Football: Starting with the Crescent Moon Slash

Chapter 120 You Will Never Walk Alone (Part 2)

"An absolutely stunning solo performance!"

"Jiang Yan single-handedly outmaneuvered Real Madrid's entire defense; what terrifying ball control! The ball seemed glued to his feet."

"Not only that, but the combination of 'fritters,' changes in rhythm, and feints followed by shots—to be able to execute this series of moves consecutively requires not only imagination but also the individual ability to execute them! In all my years of commentating, I've seen countless star players play, and Jiang Yan's solo goal proves that his ability is in no way inferior to Messi or Ronaldo!"

"Mr. Zhan is right. The last time we saw such a spectacular goal was last season when Messi single-handedly outmaneuvered Atletico Madrid's entire defense!"

"I'm getting more and more excited about how the rest of the game will go!"

In the live stream, viewers who witnessed the goal flooded the chat with comments.

[66666, that was an amazing goal!!]

[One man against the entire Real Madrid team! Look at Casillas's expression, he was completely dumbfounded!]

[If this goal doesn't secure the Puskás Award, I'm uninstalling the live streaming app!]

From today onwards, Uncle Jiang is the number one active midfield maestro in my heart!

Florentino must be kicking himself now, having let a superstar slip through his fingers!

I feel like I'm seeing the future of Liverpool! And the future of China!

The barrage of comments almost completely covered the live stream screen, with various exclamations, praises, and jokes flooding the screen as soon as the players returned to the court.

Following the director's camera, Jiang Yan was quickly surrounded by his teammates who rushed up to him. Arnold, Mane, and others hugged him, and his teammates patted his back forcefully, roaring in celebration.

In the stands, Liverpool fans celebrated along with the players, and Jiang Yan's name echoed throughout the stadium.

After a brief celebration with his teammates, Jiang Yan went to the camera on the sidelines and once again made the "crying" celebration gesture.

Klopp on the sidelines raised his arms and cheered, celebrating the moment with his players.

Zidane, on the other side, had a serious expression.

The worst has already happened.

Jiang Yan's goal was undoubtedly the biggest blow to Real Madrid's morale.

Even though the field is almost entirely composed of reserve team players, they still represent Real Madrid, and the club president will never allow them to lose to Jiang Yan.

The first half ended quickly, with neither side able to change the score.

Liverpool went into the locker room with a 1-0 lead.

The atmosphere in Liverpool's locker room was relaxed. Klopp kept praising Jiang Yan's goal in the first half, and captain Milner and his teammates surrounded him.

Jiang Yan suddenly felt that being surrounded by people was not a bad feeling.

Klopp gave a brief outline of the tactics for the second half, which can be summarized as not reducing the intensity of the pressing and maintaining a solid defense while pressing.

After the tactics were arranged, Milner called everyone together to form a circle with their arms around each other's shoulders.

"Brothers, we saw Jiang Yan's performance in the first half. I believe no one will question his ability anymore. This match is not only about whether we can win the championship, but also Jiang Yan's revenge match. We need to pass him the ball more and give him unlimited shooting opportunities. I'm telling you now, even the Champions League champion is not invincible—brothers, we will win!"

Milner's words completely ignited the fighting spirit of the Liverpool players. Jiang Yan, who was directly involved, felt a warm current well up in his heart after hearing that his teammates were willing to give him the right to shoot.

Jiang Yan looked up at Klopp, the man who had brought him to Liverpool.

As their eyes met, Jiang Yan seemed to hear Klopp whisper in his ear: "In Liverpool, you will never walk alone."

On the other side, the atmosphere in Real Madrid's locker room was tense.

Zidane was giving a long explanation of the tactical arrangements for the second half, while simultaneously drawing detailed tactics on the tactical board with both his hands and feet.

However, the players were not paying attention to Zidane's tactical instructions and were clearly still recovering from the previous goal conceded.

Zidane's worst fears have come true.

Jiang Yan's solo goal shattered the Real Madrid players' arrogance and pride, a goal that undoubtedly trampled on Real Madrid's dignity.

"Raise your heads, everyone!"

Zidane slammed his hand on the tactical board, the crisp sound echoing in the tense locker room.

"He's very strong, but football is a team sport! I want you to fight back in the second half with your attacks and regain your dignity with goals!"

Even though Zidane shouted himself hoarse, the bench remained lifeless.

The second half continued, and Zidane's pep talk wasn't in vain; Real Madrid's players actually created several good chances.

