Bab 554: I Seem to Have Been Inspired by Wang Feng
When the attention of the Spanish King's Cup surged due to the early encounter between Real Madrid and Barcelona, another relatively unknown team emerged and captured a considerable amount of attention.
They are none other than Mirandes from Segunda B. In the quarter-finals, they faced off against a Spanish team. After a narrow 3-2 defeat in the first leg as the away team, they unexpectedly defeated their opponents 2-1 in the home leg, tying the aggregate score at 4-4. They advanced by virtue of away goals, eliminating the La Liga powerhouse.
This marks the second time since the miracle of Figueirense in 2002 that a Segunda B team has reached the semi-finals of the King's Cup. The Anduva Municipal Stadium, with only 6,000 spectators, was completely exhilarated. Throughout their journey, they consecutively eliminated Villarreal, Santander, and the Spanish team, with each match being considered a miracle.
Mirandes is an inconspicuous Segunda B team from Miranda del Ebro, beside the Ebro River in northern Spain. Their annual budget is only 1.23 million euros, which is one-fortieth of their opponent, the Spanish team, and negligible compared to powerhouses like Real Madrid and Barcelona.
What's even more incredible is that this team can only be considered amateur, as all players have full-time jobs. For example, Ivantet, who scored six goals and tied for the top spot in the cup's goal-scoring chart with Wang Feng, is a bank employee who has to go to work at 8:00 a.m. on weekdays.
They cannot solely rely on football to support themselves, so they work during the day, train and play matches at night, with only Tuesday nights for rest. Ivantet, 31, has been with Mirandes for seven years and has recently felt a bit sleep-deprived.
Facing invitations from several professional teams, he stated that he has no intention of changing careers, "I like my current life. I am highly valued in the bank and can demonstrate my worth, while playing for the club allows me to fully enjoy the fun of football."
In the upcoming King's Cup semi-finals, Mirandes will face the relatively weaker Athletic Bilbao, while Real Madrid will clash with Valencia, meaning this amateur team is likely to further create miracles by historically reaching the King's Cup final!
On January 29, in the 20th round of La Liga, Real Madrid hosted Zaragoza at home.
Less than 5 minutes into the game, Sahin threw a long throw from the sideline directly into the penalty area. Morata headed the ball, and Wang Feng, near the penalty spot, volleyed sideways to break the opponent's goal, putting the Galacticos ahead!
Even after experiencing a difficult rainy battle at Camp Nou, the Chinese superstar still maintained a high level, leading the substitute lineup to strive for victory to maintain the team's lead in the points table.
More than half of the first half passed, Granero sent a through ball from midfield, Wang Feng dribbled past the defenders on the edge of the penalty area, then slalomed past the goalkeeper Roberto, and then shot into the empty net, making it 2-0!
In the 43rd minute, Real Madrid launched a counterattack from midfield, Altintop forcefully dribbled the ball to the bottom line, and passed it back to the edge of the penalty area in a triangle, where the Chinese superstar followed up with a right-footed shot into the far corner.
Wang Feng scored a hat-trick!
In the second half, Zaragoza pulled one back through Loewens in midfield. Real Madrid's substitute goalkeeper Adan, who came on reluctantly, missed the clean sheet bonus, and the final score was set at 3-1, with the Galacticos comfortably taking three points.
Seeing Adan feeling down when leaving the field, Wang Feng smiled and hugged him, "Come on, Antonio, don't look so gloomy. Tonight, I'll treat you all to a dinner to celebrate our victory."
Upon hearing this, the teammates showed excited expressions. Every time the Chinese superstar treated them, they could enjoy a hearty meal, which was also a small part of the reason why he was so influential in the dressing room. After all, people have short memories when it comes to food.
As for the main reason, of course, it's the addition of strength. Who wouldn't like a leader who can handle things and is generous?
In another key league match, Barcelona was held to a 0-0 draw away by Villarreal, thus widening the gap in points between them and Real Madrid.
This is something that hasn't happened in the past few seasons. Although Barcelona has always lost to Real Madrid in recent years, it has always been in the final moments. Now, they are showing signs of decline in the middle of the season, almost dropping out of the title race.
It's only at this moment that some Catalan fans feel that Guardiola seems to have something after all, while his successor Vilanova is a mess. But would it really be better to change personnel? No one dares to say such a thing.
