Chapter 63

"… I am very pleased to see Moyes choosing an attacking tactic against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge." The commentator of London TV was very pleased, his tone full of sarcasm: "This way, even if Everton loses the match, the courage Moyes shows will be praised by the critics... However, I can't be sure if this is a deliberate move by Moyes to gain fame and sympathy, knowing that he cannot win..."

The fans at Stamford Bridge were a bit stunned. The yellow-skinned player on the field... Was he crazy? This was a football match, not a fight! You can be tough in defense, but not this brutal! At least you have long hair; if you were bald, people would think you were a Shaolin monk!

After Li Tie brought down the agile Kaka once again, boos erupted from the crowd. The fans shouted loudly: "Red card! Suspension! Red card... Suspension..."

However, the referee on the field was completely unmoved. He jogged over to check on Kaka's condition and then came to Li Tie, giving him a verbal warning without showing a card.

The sideline coach, Jovian, was a bit stunned: "Is this referee sent by the Chinese Football Association?"

By the 28th minute, both teams had created some opportunities, but neither side's forwards seemed to be in form. Cahill wasted several chances, and Owen reciprocated by missing a one-on-one opportunity...

The score remained 0-0, a situation that Chelsea fans were certainly not happy to see. With Chelsea's current excellent performance, the fans' expectations were naturally high. The Chelsea players on the field had to score quickly to completely strangle Moyes' fate.

In the 34th minute of the first half, Chelsea finally created a golden scoring opportunity!

This was due to a mistake by Everton's defensive midfielder, Li Tie. After receiving a pass from Gravesen, Li Tie hesitated and failed to make a move in time. He was then robbed by the ruthless Makelele, who passed the ball to the midfield core, Lampard. Chelsea's attack surged forward once again.

After Lampard received the ball, he decisively found the right winger, Joe Cole. After losing the ball, Li Tie did not complain but immediately joined the team's defense, which made Moyes on the sideline breathe a sigh of relief.

Joe Cole had already attempted several breakthroughs on the right wing, but the opposing players repeatedly used their bodies to block him. Joe Cole, a purely technical player, was slender and lacked strength. Seeing two muscular, fierce defenders charging at him, he felt annoyed, raised his eyebrows, and decisively kicked the ball, sending a 45-degree cross!

This type of cross was a specialty of England's national team captain, Beckham. As a teammate, Joe Cole had also learned a thing or two.

Everton's defense was pushed forward due to their counter-attack, and in that moment, the midfield magician Joe Cole seized the opportunity! The long pass accurately found Michael Owen, who had successfully broken the offside trap!

Owen's speed was peculiar. With a quick turn, he accelerated like the wind, leaving the two center-backs who were closely marking him several meters behind in an instant.

The cheers at Stamford Bridge reached their peak. All the Chelsea fans stood up from their seats, waiting for the goal, waiting for Moyes to be devastated and frustrated!

However.

The situation on the field suddenly changed!

When the two Everton center-backs gave up the chase and prepared to watch Owen's performance, a player with long, flowing hair, resembling Redondo, suddenly charged from behind with all his might. With yellow skin and big eyes, it was none other than Li Tie, the defensive midfielder who had lost the ball and given Chelsea this quick attack opportunity!

"Owen, Michael Owen! This English forward, who has scored 16 goals in 9 appearances over 11 matches, will he help Chelsea open the scoring again? Owen calmly faces the goalkeeper Paul Gerrard; it looks like a goal is inevitable!"

The commentator's emotions were heightened. Moyes was so nervous that he jumped up from the sideline, his hands tightly gripping his head, as if he couldn't bear to watch this moment.

Since losing the ball in midfield, Li Tie had run with all his might back to his own half, determined to make up for his mistake and win the ball back. Now, Owen was only two or three meters in front of him! His eyes were fixed on the ball, and his mind was set on one goal: "Stop this attack, and I will be a hero for Everton, and I will likely regain my starting position!"

Li Tie's eyes were red, and he took a deep breath. His mind was clear, and he focused on the ball. With a sliding tackle, his entire body flew toward Owen's back!

"Oh, God! What happened on the field?" The commentator was shocked, even removing his earpiece and jumping up from his chair.

