Chapter 22: What's the Deal
I think Ronaldo is the best striker of all time, I used to train with him when he was back from injury at Real Madrid and even though he wasn't back to 100 per cent, he was able to do some incredible things, he was the best striker I've ever worked with. —Van Nistelrooy
"Wow!" After Ricardo scored, all the Sao Paulo fans in the bar jumped up. After nearly 80 minutes of grievances, I finally raised my eyebrows!
And all this is thanks to the young player who only replaced him in the second half! One attack, one goal, his debut was close to perfect!
"Hey, Jimmy, thank you for the 2000 reais!" Uncle Paul winked at Jimmy.
Jimmy clutched the money tightly, with a hint of anxiety on his face, but said, "The game is not over yet, why are you in a hurry, maybe Mineiro can score a hat-trick." ”
Uncle Paul smiled, he was in a good mood and didn't want to bother with Jimmy. "Whatever you want, then wait until the game is over."
……
In front of the TV, Stella's cute little mouth has become an egg-shaped, and her beautiful eyes are full of incredible expressions. Her heart beat involuntarily quickened, and her adrenaline pumped like a normal reaction from a fan after seeing her favourite team equalise. At the same time, it can also be a sign that a girl is attracted to a boy.
At the moment, Stella was convinced that her reaction was the former.
"Hmph, it's just a goal, what's the big deal."
Having said that, Stella knew that it was really remarkable. He was only 16 years old and it was his professional debut. The two conditions are combined, and there are not many people in the world who can still achieve the goal of scoring.
"Even if you can really surpass Kaka one day, you're a scumbag. Anyway, I won't like you. ”
……
After scoring the goal, Ricardo took off his jersey and revealed the words on his undershirt: "Daddardo, happy birthday!" Then he opened his arms and ran to celebrate. Until he was caught up by his teammates, I don't know who brought a bad head and threw him to the ground, and then the São Paulo players who came jumped up one by one and played Arhat, and even the always steady captain Cheney ran up to join the ranks.
Ricardo let out a scream: "You bastards! My bones have been crushed by you! ”
His teammates laughed and got up. Ricardo finally got up in embarrassment, his body was covered with mud and grass, his hair was kneaded into a bird's nest by someone, and he looked like a goal-scorer, simply a refugee from Kosovo.
The first thing he said when he got up was not to complain, but to say: "There are 10 minutes left, don't let up, try to score another goal!" ”
The Atlético Paranaense players are doubting their lives after scoring twice in a row, and morale is at its lowest point at the moment, and Sao Paulo could still score if they continue to strengthen their attack at this time.
"What instructions will the boss have?" Baptista looked hesitant.
"He doesn't have any instructions," said Ricardo quickly, "listen, we must now unify our minds, and we must not disconnect the three lines." ”
"Alright then, then keep attacking, if you can get three points, why settle for one."
Osvaldo really didn't give any instructions, because he didn't think about it either.
However, it is certain that Atlético Paranaense should be stunned at this time, and he intends to observe the situation for a few minutes before making a decision.
After Atlético Paranaense restarted, it was true that they were out of form. The attacking players, led by Mineiro, showed a desire to attack and wanted to score another goal and take the lead again.
The defenders, on the other hand, are timid and just want to pass the time quickly, thankfully not conceding any more goals.
Two different mentalities, causing their scene to be a bit chaotic. On the Sao Paulo side, due to the communication between Licardo and everyone just now, the idea is more unified, that is, to continue to look for opportunities to score.
Fresh from scoring a goal, Ricardo was extremely active and constantly causing problems for Atlético Paranaense.
"Ricardo straight stopper! Reinaldo received the ball and he shot! Oops, how can this ball be hit high? Reinaldo himself could not believe that such an opportunity had been missed. ”
"Sao Paulo's attack is coming again, and Ricardo is pulling to the right and looks like he's going to break through on his own. It's over! Beautiful! It's time to cross! There are three points in the middle! Pass the back point! Wilson! Wilson's shot is held by Flavio! This ball is too right! ”
"Reinaldo header! The ball is back in the middle! Shot! Pity! Ricardo received Reinaldo's header and shot straight at goal, but unfortunately it was slightly wide. This ball, Flavio should have been scared into a cold sweat. ”
In the Sao Paulo attack, the clock crept into the 88th minute. Including stoppage time, there should be less than five minutes.
Atlético Paranaense's head coach Soto kept shouting from the sidelines, directing his players to set up the defense, and now he only prays that his team will not concede any more goals.
Osvaldo crossed his hands over his chest and occasionally shouted a few words. He expressed satisfaction with the current situation, and Sao Paulo almost pinned Atlético Paranaense to the ground with a fat beating. But the game has come to the last minute, it doesn't matter if you can't overtake the score, don't make your own mistakes and let Atletico Paranaense steal the chicken. He motioned for the defender to hold steady and not press too far forward.
Atlético Paranaense's penalty area is already packed. Ricardo simply withdrew, wandering around the perimeter of the penalty area. Although his physical condition is very good, after all, he is only 16 years old, and there is still a gap compared to those adults. When he squeezes into the box, he doesn't have any advantage.
In the face of such a dense defense, I am afraid that I can only rely on long-range shots. Ricardo made up his mind.
Regular time had run out, and the fourth official raised the electronic card with two minutes of stoppage time. In the second half, although both sides stepped up their movements, the referee controlled it well and did not waste too much time, and it was reasonable to only have two minutes of stoppage time.
The ball passed at the feet of the São Paulo players and never found a chance to play into the penalty area, when it came to the feet of Ricardo.
The Atlético Paranaense defender thought he was going to kick the ball again, so they subconsciously blocked his way.
As a result, Ricardo's kick hooked the ball back and flicked it to the side. Atlético Paranaense's defenders lost their center of gravity and struggled to adjust for a while, while Ricardo was indeed able to accelerate quite quickly, swooping the ball past him.
At this time, Ricardo was about 35 or 6 meters away from the goal, a little far away, but his vision was wide. It's an opportunity! Before the players of Atletico Paranaense stepped forward to block, Ricardo adjusted one step and shot angrily!