Chapter 19

In the final stages of the first half, Manchester United resorted to a desperate defense, aiming to end the half with a lead. Roy Keane retreated into the penalty area, Alan Smith and Scholes fell back to the edge of the box, the two full-backs moved towards the center, leaving only Cristiano Ronaldo and Van Nistelrooy up front.

This formation was almost identical to the legendary 10-0-0 formation revered by Chinese netizens. Looking at the time, there were at most two minutes left. Could Manchester United really enter the dressing room with a lead?

In the Chelsea attack, Lampard and Makelele, along with Duff, passed the ball a few times. Manchester United players defended in zones, afraid that a rash tackle might create a huge gap.

Lampard controlled the ball, seeing no pressure from the opposition, he looked up to observe his teammates. There were no good passing options, and a blind through ball could result in the opposition regaining possession. He decided to take a powerful shot!

Suddenly, Lampard's eyes lit up as he noticed Kaká lurking at the edge of the opposition's penalty area! Kaká seemed nonchalant, his handsome face somewhat lonely, but Lampard was not deceived by his teammate. He noticed Kaká discreetly signaling him by moving his hand behind his back!

Lampard understood immediately. He feinted a shot by moving the ball to the right, while Kaká, in perfect "cooperation," charged into the box to create space, forcing Roy Keane to retreat.

At this moment, the game took a sudden turn!

Kaká suddenly sprinted forward for two steps, then abruptly stopped and ran in the opposite direction. Lampard's eyes were fixed on the Manchester United goal, his gaze full of unspoken confidence.

Manchester United's goalkeeper Howard watched the ball and Lampard's movements closely, trying to anticipate and intercept the ball. Suddenly, he realized the ball did not follow the expected trajectory but was instead gently pushed to the left.

A feint shot, a real pass!

Roy Keane, at 33, had been primarily defending against the young, skillful, and energetic Kaká in the first half. Despite his reputation as an iron man and one of the world's best defensive midfielders, 45 minutes of relentless running by Kaká had left his legs weak.

Kaká's sudden acceleration, stop, and turn created a significant speed difference that the older Roy Keane could not handle, causing him to stumble and fall.

The Chelsea fans erupted, shouting Kaká's name. Roy Keane, a legend in world football, had been outmaneuvered by a younger player, releasing the pent-up frustration of the Chelsea fans! Kaká's handsome appearance only added to the frenzy of the female fans.

Manchester United fans were stunned, gasping and covering their mouths, their eyes wide with a sense of impending doom.

Kaká took a few steps back, facing Lampard's comfortable ground pass. He glanced at the goal, set himself, and with a powerful swing of his right leg, he struck a beautiful curling shot that bypassed Ferdinand's leap and headed straight for the top right corner of the goal.

American goalkeeper Howard made a spectacular diving save, flying out like a bird spreading its wings...

"Lampard shoots... Oh no, it's a pass... Oh, my God, it's unbelievable, the unknown Kaká has outmaneuvered Roy Keane! Let's remember this handsome face, he might become a superstar!... Kaká's right-footed curling shot... Dangerous! Oh, beautiful! It's a goal! Chelsea have equalized at the end of the first half!"

The Chelsea commentator shouted excitedly, as if it were his wedding night: "Kaká! The Brazilian from AC Milan has equalized for the team! The half is about to end, and Roy Keane was outmaneuvered by Kaká! A fluid and perfect shot..."

The replay showed the sequence several times. Initially, fans focused on Kaká's stunning technique, but later, they noticed his eyes. Before scoring, he glanced at the goal and then at the bench. Was he looking at his mentor, Coach Jowenxian?

Stamford Bridge fell into a brief, deathly silence before erupting in thunderous cheers. The cheers of over 20,000 fans on site, sounding like hundreds of thousands, thrilled Roman Abramovich, who couldn't help but sing loudly.

This was a simple yet effective combination: the winger's support, the forward's movement, the defensive midfielder's intervention, Lampard's pass, and Kaká's shot. The simplest tactical play resulted in the most spectacular goal!

