It was a free kick about 20 meters from the goal and diagonally 45 degrees on the left.

Traditionally, this ball is more advantageous for right-footed players.

However, it is not easy to take a direct free kick, especially if you want to take a direct free kick, the angle of choice will be much less than in the middle.

Under normal circumstances, this goal should be taken by Gerrard, whether it is a direct attack or an assist team-mate, it is up to him to discuss it with his team-mate, which was not a problem at all before.

Today, however, the situation is markedly different.

……

Referee Styles had a terrible decision tonight.

Whether it was the unwarranted penalty before and the subsequent two yellow cards given to Essien without sending the Ghanaian off the pitch, it was clearly a very low-level mistake, and according to captain Steven Gerrard's dealings with him, the referee seemed to mean that he did not intend to give Essien a second yellow card.

'He said he only wanted to give Terry a yellow card, but then forgot to put the yellow card back in his pocket and pointed it directly at Essien. Gerard smiled wryly, he didn't know if this was a reasonable explanation, he always felt very perfunctory.

Of course, even if it were, it would definitely be a very stupid low-level mistake.

"If nothing else, what about this free kick?" When Gerard asked, his eyes were obviously looking at Yang Yang.

After the free-kick duel at the beginning of the season, everyone knows that Yang Yang has a free-kick skill that is not inferior to Gerrard and other players, but so far, he has not shown his sword.

Having played three games so far this season, Yang Yang has stood by on the sidelines to cover for Gerrard on several occasions, but has never done it himself.

"What do you mean?" Yang Yang asked strangely.

'Jose Mourinho has always been very meticulous in his preparation and I suspect he must have arranged for my free-kicks, or ...... Why don't you try it? Gerald suggested.

It's only been more than 70 minutes now, and if this free kick goes in, it's a good thing, but if it doesn't go in, it doesn't matter, the team still has about 20 minutes to go, and they can slowly look for a goal.

Moreover, Gerrard feels that Yang Yang's state is okay tonight.

The reason why they didn't perform better was related to Chelsea's subsequent adjustment of defensive strategy, focusing on Essien and Frank Lampard to keep Yang Yang in mind, and Chelsea also retreated across the board, which makes it difficult for anyone to get a chance in this situation.

After Yang Yang heard this, he looked at his teammates around him and found that whether it was Aurelio or Xavi Alonso, there was encouragement in their eyes, and they obviously agreed with him to give it a try.

In the last free-kick duel, he also scored a goal in that position.

"Then give it a try!" Yang Yang said eagerly.

……

After the division of labor was clear, Gerrard still went over to set the ball in the same way, stood at the penalty spot with Yang Yang, and then slowly took three steps back, in order to make it unclear who would be in charge of the penalty by the Chelsea players.

Yang Yang was almost parallel to the penalty line, retreating to the left, while Gerrard was facing the goal.

Chelsea also put up a wall of five players on the edge of the penalty area, with Ashley Cole at the far left, apparently bullying England's shortest left-back.

Behind the five-player wall near the goal, Kuyt stood with John Terry, and then Frank Lampard was on the side.

Cech, the Czech goalkeeper wearing an anti-collision helmet, kept directing his teammates to move around the wall in front of the left post of the goal.

He needed to adjust some angles to be more confident in saving the free-kick.

Yang Yang and Gerrard each stepped back, but the distance was not far.

'Since Cech was injured, I don't know if it was the impact of that crash helmet, or the injury, or if it was his psychological shadow, and he always made mistakes in his judgment of the high ball. Gerald said lightly.

Yang Yang understands that this is the Liverpool captain reminding him.

Yang Yang is no stranger to Cech's question, because the materials provided by the coaching staff include this one.

Golf, which has become a big problem after Cech returns from injury.

If the Czech goalkeeper before the injury was almost a perfect goalkeeper without flaws, known as a super goalkeeper who will challenge Buffon for the position of the world's top goalkeeper in the short term, then after the injury, Cech completely fell from a god to a human.

Frequent mistakes have caused everyone to give up their faith in Cech.

Of course, even so, Cech is still one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

……

The human wall is set up.

The five players stood in a one-plus-four position from left to right, with Ashley Kerr hanging alone from the wall.

I don't know if it was affected by the yellow card incident just now, but the referee Styles was very meticulous this time, specially entered the penalty area for arrangement, and only exited the penalty area after it was appropriate.

With a whistle from referee Styles blowing his head, Gerrard quickly rushed to the penalty spot.

At this time, Crouch, who had been lying in ambush on the right side of the penalty area, suddenly rushed to the goalkeeper point, and the Chelsea wall moved to the right in unison.

It's clear that everyone is on the lookout for Gerald.

But when Gerrard rushed in front of the football, he stepped directly over and did not touch the football even once.