More and more people are pinning their hopes on time and the future. Some fans left messages on social media: "Admit it, Real Madrid can now firmly suppress us, relying on the power of the legendary superstar Wang Feng."
"But they can't be dominant forever. Wang is already 29 years old and is about to enter the decline stage. Just wait quietly for another year or two, and Barcelona will definitely regain Catalan glory!"
For a while, countless Barcelona fans became like clocks, silently counting the days and looking forward to the day of resurgence.
In February, the King's Cup semi-finals were held as scheduled, with Real Madrid playing away to Valencia at the Mestalla Stadium.
As one of the most competitive teams this season outside the Spanish giants, the Bat Legion has lived up to the words in their team anthem: "Don't disappoint me, Valencia!"
The British "Sky Sports" once praised the Mestalla Stadium as one of the twenty greatest stadiums in Europe, "Entering here, you will find a visually stunning steep stands, providing a visual feast beyond the football itself."
More importantly, this stadium is also the oldest in La Liga, even older than the Bernabeu and Camp Nou, having been officially completed in 1923.
The strong historical atmosphere and the passionate fans complement each other, and the match slowly began under such an environment.
In the first half, the home team kicked off first, Pablo passed the ball to Soldado, who quickly passed it back to control the rhythm in the backcourt. Faced with such a powerful opponent as the Galacticos, it was not surprising that Valencia chose to defend and counterattack, and their starting lineup was a defensive 4-5-1 formation.
Wang Feng and Iguaín quickly rushed to the front court to press, and the Chinese superstar recalled the characteristics of the opponent's starting double defensive midfielders, Albelda and Banega.
Albelda, with his tough style in the somewhat soft Spanish midfield, can be considered unique. His fierce and ruthless fouls make him look like a Premier League player.
His defensive level is unquestionable, with excellent awareness and strong interception ability. When it's time to make a tackle, he won't hesitate. In recent years, he has gradually grown into the core leader of the Bat Legion.
Banega, on the other hand, is slightly inferior. He has excellent ball control and passing ability, but his speed disadvantage is quite obvious, perhaps he can be seen as a breakthrough point.
Seeing Wang Feng approaching Albelda without sticking to the ball at all, he immediately chose to pass back. Alba, who received the ball, immediately pushed it to the nearby Lami. They all knew the danger of Wang Feng; if they weren't careful, they could become the culprits for the team.
"After the start, both sides quickly entered the rhythm of the game. It seems that Real Madrid wants to establish a lead as soon as possible, so they pressed quite aggressively in the front court."
"In the league clash earlier this season, the Galacticos narrowly won 3-2 at home. Wang Feng and Soldado both had outstanding performances in that match. I wonder if they can continue their form."
After several consecutive corners, Miguel suddenly kicked off from the back and sent a long pass straight into the heart of Real Madrid's defense. Soldado rushed to stop the ball before Héctor, but unfortunately, the touch was a bit heavy, and the ball was taken away by Ramos who came after.
"This touch wasn't good. If it were Wang Feng, he could definitely control it and make a run into the penalty area."
"You're right, but after all, he's not the Chinese superstar. It's already very good to win the landing point under Héctor's interference. This straight pass also sounded the alarm for Real Madrid's defense. If they press too high, they might easily be caught behind."
Ramos passed the ball to Alonso, who pushed forward to near the center line and diagonally passed to Wang Feng's feet. With his back to Albelda, the Chinese superstar unexpectedly flicked the ball past him, and the Spanish defensive midfielder, seeing the danger, directly tripped him.
"Whistle!" The referee's whistle immediately sounded, but such a level of foul could only be considered fierce competition. Albelda is very experienced, he won't eat cards and won't give the opponents too much threat of a free kick too far forward.
So both sides fought back and forth for more than 10 minutes, and they hadn't even had a shot on goal.
It wasn't until the 13th minute that the Chinese superstar wandered to the left rib to ask for the ball. Marcelo seized the opportunity to complete a wide-range shift, and while Wang Feng accelerated to snatch the spot, he lifted his right foot smoothly, and the ball seemed to stick to his feet.
Pablo Banega rushed forward urgently to block, and Wang Feng immediately dribbled forward and once again burst past the Argentine, demonstrating his exceptional speed. He successfully evaded the defense and charged into the edge of the penalty area!
Ruíz and Miguel, the two defenders, nervously converged, feeling the overwhelming aura of the world's number one player coming at them, as if he could break through them and score at any moment.