"Whoa!" The fans in the stadium, including the visiting Everton fans, were stunned, gasping in shock. Their eyes widened to the maximum, and their mouths opened wide as if they had swallowed an egg.

Even Jovian, the Chelsea coach who had been chatting and smiling, ran to the sideline, his expression stunned, his shock... as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

This scene on the field brought to Jovian's mind a match. It was a friendly before the 2006 World Cup, where the Chinese team, led by Gao Hongbo, defeated France 1-0, bringing tears to the eyes of countless Chinese fans. However, what happened in the 10th minute of that match made countless Chinese fans feel ashamed and embarrassed.

France's talented forward, Cisse, had his right leg broken by a tackle from behind by Zheng Zhi, directly ruling him out of the World Cup! Later, a journalist from The Sun humorously wrote: "Goodbye, calf; goodbye, World Cup!" A famous Chinese website's sports section even published a headline that was both laughable and tragic: "Zheng Zhi turned Cisse into a Zheng Zhi-ized player."

Experts claimed that Cisse was one of the most talented football players to emerge in France in recent decades. Unfortunately, his legs were too fragile! In 2004, during a Premier League match between Liverpool and Blackburn, his left leg was broken by the opposing defender, McEveley. In 2006, his right leg was broken by Zheng Zhi, ending the career of a generation of talent, who could no longer stand in the top clubs.

The scene on the field was just as terrifying as the tackle by Zheng Zhi in Jovian's memory, sending shivers down the spine! Li Tie's aggressive tackle, with his studs directly hitting Owen's left calf, resulted in a clear and audible scream from the crowd. Owen's face turned pale, and he fell to the ground in pain.

The entire Stamford Bridge fell silent, only the hysterical cries of Owen could be heard.

The 41,000 fans in the stadium covered their mouths and crossed themselves, praying that Owen would be okay. At this moment, all the English fans watching the match, regardless of their club loyalties, were secretly praying for Owen, as he was not just Chelsea's forward but also England's forward!

The Chelsea medical team rushed onto the field with a stretcher. After getting up from the grass, Li Tie stared blankly at Owen, who was lying on the ground in agony. Regret and self-blame filled his chest, and he couldn't help but shed tears on the field. Several Everton players quickly came over to comfort him.

After all, this was a football match, and no one was a killer. Accidents were inevitable on the field.

The big screen at the stadium replayed the scene of Li Tie's tackle on Owen several times. Through the close-up shots, it was clear to see that Owen's calf had severely twisted when Li Tie's foot hit it. The scene was so bloody and terrifying, worse than a horror movie, making it hard to look directly.

At this moment, many fans were already in tears.

In the unusually quiet Stamford Bridge, the referee immediately showed Li Tie a red card. All the Everton players, including Li Tie, did not dispute the decision. As he slowly walked off the field, Li Tie was not thinking about his position at Everton but about Owen's injury. He kept looking back at Owen's painful state, and his heart was bleeding.

"I am very sorry that something no one wanted to see happened on the field. We cannot hate Li Tie; we can only lament Owen's misfortune. No one wants to see a scene that only occurs in the Gulf War on a football field. Look at Li Tie's expression; we should also pray for him, hoping he can recover and come back strong."

The commentator displayed the demeanor of an English gentleman, but his voice was filled with deep sorrow. Both Owen and Li Tie were victims in this tragic scene.

"Come on... Come on... Come on..."

No one knew who started it, but the sound of "Come on" echoed throughout the stadium, with over 40,000 fans chanting in a heavy voice.

Jovian's face was stern, his eyes squinted as he watched the scene on the field, his lips trembling.

Owen, as a superstar, rose quickly, but his fall was also swift, all due to his legs! In the previous life, after an unsatisfactory season at Real Madrid, Owen returned to the Premier League with Newcastle. The broken leg cost him his status, and a generation of superstars ultimately fell.

"Is my appearance, the early split between Keane and Ferguson, and Owen's early leg break all happening ahead of schedule?" Jovian was heartbroken, not because of Owen's current immense pain, but for his future.

Jovian did not believe in Jesus, but at this moment, he mimicked the Westerners, making the sign of the cross, his expression determined: "No, a superstar is a superstar! Owen, I will make him a figure like Alan Shearer!"

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