Kovacic's no-look pass successfully fooled Mane, who was pressing him.

James Rodriguez, positioned in the attacking midfield position, receives the ball and dribbles forward on his own.

Benzema and Vazquez raised their hands for the ball in the attacking third, but James Rodriguez ignored them and continued dribbling with his head down.

James Rodriguez dribbled the ball past midfield and then used a Marseille turn to get past the pressing defender.

Then came another skillful bicycle kick, getting past Milner who was covering for him.

"James Rodriguez is now facing Liverpool's defense head-on!"

All the spectators present could see that James Rodriguez was trying to imitate Jiang Yan's solo goal!

The atmosphere at the stadium was ignited once again, with Real Madrid fans standing up to witness James Rodriguez's solo goal.

"James Rodriguez!"

"James Rodriguez!"

"James Rodriguez!"

Fans chanted James Rodriguez's name, and he has now become a hero in the hearts of Real Madrid fans.

The commentators in the stands were also constantly reporting the battle situation to the audience.

"James Rodriguez is now facing Liverpool's central defensive pairing—Klavan and Moreno!!"

"Can he replicate Jiang Yan's miraculous performance in the first half!?"

James Rodriguez kept a close eye on Klavan and Moreno's every move, ready to exploit their mistakes to break through.

However, the two players' teamwork was so seamless that James Rodriguez couldn't find any opportunity to break through.

Just then, Benzema had made a run into an excellent open space and shouted for the ball again.

James Rodriguez raised his foot to pass the ball, and Klavan immediately raised his leg to block it, but it was just a feint!

"James Rodriguez didn't choose to pass to Benzema, who was in a better position!"

"He feinted!"

Not only Klavan, but Moreno's attention was also drawn to Benzema behind him.

Seeing this, James Rodriguez dribbled the ball with his left foot and then flicked it outwards with his right foot.

He actually managed to squeeze out from between the two men!

Upon seeing this, the Real Madrid fans in the stadium stood up and cheered.

A thought popped into their minds.

Is James Rodriguez finally back in form?

Jiang Yan is just a nobody!

However, what happened next was a slap in the face for them.

James Rodriguez dribbled past two center-backs, earning a one-on-one opportunity against Karius.

He kept a close eye on James Rodriguez's every move, his mind racing as he considered every possible shooting route.

James Rodriguez adjusts his footwork, draws his bow and arrow!

However, before he could even touch the ball, a red figure shot out like a ghost.

boom!

"It's Jiang Yan!"

"Jiang Yan retreated into the penalty area and, before James Rodriguez could shoot, cleared the ball out of bounds!!"

Inside the live stream room.

"My God! Jiang Yan! He made an incredible comeback to break through the encirclement!!!"

He Wei said with a smile, "Just one step away, James Rodriguez was just one step away from scoring a solo goal. What a pity!"

""

"That's right," Zhan Jun echoed. "James Rodriguez was just one step away from replicating Jiang Yan's solo goal, but Jiang Yan himself stepped in and shattered that possibility!"

James Rodriguez stood frozen in place, watching the ball roll out of bounds. He was still in his shooting position, but his face was full of resentment and regret.

Zidane, standing on the sidelines, was so anxious that he kept slapping his head.

This is the best chance of the whole game!

If James Rodriguez had chosen to pass to Benzema, who was in a better position, the ball would have undoubtedly gone in!

James Rodriguez insisted on replicating Jiang Yan's solo run, but ultimately missed the mark by a hair's breadth, squandering the opportunity to equalize.

Klopp, on the other side, was panting heavily with anxiety.

If James Rodriguez scores, equalizing the score is a minor issue; the most terrifying thing is that Real Madrid's entire squad returns to form!

Fortunately, Jiang Yan arrived just in time!

Klopp even silently criticized Real Madrid's lineup in his mind: "They actually fielded a bunch of their starters, they have no shame!"

However, considering that he had also deployed half of his main force, he took back the swear words that were about to come out.

In short, Real Madrid's failure to score is good news for him!

After thinking it over, he went to the sidelines and began to instruct his players on how to defend against Real Madrid's corner kick attacks.

Real Madrid's corner kick opportunity.

James Rodriguez took the corner kick himself.

He took a deep breath, as if he had made a decision.

The retreat, the running start, and the kick were all done in one smooth motion!

The ball, with a strong inward spin, flew towards the near corner of the goal.

"James Rodriguez actually chose to shoot directly!"

Seeing James Rodriguez's corner kick caught by Karius, Zidane angrily spread his hands on the sidelines.

