawns to save the king, and successfully weathered the madness of March.

And they weathered the period of fatigue that followed when their "form was off".

Many teams couldn't get through this period, and their performance plummeted.

Dartford's winning streak after being eliminated from European competition is a rare occurrence.

As the saying goes, what goes around comes around.

Dartford suffered a defeat in European competition due to scheduling conflicts – that's what the media thinks now, and they don't consider Porto to be that strong.

Dartford fans are even more convinced that if Dartford weren't focused on promotion, Porto might not have won!
Porto have been dragged down from the level of UEFA Cup champions to the level of Dartford.

I don't know how many more scornful looks and ridicule I'll have to endure in the coming year.

Given Mourinho's personality, I can only imagine how upset he must be.

Returning to the saying "what goes around comes around," Dartford actually drew a favorable group in the FA Cup semi-final.

This year's FA Cup semi-finalists are Dartford, Southampton, Arsenal, and Chelsea.

Arsenal definitely got the worst possible draw, because they were too strong.

South Upton were drawn in the middle of the pack. They are a mid-table Premier League team that secured their Premier League status early and has no way to pursue better results, so the FA Cup is everything to them.

Chelsea actually got a favorable draw, as they are in fierce competition with teams like Newcastle, Blackburn, and Liverpool for fourth place in the Premier League.

I happen to be playing against Newcastle this weekend.

Therefore, they must rotate their squad for the FA Cup.

Lu Kai was also eager to recoup some of his losses from Chelsea ahead of time.

A full-health Porto is a guaranteed loss, but a half-health Chelsea is a team worth fighting for!

At this point, even a fully-fledged Chelsea team was no match for Porto.

Although Chelsea are unaware that they will welcome Mourinho to take over the club the season after next.

Just take the beating, don't worry about why you're being beaten!
During the pre-match tactical meeting, Ten Hag was very puzzled. Wasn't it Mourinho who offended us? Why is he so focused when talking about playing Chelsea? It's like Chelsea is a substitute for Porto!
Alfred explained for ten Hag: "Because Chelsea beat us 5-0 back then. Although that happened a few years ago, Lu is vengeful and will never let anyone who has hurt us get away with it! Mourinho and Chelsea are the same to Lu!"

Ten Hah was startled.

(End of this chapter)