Chapter 0641: A Battle to Decide the Champion
After the race and back at his villa in Manchester, Zeng Cheng called Gloria and asked Boeing to place another order for a Boeing 747-400ER, which had to be delivered within a week and complete the interior. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info
Zeng Cheng asked for this because he intended to pay tribute to Manchester United winning three consecutive Premier League titles.
On 10 May this year, Manchester United will play at home to local rivals Manchester City on that day. If nothing else, it will be United's first game since winning the league title, with opponents lined up to welcome the new champions.
That is, as is customary, Manchester City will have to line up to welcome Manchester United before the game.
This will be very rare, although Manchester City is not a competitor to Manchester United today, but the relationship between the two is different, they are sworn enemies in the same city.
Moreover, Manchester City is now being bought by a Middle Eastern consortium and is actively planning to burn money and try to rise. At this time, it would be a heavy blow to the momentum for them to line up to welcome the sworn enemy.
Of course, there has never been and will not be mandatory to line up to welcome the champions, and this is voluntary for those teams. However, even if you are reluctant, you have to line up, that is polite. What's more, not lining up would be considered narrow-minded and could not afford to lose. Now it's a conventional, that's all.
This win is very important for Manchester United, because it will be Manchester United's 18th top-flight title, equaling arch-rivals Liverpool.
Therefore, at this happy moment, Zeng Cheng also plans to have a luxury and reward the team with the business jet he plans to buy for Manchester United as a gift for winning the championship.
Because of the hurry, there will definitely be a certain loss in price. Coupled with the decoration, Boeing knocked Zeng Cheng a full 200 million US dollars.
As for Zeng Cheng's own private jet, the Gulfstream G550, Zeng Cheng had just taken off Gloria and placed an order with the Gulfstream Company, and he didn't burn the bag to get the plane immediately, so he still had to wait for a while.
As soon as the order was placed, Zeng Cheng and Fan Xueqing and Yun Ni embarked on a journey to Middlesborough, a small town in the northeast of England, because in two days, Manchester United will welcome their next opponent, Middlesbrough.
The two teams are in very different positions, with United 10 points clear of second-placed Liverpool at the top of the table with a game in hand, while Myburgh are struggling in the relegation zone, with a win away from home to defend their title, while a win against them would be almost hopeless.
Manchester United are unbeaten against Myburgh in recent seasons, but they have always been able to cause problems for the Reds at crucial moments in their quest for the title, and last season Myburgh almost toppled the Reds at home, and it was Carlos Tevez's goal that prevented the Reds from defeat.
The Champions League clash with Arsenal in midweek took a lot of energy from Manchester United, and Ferguson made some changes to the line-up in this game, with Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo being put on the bench, and Manchester United started the youngster Macheda in the league for the first time this season, forming a front three with Berbatov and Wayne Rooney.
Because of the home game, coupled with the strong pressure of relegation, and Manchester United beat Arsenal in the last game, but it also consumed a lot of Manchester United players, and now they have rushed hundreds of kilometers to play away games, so in the opening stage, Manchester United's players are obviously not in shape. Manchester United's midfield commander, in particular, Michael Carrick, was a little dazed during this time, as if he hadn't woken up.
In the 3rd minute, Aliadelle harassed Foster with a cold shot from the outside, and the ball went wide of the near post. In the 12th minute, Tonchay received a cross from a teammate in the middle of the penalty area and his barb shot was ruled offside.
In the first 20 minutes of the game, Middlesbrough kept Manchester United at bay in attack.
As the game progressed, United's players gradually got better and Carrick became active.
In the 24th minute, Carrick instigated an attack. He played the ball accurately on the flank, then Rooney crossed to Giggs and Myburgh defender Bates broke the ball in time.
But a minute later, Manchester United attacked, the Myburgh defender could not clear the Red Devils' cross, the ball came to the feet of Ryan Giggs, Manchester United No. 11 penalty area from the spot from the spot left foot low shot, the ball hit the far corner of the goal, 0-1!
The Myburgh goalkeeper was clearly unprepared for the sudden strike.
Manchester United lead 1-0 on the road.
Then, through the pass of Carrick and Park Ji-sung, Manchester United firmly controlled the tempo of the midfield at their feet, mobilizing Middlesbrough to exhaust.
In the 44th minute, Carrick advanced in the middle and shot a cold arrow nearly 30 meters from the goal, and the ball went slightly wide of the far post.
A minute later, Carrick had another chance to shoot, Berbatov made a steal in front of the field and knocked it back on the right side of the box, and the "Archangel" cut in and fired a low shot wide.
In the first half, Manchester United led by one goal away from home.