At this moment, the camera focused on the Chelsea bench, but instead of seeing Jowenxian jumping for joy, it showed him calmly leaving the bench and walking towards the dressing room.

"Huh? Mr. Jowenxian didn't join the team's celebration but returned to the dressing room early. Does this mean our respected Mr. Jowenxian is already confident, or is he already planning the second half's tactics? We can't expect too much from this young man! Look at Chelsea's dominance over Manchester United in the first half. Such beautiful football is enough to make every Chelsea fan ecstatic!"

Kaká's goal was not just about equalizing the score; it had deeper implications. Outmaneuvering Roy Keane, did it mean this Brazilian was about to rise to prominence?

This goal proved that Jowenxian's summer signings were not without merit!

The Chelsea commentator began to highly praise Jowenxian's talent, speaking rapidly and with evident excitement.

The referee's whistle signaled the end of the first half, and the players gathered in the Chelsea dressing room.

"Continue the intense attack on Manchester United's goal in the second half, just like in the first half!" The draw in the first half elevated Jowenxian's status among the players. After removing his sunglasses and striking a few poses, he began his tactical instructions: "Van Nistelrooy is a dangerous player. Terry, you'll handle him in the second half. Stay close and don't let him get a shot off."

Captain Terry, having received Jowenxian's guidance, nodded seriously, while the other players smiled wryly. It was indeed a relentless attack! Since Jowenxian became the coach, they had never heard the term "counter-attack." Asking him to play defensively in the second half was like asking for a miracle.

The first half had deeply impressed the players, showing them a new way to play football. Some substitutes who were dissatisfied with Jowenxian's starting lineup were now amazed by the beautiful play of the 11 players on the field, and their doubts about Jowenxian vanished: "The boss really knows his players!"

"Ramos, your performance in the first half was too passive. Remember, your task is to dominate the right flank! Your combination with Duff on the right was far less effective than the left side with Joe Cole and Bridge." Jowenxian patted the young Ramos on the shoulder, "Don't fear the space behind you. A goal you assist is more important than a goal you concede!"

Assistant coach Boas's face turned green: "What the hell is Jowenxian teaching the young players? Ramos is a defender, and he's trying to turn him into a winger like Figo?"

The young Ramos, sitting upright, nodded confidently: "Boss, don't worry, I understand."

Jowenxian nodded in satisfaction and laughed: "What is our principle?"

All the players and staff in the dressing room laughed and clapped, shouting in unison: "Treat them like women, pin them down, run hard, and shoot hard!"

"Ha ha..."

Compared to the laughter in the Chelsea dressing room, the Manchester United dressing room was much quieter. Ferguson was harshly reprimanding Roy Keane for his major mistake in the first half.

The presence of younger players in the dressing room made the Manchester United captain's mood even worse, and the long-standing relationship with his mentor Ferguson began to crack.

...

The 15-minute halftime break passed quickly, and the second half began amidst the noisy horns of the fans.

In the first five minutes, Chelsea continued to dominate, pinning Manchester United in their half. The few counter-attacks by Cristiano Ronaldo and Giggs were easily neutralized by Bridge and Ramos.

Giggs, one of the top three wingers of his generation, was almost in tears. Where did Jowenxian find this young player? He seemed even more solid than Cafu!

Before the match, Giggs had studied Ramos's profile. He thought this player from the second team of Sevilla in Spain would be no match for him, as even Gary Neville couldn't stop him in peak condition during training. But what was it about Ramos? Could Jowenxian really have a keen eye for talent?

Seeing Ramos accurately intercept the ball from Giggs again, Jowenxian on the sidelines smiled mischievously: "Hehe, sorry Giggs, my Player 1 is not just for show..."

Suddenly, the crowd erupted in boos.

Being relentlessly pressed by Chelsea, failing to break through, and now being outmaneuvered by the young Ramos, Giggs was furious. The frustration was almost unbearable. When had Manchester United ever played such a one-sided game? Losing was acceptable, but this was a complete rout!

In a fit of anger, he launched a reckless tackle from behind, and Ramos fell to the ground, clutching his leg in pain!