As it turns out, saving a team is never a one-man business, let alone saving the world.

To the relief of Milan fans, despite being 3-0 down, the players did not give up the game completely.

In the 73rd minute, German centre-forward Bierhoff was pulled down by a Fiorentina defender as he struggled in the box to win a penalty for Milan.

Bierhoff scored his fifth league goal of the season in one fell swoop, and at the last moment, he "saved" a little "face" for Milan.

A striker has scored in four consecutive games, and that's probably all the impression Milan have left fans with this season.

After the game, the "Roma Repubblica" reported in detail on the "disparity in strength" game: "Barty, the god of war, defeated AC Milan alone! ”

'As the first player to score a hat-trick in Serie A this season, Barty's three goals were the same.

"The first two goals made Rossi 'dodge', and the third ball made Rossi 'prohibitive.'"

"Barty in such a state is no longer unstoppable, and Milan has become the first stumbling block on the road to the Purple Lily's championship!"

The Torino newspaper reported: "AC Milan has no legs and no head. ”

"The Milan players can't pass a good ball with their legs, and they can't catch up with the opposing strikers, let alone block the opponent's shots."

"The heads of the Milan players were nowhere to be found, and the whole game was like a headless fly flying around, allowing Fiorentina, who were playing away, to seize one opportunity after another."

And "Milan Sport" described the game as a "disaster", which was a very "heavy blow" to the team!

"The fact that Milan is so vulnerable against title rivals will make the team withdraw from the title team early."

"Milan is not without good players, like Bierhoff, Weah, Maldini are all top stars in the world."

"But it's hard for them to play to their full level, and Milan should review this in depth!"

After the first three rounds, Milan dropped to fifth place and Fiorentina became the Serie A leaders.

On the night of the match, Milan fans crowded the streets in protest.

"We want to win!"

"We want a champion!"

"We can't go on like this!"

Zaccheroni stood at the window, and behind him was a television set with snowflakes flashing. He has studied Milan's games over and over again many times in the hope of finding the most suitable line-up. At this time, he rubbed his astringent eyes and looked at the protesting fans on the street, and a bitter smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

A fiasco will allow fans to see the status quo clearly, but it can also deflect conflicts.

The defeat to Fiorentina left no Milan fans in sight of the silver medal this season, and no one thought the team could afford to give a big gift on the centenary. In this way, the fans no longer shout for a certain player to start, but hope that the club will show all their spirit and strength in the game.

Without the distraction of the fans, Zaccheroni would be more comfortable with people. Conversely, if he can't get a result, the angry fans won't spare him if he doesn't wait for Berlusconi to fire him.

......

After the league game, Milan were given another week of respite. The players were dashing, and except for a few players who really loved Milan, no one seemed to take such a rout seriously.

The next night, Ou Chuliang received a transatlantic phone call. After picking up the microphone, a familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hey, Chu Liang?"

"Uncle Xu?" Ou Chuliang raised his eyebrows, and the long-lost Chinese made him feel more cordial.

"It's late in Italy, isn't it? Haven't slept yet? ”

China is 7 hours ahead of Italy, and although it is already more than 10 o'clock here, it is only 5 o'clock in China. It is not so much that Ou Chuliang slept late, but that Vice Chairman Xu deliberately got up early in the morning.

"It's almost time, I'll go to sleep right away." Ou Chuliang nodded hurriedly.

"Oh, that's good, that's good, that's good. You're alone over there, you have to take care of yourself! If you're late for training in the morning, it's not as good as our country. ”

"Uh-huh, I see." Ou Chuliang hurriedly nodded in agreement.

In fact, Milan's training sessions are generally in the afternoon, and most of the players who go to the sports center to train in the morning are spontaneous, so they don't get up late at all.

But even so, Ou Chuliang still felt deep concern from Vice Chairman Xu's words.

"Uncle Xu, is there anything wrong with calling me early in the morning?"

Vice Chairman Xu looked at the white belly of the fish in the sky, smacked his lips and said, "Actually, it's nothing, it's just that the Asian Games have just finished drawing lots." I don't see that you haven't played much on the Milan side, so I wondered if you want to come back and play a few games, don't waste your skills. ”

Asian games?

While a string of question marks popped up in Ou Chuliang's head, a series of familiar images emerged.

Asian Games!

The Asian Games is the largest multi-sport event in Asia and is held every four years. The 94 Hiroshima Olympics has an extraordinary weight in Ou Chu's conscience!

