Chapter 88

There is no formal European betting in China, otherwise, would the betting companies place bets on when exactly Liu Hao would wake up?

The match was fiercely contested, with cheers and shouts rising and falling, creating a lively atmosphere. However, Liu Hao was sound asleep, as if he had not slept at all the previous night. It seemed that the match had nothing to do with him, such a carefree substitute player, who was truly enviable.

In contrast to the intense action on the field, Liu Hao was in a completely different world. Li Xiaopeng had no intention of waking him up, perhaps thinking that letting Liu Hao sleep more would allow him to play in the second half.

Everyone was working hard for the match, while he was sleeping soundly. The fans of Qingdao Zhongneng were not angry; instead, they found the scene quite amusing, as the match was still tied, and anything was possible.

If Zhongneng were trailing, would the fans still tolerate this behavior?

Although it was an away game, the strong dominance of Shandong Luneng on the field was evident. If not for the poor goal-scoring ability of the forwards, the score might have already been changed.

As the match progressed, everyone seemed to forget about the treasure on the Zhongneng bench.

Zhongneng fans were sweating profusely and screaming, while Luneng fans were pounding their chests and stomping their feet, lamenting the lack of goals despite Luneng's dominance. Zhongneng, on the other hand, was unscathed amidst the tension.

At this moment, Liu Hao on the small screen was still sleeping like a pig, drool running down his collar. It seemed that a string of firecrackers would be needed to wake him up!

Luneng's strong attack continued until the end of the first half, but they could not break through Zhongneng's defense.

When the whistle blew, Li Xiaopeng finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Maintaining a draw was his goal.

However, after glancing at the bench, he felt a bit nervous again.

Liu Hao was still asleep... He scolded himself for letting Liu Hao go out last night.

He waved at the bench, signaling everyone not to disturb Liu Hao, implying that he should stay on the bench during the halftime break.

What kind of treatment is this?

The stadium was empty, with only Liu Hao present.

At Qingdao's home ground, most of the fans were from Qingdao, and they were quite considerate, not as rowdy as during the match. They even lowered their voices, seemingly to create a good sleeping environment for Liu Hao.

However, the Luneng fans were not pleased. How could they let Liu Hao sleep so soundly!

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang, bang, bang, bang!" The extremely disharmonious sound of drums and gongs suddenly exploded in the air, piercingly loud.

The sound of drums and gongs, which did not appear in the first half, suddenly appeared during the halftime break.

The Luneng fans had brought them in.

Why didn't they appear in the first half? Perhaps because the fans no longer found them effective for cheering on the team, as they were outdated.

But to wake up Liu Hao, they brought them out?

Regardless, this was clearly a group of die-hard Luneng fans, who had come up with this method to ensure Luneng's victory.

However, why did Liu Hao seem to not hear the deafening sound?

The fans had already covered their ears, unable to bear it. If the rhythm were better, it could have been considered music, but this was just noise.

Liu Hao was the only one who slept soundly amidst the chaos.

"Is this guy a reincarnation of the sleep god? The fans are causing such a commotion, yet they can't wake him up!" Duan Xuan sighed, "If only I had his sleeping ability, I wouldn't have to suffer from the square dancing at night."

"Is there square dancing in Beijing too?" Su Maozhen was taken aback, "But I agree with you. I should ask him for some tips someday."

These two had broadcast the first leg of the match together, and now, as they worked together again, their cooperation was much smoother.

"If I were disturbed by such noise, I would be dead unless I were deaf," Duan Xuan said, his face full of envy.

"I think this is just a smokescreen from Old Li, to confuse the opponents," Su Maozhen said with a mischievous smile, making an assumption.

"..." Duan Xuan squinted his eyes, not quite understanding. Could this be something he learned while studying for his coaching certificate in England? How could sleeping be a smokescreen? What kind of smokescreen is this? As a professional commentator and host, Duan Xuan instinctively tried to understand his partner's words.

Fortunately, Su Maozhen continued, or this puzzle might have short-circuited Duan Xuan's thoughts.

"Isn't this just like remaining asleep even when Mount Tai collapses in front of you? Old Li probably burned incense and prayed to the Buddha last night."

This... Duan Xuan pondered for a moment and finally understood, as if enlightened.

