Chapter 159: Penalty Shootout
There was a lot of laughter on United's side, and although they had not yet won the final game, the joy was palpable on everyone's face.
Although the fighting continues, their morale is at an all-time high, and if anyone is depressed, it can only be Fanny.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was of course frustrated, and his legs even hesitated a little when he missed the penalty.
Fortunately, Dong Fangzhuo rushed to the front and helped him make up for the ball, otherwise he would have become a sinner for Manchester United.
At this time, he was already wet behind him. He had just come on the field, and he didn't even run, but he just ran a few steps to complete the shot, which didn't make him sweat hot, he broke out in a cold sweat......
Either way, the results were good. But he may have lost his status in Ferguson's heart, Ferguson originally sent him up to trust him to score a penalty, but he almost messed things up, will he still have such a chance in the future?
What if he is now the top scorer in the Champions League? He can't even kick a penalty in the League Cup, so he might as well be Dong Fangzhuo......
On the Chelsea side, on the other hand, everyone's face was quite gloomy, like a dead father, and it couldn't be darker anymore.
Mourinho stood expressionless. What am I doing wrong? If I did something wrong, I just shouldn't have replaced the damn Bridge, this damn guy, ruined everything. And then Chelsea still have a damn extra time!
The hatred in his heart has nowhere to vent.
But then he had to calm down immediately and face extra time again.
He has to do something about the team.
But with Bridge's henchman, he felt that the team could not take any more risks.
He had already run out of substitutions, and it was impossible to let Bridge off, so he had to continue the fight with his current personnel.
All he could do was move Makelele to the left to assist Bridge's defence.
The two sides rested for almost ten minutes, and extra time finally began.
There are no substitutions on either side, so they can only fight with their current personnel.
Manchester United kick-off first......
Both sides could not afford to lose, and neither dared to press the attack in a big way. The two teams played relatively conservatively, and there were not many players invested in the attack, and they were both afraid of the opponent's counterattack!
On Chelsea's side, Frank Lampard did not rush up, and Thiago and Claude Makelele defended resolutely at the back. Manchester United are similar, Keane, Scholes, Ryan Giggs and even Ronaldo dare not move.
The 15 minutes of the first half passed quickly.
"If this process continues, the two sides will probably actually go to penalties......
"The lord joked before the game that the game would likely be a draw and then go to the final penalty shootout, of course he might have said it, but I didn't know he practiced the penalty shootout before the game?" Lineker laughed.
'In terms of luck today, Manchester United had better luck than Chelsea.'
There was no time to rest at half-time in extra time, and the two sides exchanged halves directly.
The two teams played slowly and leisurely, and the scene was a little dull, but the fans at Old Trafford were different, whether it was Manchester United fans or Chelsea fans, they were all trembling, for fear that the team would accidentally concede a goal, and this is the mentality of the fans.
In fact, these two teams are now focusing on stability, and offense is secondary.
There were also no good chances for both sides, and with 115 minutes to go, there were finally players who couldn't stand it.
Scholes, who has been playing all of his games lately, suddenly fell to the ground and he cramped.
The referee had to suspend the game for a while.
Dong Fangzhuo and Ronaldo came up at the same time, lifted his legs left and right, and helped him press the top of his feet.
It took more than two minutes......
And off the field, Ferguson and Mourinho have begun to bow their heads and draw small books.
In their opinion, it is impossible to still tell the winner, and the game will drag into a penalty shootout. They need to start thinking about who will take the penalty shoot-out, especially the top five.
Under normal circumstances, penalty shootouts rarely go through five rounds of penalties without a winner. Someone is going to miss a penalty.
Jose Mourinho's right hand was swinging rapidly, and it seemed that the list of players who would take the penalty was quickly written, while Ferguson's hand movement became a little slow, and he seemed to be writing stop-and-stop, and then he looked up and looked around, and it seemed that he was hesitant about the list.
Originally, in his vision, Vanney should be the first guy to take a penalty, but just now Vanney missed a penalty, is this guy still trustworthy? Is it trust to let him punish the first safe......
He shook his head, rejecting the idea.
So, Ronaldo?
No......
Giggs, Scholes?
He remembered the two veterans again, but in the end he denied it.
Keane, Keane!
In the end, he can only put his hope on Keane, and at this most important juncture, only he thinks he is the most trustworthy!
Toot –
Toot –
Toot –
The referee finally blew the whistle for the end of the game and Chelsea and Manchester United were still tied at 2-2 as they went into a brutal penalty shoot-out.
Players from both sides walked to the sidelines, waiting for the manager's arrangement.
Ferguson eventually drew up a list of players to take the penalty kicks, in the order of Keane, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Dong Fangzhuo.
Substitutes are Cristiano Ronaldo, Rio Ferdinand, Neville, Silvestre and Heinze. If the first five people have not yet decided the winner, then the five people will then go up and play in order......
I?
Dong Fangzhuo still has a chance, but he didn't expect that he would have the opportunity to take a penalty, and it was the fifth appearance.
The fifth appearance, it's good to say it's good, and it's not good to say it's not good. Because if the first four teammates have already settled the game, then the fifth does not need to play, but if the first four teammates have not decided the game, then the pressure on the fifth is the greatest......
However, Dong Fangzhuo still nodded and readily agreed.
Isn't it just a penalty......
Although he didn't have many opportunities to take penalties in the professional arena in his previous life, he took the opportunity to take penalties almost every week in the amateur league in the following years.
The penalty kick is not professional or unprofessional, it only tests people's psychology, which is not so terrible for Dong Fangzhuo......
Ronaldo has no opinion on this list, and at this time he asks himself, his mental quality does not seem to have passed.
So when everyone stood in a column near the middle, Ronaldo actually hid behind Dong Fangzhuo and hid his head in the middle of Dong Fangzhuo's neck......
"Hey, buddy, be brave," a smile appeared at the corner of Dong Fangzhuo's mouth.
'You know, we're going to be in situations like this a lot in the future, and then you're going to have to stand in front of the penalty spot.' He tried to encourage Ronaldo, even though he didn't take the penalty.
"We can definitely influence them."
He didn't know that his words were also affecting other players.
Especially Vanney.
He was surprised, why was the little Dong Fangzhuo so calm?