Ground football: Ronaldo thought I was going to assist him

Sixty-first minute.

It's still Wu Xudong!

He quickly returned to defend and intercepted Robben from behind as he was about to cut inside.

His presence on the field effectively limited Robben's performance!

Seventy-second minute.

Groningen has failed to mount any significant attacking threat, giving Sporting Lisbon a chance to take the initiative.

Cristiano Ronaldo made several attempts to break through after receiving the ball on the wing, putting Groningen's right-back's ankle to the point of almost giving out.

He drew a lot of fire.

boom!

Ronaldo passed the ball back to Veloso behind him, then quickly turned and made a forward run.

Veloso played a first-time through ball to Ronaldo, who was making a run forward.

This is a simple backhaul that hits the wall, but it's very useful.

Cristiano Ronaldo dribbled the ball and decisively passed it across the box.

Groningen's defenses were completely disrupted.

Lorenzo pulled the defender away on the right side of the six-yard box.

Deng Kai made a run from the back and received the ball inside the penalty area, unmarked.

Groningen's goalkeeper comes out to challenge!

Deng Kai used his right foot to lift the ball heavily but gently, flicking the ground with his toes before launching a lob shot!

The football flew over the goalkeeper's head and towards the goal.

"GOAL! They've taken the lead! Sporting Lisbon have taken the lead!"

"Three to two! Now the pressure is on Groningen!"

"Deng Kai's chip shot was perfectly controlled; he's often used chip passes in previous matches. He's a player who frequently surprises you."

"The camera found a young Arjen Robben. The Groningen stands started singing—a fan-made version of the Robben anthem—showing how high their hopes were for him!"

In the subsequent match, Robben continued to experiment, and he seemed to gradually adapt to Wu Xudong's defense.

At high speed, Wu Xudong's defensive performance was excellent.

However, once his speed slows down, his defensive shortcomings, which are not as good as those of a regular full-back, become apparent.

In the 79th minute, Robben used a rather fancy dribbling move, directly knocking the inexperienced Wu Xudong to the ground.

A round of enthusiastic applause immediately erupted from the stands.

It's clear that Groningen fans also dislike Wu Xudong, who once effectively neutralized Robben.

Robben then cut inside and broke past Angelo, who came to cover for him.

"Robben shoots!"

"Oh! Deng Kai poked the ball away first!"

"Robben didn't kick the ball; he kicked Deng Kai in the right shoulder!"

"Deng Kai was clutching his right shoulder, looking very pained. The referee stopped the game and asked Deng Kai if he needed a team doctor. Deng Kai shook his head; he could still keep going."

"Robben is complaining to the referee, he believes Duncan fouled."

"However, the referee considered it a good tackle, as Deng Kai did not make any physical contact with Robben throughout the entire exchange. Robben's shot was a little slow this time, perhaps he wanted to use more power, which allowed Deng Kai to seize the opportunity."

"Don't let Deng Kai's shorter stature compared to his peers fool you; he's not a defensive liability. And... he seems to have grown a bit taller than he did in the first half of the season?"

Eighty-third minute.

Groningen's midfielder launched a long pass to Robben.

However, Wu Xudong was marking Robben too closely, and it turned into a contest between the two of them for a header.

Ultimately, Wu Xudong's Inner Mongolian muscle quality proved superior, allowing him to overpower Robben and clear the ball.

Eighty-fourth minute.

After Groningen took the throw-in, they continued to look for Robben. At such close range, Wu Xudong obviously couldn't stop Robben from receiving the ball.

After receiving the ball, Robben immediately used two consecutive spinning feints to successfully fool Wu Xudong.

Robben then turned and broke through.

beep!

The referee blew his whistle.

Because Wu Xudong pulled Robben down.

Robben's jersey collar was deformed as a result.

Robben was furious.

The referee finally reached into his pocket and showed Wu Xudong a yellow card.

"It's okay, you did a great job. If there's a next time, you should still do it this way," Deng Kai encouraged Wu Xudong.

Many players, after receiving a card on the field, will wonder if they didn't perform well enough.

This kind of thinking could hinder their subsequent performance.

Deng Kai knows the personalities of Chinese players all too well.