James Rodriguez is completely carried away.

"James Rodriguez is really eager to prove himself. His forced shot from a corner kick shows he has absolute confidence in his technique—"

confidence."

He Wei nodded in agreement: "Yes, yes, James Rodriguez's shot was a real pity. If it had gone in, it would have been a goal comparable to Jiang Yan's solo run and goal!"

Although He Wei and Zhan Jun outwardly expressed their regret for James Rodriguez, they were secretly overjoyed.

Real Madrid's mistakes are exactly what they wanted to see!

[Jiang Shen: Who still wants to dance?]

[James Rodriguez's expression is hilarious! Someone please save him!]

Quick, James Rodriguez fans, come out and save your idol!

[Jiang Yan's clearance was incredibly satisfying. James Rodriguez was already competing with him for a place at Real Madrid, and this tackle completely humiliated him!]

Let those arrogant guys at Real Madrid see who the real core of Real Madrid is!

Real Madrid letting Jiang Yan go is like cutting staff off a vital artery!

Back on the pitch, Karius prepared to throw the ball, at which point Liverpool's players had already begun running towards the attacking third.

When Real Madrid has a corner kick, one of their defenders will head the ball into the opponent's penalty area. At this moment, Varane is still desperately trying to track back, but Jiang Yan and Mane are faster!

Karius waved his hand and passed the ball to Arnold in the attacking third.

At this moment, Zhan Jun noticed Liverpool's number 66 player.

"Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool's youth academy prodigy, is just a full-back but he can push forward so deep to attack."

Arnold dribbled forward a few steps, looked up to observe the situation on the field, and then made a long pass to Jiang Yan, who was in a better position.

"That long pass! Ladies and gentlemen, pay attention to number 66. I dare say, with his football intelligence and that high-quality long pass, he will definitely have a place at Liverpool in the future!"

After Jiang Yan received the ball, he was greeted by a deafening roar of cheers from the Liverpool fans.

The fans cheered partly because of their affection for Jiang Yan, and partly because: "Real Madrid now only has three defenders left!"

"Mane and Jiang Yan 2v3!!!"

"The advantage is in my hands!!"

At this moment, a highly praised comment appeared:

Uncle Jiang is about to put on a show again!

In Real Madrid's defense, Kovacic, Nacho, and Carvajal had clear roles: two of them double-teamed Jiang Yan, while the other closely marked Mane.

Kovacic volunteered to defend Mane alone.

He's just a guy who can run fast, how could he be harder to defend against than my master?

However, Jiang Yan knew Kovacic's strength all too well, and without thinking, he passed the ball directly to Mane.

Jiang Yan chose to pass the ball!

Nacho and Carvajal were both dumbfounded!

Jiang Yan actually passed the ball!

And without the slightest hesitation!

I can't believe I trust these teammates I've known for less than a month!

However, Mane's first-step acceleration is among the best in the Premier League.

In just one exchange, Mane beat Kovacic.

Carvajal, who was closer, quickly went to cover.

Seeing Carvajal closing in, Mane didn't continue his breakthrough, but instead passed the ball across to Jiang Yan, who had made a run into position.

"Mane and Jiang Yan! Their teamwork is excellent; they don't seem like teammates who have only known each other for less than a month!"

"Jiang Yan only has one defender right now. Can one defender really stop Jiang Yan?"

Facing Nacho who came to cover, Jiang Yan immediately activated Bell's [Cornering Overtake - Soaring Through the Clouds], increasing his speed to another level and directly overpowering him!

At this moment, Jiang Yan was like a red lightning bolt, leaving Nacho far behind.

"Jiang Yan has a one-on-one opportunity! Facing Casillas head-on!"

Casillas made a decisive move, attempting to intercept the ball before Jiang Yan could adjust.

Jiang Yan's footwork remained perfectly steady. He lightly hooked his right foot, followed by a Bergkamp-esque turn to create space, and then pushed the ball into the empty net with his left foot!

Goal!!!!

2-0!!!

"Jiang Yan! A brace! He's sealed the victory!!!!"

Inside the live stream, viewers flooded the screen with comments.

[He not only kills you, he also destroys your spirit; Jiang Shen, I love him!]

[All-out offense and defense, Jiang Yan is truly amazing this time!]

[Florentino must be regretting it terribly now, letting this monster go!]

[As it turns out, no matter how strong or weak your teammates are, Jiang Shen is still Jiang Shen!]

I'm really curious about Florentino's expression now. Is he both amused and exasperated?