Reality soon confirmed their concerns. The Chinese superstar moved swiftly, shifting the ball sideways with his right foot after a couple of steps of acceleration.
The ball sailed through the narrow gap between the two defenders, whizzing towards the goal. In the air, it even had an upward trajectory, surprising the goalkeeper Guaita, who could only watch helplessly as it slipped through his arms and into the net.
"Goooooooooooooooooooal! The ball's in! Real Madrid scores with their first shot, 1-0!"
"A brilliant combination tearing through the opponent's defense, the speed of the Chinese superstar remains sharp as ever, completely outpacing Albelda, who's five years his junior!"
"His decision to shoot just before Valencia's defense closed in was also very timely. The ball had a rising trajectory in the air, catching Guaita off guard!"
After the restart, Valencia became even more urgent. They had to win at their home ground to have a chance at triumphing at the Bernabéu.
The more frantic they became, the more vulnerable they were to Real Madrid's advances. In the 26th minute, after Alonso intercepted the ball in midfield, he initiated a counterattack with a direct pass. Wang Feng didn't stop the ball, instead swiftly passing it to Di María, who broke through along the sideline and then made a triangle pass back to the Chinese superstar.
Faced with the converging defense, Wang Feng cleverly flicked the ball to the left, feigning a forceful turn. This move drew in Alba behind him, who tried to block his path. However, Wang Feng skillfully turned the ball around his foot in a half-circle, then quickly tapped it with his heel.
The ball smoothly passed through the gap into the penalty area, where a charging Higuaín unleashed a fierce shot, piercing through Valencia's defenses once again.
The Argentine forward roared in celebration as he ran towards the sidelines, with Wang Feng following closely behind. When they reached the touchline, Higuaín stopped and excitedly shouted to the Chinese superstar, "I knew you could do it! You always find a way!"
"Haha, but you still have to be in the right position, great shot!"
Valencia's goalkeeper Guaita stood with his hands on his hips, looking resigned as he watched his jubilant opponents. What could he say about such a divine shot?
Alba, who was played, dropped to his knees weakly. This La Masia-trained Spanish youngster was currently in a period of technical improvement, and there were rumors that Barcelona was interested in bringing him in to bolster their defense.
The first half ended with Real Madrid leading by two goals. At halftime, a guest on Spanish Radio Cuatro, former Real Madrid legend Raúl, commented, "Just as I predicted, Valencia can't hold back the full force of the Galacticos."
"They have indeed been a bit inconsistent in recent games, but the biggest characteristic of this team is that they never falter in crucial moments, and of course, that's closely tied to their leader, Wang Feng."
"I increasingly feel that bringing in the Chinese superstar was the wisest decision Florentino has ever made in his life. He's like an engine that never tires, providing endless drive to everyone."
As the second half began, the balance of victory gradually tilted towards Real Madrid. In the 61st minute, Wang Feng once again received the ball on the left, using his dribbling skills to get past Banega and accelerate away from him.
After breaking into the penalty area, he dodged the pressing defenders with consecutive feints, then leaned against Ruiz and slotted the ball into the top right corner with the outside of his right foot. The ball curved in the air, evading Rami's attempted clearance and finding the net from an acute angle, making it 3-0!
This time, Soldado couldn't rescue his team. In the 67th minute, he scored a long-range shot that beat Casillas's outstretched arms, but in the 79th minute, Di María's cross from the wing was met by Higuaín's close-range shot, further widening the visitor's lead.
Real Madrid won 4-1 against Valencia, with the Galacticos virtually securing a place in the King's Cup final with a 4-2 aggregate score.
On the other side of the semifinals, there was a dramatic turn of events. Athletic Bilbao took the lead against Mirandés in the first leg, defeating them 2-1.
Returning to the San Mamés Stadium with a 1-0 lead, they seemed poised to advance. However, in the final 10 minutes, Mirandés staged a stunning comeback with three consecutive goals from Ivantet, securing a 4-3 aggregate victory.
The dark horse triumphed once again! What's even more incredible is that the amateur player Ivantet, with 9 cup goals, surpassed Wang Feng's 8 to top the scoring chart!
Excitedly speaking to the media, he said, "I've always looked up to Wang Feng as an idol. I never thought I could replicate his miracles in an official match. In that moment, I felt inspired by him, believing that never giving up will eventually lead to success!"
Looking at the world of football today, the Chinese superstar almost embodies words like miracle and comeback.
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