Chapter 43: The Protagonist of the Theater of Dreams (Part II)

The game was at a stalemate, with Forest desperately on the back to equalise the score before the end of the game, and it was better to get a point than not to get a point at all.

Manchester United, on the other hand, stood firm and waited for opportunities to counter-attack, always keeping pressure on Forest's backline and not giving the Forest team a chance to press. For example, although Ronaldo is gone, but George? Wood will have to stay behind as he faces the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Paul Scholes, Wayne Rooney and Ryan Giggs.

The difference between now and the previous few minutes is that Forest can allow two full-backs to assist boldly, without always worrying that the space behind them will be exploited by Manchester United.

Roy? Keane's withdrawal to defend also eased the pressure on Wood, who no longer had to face two United players at the same time, and he could roam the entire backfield as a bodyguard for Albertini.

In the 80th minute of the game, Donn made a substitution. He replaced centre-back Matthew with striker Crouch? Epson, continue to strengthen the attack, the Forest team became 343, but in fact when they pressed out to attack, there were only Piques and Wood in the backfield plus goalkeeper Darren? Ward three.

The Forest players fought and Donn fought too. Saying, "I won't be angry even if I lose," was after the game, and now we can't give up as long as we have the slightest hope that we won't lose the game.

"Time is running out and the Forest players can't seem to run...... Manchester United still have no intention of giving up on a counter-attack, George? Wood was very busy at the back and you could see him throughout the half. Doesn't this kid know that he's tired? ”

The commentator is right, by the end of the game, the most eye-catching person on the pitch is not Manchester United or Forest's attacking players, but George? Wood.

Manchester United did not give up on the counter-attack at the signal of Ferguson, and they were determined to move forward whenever they had the opportunity.

As a result, Wood had to fill in for his teammates who rushed up to assist. He was at right-back, left-back, and then he made a cameo at centre-back and cleared the ball with a header...... Forest's attack was slow to open up against United's defence and Rio Ferdinand was much more careful than when he conceded the goal. When Wood is defending at the back, he also pays attention to the situation up front. Seeing that the score has not changed for half a day, it is inevitable to be anxious.

Game time is running out and the Forest players are a little unable to run, even with the likes of Franck Ribery. More often than not, the team can only find Crouch and Viduka in front of them through long balls, and the play is very simple, but against Manchester United, the effect is not very good.

When the fourth official held up a sign on the sidelines for four minutes of stoppage time, Donn turned around, looking like he had to accept the result...... Whether it's Forest or Manchester United getting the ball, there are boos over Old Trafford, not so much for which team or player, but for the four minutes of stoppage time. Four minutes of stoppage time was clearly too long for Manchester United, who had only a one-goal advantage on hand.

What happens in four minutes on a football field? An attack, a back-to-head, or a pointless back-and-forth...... United were in control of the ball and were not in a hurry to pass forward, hoping to use the opportunity to slowly run out of time. In terms of possession, Forest are no match for Manchester United. Eastwood, Viduke and Crouch all struggled to get up front, but they were overwhelmed by Manchester United's passes.

Time flies by in seconds.

The whole forest team looked helpless.

The game was like that, and although there was a time when the Forest team worked very hard, they tried too late. It's the gap of this goal, and at this time it has become a moat.

Ferguson stepped down from the dugout and stood on the sidelines, ready to shake hands with Donn after the game, and he was the winner of the game regardless of the outcome of the pre-game bickering with Donn. Although Donn is not yet a famous coach in English football, but defeating such an unruly opponent is obviously better than defeating Kevin? Keegan felt more fulfilled.

Queiroz stood next to his boss, waiting with him to shake hands, and they looked like victors. Manchester United have the ball in hand, how easy is it to break it off?

Three minutes of stoppage time had passed, with just one minute left before the end of the game. The Forest players were ready to give up, the ball was at the feet of the opposition anyway, and if they were on the back of the foot, they could still do it if they didn't want to get their hands on it.

jumped on it and wasted his physical strength, not to mention, he was also used as a clown...... Leo? After Ferdinand had possession of the ball, he found that even Crouch, who was the latest player in the Forest team's playing time, did not come up to press, and he knew that the game was over, and all that remained was to wait for the referee to blow the whistle for the end of the game early.