"Yes, we just finished drawing lots for the Bangkok Asian Games, and Lebanon and Cambodia are in Group B, these two teams are poor, which is a good thing for us, and it can also be used for training." Vice Chairman Xu explained.

"Training? I don't need to go back if I train in the army, do I? Ou Chuliang replied cautiously.

"Yes, that's not just what I think, that's what Mr. Ladd says." Vice Chairman Xu responded, "But after all, you are also a member of the national team, so you have to listen to your own opinion!" ”

After the 98 World Cup, the national team was reorganized, and the coaching team was also replaced.

On Ladd's recommendation, the Football Association and Yugoslavia coach Santraci have reached an agreement, and the two sides have signed a two-year contract.

In the process of leading the national team to the 1998 World Cup qualifiers, Santraci remained unbeaten in all competitions except for the away defeat to Spain, and led the team to the round of 16 in the final of the World Cup in France, and was named one of the "Top Ten Successful Coaches in the World" by World Football Magazine.

In addition, the former Yugoslav coach is generally welcomed in China, so the two hit it off, Santraci nodded directly to take charge, and Ladd took a back seat during this time and helped by his side first.

And this Asian Games is Santraci's debut!

"Uncle Xu, since that's the case, then I won't go back, give the other young players a chance!"

"Well, what you're saying coincides with the Football Association." Vice Chairman Xu nodded, "After the grouping, the Football Association also held an internal meeting, and finally decided to train Olympians through this Asian Games, send 14-15 national Olympic players of appropriate age for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and then match 5-6 international players to form a national football team to participate in the Asian Games." As for the goal, for the time being, it is set in the top four, and I think there should be no problem with our strength. ”

Vice Chairman Xu said that Ou Chuliang is also famous, and the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games are not the only ones who are the age of the National Olympic Games in Jianlibao? And the selection criteria are all players born after 77 years, so Vice Chairman Xu called to ask.

"The Final Four will definitely be fine!" Ou Chuliang's words were full of confidence, "After all, we have all been to the World Cup, and it shouldn't be a problem to play in the semifinals in an Asian Games!" ”

"No, you can't just your tail with a little bit of achievement. What's more, we have just changed a new coach, and the team is also adapting to the new formation and tactics, and most of them are young players, so we can't be sloppy! ”

"Young players?" Ou Chuliang smacked his lips, and suddenly became a little selfish, "Uncle Xu, since you are a young player, I think there are a few good ones in Liaozu, you didn't send anyone to take a look?" ”

"Li Tie? Li Jinyu? Zhang Yuyi? Or is it Zhao Junzhen? Vice Chairman Xu said the names of several Liaozu players in a row, and then laughed, "Don't worry, your Jianlibao teammates and national team teammates are on the list this time, and they are indispensable!" ”

"Hehe, I'm not talking about a few of them." Ou Chuliang smiled, "After all, these have all made achievements!" But there are still a few good skills, but they haven't shown their faces yet, and the national football team didn't consider it this time? ”

"How many others? Who else? Vice Chairman Xu was also blindsided.

"Like Li Weifeng, who just bought this year, isn't he also Jianlibao's? There is also a guy named Xu Liang, and that kid's footwork is not bad..."

"Xu Liang? Which one is Xu Liang? This time, in addition to the ones I just mentioned, there is also a person named Wang Liang who was also selected, and it was recommended by Liaozu coach Wang Hongli,"

"Wang Liang?" Ou Chuliang smacked his lips, Wang Hong Li is really "choosing talents and not avoiding relatives"!

But this is not a problem, Wang Liang still has a certain strength. He can kick a line on the right side, although he is a little weaker than Sun Jihai, but his footwork and set-piece skills are stronger than Sun Jihai, and he is not a problem at all as a substitute for Sun Jihai.

"By the way, is Sun Jihai going back this time?"

"Jihai? He's not coming back like you. He's played really well at Manchester City, he's started two games in both games! ”

Sun Jihai will not go back, it seems that Wang Liang has a better chance of performance on the right side.

"Uncle Xu, in that case, isn't there another vacant position? There are also a few good players in the Liaoqing team, and you don't think about it anymore? In Ou Chuliang's opinion, Xu Liang, Wang Xinxin, Zheng Zhi and several of them have the strength to be selected.

"I'll think about it!" Vice Chairman Xu said angrily, "Who is selected to join the team is jointly evaluated by the coaching staff, and it has nothing to do with our Football Association." If those recruits want to enter the national team, they have to show their strength, otherwise why should they be selected? Besides, there are now 5 Liaozu players on the shortlist, and then to Riga, can players from other provinces agree? Don't talk about others, just say that your group of friends in Jianlibao don't do it! ”

"Haha, haha, that's the truth!" Ou Chuliang laughed dryly, thinking about when he would really build Liaozu into a national team and see what else they could say.