Mount Tai, the predecessor of Shandong Luneng, Su Maozhen meant that if Liu Hao didn't wake up, Luneng would definitely lose? Or that Liu Hao didn't take Luneng seriously? The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Clearly, Li Xiaopeng was just letting Liu Hao rest and regain his strength!

***

Regardless of whether their guesses were correct, Li Xiaopeng did not wake up Liu Hao in the second half.

The match remained intensely contested, moving closer to his anticipated future. Although it was a tie, there was no sign of worry on his face, as if he was truly placing his hopes on Liu Hao.

"Old Li is putting his hopes on Liu Hao again. Does Liu Hao have any secret moves? If I were the Luneng coach, I would tell the players to pay attention to their defensive actions. If Old Li lets Liu Hao play, he will definitely go for free kicks," Su Maozhen analyzed logically. "Other coaches would have been jumping around by now, given that the total score is still one goal behind. Of course, Luneng is also in a tough spot. If the other team scores, they will be eliminated due to the away goal rule."

Actually, they were wrong. Li Xiaopeng was more anxious than anyone. As a former national team coach, he had to maintain his composure, even if it was just an act.

This guy is still not awake! He had already cursed him countless times in his heart. Just a little medicinal wine, and he reacts so strongly?

However, with the match so passive and still tied, he had to push Liu Hao to the front, even if his legs were as weak as dough.

"Hey, wake up Liu Hao. It's time for him to play." In the end, he had someone wake up Liu Hao.

The camera immediately focused on Liu Hao.

It seemed to be a great pleasure to film Liu Hao waking up.

He stretched lazily, his eyes still closed!

He really thinks he's a god...

Fortunately, when he opened his eyes, he realized he was still on the bench and quickly regained his composure.

"Ah... Sorry, I was a bit drowsy and fell asleep for a while." Liu Hao was quite embarrassed, not realizing he had been broadcast for over 70 minutes.

Fell asleep for a while... Gao Yao, who came to wake him up, was speechless. Is this considered a while? Sir, it's your turn to play...

"Old Li wants you to play."

"Uh..." So quickly, Liu Hao realized he had slept through most of the first half.

Something didn't feel right. How could he sleep for so long? He kicked the grass and found his legs much firmer, not as weak as before. Could his skills have improved? He suddenly thought of novels where sleeping could enhance one's abilities, and he couldn't help but think along those lines, given how unusual his sleep was.

He rubbed his neck, took off his jacket, and buried his head in it.

After about ten seconds, he lifted his head, and a strong smell of alcohol wafted out, right into Gao Yao's nose.

This guy, he even drinks before playing! Amazing! He couldn't help but admire...

***

This guy was brought on specifically for free kicks. Getting a good free kick in the front field within ten minutes is not difficult for a professional player. After he came on, Li Xiaopeng immediately changed the tactics to create opportunities.

We don't need a penalty, just a good free kick. We're not the most shameless team in world football...

The referee was a bit dizzy. The frequent falls were confusing his judgment. This wasn't the first time; his colleague who officiated the first leg complained about the excessive diving by Qingdao Zhongneng, unsure how to call it.

He encountered the same issue this time...

So he decided to call only the obvious ones.

This really worried Li Xiaopeng. Without free kick opportunities, Liu Hao's contribution would be zero.

Fortunately, the referee wasn't that strict and finally gave a good opportunity, in a very favorable position.

That was due to the obvious foul, which the referee had to call.

Now it was Antic's turn to be nervous. If he lost this match, he would be fired... He seemed to be silently praying to the sky.

If someone else were taking the free kick, he wouldn't be so afraid, but this was Liu Hao!

It felt good! Liu Hao stood at the free kick spot, feeling full of energy, as if to verify his earlier thoughts that his skills had improved.

However, the next moment...

Everyone was stunned...

Out of control!

How could he kick it so wildly! The referee was standing on the left side of the penalty area, forming a 90-degree angle with the goal...

No one could believe their eyes. The ball Liu Hao kicked curved wildly and hit the referee.

Was it intentional? He had been sleeping throughout the match; the referee hadn't provoked him, and there were no unfair calls.

Such a wide curve was not something an ordinary person could kick, like the three phenomena in international football that defy the laws of physics: Bale's curve, Carlos's outside-of-the-foot curve, and Ronaldo's super jump.

Now we can add Liu Hao's 90-degree curve...

Of course, this is a joke. A football cannot have a 90-degree curve, but people were amazed that Liu Hao's