After the break, the two sides changed sides and fought again.
Middlesbrough clearly stepped up their attack.
They are in a bad relegation situation right now, and the Middlesbrough players don't want to play in the Championship next season, so even against a strong Manchester United, even if they are already down by a goal, they are still desperate.
But for the title, the Manchester United players are bound to win, so they are also fighting with the Middlesbrough men.
Then the two sides fell into a stalemate, and both had opportunities, but they didn't grasp them.
Sixty minutes later, the score was still not rewritten.
In fact, for both participants, this game cannot be lost.
The stands at Riverside Stadium, Middlesbrough's home stadium, were cheering Middlesbrough fans cheering for the team's success in winning Manchester United and laying a solid foundation for relegation.
In fact, in Carrick's opinion, Middlesbrough are desperate to win, they are too pressed, and there are a lot of gaps in the backfield to exploit. Especially on the counter-attack after the Reds broke the ball, but that required precise long balls. After all, that's not something that a five- to fifteen-meter pass can solve.
Thinking of this, Carrick decided to create chances with long passes, it doesn't matter if he doesn't pass well, if he can pass it well, he will earn it.
It didn't take long for Carrick to get a chance when Middlesbrough's attack was intercepted by Park Ji-sung when he hit the 30-metre zone of Manchester United, and then Park Ji-sung passed the ball to Carrick.
As soon as Carrick turned around, he saw the endless void in the Middlesbrough half, and at the same time saw Berbatov at the front.
Because Middlesbrough pressed very high, even Berbatov, who was at the front, was only on the middle line at this time.
After Carrick saw the direction where Berbatov was, he directly kicked up a long pass!
It was the first time he had ever passed a 30-metre long pass in this game!
In the right direction, but with a bit of power, Berbatov ran two steps and saw that the football was far in front of him, and he would definitely not be able to catch up, so he gave up running.
Of course, if this ball is replaced by Rooney or Ronaldo, as well as Park Ji-sung, or even Ryan Giggs, they will choose to chase it, but who said that it was the dashing Gobertar Tov who was set in front this time?
But fortunately, this guy hasn't forgotten to give a thumbs up to Carrick behind him, signaling that he passed well.
Actually, Carrick's pass was not good, but it was basic etiquette on the pitch.
Carrick frowned and shook his head, obviously not satisfied with his performance.
He remembers in his mind how he felt when he practiced long passes in previous training, how he sent his power, the angle at which he sent it, where he touched the ball, and how much force he exerted......
Carrick simulated in his brain.
Because it is Middlesbrough who is pressing Manchester United in attack, in fact, Carrick can not have many opportunities to pass long, he can't take every hard-won opportunity to squander, but to simulate it in his brain several times first.
Carrick catches the ball in a not-so-big gap.
Because Middlesbrough is besieging Manchester United's penalty area, there are many people in front of the Manchester United penalty area, and it is not easy for Carrick to find an opening, and this gap will be fleeting.
When Carrick received the ball, the other Middlesbrough players rushed towards Carrick. Not much time was left for Carrick to think and handle the ball.
Carrick's right foot flicks the ball to his right. Next, he takes a step behind the soccer ball with his left foot, and then he moves next to the soccer ball as he picks up his right leg and skims his right foot outward, keeping his ankle fixed and locked, and pumping it towards the soccer ball from back to front.
The front end of the inside of his right foot hit the ball accurately, and the ball took off into the air and flew towards Berbatov, who was in front of him.
Starting from the adjustment of the right foot to the rhythm of passing the football out at the end, it is very smooth and in one go.
As soon as the football was out, Carrick felt infinite confidence in his heart, thinking that there must be a goal!
His eyes followed the soccer ball in the air and flew towards Berbatov.
As he approached Berbatov, the ball fell and landed not far in front of him. The ball landed very well, he accelerated a little, and as soon as he raised his foot, he stopped the ball!
After stopping the ball, Berbatov looked up again and found himself not far from the Middlesbrough goal, with only a Middlesbrough centre-back and a goalkeeper in front of him.
This couldn't be better!
Berbatov stopped the ball and took two steps forward. But I don't know if it was because of his laziness by nature, or because he played for more than 70 minutes and his physical fitness declined, he didn't choose to break through the defender, but just made a feint. After shaking off the angle, he shot directly from outside the box.
But this time, Berbatov's shot was slightly off par, and the ball ended up going over the crossbar......
"It's a pity!" Ferran on the sidelines also shouted, "Dimita's force is too hard!"
Ferguson shook his head and said, "He may be running out of energy." Replace him. ”
Five minutes later, Berbatov was replaced by Nani.
It was the sixty-sixth minute of the game.