"Okay, I'll call today to ask if you want to, since you don't come back, forget it, give the goalkeeper position to Li Jian and Fu Bing. I estimate that if you come back to play in the Asian Games, no one in our country will want to be a goalkeeper for at least ten years! After Vice Chairman Xu made a joke, he continued to instruct, "Chu Liang, Uncle Xu won't bother you anymore, you have a good rest, and strive to become the starting goalkeeper of Milan as soon as possible, domestic fans are looking at you!" ”

"Well, no problem. Uncle Xu, then I'll sleep! ”

"Sleep!"

After hanging up the phone, Ou Chuliang went to the bathroom to take a shower, returned to the bedroom and lay down directly on the bed.

Early the next morning, Ou Chuliang opened his eyes as usual and drove Bi Ma Wen to the Milan Sports Center to train by himself.

After playing on the court for a while, Ou Chuliang went to the gym.

Since watching Barty's shot, Ouchulian felt the need to strengthen his limbs a little more, even if it was a slight change in size.

Strength and conditioning coach Baforni spends almost every day in the gym, and when Ou Chuliang arrives, he is trying bench press against another muscular man.

Kramps, an old friend of Bafoni, was a decathlon athlete in the past, and he has long legs. According to the principle of leverage, it is difficult for him to lift such a heavy weight like the loving Baboni. But today Campus refused to admit defeat, lifting one hundred and twenty kilograms again and again, but losing to Bafoni every time.

As if he didn't see the two of them, Ou Chuliang walked straight towards the dumbbell.

"Hey, do you want me to take some weight off your shoulders?" Looking at the dumbbell that was trying to lift the dumbbell that didn't match Occhulian's arm at all, Krampus finally found the "escape". "I advise you to just lift the lever, so that you will avoid injury!"

After saying that, he laughed to himself, and naturally he had no strength in his hands to continue.

Bafoni was not in the mood to be joking with Krampus, he took the initiative to walk up to Ou Chuliang and said solemnly: "Ou, what are you doing?" You don't need to lift such heavy dumbbells! ”

"Mr. Bafoni, I feel the need for me to work on the strength of my muscles." Acchulian shrugged his shoulders and conveyed his desire to hold Barty's shot.

"I watched that game, it was a massacre!" Bafoni closed his eyes, raised his head slightly, and drew a cross on his chest.

"But I'm going to tell you that you don't just need arm strength to hold that shot. If you're always trying to block that shot with your arm or wrist or a part of it, I guarantee you won't get three kicks and your wrist will be red and swollen and even fractured. ”

"So what should I do?" Ou Chuliang put down the dumbbells, "I can't just watch him shoot!" ”

"Of course not!" Bafoni led Ou Chulian to another machine that could exercise the strength of the lower limbs, "It is better to exercise the strength of the upper limbs than to exercise the lower limbs, know that your arms will never have the strength of the thighs." The other thing is that you also have a good hand shape when you catch the ball with your hands, which is very important. ”

"With your feet?" Ou Chuliang pondered for a moment.

Indeed, Barty's first two shots might have been blocked if he had really blocked them with his feet.

"Okay, Mr. Baforny, how many do I need to make?" Ochurion sat on the equipment, and he didn't want to use his hands to catch Barty's shot.

"Let's do three sets first, and I'll count them for you."

"No problem." After Ou Chuliang finished speaking, the muscles of his legs tensed and began to lift.

"Hey, Bafoni, I'm done, are you going to throw in the towel?" Campus shouted as he sat in the bench press chair.

Baforni glanced contemptuously at the other and raised a middle finger.

Arrived at the stadium on time in the afternoon, and the players trained as usual.

After making a quick save, Ou Chuliang was called to the sideline by Hawke again.

"Christian, what do you say will be waiting for Ou this time?" George pinched his waist and asked, "Ou started a cup game last time he was called, so what about this time?" Will it be a league? ”

Abbiati lost interest after a glance and walked alone to the goalkeeper after setting the ball up and standing in front of the goal line. For him, training has become a daily treatment.

Helpless, George took two steps and flew up and swept the ball towards the goal.

Abbiati leaped sideways and accurately deflected the ball off the line.

Such a stretching save is enough to start for a team like Milan.

"Mr. Hawke, what's the matter?"

Hawke looked at Ou Chuliang with a complicated look and said softly: "The coach told you to prepare, it's time for you to play next week." ”