He looked up at the referee in front of him, who was looking at his watch, and it was good...... Wait a minute!

What is that?!

A dark shadow suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

"God!" Even the narrator screamed. "It's ...... Where did he rush out of?! George? Wood! ”

Ferdinand's brain was a little short at this moment, and he was startled by the yellow figure that suddenly rushed in front of him.

No one knew how Wood rushed up, not even the Forest themselves, only Piqué saw it...... When United started to reverse the ball at the back and the Forest players didn't have the energy to press forward, Wood tried to rush on a couple of occasions.

But this time, he was more resolute than the previous times, and he didn't think about coming back to defend when he went up.

Ninety-three minutes, George? Wood was as energetic as if he had just played for ninety-three seconds, running at the same speed as he was chasing Cristiano? Ronaldo is unchanged. He swept across the pitch like the wind...... Ahead of Albertini, past Scholes, past Eastwood, past Roy? Keane, overtook Kleberson, overtook Viduka, and then suddenly came out from behind Crouch!

Ferdinand was paying attention to the referee's actions at that time, and he had no idea that in front of his penalty area, there would be Forest players rushing to grab the ball!

As soon as Donn turned around and was about to go back to the dugout to pack up the tactical board, and then go to shake hands with Ferguson, he heard Chris Lak next to him shouting: "Wait! Tony! Wait a minute...... Oh my God, it's Wood! He's up! ”

Donn spun around and saw Wood rush in front of Ferdinand, stabbing his foot at the ball as he did in front of his own penalty area...... There was a loud boo from the stands at Old Trafford at this moment.

'Rio Ferdinand conceded the goal!! He didn't see Wood rushing up at all! ”

The biggest problem for England's most expensive centre-back was the occasional lack of concentration when playing on the pitch, and now he has been caught by Wood, who never gives up. He only felt that his feet were stumbling, and the ball was gone!

Wood poked the ball off, and the boos went up another level.

There was no one in front of him, just a goal and Manchester United goalkeeper Thiem? Howard, with no teammates of his own to come up to support him, he couldn't possibly pass the ball out.

Seeing this, Donn suddenly remembered that shortly after the start of the first half, Wood's shot was about the same as this position, but Wood fired the ball into the sky...... He didn't do well in his usual training sessions. Is it okay to pin all the hopes of the Forest team on such a single person?

Why wasn't it Viduka, not Eastwood, not Crouch, not Albertini, not even Zim Bonda? And George, who had the worst shot? Wood!

He suddenly regretted that he should have let Wood practice shooting more in training...... But he still blurted out: "Shoot-!!" ”

Wood looked at the ball rolling at his feet, and he held his breath and rushed to the ball successfully, but what was he going to do next? Pass? There is no one to pass on. Shot?

Shot...... He thought of what Albertini had said to him before the game: "Sometimes you have to rush to the front of the opposition box and shoot from distance! ”

Isn't this the time now?

A voice suddenly sounded on the sidelines and reached his ears: "Shot-!!" ”

His eyes sharpened, and he lowered his head and picked up his right leg.

I didn't have a choice but to shoot.

The arch of the foot is straight, the toes are pointed down, the hand is waved vigorously, the waist is twisted, and the leg swing is in the trend...... Shot!

The yellow Nike90 soccer ball turned into a meteor under the bright lights of the Dream Theater, penetrated Howard's ten fingers, and slammed into the net!

As soon as Ferdinand turned around, he saw the football fly into the goal, and he suddenly lost power halfway through his body and sat on the ground.

Roy who defends back? Keane stopped, opened his mouth and panted as he looked at the embarrassed goalkeeper Howard.

Don slammed his fist to the ground.

The smile on Ferguson's face froze, and his hand reaching for Queiroz stopped in mid-air, as if frozen.

The boos stopped.

A voice on the TV and on the radio shouted, "It's incredible! It's incredible! Ninety-three minutes and forty-seven seconds! 2:2! Defender George? Wood sprinted across half of the pitch, cutting off Rio Ferdinand's nonchalant possession before firing a shot...... He did it! Tonight, the protagonist of the Dream Theater will make a grand appearance when the curtain is about to fall! ”

(To be continued)