Capítulo 48: The Art of Defiance
Wilshere planned to use the second option: aiming for the head of center-back Vermaelen.
"Louis and Dawson competed for the top, and Dawson knocked the ball out of the baseline. Corner kick!" Zhang Jun's tone was slightly surprised.
"Now it seems that Louis's physical resistance is not too weak, right?" Xiang Sun, the guest commentator, added, frowning. "The defense he encountered was very tight. After Giroud was replaced, Louis became the center forward, which weakened his advantage of running positions. As a single center, Louis's position is fixed, making him less flexible."
While the two were talking, Wilshere had already kicked the ball out. Louis positioned himself at the back, while the other players crowded the middle. Before taking the corner kick, Wilshere had communicated the plan through gestures.
Vermaelen rushed to the front under the cover of his teammates. But just as he reached the ball, goalkeeper Lloris had already leaped out, intending to punch the ball clear.
"Lloris strikes in time!" the commentator announced.
But Lloris's punch didn't hit the ball solidly. Instead, he misjudged it. Vermaelen, who had initially planned to retreat, stopped and attempted a shot with his foot. He missed, and the ball hit his shin pads, creating a weird little parabola that flew erratically to the back post.
Vermaelen was annoyed, thinking he had wasted a good opportunity. But suddenly, he heard a surge of boos.
"Louis!!!" Andy Gray exclaimed from the commentary box.
Louis had already jumped up, leaning back and raising his foot for a bicycle kick. As the ball flew over, he adjusted his position. With his back to the goal, he instinctively leaned back and took to the air.
"Bicycle kick!!" the commentators exclaimed.
Louis's left foot struck the ball perfectly. Goalkeeper Lloris, unable to teleport from the far post, watched helplessly as the ball flew past Adebayor, who stood by the post. The ball brushed Adebayor's scalp, hit the lower edge of the crossbar, and went into the goal.
When Louis landed, he saw the ball enter the net. "GOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!! Louis! Louis! Louis!!! Ahhh! Incredible! Incredible!!!" Andy Gray shouted, his voice strained with excitement.
The commentators were in a frenzy. "Beautiful!! Oh, my God! Unbelievable! Incredible goal!!" "A bicycle kick! Louis scored a bicycle kick! I've never seen him shoot like this before!!" "His shot feels so good!!" "Beautiful! Beautiful!! This might be the goal of the year!!"
Louis rolled up from the ground, waving his arms and roaring, tearing at his jersey. He was ecstatic. This goal wasn't premeditated; it was instinctual. When Vermaelen shot, Louis had planned to rush forward for a rebound. Instead, the ball flew right behind him. He instinctively leaned back and executed the perfect bicycle kick.
Louis ran to the sidelines, spreading his hands and shrugging in an incredulous expression. Tottenham's players were stunned. Bale, with his mouth open, began to feel a sense of crisis.
Before this, the British media touted Bale as a supernova and a strong competitor to become the ruler of the next era after Messi and Ronaldo. Now, he faced a more explosive rival.
Am I getting old? Can't hold my ground anymore? Bale wondered.
Louis's unpredictable goal was a huge blow to Tottenham. They had just equalized, and now Arsenal had taken the lead again in such a dramatic fashion. White Hart Lane fell silent for two seconds, with both Tottenham and Arsenal fans in shock.
Then, cheers erupted from the away fans, while Tottenham fans reacted with boos and the persistent "woo woo woo" sounds.
"This voice..." Andy Gray shook his head. "After the game, the Football Association and the Premier League must address the racist chants. Uh, what is Louis doing?!"
Louis stood on the sidelines, making a slow, deliberate motion. Andy Gray watched for a moment before realizing what Louis was miming. It was the action of peeling a banana.
"He wants to..." Andy Gray's mind flashed with an image.
Louis mimed peeling a banana, then pointed to the stands. The Tottenham fans were stunned before realizing they had been tricked. Their taunts backfired, as Louis reminded them that only monkeys make such noises.
The stadium erupted in boos, possibly the loudest since White Hart Lane was built. But the seventeen-year-old raised his right arm and faced the boos with a smirk.
"Heh. Who is afraid?" Louis thought.
The battle raged on, but the spirit of defiance Louis displayed became a defining moment of the match.
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