Chapter 88

Despite Nedved's repeated explanations to the referee, Mr. Poll, the latter shook his head and refused to listen. While it was not unprecedented for a referee to change a decision, it was an extremely cautious move, as it amounted to a self-denial of professional competence. Overturning one's own decision would also undermine authority.

Perhaps due to the conservative and stubborn nature of the English, Poll ultimately signaled that Millwall must take the penalty kick.

The Arsenal players were furious, but they had no avenue to appeal. They did not hate Millwall, their derby rival, but rather harbored resentment towards the referee.

Reluctantly, everyone except for Seaman, who was in goal, stepped out of the penalty area. The Millwall players turned to look at Audrich on the sidelines.

What should they do with this penalty?

The team's first-choice penalty taker was Larsson, but Audrich pointed to Nedved, entrusting him with the responsibility.

Larsson had no objections, and the Millwall players did not even stand on the penalty arc to prepare for a follow-up shot; they all stood far behind.

Poll blew the whistle, and Nedved slowly walked to the penalty spot, lightly touching the ball with his toe, then turned and ran back.

Seaman stepped forward to pick up the ball, impressed by Nedved's gesture, and applauded him.

The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause once again.

As Nedved ran back, Adams, passing by, sincerely said, "Sorry."

He had shouted many obscenities earlier, but Nedved ignored them.

Nedved glanced back at Adams and continued running, unconcerned.

"Andy, this may not be a great moment on the pitch, but it will certainly be a classic scene in the textbooks. Nedved has shown the world that on the football field, one should defeat the opponent fairly. If Wohler had seen this, he should feel ashamed. Even though he led Germany to the top of the world, no one except German fans admires his dive in the 1990 World Cup final."

"The entire crowd is applauding Nedved's behavior, which is something we should encourage. Not every player who falls in the penalty area is fouled or diving, and sometimes the referee's decision may be unfair, but that is part of football. I am glad to see a player stand up to uphold the fairness of the game. There are too many negative examples of players resorting to any means, but Nedved has set a positive example for fair play. The replay shows that Audrich fully supports Nedved's actions. I think tomorrow, more neutral fans will support Audrich."

English fans, who had been hurt by Maradona's 'Hand of God,' detest cheating on the pitch. Even when Owen dived for the national team, he received ridicule and mockery at home. In the 1990 World Cup final, the powerful German team, led by football emperor Beckenbauer, faced the defending champions Argentina, who had unexpectedly reached the final. Despite Germany's dominance, they could not score, and the referee missed a penalty for Germany. Wohler deceived the referee with a dive in the final moments, and Germany won the world title with that penalty. However, Wohler's behavior was strongly condemned after the match.

The first half ended quickly, and the players returned to the dressing room.

Audrich waited for the players to sit down, then gave them two minutes to clean their boots and jerseys or to drink water and calm down.

"Pavel, you did the right thing," Audrich said calmly to Nedved, who looked up and nodded without a word.

Audrich's gaze swept over the other players, and he said mildly, "I am a coach who craves victory, and you are players who crave victory. But we cannot let our hearts be tainted by utilitarianism. We can be less talented than our opponents, but we can make up for it with hard work and sweat. We can be less powerful than our opponents, but we can improve with determination and unity. But we must never tarnish the word 'victory.' Do not cheapen its meaning with deceitful means. Perhaps it will help us win an important match or a significant title, but in the long run, we will lose more. Some mistakes, once made, cannot be corrected."

Many players listened intently and nodded solemnly.

After a moment of silence, Audrich walked to the tactical board and began to lay out the tactical tasks for the second half. There were no major changes, just a shift in rhythm and a slightly more detailed tactical plan.

Before the second half began, Audrich observed the Arsenal players' expressions from the sidelines. He saw that their fighting spirit had been restored, and their eyes were filled with a desire to win.

Ligoch was not an incompetent coach. At least, the Arsenal team, which had been somewhat disheartened in the first half, regained their momentum after the break.

This was good.

The atmosphere in the stands remained intense, and the second half began amid a chorus of cheers.

Arsenal had unified their thoughts, and Ligoch made some adjustments to the defense, strengthening it by positioning Adams as a sweeper in a three-man backline, reminiscent of the early catenaccio style of the great Inter era. However, this last-minute change might not have the desired effect.