It was at this moment that everyone on and off the pitch suddenly realized that Gerrard was not the penalty taker this time, and the player who took the free kick from Liverpool was Yang Yang.

"Yang Yang!" Andy Gray exclaimed.

After Gerrard ran past, Yang Yang also jumped out quickly.

In the past few years, he has been practicing the basic skills every day, and he has formed a set of his own rhythm and pace.

When he took the free-kick, so did his run.

Every step, from the length of the step, from the speed of the stride, from the distance of the stride, he is very familiar with it, because it is his instinct, integrated into his blood and soul to go to the conditioned reflex.

When he rushed to the ball, he stood still with his left foot, supported his entire body, leaned into an angle, and quickly kicked out with his right foot.

Yang Yang wants to hit an arc with a significant fall!

Because he knew there was something wrong with Petr Cech's judgment on the high ball.

……

A goalkeeper with a multi-year career and once hailed as one of the best in Europe, Cech has a wealth of experience and has faced countless free-kicks.

He's made a lot of saves, but he's also been penalized.

But there is one thing that will be very difficult for anyone to get a free-kick into the goal of Petr Cech.

Because he's Peter Cech!

He was once known as the best and top goalkeeper in the world!

From the moment Yang Yang and Gerrard stood at the penalty spot, Cech was already guessing whether it would be Yang Yang?

He got a lot of information before the game, and he knew that Yang Yang had covered for Gerrard before, but he had covered before, which didn't mean that he still covered this time.

Sometimes, players are on the pitch and adaptable.

It's like Cech will put up different walls depending on the type of player.

Could that be Yang Yang?

Cech kept an eye on it.

So, when Steven Gerrard was sprinting across the ball, Chelsea's wall was tricked and there was some loosening.

John Terry and Frank Lampard were also deceived by Kuyt and Crouch, who both ran out of position.

But Cech was not deceived, he was always on guard against Yang Yang.

It's a habit he's made, a habit he developed before he got hurt.

There is only one remaining question, which point will Yang Yang punish?

The front point of the near post on the left? Or the back point of the far post on the right?

Cech noticed that Yang Yang's running line was almost the same as the penalty line, so he quickly made a judgment.

Right far post, back point!

At the sound of a thud, Cech sped to the right, his eyes fixed on the top of the wall.

He really wanted to see the ball fly out, because it meant that Yang Yang's free kick hit the wall directly.

To his disappointment, the ball flew out.

It was a long process, but it actually happened in the blink of an eye, and it was just then that the row of men in blue jerseys had just jumped up and the ball was flying over their heads and towards the goal.

Cech judged the course of the ball, he stared at the fast-flying ball in mid-air, he couldn't see it clearly, he had to rely on instinct.

Although many people say that there is a serious problem with the prediction of the high ball after Cech's injury, only Cech himself knows that the so-called serious is only because of his mistakes.

As a goalkeeper, a mistake represents a goal conceded, which will always be infinitely magnified.

But in fact, Cech is well aware that his ability to predict is still there.

The Czech goalkeeper flew towards the right side of the goal, stretching his body as far as he could, his left hand stretched as long as he could.

He had already judged the trajectory of the free-kick.

Moreover, he is very sure!

But just as Petr Cech was flying out, just as the ball in mid-air was getting closer and closer, Cech suddenly felt it move, moving down.

It felt like a hand in the shadows that was pushing the ball down and making it fall, but it didn't slow down at all, just suddenly it fell.

But it was this sudden fall that made Cech shocked.

His body and his hands were already moving, but the path of the ball suddenly changed.

The Czech goalkeeper wanted to make amends, but the man was in mid-air and had no power to stop the ball from slipping through his hands.

At that moment, Cech suddenly remembered a person, remembered something.

On February 22, 2003, in the 28th round of Ligue 1, Rennes challenged the overlord Lyon away.

In the sixteenth minute of the game, Rennes fouled in the front of the penalty area, giving the Lyon team a free kick opportunity in front, and the core of the Lyon midfield, Juninho Jr., made it overnight, and sent the ball into the lower right corner of the Rennes team's goal, and the ball almost grazed the right post and crashed into the bottom of the net in the lower right corner.

Rennes goalkeeper Eric Durand didn't even react and stood in place.

After the game, the 37-year-old French goalkeeper told his teammates in the dressing room that it was not that he didn't want to react, but that he didn't know how to do it because not only was the ball fast, but it would suddenly fall in the area close to the goal.

"It's like a grim smile!"

Cech still remembers the slightly frightened look in veteran goalkeeper Durand's eyes when he was scored four goals by Lyon.

Petr Cech was Rennes' starting goalkeeper that season, playing 37 games throughout the season, and that one he survived.

Unexpectedly, the Grim Reaper, who passed by four years ago, came four years later!