Influenced by domestic public opinion eccentrics, the trend of "reflection" has been rampant in us for decades.

Why take the card?

Because you failed to defend against it!

Why couldn't it be defended against?

Because you're trash!

Why should others be able to defend themselves without relying on eating cards?

Eating cards shows you're impolite and uncivilized!

A yellow card is a disgrace!

Red cards should be retired!

This is a disgrace to the Chinese people!

It has tarnished the image of Chinese people as knowledgeable, reasonable, and friendly!

"It has affected the official strategy of cultivating a positive image in the West!" and so on.

Deng Kai was afraid that Wu Xudong would think that way, so he quickly tried to comfort him.

With only a few minutes left in the game, Wu Xudong interrupted Robben's attacking opportunity with a yellow card, which was absolutely a steal (remember to pay on Taobao)!

Eighty-seventh minute.

A heartbreaking scene has unfolded for Sporting Lisbon fans.

Robben made a godlike save, cutting inside from the right wing ahead of time, avoiding Wu Xudong, and challenging Semedo, the defensive midfielder who was covering behind Deng Kai.

Semedo knew perfectly well that Robben was going to cut inside, but when he faced Robben, he couldn't help but be dazzled by Robben's devilish footwork.

Only at this moment did he realize just how remarkable Wu Xudong, who had been repeatedly outmaneuvered by Robben, truly was.

At least his eyesight is remarkable.

Whoosh!

Robben, still dribbled, flicked the ball, which went through Semedo's legs.

The ball and the player have passed each other!

Robben moved to the right side of the penalty area arc and prepared to shoot.

Angelo immediately raised his leg to block the shot.

However, Robben only feinted a shot before making a real breakthrough, dribbling laterally for a step before drawing his bow and nocking the arrow!

boom!

Just as Groningen fans were anticipating Robben's goal, he fell to the ground and failed to complete the shot.

He writhed in agony on the ground.

Someone knocked him over!

boom!

The entire stadium exploded instantly!

The fans continued to hurl insults.

The Groningen players immediately surrounded the perpetrator, displaying a menacing demeanor.

"Oh no! This is terrible!"

"Red card! The referee has shown Wu Xudong a straight red card! This was a dangerous tackle, and crucially, Wu Xudong didn't even touch the ball; he simply brought Robben down!"

"This kind of action shouldn't happen on the football field. However, we can also see that Wu Xudong pulled his foot back; he didn't intend to hurt Robben, but he was definitely targeting Robben personally. He didn't want Robben to get a shot off!"

"But... he stopped Robben's shot. From that angle, Robben's shot would have been a sure thing."

"I really don't know how to evaluate Wu Xudong's defense this time."

Huang Jianxiang hesitated, wanting to say "Xiao Wu is awesome" but afraid of the negative impact.

But Deng Kai didn't have so many reservations. After calming Groningen's anger, Deng Kai found Wu Xudong and saw him off as he left the stadium: "You did a great job!"

Deng Kai was very sincere, and at the same time, he raised his hands and applauded above his head for the few Sporting Lisbon fans in the stands.

The fans, alerted, also began to applaud Wu Xudong.

He is a hero.

This defense was successful.

This red card was well-deserved.

Robben then took the free kick himself, which was in an excellent position.

boom!

Robben's free kick hit Veloso's head as he leaped high.

After falling to the ground, Veloso immediately covered his head and it took him a long time to stand up.

The match then entered stoppage time.

The first minute of stoppage time.

Groningen's relentless offensive created another deadly threat.

Robben dribbled past Angelo and Cristiano Ronaldo, who had run back from the front to cover.

Judging from Ronaldo's position, Sporting Lisbon has completely retreated into the penalty area.

Robben dribbles the ball straight at the goalkeeper!

One-on-one!

At that moment, Sporting Lisbon goalkeeper Pilar suddenly remembered what Deng Kai had told him during halftime.

"You need to watch out for Robben's left foot; his only threat is his left foot! And when the angle isn't great near the post, he'll often shoot low towards the far post, which is his left side."

"If he gets a one-on-one opportunity, remember to dive for his left side!"

"Pounce on his left!"

A glint of determination flashed in Pilar's eyes, an unprecedented resolve!