Winterburn and Dixon pushed forward with determination, and Bergkamp dropped back to play as a second striker, sharing the playmaking responsibilities. Arsenal's formation had become quite unusual, given the adjustments from a 5-3-2 setup.

Arsenal launched an attack, and after Bergkamp dropped back to combine with Platt, he passed the ball to Wright. Wright shot from outside the penalty area, but the angle was poor, and Keller easily caught the ball.

Audrich raised his chin and waved his hand towards Arsenal's half, signaling for Millwall to launch their rapid counter-attack!

The counter-attack began with the goalkeeper's kick. Keller threw the ball to Thuram on the wing, who started to move forward. Arsenal did not expect Thuram to join the attack and were caught off guard. What made matters worse was that, apart from the two center-backs and the holding midfielder Makelele, all other Millwall players were sprinting forward, like a blue whirlwind, overwhelming the opposition.

Thuram passed to Schneider, who then played a one-two with Nedved. Schneider overlapped down the wing and then crossed the ball back to the center, where Trezeguet was leading the attack. Larsson was behind the penalty area, and Schneider's cross rolled right to him. He struck the ball powerfully, and as Arsenal's defense retreated, the ball moved quickly. Bould, trying to block the shot, was too slow, and the ball sailed past his shoulder, the sound of it breaking the air audible.

Seaman dived to the top left corner of the goal, but by the time he reached the spot, the ball had already found the net.

Millwall led 2-0!

"Larsson! The in-form Larsson! His powerful shot from the edge of the penalty area found the top corner, and Millwall's counter-attack from the goalkeeper was incredibly fast! Even in the old First Division, their counter-attacks often shredded the opposition's defense. Watch the slow-motion replay: from Keller's throw to Thuram to the final goal, Millwall's counter-attack took just 13 seconds! How fast are they?!"

Seeing the goal, Audrich closed his eyes, a smile on his lips, and clenched his fist in a small, celebratory gesture.

Arsenal would definitely strengthen their attack in the second half, but Millwall's strategy was not to retreat defensively but to launch a blitzkrieg!

As long as Arsenal pushed forward, the space behind them would be the stage for Millwall's counter-attacks. If they could not hit Millwall, Millwall's rapid counter-attacks would sound the death knell for the Gunners!

Larsson, who had scored twice, ran along the touchline, his hand to his ear, savoring the fans' cheers.

The song from the South Stand echoed through the stadium.

"Nobody likes us, we don't care, we have Larsson!"

Ligoch looked dejected. The reforming Arsenal faced a stable Millwall, and the team's recent loss of sharpness could not be restored in a short time. Millwall, on the other hand, was like a newborn lion, hungry for victory and eager to taste the blood of their enemies.

The fighting spirit that had been roused at halftime quickly dissipated, and the Arsenal players stood on the pitch, hands on their hips, looking helpless and lost.

Last season, they could console themselves after losing to Millwall's reserve team, citing Graham's unstable position and the team's poor form. But today?

Facing Millwall's first team, their attack was a mess, and their once-proud defense was riddled with holes.

Where was the light of victory?

After Arsenal restarted the game, Audrich noticed a phenomenon that made him chuckle.

Arsenal had reverted to their usual defensive tactics.

They were like ostriches, huddled together, peeking out at the world, and when they saw danger, they buried their heads again to ensure their safety.

Ligoch returned to the bench, with forty minutes left in the game, but he had no hope of a comeback.

After all, it was a derby, and they couldn't lose by too much, even though Millwall was not their main rival, Tottenham was.

Arsenal's offensive system was starting anew, and the arrival of Bergkamp and Platt did not immediately make them more lethal. Ligoch's most reliable players were on the field, and against the rising Millwall, avoiding another counter-attack was the right choice.

Millwall was not done, and in the last ten minutes of the game, Trezeguet and Larsson unexpectedly switched positions. Larsson charged into the penalty area, receiving a cross from Pires and heading the ball past Seaman.

Larsson, who completed his hat-trick, was named the man of the match, and Arsenal suffered a three-goal defeat at the Den!

PS: Thank you to "Daozhang Ma Yu" for the support!

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(End of the chapter)